DeutzAÿ, Grande Vallée

Producer profile
PL At the house of Deutz, a judicious touch of base wines from Villers-Marmery is "one of the little secrets we have. The chardonnay from Villers is special. Ça pinotte" (meaning it takes on characteristics of pinot noir.) Both of the house's vintage blanc de blancs and its Amour de Deutz hint at broad, slightly earthy notes of lemon curd and spice that signals Villers-Marmery's influence. TyS 8/10 Deutz more than tripled production in 2000s, growing "like mad" and today it is "still setting a cracking pace," modernizing, building new vinification facilities, and growing the supply of purchased fruit. Yet "for such a breathtaking pace of expansion, the standards it has maintained are not only admirable, they're downright remarkable. Its entry non-vintage cuvée is built on more generous inclusion of reserves than ever, vintage cuvées are the most sublime the house has created, and an all-new tier of prestige takes the top end to soaring new heights. There isn't one wine out of place in this line of crisp, pure champagnes, impeccably crafted in a style of elegant finesse." Deutz is owned by the same family Rouzaud that owns Roederer. House vineyards constitute 42 hectares out of the total 200 that provide the grapes for its wines. The house "preserves the purity of its fruit through fermentation plot by plot in 350 temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks." Malo is systematically performed. Dosage is around 9g. Elegant rosé is a particular house specialty. Bottles are "eloquently labelled." ToS 93 "value" in "carefully crafted cuvées of great personality." Ownership by Roederer secures a supply of high-quality fruit. House style is "firm, flavour-packed yet full of character" and Deutz "excels at rosé". Brut Classic is "agreeable" but the vintages are "a huge step up in quality" and "all of them are recommended."

Tasting notes

Rosé. Disgorged September 26 2018, 8.5g dosage. 9% chardonnay, 83% pinot noir, 8% red pinot noir. Impressive bottle with a wide frame and a narrow neck, similar to Charles Heidsieck's. The color of the wine matches the copper accents of the label. This tastes fairly sweet and somewhat spicy. It's a full-flavored and satisfying cuvée. Associations with peach skin and, momentarily, with umeshu. Very pretty. Purchased at Applejack in autumn 2020 for $66.  ⭐

Blanc de Blancs 2002. Alas, this was perfectly flat. And yet very tasty. Purchased at Catherine's in autumn 2020 for $107, ouch. Ageing under natural cork is fraught with peril in Colorado's dry climate.