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Disgorged June 2023. This is a very special wine from a very special plot. It comes from one-third of a hectare of vines in the renowned Avize vineyard plot, La Fosse aux Pourceaux. This 0.3-hectare section of La Fosse lies on the chalkiest portion of the slope near the village (contrasting with the more clay-rich soils of the Avizoise cuvée). The vines were planted in 1959, and so are extremely old by Champagne standards. This single parcel cuvée is therefore made in only tiny quantities each year. The wine is named after the Boulonnais mare, Vénus, that first ploughed the vineyard.
Yes, Avizoise is one of the benchmark wines of the Côte des Blancs, yet Vénus somehow takes everything to another level. It’s an intense wine that demands food and is worth decanting when young. It will also benefit from two or three years of further aging (at least). Treat it like a great white wine, served at the table with proper wine glasses (we recommend a Burgundy shape), and you will be greatly rewarded. This cuvée is bottled without dosage.
The 2017 has more depth, grip and phenolic power than the Avizoise, yet it offers plenty of finesse and mineral intensity to go with the wine’s power and complexity. It’s like Chevalier-Montrachet! The magic of this grower (and the terroir) is once again on show; no matter the depth, the wines still offer otherworldly vibrancy, texture and drinkability.