Notes:
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Oiry Grand Cru is a pure Chardonnay. Creaminess, fresh and crusty baguette and Golden Delicious apple unite on an enticing nose with a bright apple frisson as an avertone. Slenderness and delicacy define the body, but the flavors are full and almost generous. They evoke creamy porridge, mellow, freshly peeled yellow apple f lovely sense of saltiness that has the ocean tanginess of an oyster shell. The longer you savor this, the saltier and more enticing it becomes: enfolding and oh-so-chalky. This Extra Brut i and captivating, with a totally appetizing umami finish. Disgorged: January, 2023. Vinous Media 93
Producer: Champagne Suenen is one of the leading names of the new generation of grower-producers in the Côte des Blancs. Based in Cramant, Aurélien Suenen assumed control of his family's estate in 2009 after a brief career as a professional basketball player, quickly establishing a reputation for terroir-driven Blanc de Blancs. Farming is carried out using sustainable and regenerative practices with meticulous attention to soil health, low yields, and achieving optimal physiological ripeness. In the cellar, Suenen favors spontaneous fermentations, extended lees aging, restrained use of oak, and minimal intervention, producing Champagnes that emphasize precision, chalk-driven minerality, and transparency rather than richness or dosage. Today, Suenen is widely regarded as one of Champagne's benchmark growers for Chardonnay.
Vineyard: "Oiry" is sourced exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards in the village of Oiry, one of the northernmost Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs. Unlike neighboring Cramant or Chouilly, Oiry produces Blanc de Blancs with slightly more breadth while retaining the hallmark chalky precision of the region. The cuvée is assembled from five lieux-dits—La Cocluette, La Broque aux Pierres, Sur les Gros Monts, Le Champs Braux, and La Haute Borne—planted between 1925 and 1999. The vineyards sit on Campanian chalk with a thin layer of silty clay above the bedrock, allowing vine roots to penetrate deeply into the porous chalk while maintaining excellent drainage. This combination produces wines with pronounced salinity, bright acidity, and remarkable finesse. Average vine age approaches five decades, contributing additional concentration and complexity.
Winemaking: Produced from 100% Chardonnay, the Base 2020 release incorporates approximately 25% perpetual reserve wines (2013–2019), adding additional depth while preserving the freshness of the base vintage. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand and fermented with indigenous yeasts, with roughly half the vins clairs vinified in stainless steel and the remainder in older oak barrels to enhance texture without imparting overt wood influence. Malolactic fermentation is determined by the character of the vintage rather than a fixed recipe. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration, aged extensively on its lees, and finished as Extra Brut with approximately 4 g/L dosage, preserving the purity of the fruit and the unmistakable chalk-driven character of Oiry.
Food Pairing: Pair with oysters, scallop crudo, sashimi, caviar, Dover sole, grilled langoustines, or simply prepared turbot with beurre blanc. The wine's vibrant acidity, saline minerality, and finely textured mousse also complement gougères, fresh goat cheeses, sushi, or poultry finished with lemon and herbs. Its precision and chalky finish make it equally compelling as an aperitif or alongside delicate seafood-focused cuisine.
Suenen Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru "Oiry" Extra Brut (R20)
Reviews:
Vinous Media: 93
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