Description & elaboration
The Amour de Deutz 2014 cuvée from Deutz is a Blanc de Blancs champagne crafted exclusively from Chardonnay. It is a champagne of dried apricot and candied mirabelle plum — lifted by warm butter and roasted almond — on a mineral and saline backbone. On the palate, the texture is full and silky, with a persistent finish of remarkable length. This magnum (150 cl) is presented in a dedicated collector's gift box.
The Terroir
The vineyards are rooted in the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims, on a sedimentary limestone base of outcropping chalk that regulates moisture in the vine roots. The blend draws on several villages classified as Premiers Crus and Grands Crus. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger contributes its razor-sharp acidity; Avize brings a mineral straightforwardness typical of its eastward exposure.
Oger densifies the structure of the wine in tank. Chouilly lends a floral aromatic character to the Chardonnay. Villers-Marmery, a Premier Cru on the Montagne de Reims, grafts a hint of citrus onto the base wines. The terroirs of these five villages together define the style of this Blanc de blancs, unified by the chalky matrix shared across all their soils.
Vinification
Exclusively hand-harvested between 14 and 23 September 2014, the grapes were pressed in stages to isolate the purest juices. Cellar master Michel Davesne oversees the blending of the musts. The House carries out a full malolactic fermentation across the entire cuvée, softening the attack and developing a velvety texture on the palate.
Bottling took place on 23 June 2015. The second fermentation (formation of carbon dioxide in the bottle) was followed by one hundred and eight months of ageing on lees, during which yeast autolysis imparts the characteristic buttery, autolytic profile. Mechanical disgorgement then expels the sediment. The dosage liqueur is set at 7.5 grams per litre. The magnum is then placed in its dedicated opaque collector's gift box.
The 2014 vintage
The 2014 growing season opened with a mild spring, free of late frosts, ensuring an even flowering. Heavy rainfall in July and August demanded close attention to disease pressure. September turned the tide: a dry high-pressure system and regular winds cleansed the clusters and concentrated the berries.
Harvesters gathered fruit with a well-preserved sugar-to-acidity balance and an alcohol potential of ten degrees. Chardonnay benefited particularly from this climatic reversal, delivering a mouthwatering acidity and an aromatic profile oriented towards ripe pip fruit, underpinned by a strong chalky imprint.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
The colour is a pale gold with subtle golden highlights. The effervescence releases a persistent stream of fine bubbles.
Nose
The first nose delivers notes of dried apricot and candied mirabelle plum. A little aeration reveals touches of warm butter and roasted almond.
Palate
The palate unfolds with a full, silky texture that coats the taste buds. The finish lingers on a hint of saltiness and roasted pear.
Food Pairing Suggestions
- Aged Comté gougères
- Scallop tartare
- Oscietra caviar
- Butter-roasted turbot
- Roasted Bresse chicken
- Pan-fried veal sweetbreads
- Aged Chaource
- Aged Parmigiano Reggiano
- Citrus shortbread
The benefits of the magnum
The magnum holds a standard capacity of 1.5 litres, equivalent to twelve flutes of one hundred and twenty millilitres. The thick glass wall insulates the wine from temperature fluctuations. The neck retains the same diameter as a standard seventy-five centilitre bottle.
The headspace trapped beneath the cork remains identical to that of a standard bottle. The ratio of oxygen to total volume is halved: the wine evolves more slowly, gaining several additional years of cellaring potential and developing tertiary notes in a more homogeneous fashion.
The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion
Why I love it
This cuvée won me over with its crystalline tension. I particularly enjoy its delicate bubble, with notes of citrus zest, stretching into a finish of remarkable salinity.
My recommendation
Serve this bottle at 8–9 °C in a wine glass to accompany scallops, or lay it down for another ten years.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this magnum (150 cl) in a purpose-designed shipping carton that absorbs shocks and keeps the dedicated opaque collector's gift box securely in place. Once received, we recommend storing the magnum on its side, away from light — ideally in a wine cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not overly dry location with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Amour de Deutz 2014 in magnum has an estimated cellaring potential of twenty years. The natural acidity of the Chardonnay supports the structure of the blend over time.
- Up to 2029: the cuvée expresses primary aromas of citrus and apricot.
- From 2030: evolution brings notes of melted butter.
- Around 2039: the magnum reaches its peak on honeyed notes.
Serving suggestions
Serve at 11 °C, after gradual chilling in an ice bucket. Opt for a tulip-style stemmed glass: its narrowed opening concentrates the aromas towards the nose. Pour to one third of the glass to preserve freshness.
A few minutes of aeration will dissipate any closed-in gas and allow the autolytic aromatics of the Chardonnay to fully unfold. The vinous profile of this cuvée pairs naturally with iodine-rich starters without overpowering the dish.
A note on this cuvée
This cuvée was first created at the 1993 harvest, to mark the one hundred and fifty-fifth anniversary of the House founded in Aÿ-Champagne. A cobbled courtyard leads to the underground ageing cellars.
A bronze statue of a cherub inspired by Greco-Roman art stands on a pedestal in front of the House. It is this little angel that gives its name to the prestige range. Its likeness is reproduced on the gilded metal muselet of every bottle.
Also worth discovering: grand vintage Blanc de Blancs champagne.
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