2018 Doyard "Clos de L'Abbaye" Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Extra Brut, Champagne, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

100% Chardonnay from the 1er Cru village Vertus. Clos de l’Abbaye is a 0.50 ha true clos worked biodynamically just behind the Doyard estate. Planted in 1956 on clay and limestone terroir. The wine does not go through malolactic fermentation. Fermented and aged in older Burgundy barrels (228L). Aged 48 months on the lees with a dosage of 2g/L.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

The Doyard family traces their winemaking roots in Champagne back to 1677 when a marriage license of Jean-Baptise Doyard showed “winegrower” as the occupation. Maurice Doyard was the first in the family to make wine in Vertus under the Doyard label in 1927, officially signifying the domaine’s foundation. In 1979, Yannick Doyard took over, turning it into a beacon for precise, vinous, mineral-etched Champagne in the Côtes des Blancs. Today, Yannick’s son Guillaume is at the helm, farming 10 ha of prime vineyards in Vertus and the Grand Cru villages of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant, Oger, Avize and Aÿ. The domaine employs organic farming in the vines, with most of the vineyards worked by horse. Yields are kept very low, adding to the concentrated intensity that defines the estate’s style. In the cellar, state of the art double-banked Coquard PAI presses are employed to get the cleanest and most delicate juice possible and every parcel is vinified separately in barrel. All of the wines undergo very long lees aging before disgorgement — a minimum of 48 months on all cuvées — which truly sets them apart from much of Champagne and is a key component to achieve the incredible complexity and depth that is found throughout their magnificent lineup.