NV Chetillon de Haut Grand Cru

Elise Bougy’s NV Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Chétillon de Haut (2021 base) hails from a northeast-facing, 0.4-hectare site planted in 1975 that is distinguished by its soft, sponge-like, chalky soil. Comprising the 2021 vintage, aged for 10 months in 600-liter demi-muids, it also includes some 20% reserve wines from 2020 and 2019, matured in oak. Disgorged in December 2023, this Champagne blossoms in the glass with a bouquet of fresh citrus, white flowers and hazelnut, mingling with oyster juice. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an incisive spine of acidity. Despite being generally more open-knit and expressive than this vineyard can sometimes appear in its youth, it remains more linear than Bougy’s other bottlings. “A classical Le Mesnil is vinified in stainless steel, without malolactic fermentation and with little lees, so my version—with extended élevage on the lees in wood—may feel like a contrast,” Bougy notes. This is a characterful wine, promising a broad drinking window.