Cuvée des Caudalies “Le Mesnil” Grand Cru Extra Brut 2013

Wine Description for Cuvée des Caudalies “Le Mesnil” Grand Cru Extra Brut 2013 by De Sousa

Colour & Appearance

Deep gold-yellow to old gold with an extremely fine, elegant perlage.

Nose

An aristocratic, multi-layered interplay of aromas: dense notes of dripping honeycomb, quince jelly and dried, ripe yellow pear meet accents of candied ginger as well as a subtle, maritime sea breeze of fresh oysters. A complex, baroque bouquet full of effortless nobility.

Palate

On the palate, it reveals the signature De Sousa texture: creamy, rich and supported by a mellow maturity. The mousseux feels like fine, shimmering stardust. The champagne flows generously, powerfully and with perfect structure at 12.5% abv across the tongue, underpinned by the fresh elegance of Grand Cru Chardonnay.

Terroir & Origin

The grapes hail from the legendary Grand Cru site Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs. The De Sousa estate works strictly biodynamically (Demeter certified) – the vines for this wine are over 60 years old and rooted deep in the region’s chalky soils.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Chardonnay. The base wines were fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts in oak casks and underwent regular bâtonnage. Bottling took place on 10 July 2014 without filtration; after years of maturation in the cool chalk cellars, the wine was disgorged on 29 November 2022 with a dosage of just three grams (Extra Brut).

Food Pairings

Ideal with crostini with goat’s cheese, golden beetroot, propolis and salted hazelnuts, refined lobster with chilled tarragon-vinegar melon or a savoury guinea fowl glazed with honey, rosemary and garlic.

Key Features

An impressive monument crafted by the De Sousa family. The combination of extremely old vines, oak cask vinification and Demeter-certified viticulture results in a champagne of majestic length, best enjoyed from a large universal wine glass.