“Roc Solare" Extra Brut NV 95WA
(2021 base)
$89.99 on 6+ bottles* USA Low
$94.99 SALE
$99.99 Reg
*mix & match OK
Chardonnay dominates the blend here at 95%, with a top-off of Pinot Noir. Grapes come from meticulously selected plots in the Côte de Sezannais, all of them listed below in the bio.
95 pts The Wine Advocate
Drink Date: 2024 - 2036
Derived from Coteaux du Sézannais, the NV Extra-Brut Roc Solare is a new addition to the Dhondt-Grellet range. Dans un Premier Temps is no longer produced, as the Pinot Noir vines in Avenay Val d’Or were replanted (with Pinot Meunier from Cuis set to produce a different bottling in the future). As a result, Adrien decided to isolate the vines from Sézannais in this new standalone cuvée. Predominantly composed of the 2021 vintage, with a 30% perpetual component, it was disgorged in September 2024 with a dosage of three grams per liter. The grapes are sourced from four plots in two villages—Barbonne-Fayel and Fontaine-Denis—planted in the 1970s by Adrien’s grandfather. The blend is heavily Chardonnay-based, with the remaining 10% Pinot Noir. It is vinified entirely in barrels (around one-third new), in line with the rest of the estate’s wines. - Published: Dec 2024, Kristaps Karklins
Les Terres Fines Blanc de Blancs NV 95WA
Premier Cru Extra-Brut
(2021 base)
$104.99 on 6+ bottles*
$109.99 SALE
$119.99 Reg
*mix & match OK
100% Chardonnay from a number of small parcels scattered around the village of Cuis and Chouilly. It is vinified in stainless steel and is 70% of the base vintage with the remainder a perpetual reserve started in 1986. Dosage is under 1g/l. It’s his most fine-boned cuvée.
95 pts The Wine Advocate
Drink Date: 2024 - 2036
The latest NV Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Les Terres Fines, based on the 2021 vintage and disgorged in April 2024 with a dosage of 2.5 grams per liter, is sourced from small parcels scattered around Cuis with northeast exposures, complemented by about one-third from Grauves, which face both northeast and southwest, offering a complete representation of the northern part of the Côte des Blancs. The parcels that contribute to Les Terres Fines were planted between the 1950s and 2014, at different times, in other words. Matured for 11 months in 228-liter barrels (around one-third new) and enriched by 30% perpetual blend dating back to 1986, it unfurls from the glass with scents of biscuit, dried white flowers, crisp citrus fruit and toasted hazelnuts. Medium-bodied and with a pillowy mousse, it is slightly more linear than Roc Solare, laden with tangy acids and an abundance of chalky dry extract. Adrien notes that “the profile of 2021 base is more vertical” compared to the three previous renditions, which were shaped by sunnier conditions, and the wine reflects this.
