NEW RELEASE: Champagne De Sousa, 3A, Grand Cru Extra Brut NV
NEW RELEASE:
Champagne De Sousa, Cuvée 3A, Grand Cru, Extra Brut NV
The style is elegantly understated and texturally seamless, revealing considerable depth and character. William Kelley
Champagne De Sousa, Cuvée 3A, Grand Cru, Extra Brut NV (Disgorged 2022) £250 per 6 bottle case in bond
A couple of weeks ago I attended a Champagne awards ceremony on behalf of Charlotte De Sousa. It came as no great surprise when I was called up to accept a giant champagne cork, the intriguing trophy for Slow Food UK’s Sustainability Award. This was thoroughly merited recognition of the sustained, embedded focus of this pioneering Champagne house to embrace practices that contribute to reducing environmental impact and which inevitably lead to an elevated purity of fruit and a heightened expression of terroir.
De Sousa became organic in 1989 and Biodynamic in 1999, one of the earliest houses to embark on this approach. They have been certified biodynamic for more than a decade, again something quite rare in champagne. They work 40% of their vineyard with horses. They collect rainwater for cleaning and for their organic sprays. They have planted hedgerows and trees to return biodiversity. They have reduced their packaging and use grape pulp in the production of paper for their labels. Most recently they completed the installation of a photovoltaic system that means they are energy independent.
In short, a sustainability award seemed both overdue and but small recognition.
From our own perspective, and that of more than a decade’s worth of Atlas clients who have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the wines of the De Sousa range, all the above merely confirms the attention to detail, the desire for purity of fruit, the thoughtfulness about every aspect of production that the De Sousa family have embodied since Erick De Sousa established this modest house in Avize in 1986.
These are special wines.
Without doubt, one of the most asked for wines in their range continues to be the Cuvée 3A, a beautifully harmonious blend of fruit from 3 Grand Cru villages all beginning with the letter A – 50% Chardonnay from Avize, 25% Pinot Noir from Aÿ, 25% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay.
Chardonnay from Avize, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, is characterised by finesse and minerality. Ay is located where the valley of the Marne meets the Montagne de Reims; with full southerly exposed sloping vineyards and high chalk and limestone soils, it is a perfect site for terrifically ripe Pinot Noir. Ambonnay, home to Krug’s most prestigious single vineyard Champagne, is equally highly regarded; De Sousa’s vines here date back to the 1950s and deliver impressive concentration and minerality.
As we write every time we offer a wine from De Sousa, the value offered by wines made solely from Grand Cru fruit such as this at such a favourable price has us scratching our heads as to why people would persist in buying comparatively expensive and anodyne non-vintage wines sourced from lesser quality fruit from well-promoted Grande Marques. The value offered by high quality ‘grower’ Champagnes is considerable. Fortunately, more and more people are realising this.
Champagne De Sousa, Cuvée 3A, Grand Cru, Extra Brut NV (Disgorged 2022) £250 per 6 bottle case in bond
Such pure aromatics of juicy orchard as well as red fruit. Citrus too and fresh bread. The palate opens with an impressive, softly-textured mousse that is gently mouth-filling and not overly assertive. There is a creamy edge brought by the Chardonnay but the over-riding impression is of fine tension, precision and clarity. The finish is long, balancing a silky texture with a tangy citrus fruit quality and a mineral poise. Such purity and complexity already on display. Drink now to 2030 (ROM)
Buy more Rhône - 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Clos du Mont Olivet
Buy more Rhône2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Clos du Mont OlivetThis estate has been crafting fine Châteauneuf for as long as I can remember. Even in the most powerful Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintages they deliver wines with balance and elegance at their core.Simon Larkin, November 20242023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos du Mont Olivet£165 per 6 bottle case in bond2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, La Cuvée du Papet, Clos du Mont Olivet£300 per 6 bottle case in bond
We should all buy more Rhône!There, I have said it. I remain a huge fan of Southern Rhône wines, even though demand has perhaps ebbed a little in recent years. I honestly think they offer exceptional value as release pricing has not increased appreciably in the last five years or so. And the quality of the 2023s I tasted this morning was exceptional…..the key to their success was the lack of excesses. These are beautifully-balanced Rhônes, with pure fruit and a more-ish ripeness. The 2023s aren’t as headstrong a vintage as you might expect from the climatic data. That’s all part of the Mont-Olivet magic.The 2023 vintage produced rich, powerful wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the wider Southern Rhône. The skill is achieving balance when you have a rich vintage on your hands. The approach employed by the team at Mont Olivet has delivered impressive results in 2023. They favour blends encompassing the full array of Châteauneuf varieties and have not been lured into producing numerous single parcel wines, instead continuing to recognise the value of a blend from across their terroir. The protracted harvest period in 2023 has benefitted varieties such as Mourvèdre and Counoise without a doubt, and the old vines that the domaine possesses were better placed to navigate the drier periods with their deep root systems. The 2023s come highly recommended.I have said it before, but I am a huge fan of the Mont Olivet style. This estate has been crafting fine Châteauneuf for as long as I can remember. Even in the most powerful Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintages they deliver