Dhondt Grellet Le Bateau Blanc de Blancs, Dhondt-Grellet 2019

While Adrien Dhondt's Cramant comes from the lesser-seen back of the village towards Cuis, Le Bateau is a parcel in the classic, chalky southeastern-facing sector of the village near Chouilly. The sun exposure and ripeness here yields a more golden-fruited, effusive style of fruit, but the innate restraint of this chalky terroir keeps the build nimble. It's already offering immediate aromas of brown butter, caramelised grapefruit, white pepper and rose petal. There's a textural build of creaminess and toasted bread that lends a dash of decadence to the style, while the vintage's fine, persisting acidity drives through sweet, fragrant yellow plum fruit. It's a dramatic, complex blanc de blancs that has plenty to give over the next five to 10 years. (Drink between 2025-2035)