Champagne Deutz has brought out a single vineyard Blanc de Noirs for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Aimed at the on-trade, Hommage à William Deutz 2010 Parcelles d’Aÿ, comes from four ‘parcelles’ of Pinot Noir, directly behind the winery in Aÿ. The winery’s cellars run directly into the chalk slopes underneath the vines.

‘It’s 100% Pinot Noir, 100% Montagne de Reims and 100% biodynamic,’ Deutz director of sales, Etienne Défossé  told Imbibe.

Inspiration for the release came from an old Blanc de Noirs made in 1975 and shown at the ten-year anniversary of Deutz’s UK importers, Gonzalez Byass in 2014.

‘Usually, this is fruit that goes into the William Deutz wine,’ said Défossé . ‘But our winemaker Michel Davesne was so impressed with it when he tasted it that he decided to put it out on its own again.’

Imbibe found it to be a wine of real purity, with roasted red apple flavours underpinning a light blackberry note, the fruit folding sinuously round a structure that gets yeastier and more biscuity as the finish unfolds.

The wine is priced at £68 ex VAT, making it a good – and accessible – trade-up for those considering the vintage, but still significantly less than the prestige cuvée William Deutz 2006.

Read more at source Imbibe