Champagne Gondé-Rousseaux Coteaux Champenois Blanc 2020

Champagne Gondé-Rousseaux is a tiny, organic, and biodynamic Champagne producer that we’re head over heels for – although we have something a touch unexpected from this sparkling maven today: a mere 5 cases of perfectly still Chardonnay, or “Coteaux Champenois Blanc,” dripping with layered complexity to create a dynamic and downright exhilarating drinking experience. Champagne masters like this know their Chardonnay – sparkling or not – and this is one bottle that expertly demonstrates this house’s prowess of the grape.

The focus of Champagne Gondé-Rousseaux has always been on single-vineyard micro-productions, and they have chosen to farm their plots organically and biodynamically to extract the most complexity and energy from their small farm. They use very little sulfur in the production process, and avoid any non-natural addition or treatment whenever possible. The quaint domaine rests in the small commune of Taissy, a Premier Cru village just a couple of miles southeast of the city of Reims and Champagne’s beating heart. Édith Rousseaux and Didier Gondé, parents of the current winemaker Florian Gondé, established the estate in 1976, with a little less than 4 hectares of vineyards planted to a mix of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir. Attention to detail is what they rely on to make clean, vibrant, and singularly expressive wines – and based on what we’ve tasted so far – this is done quite well, indeed.

This 100% Chardonnay comes from vines planted in 1993 toward the top of the slope in the Haut des Roncières vineyard on the Gonde-Rousseaux estate. Fermentation occurs in American oak barrels with native yeasts, followed by partial malolactic fermentation. Aging under vacuum in barrels takes place over the course of 18 months, undergoing bottling in February of 2022 and producing merely 1,160 bottles. Lucky us, we got our hands on 60 of them!

The straw yellow color makes way for aromas of honeycrisp apple, acacia, and chamomile, alongside musings of pine and dried thyme. The palate is utterly lovely, revealing notes of orange and preserved lemon, with some more apple, along with dried herbs, lavender, cedarwood, and a touch of balsamic. It is decidedly on the more savory, expressive side of Chardonnay, showing a beautiful restraint and balance that so aptly showcases its origins. Delicate, delightful stuff, to be certain, and a thrilling find to add to your cellar from a producer we can’t stop raving about!

PAIRING IDEAS: Simple yet flavorful is the power move – like this baked fish with crispy potatoes and a medley of olives. A handful of fresh herbs and some fresh lemon will take it to the next level with this aromatic Chardonnay.