2016 Robert Moncuit Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons Grand Cru

Issuing from five southeast-parcels planted in the 1960s within the same plot of land, Robert Moncuit’s 2016 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Les Chétillons is the most incisive wine in the cellar. Sitting almost directly on chalk (with just 10 centimeters of clay on top), which acts as a sponge and redistributes the water in the event of drought, it is tauter than the enveloping, more generously structured Vozémieux. “Whatever the vintage, it is always the terroir that stands out,” explains Pierre Amillet. Framed by élevage in 350-liter barrels from Burgundy (maturing for 10 months on the lees), it unfurls from the glass to reveal notes of hazelnut, oyster shell, lime zest and smoke. It is a wine with an incisive profile and subtle complexity, laden with electric acids and concluding with a searingly chalky finish. In short, it’s a typical Mesnil when vinified in wood. Disgorged in February 2023 without dosage, it will richly reward a few years of patience.