CHAMPAGNE SUENEN Oiry Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut , Champagne

CHAMPAGNE SUENEN Oiry Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru La Cocluette

The history of Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is a tale of two estates. The chateau and vineyard known as Pichon Baron was given in dowry to the founders daughter when she married Jacques du Pichon Longueville. After the death of their descendent, the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville, in 1850 the estate was again divided - on his deathbed, he gave what became Chateau Pichon Baron to the men of his family, and what became Chateau Pichon Lalande to the women - resulting in, some say, more masculine and sensuous styles of wine respectively! Between the 1960s and the 1980s, the estate went through a period of rather lacklustre production - however, since 1990, they have been producing, according to many, some of the best wines in their history. The 2016 has earned high praise and glowing comparisons to their legendary 1990 Pichon Baron.

Like the Latitude, this is 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay (the vineyards are in Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Vertus), yet the vineyards from which it was drawn have thinner topsoils and so the vine roots plunge straight into the chalky bedrock. The name here refers to the vertical nature of the geographic locations of the vineyards as well as the style of wine resulting from the very chalky soils of these sites i.e., a more linear, mineral wine. While Larmandiers Latitude is expansive across the palate, the Longitude is all about minerality, line and raciness. William Kelly has called this wine one of the finest non-vintage bottlings to be found in Champagne and, while the are no reviews available for the 2019 base, the high ratio of reserve wines (40%) and the strength of this low-yielding vintage should leave you will little doubt as the quality on offer.

PENFOLDS X Thienot Lot 1 175 Blanc de Noirs , Champagne