91 John Gilman - View from the Cellar

"Clotilde Davenne is a full-time winemaker at a well-known Chablis estate, but she moonlights on her small, 8.5 hectare Crémant de Bourgogne project in the Yonne. Many of her vines are quite old, and it shows in the intensity of flavor in her wines. Her non-vintage Extra Brut is really very fine, offering up a very Champagne-like nose of green apple, pink grapefruit, a beautifully complex base of limestone, warm bread and a touch of lime peel in the upper register. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright and bouncy, with a fine core of fruit, impressive complexity, frothy mousse (which is decidedly more elegant than some Grower Champagnes I sampled for this report!) and a long, crisp and soil-driven finish. I would be very surprised if a wine this well-balanced did not age extremely well. This is truly outstanding sparkling wine and an absolute steal! 2012-2020."