100% chardonnay; due-south-facing single vineyard of 1.3 hectares at the bottom of the slope of Avize, planted in 1962 on surface chalk; vinified and matured in oak casks on lees; 2.5g/L dosage;
The terroir of Avize is so all-consuming that you can literally smell the violent tidal wave of heaving salt minerality coming, surging with the full force of heightened 2008 acidity. This cuvée is a salty sea breeze, a steamy whiff of bath salts heralding an intricately crystalline salt structure. The frothing, energetic interplay between chalk minerality and high-tensile acid line is captivating, amplified by subtle barrel texture and long lees age that gently massage the cut of Avize. Nine years on lees has laid down great complexity of roast nuts and spice, without for a moment interrupting its pristine acid drive and exceptional persistence. Its tightly clenched core is a little unsettled by the phenolic grip, subtle toastiness and dusty notes of cork oak, the first vintage to be matured under cork.