
2019 Dhondt-Grellet "Le Bateau" Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Extra Brut, Champagne, France
A strikingly pure and maritime-influenced expression of Chardonnay, Le Bateau 2019 is crystalline and focused, offering a vivid interplay of salinity, chalk, and citrus. Aromas of lemon zest, white peach, crushed oyster shell, and fresh herbs lead into a palate that is incisive and texturally fine, with laser-like acidity and a long, saline-driven finish. It’s Champagne with energy and poise—an eloquent voice of Grand Cru terroir in the Côte des Blancs, rendered with Dhondt-Grellet’s precision.
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ABOUT THIS WINE
Le Bateau comes from a single Grand Cru lieu-dit in Avize, one of the Côte des Blancs' most revered villages for Chardonnay. The vineyard’s chalky soils and east-facing exposure lend the wine both mineral cut and aromatic finesse. Produced exclusively from the 2019 vintage and vinified as a single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs, it was fermented and aged in used Burgundy barrels, undergoing full malolactic fermentation. Bottled with minimal dosage (Extra Brut), the wine spent extended time on lees before disgorgement to enhance its texture and complexity.
This Champagne is all about precision and tension—bright citrus, sea breeze, almond skin, and green apple flavors ride on a razor-sharp structure, with chalky minerality and mouthwatering acidity creating a bracing, elegant impression.
Ideal as an aperitif or alongside refined dishes such as oysters, sea bream crudo, or scallop carpaccio with yuzu. It also shines next to aged goat cheese or caviar service, thanks to its saline clarity.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Dhondt-Grellet is one of the most exciting names in the grower Champagne movement, led by Adrien Dhondt, who took the reins of the family domaine in 2012. Based in Flavigny near Avize, the estate farms just over 6 hectares across Premier and Grand Cru villages in the Côte des Blancs and the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay.
Committed to biodynamic farming (uncertified), Adrien emphasizes soil health, low yields, and harvesting at full physiological ripeness to express the energy and depth of his terroirs. In the cellar, he follows a natural, hands-off philosophy: wild ferments, neutral oak aging, minimal sulfur, and extended lees contact. The result is a range of Champagnes that are terroir-driven, textural, and uncompromisingly pure.
Le Bateau is among the most terroir-specific cuvées in the lineup—a bottling that embodies the chalky soul of Avize and the elegance that defines the Dhondt-Grellet style.
Details:
Grape(s) | Chardonnay |
Farming | Biodynamic |