Description & elaboration
The Blanc de Blancs 2020 cuvée from Deutz is a vintage champagne crafted exclusively from chardonnay. It offers notes of white flowers — verbena — and pomelo, with a confident aromatic intensity. On the palate, its silky texture makes it a natural partner for a seafood lunch.
The Terroir
The chardonnay takes root in the subsoils of the Côte des Blancs. The blend incorporates the Grand Cru villages of Avize and Oger, along with plots from Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Avize contributes a straight tension and chalky minerality. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger yields precise, finely chiselled musts with excellent ageing potential. Oger balances the structure with a riper, more enveloping maturity.
The hillside plots face east to south-east, ensuring the grapes receive morning sun. They rest on Cretaceous limestone formations, as described by the Comité Champagne. The belemnite chalk subsoil drains excess water and forces the vine roots to seek moisture deep underground — sometimes down to ten metres. This geology imparts a characteristic iodine-tinged quality to the finished Blanc de Blancs.
Winemaking
Cellar master Michel Davesne oversees the blending. Pressing is carried out in stages to separate the cuvées, followed by cold settling to clarify the must naturally. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, temperature-controlled at 18 °C, preserving the fruit expression of the grapes without any oak influence. Malolactic fermentation then adds a velvety texture to the underlying acidity.
Bottling takes place in the spring following the harvest, in the underground cellars. The bottles undergo 48 months of ageing on lees, developing the autolytic aromas characteristic of the house. The final dosage is set at 6.5 g/L, placing the wine in the Brut category. The wine is presented in a William Deutz bottle, accompanied by an elegant gift box.
The 2020 vintage
The winter of 2020 was particularly mild, with moderate rainfall. Budburst, arriving early, occurred during March. Flowering took place under dry and clement conditions. The summer season was marked by temperatures exceeding 30 °C, with rare precipitation throughout.
Véraison was observed during the second half of July. The chalky subsoil maintained consistent hydration in the vine roots. The healthy condition of the grapes meant no rigorous sorting was required at harvest. Manual harvesting began in the final days of August. Chardonnay proved particularly resilient to the year's drought: the contrast between the summer heat and the coolness of the chalk gives the wine a taut, energetic structure.
Tasting Notes
Colour
The colour is a pale gold with silvery highlights.
Nose
On the nose, notes of verbena and white flowers come to the fore. Honeysuckle mingles with aromas of mirabelle plum and pomelo.
Palate
On the palate, this champagne reveals a velvety, generous texture. The attack is precise and mineral. The finish offers a lingering citrus freshness with a lovely, clean bite.
Food Pairing Suggestions
- Aged Comté gougères
- Sea bream tartare
- Oysters with caviar lime
- Carpaccio Saint-Jacques
- Blue lobster with butter
- Turbot with hollandaise sauce
- Comté aged 24 months
- Aged farmhouse Chaource
- Parmesan aged 36 months
The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion
Why I love it
The chiselled purity of this cuvée won me over immediately. I love its delicate bubble, with notes of white flowers and pear that linger on a saline, beautifully chalky finish.
My recommendation
Serve it at 8–10 °C in a wine glass to complement a carpaccio of Saint-Jacques scallops. It will also reward a few more years of cellaring.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne transport. Once received, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, away from light — ideally in a cellar, or at least in a cool, not overly dry place with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Blanc de Blancs 2020 Deutz champagne will evolve beautifully in the cellar. This 100% chardonnay has an ageing potential of around 15 years.
- Until 2030: the cuvée will display a primary character dominated by fresh citrus and white flowers.
- From 2031: the champagne will develop aromas of pastry and toasted bread, contributed by its time on lees.
- Around 2040: the 2020 vintage will reach its peak, with tertiary notes of roasted hazelnut and melted butter.
Serving suggestions
The ideal serving temperature is around 10 °C. Chill the bottle gradually in an ice bucket. A tulip glass is recommended to concentrate the floral aromas of the grape variety. No prior decanting is required before serving.
A note on this cuvée
Isolating chardonnay in a single-varietal cuvée is a deliberate, historically rooted choice. The house identifies the chalkiest plots to express their full typicity. To appreciate the consistency of this approach over time, we suggest exploring the other vintage of this iconic cuvée.
The taut, acid-driven structure is reminiscent of a great chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. The gift box presentation makes it an ideal choice for a corporate gift.
