2010 Drappier Grande Sendree

Composed of 55% Pinot Noir and the remainder Chardonnay, about a third of the 2010 Champagne Grande Sendrée was raised in oak barrels. It is fleshy with aromas of buttered brioche, espresso, and apricot, while the palate offers more energy to balance the richness of the wine, with fresh red berries, beeswax, chamomile, and fresh orange, a lovely chalky texture, and a fluffy mousse. Providing a nice balance between opulence and a lifted feel, it is drinking well now and will drink well over the next 15-20 years. Drappier is an eighth generation family house based in the Aube. Although their focus is predominantly on Pinot Noir, they continue to farm the heirloom varietals of Fromenteau, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, and Blanc Vrai. Today they own 62 hectares, of which 7 hectares are entirely farmed with horses and the rest with electric vehicles, and they have contracts with additional growers. In 2005, they began producing their own electricity and in 2015 they became accredited as carbon neutral. They have also made advancements to reduce their footprint by producing the lighter glass bottles they use today.

Really quite evolved on the nose. Very piercing and dense! Extremely intense. With a very fine bead. Extremely long. Almost more of a wine than a champagne. (JR)

The 2010 Brut Grande Sendrée has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with youthful aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, white peach and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, bright and concentrated, it's youthfully tightly wound, with a racy spine of acidity, an elegant pinpoint mousse and a penetrating, chalky finish. This can't quite match the plenitude of the 2009, but it may outpace it with time, as this is an impressively vibrant, structured young Grande Sendrée.