Description & elaboration
The Amour de Deutz 2015 cuvée from Deutz is a 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs champagne, born from a rigorous selection of the finest terroirs on the Côte des Blancs. This champagne showcases notes of hawthorn and candied citrus — lifted by a touch of ripe yellow fruits — and will delight lovers of champagnes that are both precise and generous. On the palate, the vintage 2015's characteristically rich texture is beautifully balanced by a persistent saline freshness, leading to a long and elegant finish.
The Terroir
This Blanc de Blancs is built on a 100% Chardonnay identity, a grape variety that lends the wine its characteristic refreshing crispness. The blend is drawn from the chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs, cultivated under the HVE and VDC environmental certifications, overseen by the French Ministry of Agriculture.
The parcel composition is spread across four villages: Avize contributes 46%, Oger 15%, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger brings its legendary minerality, and the Premier Cru of Villers-Marmery completes the blend. Together, the terroirs of these four villages define the aromatic signature of the cuvée.
The subsoil is composed of Campanian chalk dating from the Cretaceous period, porous and free-draining. The roots reach down twenty metres to seek out water, expressing the saline character typical of the area.
The winemaking
Following manual sorting at harvest and fractional pressing of the musts, cellar master Michel Davesne conducts the fermentations exclusively in stainless steel tanks, preserving the purity of the fruit and the mineral tension of the Chardonnay. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally across all tanks, softening the structure of the vintage without dulling its freshness.
Ageing on lees extends over eight years, developing autolytic aromas of brioche and toasted bread. The dosage at disgorgement is 6.5 g/L, placing the bottle in the Brut category while preserving the chalky expression of the terroir. The cuvée is also available in Magnum format.
The 2015 vintage
The year 2015 presented a singular climatic profile in Champagne. Abundant winter rainfall first replenished water reserves, before a mild spring accelerated the vegetative cycle. A scorching summer limited yields in July, then August rains revived the ripening of the Chardonnay bunches. The harvest, concentrated between 15 and 18 September, showed high sugar levels.
The wine reflects this generosity through a rich, full texture on the palate, which the natural acidity of the chalky soils balances with precision.
Tasting notes
Appearance
The colour is a luminous pale gold, of remarkable clarity. The effervescence releases a delicate stream of fine bubbles that feeds a persistent ring at the surface of the glass.
Nose
The first nose opens with a bouquet of hawthorn and orange blossom. With aeration, notes of acacia emerge, followed by aromas of ripe yellow fruits. The olfactory profile closes on subtle hints of toasted brioche, the hallmark of eight years on lees.
Palate
The attack is marked by a sharp, vibrant vivacity. The texture then unfolds with complex, fruity richness: blood orange and mandarin coat the palate. The finish lingers beautifully on a delicate chalky sensation.
Food pairing suggestions
- Gougères with aged Comté
- Saint-Jacques carpaccio
- Osciètre caviar
- Turbot with mousseline sauce
- Sea bass tartare with yuzu
- Breton lobster with butter
- Aged Chaource
- 24-month Parmesan
- Fruity aged Comté
The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion
Why I love it
What moves me is this crystalline tension weaving together white flowers, ripe citrus and delicate brioche notes. On the palate, its silky texture stretches across a chalky salinity of remarkable length and finesse.
My recommendation
Serve at 8–9 °C in a wine glass to release its aromas. It will be sublime alongside a Saint-Jacques carpaccio.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne transport. Upon receipt, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, in its box, away from light. Ideally in a cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not overly dry place with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The structure of the Chardonnay and eight years of ageing on lees give Amour de Deutz 2015 excellent cellaring potential. The cuvée offers approximately fifteen to twenty years of ageing capacity.
- Until 2028: primary aromas of yellow peach dominate the profile.
- From 2029: with time, notes of pastry and viennoiserie become more pronounced.
- Around 2035: age brings hints of warm spices and a honeyed patina.
Serving suggestions
Chill this wine to a temperature of 10 °C. A tulip glass helps channel the aromatic diffusion. Allow the surface to breathe for five minutes before serving: this brief aeration disperses accumulated carbon dioxide and improves clarity from the very first sip.
A note about this cuvée
Fabrice Rosset orchestrated the creation of this range in the late 1990s, with the aim of showcasing the white grape variety in the portfolio. This wine offers an alternative to the iconic brut from Deutz, whose rosé counterpart explores the facets of the black grape variety instead. The muselet conceals a gold-leaf-gilded metal plate that can be detached to become a true muselet jewel — a cord allows it to be worn as a pendant. The bottle's neck features a small moulded cherub, a reproduction of a sculpture standing in the estate's courtyard.
Also worth discovering: the rosé from the same house.
