2011 Domaine Jean Vesselle Grand Cru Brut Millésime Prestige

I love the nose on the 2011 Champagne Brut Millésime, which pours a medium hay/straw hue and lifts from the glass with toasty aromas (although no oak is used in this cuvée) followed by pure notes of kirsch, cherry blossom, and tangerine. Made from 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, all from Bouzy Grand Cru, the palate is long and inviting, with notes of apricot orchard fruit through its long finish. It’s a stunning wine from this challenging vintage. Drink 2023-2040. Delphine Vesselle is a third-generation winemaker located in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. Her father Jean Vesselle took over the family business in 1972 and changed the name to give his own name to the company. Delphine returned from her wine studies in 1992 and took over control of the winery in 1993, when she was 22 years old. She stopped using insecticides and weed killers upon her return. For the past five years, they have worked organically in Bouzy and Chouilly and implemented some biodynamic principles. In 2021, they began the official conversion for organic certification and will be certified in 2025. Today, they have a little over 17 hectares, with total production of 160,000 bottles, 83% of which is exported. The philosophy in the winery is to treat each wine with an equal level of care and importance without elevating one wine as a prestige cuvée.