Score: 90/100
This Extra Brut Champagne sparkling wine by the Family House De Lozey (founded in 1871) is essentially a Blanc de Noirs, made at 100% from Pinot Noir grapes.
Being an Extra Brut, it is made in a drier style than the house’s other non vintage cuvée, the De Lozey Brut Tradition. The dosage here (added sugar at bottling) is at 4 grams per litre only (instead of 8 for the Brut).
But unlike other CHampagne houses that make an Extra Brut or Brut Nature simply by not adding as much sugar to the same base wine as for their standard non-vintage wine, De Lozey has gone to the length of making a base wine specifically with the aim of making this Extra Brut, and as we’ve seen, using only Pinot Noir as the base. Let’s find out what the result tastes like!
Like the Brut Tradition, the Extra Brut was aged for quite a while in bottle on lees, for 3 years.
Tasting Notes
This Extra Brut bubbly comes in a bright lemon-yellow color, shiny and with hints of gold hues making it look glamorous, as we love to see from in a sparkling wine from Champagne.
The nose is very fruity, and feels filled with ripe fruit characters at that. Yes, you get the ripe lemon aromas, but surprisingly from an Extra-Brut you expect crisp and mineral notes from, De Lozey is predominantly tropical in its aromatic profile.
Mango and pawpaw is what comes through mainly, together with notes of orange. Even the usual brioche or buttery tones common in Champagne because of the long ageing on lees, show up and are perceived more like the smell of coconut! Very tropical indeed…
The palate though, is clearly dry and mineral, with a crisp acidity and a precise feel.
Yes, flavors also come through as generous and ones of very ripe fruit. Ripe orange, like a rich orange juice, augmented by ripe lemon notes. Some pineapple and kiwi fruit too. But it’s sharp and provides a clean acidic tension.
Overall
A pleasing Champagne wine packed full of layered flavors, and positively interesting, offering a two-faced personality. On one side is an abundance of generous tropical flavors, making it taste and smell flavorsome and richly fruity. At the same time, palate-wise, it’s precise, refined and sharp.
The whole feels abundant, rather long and layered, leaving you with a feeling of surprised indeed, but also with the impression you have tastes something special and uncommon.
A Champagne wine to experience then it is…
Enjoy 🙂
Please let me know your thoughts