2005 De Sousa Cuvee Caudalies

The 2005 Cuvée des Caudalies Le Mesnil Grand Cru Extra Brut is from biodynamically farmed Chardonnay grapes more than 50 years old from Mesnil-sur-Oger. Fermented spontaneously and aged in oak barrels on the lees, the wine was bottled for the second fermentation without filtration and was not disgorged before March 2014—which makes 84 months on the lees. The result is a complex and intense Champagne with a firm structure and a strong yeasty taste. Agave, fresh gray bread, Gugelhupf (bundt cake), dried peaches, quince confiture, mango, kaki, Turkish honey, nougat and limes on the nose lead to a rich and elegant but also very pure and dry palate that still does not seem fully developed but indicates energy and length. Lemon notes give the finish a nice freshness, though the coda of this Cuvée is still a little bit astringent. I would serve it with food.