De Sousa

De Sousa Cuvée des Caudalies Grand Cru|Blanc de Blancs|NV

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Descriptors & Texture

Descriptors & Texture

Creamy Savoury Chardonnay Dominant

Winemaking

Winemaking

Barrel-fermented Barrel-maturation Biodynamic Solera

Earth

Earth

Mineral

Foods

Foods

Toasty

Tropical Fruit

Tropical Fruit

Yellow Fruit

Nut

Nut

Almond

Avize

Avize

What to expect

- Four Grand Cru Villages - Cramant, Les Mesnil, Avize & Oger make this

- Rich, intense and highly mineral blanc de blancs

- Goes great with Lobster & butter

This is 100 per cent Chardonnay from 50-year-old Avize (Grand Cru) vineyards that have been managed biodynamically.

The wine is vinified entirely in oak barrels and then aged and assembled via a "solera method"; with the final blend now incorporating nine vintages - only the finest vintages are added.

The unusual term "Caudalie" is the name given to de Sousa's top cuvees. The word denotes the persistence of the aromatic expression of a wine on the palate measured in seconds - 1 Caudalie equals approximately 1 second.

A stunning wine, highly complex as you would expect from a wine made this way, with piercing intensity and great length. Once it settles, it will show a rich texture and layers of pastry, ground nuts, vanilla and citrus flavours.

A wine of tremendous concentration and a chalky, lingering finish.

"Terre de Vins" Magazine reviewed this wine in the December 2019 Edition:

De Sousa Cuvée des Caudalies :

"Champagne De Sousa produces this exceptional organic and biodynamic cuvée, 100% Chardonnay with 50% of the wine from a perpetual reserve. “An artistic champagne, with a tribute to the complexity”, between stone fruits and cooked yellow fruits, mixed with a deep and savoury ginger stock and liquorice. On the palate, an elegant texture with a fine mousse, a well-balanced champagne between acidity and sugar, with a long chalky final. 18.7/20"
About the House

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. 

$149.99

Club Price $141.55 (?)

Send to friend

Descriptors & Texture

Descriptors & Texture

Creamy Savoury Chardonnay Dominant

Winemaking

Winemaking

Barrel-fermented Barrel-maturation Biodynamic Solera

Earth

Earth

Mineral

Foods

Foods

Toasty

Tropical Fruit

Tropical Fruit

Yellow Fruit

Nut

Nut

Almond

What to expect

- Four Grand Cru Villages - Cramant, Les Mesnil, Avize & Oger make this

- Rich, intense and highly mineral blanc de blancs

- Goes great with Lobster & butter

This is 100 per cent Chardonnay from 50-year-old Avize (Grand Cru) vineyards that have been managed biodynamically.

The wine is vinified entirely in oak barrels and then aged and assembled via a "solera method"; with the final blend now incorporating nine vintages - only the finest vintages are added.

The unusual term "Caudalie" is the name given to de Sousa's top cuvees. The word denotes the persistence of the aromatic expression of a wine on the palate measured in seconds - 1 Caudalie equals approximately 1 second.

A stunning wine, highly complex as you would expect from a wine made this way, with piercing intensity and great length. Once it settles, it will show a rich texture and layers of pastry, ground nuts, vanilla and citrus flavours.

A wine of tremendous concentration and a chalky, lingering finish.

"Terre de Vins" Magazine reviewed this wine in the December 2019 Edition:

De Sousa Cuvée des Caudalies :

"Champagne De Sousa produces this exceptional organic and biodynamic cuvée, 100% Chardonnay with 50% of the wine from a perpetual reserve. “An artistic champagne, with a tribute to the complexity”, between stone fruits and cooked yellow fruits, mixed with a deep and savoury ginger stock and liquorice. On the palate, an elegant texture with a fine mousse, a well-balanced champagne between acidity and sugar, with a long chalky final. 18.7/20"
About the House

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. 

Journalist Review - Tyson Stelzer 

Journalist Review - Tyson Stelzer 

"I tasted the Caudalies solera for the first time during the 2014 harvest and was stunned at its complexity. Five years on, its reverberates with more depth than ever, reflecting the multifaceted depth of its ever-ageing solera. The result is a powerfully complex cuvee of presence and intrigue, a stroll through an Autumnal landscape of spicy red apple, golden leaves and butter on toast.  94 Points out of 100. "