Dhondt-Grellet Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Le Bateau VV 2019

The 2019 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Le Bateau Vieille Vigne perfectly reflects Adrien Dhondt's ambition to capture the essence of the place, as this is the parcel where Dhondt recently raised the trellising to deliver bigger canopies, providing shade for the grapes and soil. The source of the ripe, intense fruit is a 0.14-hectare site in Cramant, planted in 1951 with massal selection Chardonnay. Situated on the opposite side of the hill from Les Nogers, two-thirds of the parcel is south-facing, with the remaining third facing north, though both sections are harvested on the same day despite differences in ripeness.

Disgorged in July 2024 with one gram per liter dosage, this wine stands as the crowning achievement in an extraordinary portfolio, wafting from the glass with scents of grilled sesame, lemon zest, elderflower and lemon oil. Flamboyant and ample, it is a wine of enormous concentration and flavor amplitude, with a pillowy mousse and a long, searingly chalky finish. Dhondt shows no signs of slowing down, delivering what is arguably the most harmonious wine of his 12-year winemaking career. (98) THE WINE ADVOCATE