Devaux, 'Ultra D' NV Champagne
Country: France Region: Champagne
Varietal: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% 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 ‘Ultra D’ is a low-dosage Champagne containing 40% reserve wines, showing wonderful freshness and length. 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 highly select, sustainably farmed parcels across 50 hectares. The majority of the vineyards are situated in the Aube on Kimmeridgian limestone-clay soils. This continental location, on the slopes of the Côte des Bars, is important; it gives the Pinot Noir richness on the nose and a long finish, while retaining finesse. The Chardonnay in the blend is grown on the fine chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs, Vitry and Montgueux ("the Meursault of Champagne") to give liveliness and elegance. The low yielding vines, with an average age of 30 years, give good concentration and weight; combined with the high quality of the grapes, this means that the final dosage is very low making a dry but round style of champagne.
Tasting Notes:
Lovely pale gold in colour, with a fine, persistent mousse indicative of the long period of bottle ageing. The nose is nicely developed but still fresh, with notes of hazelnuts and spice. On the palate the low dosage allows the quality of the Pinot Noir fruit to shine through, with hints of ripe pear and more hazelnuts. The finish is long, fresh and dry.
