Champagne De Sousa - Grand Cru Cuvée des Caudalies 2010

A bouquet of pastries, with notes of praline. Full-bodied and flavorful on the palate, with hints of forest floor. A vinous, supple finish, followed by an unexpected freshness. A 2010 full of charm.

Érick de Sousa is a highly talented winemaker who has been based at the family estate since 1986—ten hectares in the Côte des Blancs that have been cultivated using biodynamic methods for over twenty years. Uncompromising and meticulous, he crafts a range of sparkling wines with pure and nuanced expressions, drawing on the terroirs of Avize, Cramant, Oger, and Le Mesnil—all planted with Chardonnay—as well as some Pinot Noir in Aÿ and Ambonnay, and a small amount of Meunier. The result is a very broad range of champagnes that differ in approach yet share a common thread in their smooth texture and aromatic originality, enhanced by beautifully executed aging in oak. From this perspective, the 3A cuvée strikes us as representative of this irresistible allure, as does the remarkable Mycorhize cuvée, not to mention the Caudalie cuvée, which over the years has become inseparable from the house and serves as its flagship. As for vintages, the 2008 holds its own, while the 2010 surprises with its fresh balance in a year known for its suppleness. While the noses may sometimes be unexpected, it is on the palate that one discovers the stylistic charm of this well-established house.

The 2010 Grand Cru Extra Brut Cuvée des Caudalies features a very clean, complex, expressive, and highly mineral (or chalky) nose that overpowers the ripe, concentrated, yet very delicate fruit (100% old-vine Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs), giving this cuvée its unique character. Intense, round, and fruity on the palate, this is a very refined and elegant Caudalies cuvée, already persistent and mineral, revealing great purity, finesse, and freshness on the finish. It is not powerful at all, but rather delicate, fresh, refined, and charming, with a stimulating impression of purity—salty and taut minerality—on the palate. It is a superb, very charming, and seductive blanc de blancs, bottled in July 2011, disgorged in January 2017, and dosed at four grams per liter.

 

The estate, now led by the new generation, brilliantly carries on the work of the late Eric de Sousa. Charlotte handles the business side, Julie manages the vineyards and the horses, and Valentin works in the cellar. The estate comprises 14 hectares of vineyards, primarily Chardonnay located in the Avize Grand Cru, as well as Pinot Noir from the Aÿ and Ambonnay Grand Crus. Certified organic in 2010 and biodynamic in 2013, the estate also benefits from its old-growth vines. Careful management of the aging process in oak highlights magnificent wines brimming with energy.