DOYARD 2019 EXTRA BRUT CLOS DE L'ABBAYE BLANC DE BLANCS

Hailing from a 0.36-hectare walled vineyard that was planted in 1956 just behind the winery in Vertus, the 2019 Extra-Brut Premier Cru Clos de l’Abbaye was disgorged in June 2024 with two grams per liter dosage. “It’s a very chalky terroir, and it has been farmed organically since 2008,” explains Doyard. What makes the resulting wine unique is that the 2019 vintage includes approximately 15% to 20% “muscaté” selections of Chardonnay, which brings mildly musky aromatics to the wine. Soaring from the glass with a complex bouquet of peach, grapefruit zest, pear, dried white flowers and walnut, it is concentrated and deep, with considerable flavor intensity, bright acids and a persistent, saline finish. Vinified entirely in barrels, ranging from three to 15 years old, only first and second pressing juices are used, accounting for about 60% of the total juice extract. It’s a particular highlight this year, which Guillaume Doyard calls the finest vintage since he took the reins at the estate in 2017.