Devaux 2014 D Millesime Champagne

Country: France Region: Champagne

Varietal: 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay

Vintage: NV Colour: White Style: Sparkling

Producer: Devaux

Description:
Founded in 1846 by the brothers Jules and Auguste Devaux, today Devaux is owned by the Union Auboise in the Côte des Bar – the heartland of Pinot Noir in Champagne. Physically closer to Chablis than Reims or Épernay, the vines grow on Burgundian soils of Kimmeridgian marl and Portlandian limestone. Chef de Cave since 1999, Michel Parisot was named the ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ at the 2020 International Wine Challenge – an achievement that is testament to Michel’s pioneering approach to winemaking.

Winemaking:
The flagship ‘Collection D’ range uses only the first quarter of the press (the ‘coeur de cuvée’) and is aged for at least five years, contributing to flavour complexity and an integrated mousse. The ‘D Millésimé’ undergoes over seven years of extended ageing on its lees, displaying exceptional complexity, structure, and balance. Devaux ages most of their reserve wines in oak barrels of different sizes, toasts and ages, which are all sourced locally to minimise environmental impact. The intelligent use of oak in Devaux’s wines led former Chef de Cave of Krug, Eric Lebel, to refer to Devaux as “the Krug of the Côte des Bar”.

Vineyards:
The "D Collection" wines are Devaux's very best. The grapes come from selected, sustainably farmed parcels across 50 hectares. The majority of the vineyards are situated in the Aube on Kimmeridgian limestone-clay soils. This continental climate, on the slopes of the Côte des Bars, is important; it gives the Pinot Noir richness and intensity on the nose, while retaining finesse. The Chardonnay component is sourced from vines planted on the fine chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs, Vitry and Montgueux ("the Meursault of Champagne"), which lend liveliness and elegance to the blend.