The Cuvée William Deutz is one of the great classics of Champagne. It never disappoints, and in 2008 it is so good that it really should be on everyone's lips. The cuvée is dominated by 62% Pinot Noir from Ay, Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. For a long time it was the house's prestige cuvée, until the ultra-sophisticated Amour de Deutz was created, which can be marketed in a trendier way.
The 34% Chardonnay comes from Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant and Villers-Marmery. In addition there are four percent Pinot Meunier from the rather unknown but fine Premier Cru Pierry.
Deutz has slightly less body and power than the great Bollinger cuvées. In return, Deutz scores with elegance, charm, precise minerality and – if one may say so – even finer mousse.
Unlike Roederer, Deutz completely dispenses with wood in vinification and ageing and uses stainless steel tanks. The roasted aromas come not from oak but from the long reductive autolysis: toast, freshly ground coffee, roasted hazelnut and almonds. The long lees ageing gives William Deutz an exceptional creaminess and texture that harmonises wonderfully with the smoky Pinot Noir notes and the lemony freshness of the Chardonnay.
It is a Champagne of classic structure, complexity and depth that, despite all the house-typical elegance, still possesses plenty of body and intensity.
2008 is characterised by a cool, slow growing season, which allows complex aromas to form and the acidity to be pronounced. Only in September does the weather become very warm and sunny. Since the nights in September are already cool, the acidity is not degraded.
The grapes are ripe, the musts concentrated and the wines show a marked mineral structure and racy acidity. 2008 is one of the classic ageing vintages that improve over many decades.
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin Cellar