wines with balance and elegance at their core. This isn’t such an easy feat across some of the region’s terroirs, nor necessarily in recent vintages. It speaks volumes for the vineyards employed in their blends, but also the range of grape varieties grown. Clos du Mont Olivet is one of my favourite estates – it is run by three members of the Sabon family: Thierry, Celine and David.By way of background, Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a plethora of different styles; after all it is a very large appellation. From 2000 onwards, many estates started to experiment by creating micro-cuvées from old plots and employing new oak in an effort to chase reviews, yet all along the team at Mont Olivet stuck to their own style. There is something reassuringly classical at Clos du Mont Olivet. That is not to say that things have not evolved here, but rather that the estate and its wines have not lost their identity or typicity along the way.Today the estate extends over 21 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a further 14 hectares in Lirac, an appellation to the west of Châteauneuf, supplemented by 10 hectares in the Côtes du Rhône and 3 in the Vin de Pays du Gard. Their vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape are spread across the appellation and include some of the most famous lieux-dits (or named vineyards). But Châteauneuf-du-Pape is ultimately a blend, so the different locations and terroirs contribute to the complexity of the estate’s wines. Additionally, where many Châteauneuf-du-Pape have moved towards Grenache, with Syrah and perhaps Mourvèdre, or maybe even wines made from 100% Grenache, Mont Olivet has a terrific supporting cast comprising a whole host of lesser known yet historical southern Rhône varieties, such as Counoise, Vaccarèse, Muscardin, Terret Noir and Picpoul Noir as well as Cinsault. Incorporating all these vines ties in beautifully with their philosophy of being true to their roots and, of course, making complex, age-worthy wines.Harvest time is a tricky period with so many different plots and varietals contributing to varied ripening times. Thierry is very careful with extraction – never wanting to push things too far by extracting too much from the skins; his preference is for elegance and, with fruit as rich as that in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, his approach regularly pays dividends, not least in the recent hot, dry vintages. Each variety is kept separate for the straight Clos du Mont Olivet, allowing them to assemble the blend once they have had the chance to evaluate the fruit from different parcels and varieties. The assembled wine is then aged in either old oak foudres, barrels or in vat. Making great Châteauneuf-du-Pape relies on a whole host of skills and, given the exercise of blending, there is added complexity to the tasks and the resultant wine. The consistency of the wines of Mont Olivet stands testament to the series of decisions taken and never ceases to fascinate me, just as it did on my very first visit to the estate’s cavernous cellars in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos du Mont Olivet£165 per 6 bottle case in bondAs soon as you nose this wine, you are sure to be impressed by the volume of fruit, as it shows a rare freshness to the scented, spiced raspberry and garrigue characters. It is hard to think the palate could be any more-ish; layered, with enough acidity to retain balance and direction. The fruit is so expressive, juicy, vibrant with cherry red fruits, raspberry ripple notes, some darker fruits too, as well as notes of provencal herb, black olive tapenade even. It is the juicy, round mouthfeel that really impresses. It would be no cardinal sin to broach this early, but it has the capacity to age. Such an impressively poised wine in the vintage, rendered all the more appealing by a slightly softer acidity. As ever, this is a bargain – count me in. Drink: 2025 – 2033 (SL)2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, La Cuvée du Papet, Clos du Mont Olivet£300 per 6 bottle case in bondA darker, more brooding nature is evident on both nose and palate. The nose suggests dark loganberry fruit, black cherry, kirsch as well as notes of garrigue, yet there is a scented, almost floral overlay. So luxuriant on the palate, fine intensity and richness offset by bright fruit characters, that echo those on the nose, with liquorice and black olive tapenade once more. Certainly, there is more heft here, but it doesn’t come across as overtly heady at all, such is the quality and purity of the fruit. That blue-black fruit quality is certainly moreish once more. On the finish, which is incredibly long and flowing, there is a suggestion of stoney minerals, that adds tautness and tension to this impressive Chateauneuf. This looks set to join the great examples of this cuvée. Drink: 2027 – 2035+ (SL)
’Your service in organising and shipping my wine from the UK to California was excellent - quick, efficient and stress free’’.Jack K.
Through our long-standing partnerships with trusted global shipping companies, Atlas Fine Wines provides comprehensive door-to-door services across the United States.
Whether by air or sea freight, we handle all aspects of the shipment process. Recognising that costs and terms differ by state, we offer detailed quotations that outline the costs involved, including insurance.
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Atlas Fine Wines' Simon Larkin MW reviews 12 Saint-Julien 2005 Châteaux
Learn about the wines of one of Bordeaux’s most consistent communes in our latest YouTube video.
Join Simon as he shares his insights following an extensive tasting of all 11 Classified Growth Châteaux of Bordeaux’s Saint Julien appellation, plus one outlier. All the wines tasted were from the 2005 vintage – "one of the greatest vintages Bordeaux has ever produced." As Simon suggests, Saint-Julien may lack a First Growth Château but, tasting wines such as Léoville-Las Cases and Ducru-Beaucaillou in such a great vintage, it is hard to argue that they are not of First Growth quality.
See below for Simon's tasting notes.
