Lancelot-Royer Champagne Grand Cru Millesimé 2013

Michel Chauvet and his son are the winemakers at the Domaine Lancelot-Royer, a tiny house in Cramant in the heart of the Côtes des Blancs. All of their wines come from grapes they grow themselves, and their vineyards are 100% Chardonnay from exclusively Grand Cru vineyards. Everything here is done by hand, from harvesting and riddling to disgorging, dosing and labeling.

From 60 year old vines, with 9 grams of sugar, and now nearing a decade on the lees, this wine is tremendous. The nose shows toasted apples, honeysuckle, white flowers, and brioche. The mouth is smooth and mature but with terrific tension and cut amid a long, silky finish. Chauvet suggested something with truffles as a pairing, and we’d hardly turn down the match.