Score : 95/100
This cuvée by Champagne Louis de Sacy is an exceptional wine, in the sense that is only a one-off production produced in a very limited edition (hence the Edition Limitée mention on the label).
More extraordinary, this sparkling wine from Champagne, France has spent the last 12 years maturing on its lees in Magnum bottles (1.5L).
In 2004, the Champagne producer Louis de Sacy run what was at the time an experiment. They selected some of their absolute best wines, blend them together and made a special bottling a just a little over 1000 Magnums (1002 in fact, one of them was the one I tasted!!).
The idea was to produce an exceptional wine, so they also gave it an exceptional packaging with elegant dark bottles.
The experiment was a little forgotten about until twelve years later!
The result is that what was meant to be an exceptional wine from the start, is even more exceptional because it’s spent so long on its lees.
Such a limited edition at Louis de Sacy, won’t happen again. There won’t be any Cuvée XIII or XIV.
While visiting the Champagne vigneron Louis de Sacy, I was lucky enough to try this extraordinary wine.
Tasting Notes:
When it was bottled in 2004, the Cuvée XII was a blend of 55% Pinot Noir with 45% Chardonnay.
The blend was made using about 75% of 2003 vintage wines, and 25% 2002.
The tasted wine was disgorged in Decembre 2015, hence the D.12.15 on the label.
So how does it feel like?
This is a fragrant nutty Champagne filled with evolved Pinot Noir characters: it’s got plenty of sour cherry liqueur (griotte), elegant earthiness and somehow mushroomy (forest floor).
The mouthfeel is very creamy, with extra-fine bubbles.
The flavors display delicate leesy characters, with what feel like an absolute balance between some mineral acidity and an oily creamy texture. It’s complex, layered and long too.
More importantly, it’s extremely enjoyable to drink as one discovers a new note and a new sensation at each sip.
It seems the wine tells you a new story of all these years spent in the cellar every time you get back to smell and taste it.
Please let me know your thoughts