Description
Deutz William Deutz Champagne 750ml is one of the two top cuvées from Champagne Deutz in Aÿ, named after the man who co-founded the house in 1838. It is a vintage-dated blend typically led by Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay and a smaller share of Pinot Meunier, and it receives extended ageing before release.
Buy Deutz William Deutz Champagne Online in NZ
Serve at about 10°C in a large white wine glass. Roast chicken with a creamy sauce, or a firm cheese such as aged Gruyère, gives the wine something to work with.
- Vintage-dated top cuvée from Champagne Deutz
- Typically Pinot Noir-led, with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier
- Extended ageing, up to 10 years on lees
The house presents this cuvée as bringing together great terroirs and the effects of ageing. Expect a Pinot Noir frame with some depth, a toasty, lees-driven side from time in the cellar and a fresh, clean finish.
William Deutz and his partner Pierre-Hubert Geldermann set up in Aÿ in 1838, and the cuvée carries the founder’s name as a nod to that history. The house describes it as embodying the elegance of its past, and it groups the wine with Amour de Deutz as the pair of top cuvées that benefit most from extended ageing.
Decanter notes that the wine can spend up to 10 years on its lees. Long contact with the spent yeast is what generally builds the brioche and toast notes people associate with mature Champagne, and it also gives a finer texture. Exact blends change from year to year, so the proportions of each grape will differ between releases.
The Rouzaud family, who also own Louis Roederer, now control the house, and Caroline Latrive is the cellar master. White, porous chalk soils lie beneath the region’s vineyards and give Deutz its minerality, which keeps a Pinot Noir-led wine from becoming heavy. Deutz sums up its approach as favouring precision over ease and longevity over immediate effect.
A considered bottle for a dinner at home, or for someone who enjoys older-style Champagne with structure.
