Bonnaire Clouet: Cramant Vintage 2016

Bonnaire Clouet: Cramant Vintage 2016

Cramant Vintage 2016

Bonnaire Clouet | Blanc de Blancs | 2016 Vintage

If you love 100% Chardonnay, you can't miss the Grand Cru sites of Cramant on the northern Côte des Blancs. The village is famous for wines with enormous aromatic power and that unmistakable chalky minerality. Bonnaire & Clouet selected only the best parcels from the mid-slope for the "Cramant Vintage 2016," and with all the bottles I've had from Bonnaire Clouet so far, I expected nothing less.

The 2016 vintage was characterized by slow ripening and high acidity, perfect conditions for a long life in the cellar. After an impressive 7 years on the lees, this Blanc de Blancs is now showing what it's made of.

For this tasting, I deliberately chose the slightly more rounded glasses from the Gold Edition. My thinking behind it: I wanted to maximize the enormous depth and rich, creamy texture of this wine.

And the plan worked perfectly! On the nose, fine buttery notes, candied fruits, and citrus zests immediately unfold. On the palate, it starts extremely precise and direct, but then develops incredible richness thanks to the room in the glass. The finish? Endlessly long and beautifully salty.

With only 2.5 g/l dosage (Extra-Brut), it remains absolutely honest and purist. A powerhouse champagne, fitting for the heraldic animal of Cramant, which also graces the label!

Tasting Notes

Buttery notes, candied fruits, and citrus zests on the nose, precise on the palate with creamy richness and an endlessly long, salty finish.

Details

Producer Bonnaire Clouet
Cuvée Cramant Vintage 2016
Vintage 2016
Category Blanc de Blancs
Grape Varieties Chardonnay
Terroir Cramant, Grand Cru, Côte des Blancs
Style Brut, Vintage
Highlights chalky minerality, 7 years on lees, salty finish, Extra-Brut
Pairs with Cheese

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