De Sousa 'Avec Le Temps' Blanc de Blancs Champagne

You are looking at a 100% Grand Cru chardonnay coming from excellent sites in Avize and Oger. All of De Sousa wines are certified Organic and 'Avec Les temps' or 'With time' is a vineyard in Biodynamic conversion. Fitting name really. As with all De Sousa wines, they have careful consideration to their soil and manual handling of grapes at harvest.

This has vibrant citrus fruit and chalky minerals and a subtle, textural richness. We love wines like this because they are easy to enjoy and they truly deliver. Think along the lines of nougat, almond, lemon-curd with herbal notes.

Any fresh seafood to highlight the mineral dimension in this wine and it's citrus-driven texture.

Coming from 4 Grand Cru parcels with 40% reserve wines added. This is Extra Brut at 5 g/L. This remains unfined and unfiltered so a small deposit may occur. Disgorged: 29 / 10 / 19

The De Sousa family are based in the Grand Cru village of Avize in the Côte Des Blancs. Father and Vigneron Erick De Sousa has a Portuguese background and practices Biodynamic viticulture. The family runs just over 9 hectares, most of which in Avize but also in the Montagne de Reims and Ambonnay, also a small vineyard in the Marne Valley - Mardeuil. The main characteristics of De Sousa Champagne are; *'Vieilles Vignes' or old-vine viticulture. *The vineyards are ploughed traditionally by horse and some of the oldest vines go back to the early 1930's. *Full malolactic fermentation. *Extended lees ageing. *Ageing of reserve wines in barrel. Ericks' winemaking philosophy supports later ripening which allows the vines to benefit from the mineral-rich soils. This interaction enables the champagne to develop a palate profile that has abundance and purity and in our view, a remarkable length and finish compared to many other champagnes.