Only the savviest Champagne geeks can look at today’s bottle and understand its rarity before reading the offer. For everyone else: Pinot Noir is the time-hallowed king of Grand Cru Bouzy, so getting your hands on a bottle of 100% Chardonnay is an extremely tall order. Jean Vesselle produced 150 cases of this for the entire world, not because they wanted to make a limited cuvée, but because they had too—simply because Grand Cru Chardonnay vines are just that hard to come by here.
As for the Champagne itself? This 2012 “B3” (
Blanc de
Blancs de
Bouzy) is a carved-from-chalk powerhouse that broadcasts brilliant energy. But it’s so much more than a unique bottle of Grand Cru Champagne: It’s bottled by one of the region’s elite small-production labels, Jean Vesselle—about as prestigious and classic as Champagne gets. Further, this fruit is entirely from the extraordinary 2012 vintage, one Charles Philipponat puts “somewhere between 2002 and 1959, two of Champagne’s greatest vintages, if ever there were any.” Yes, it’s truly that good. Lastly, it comes directly from their cellars, after aging nearly four years on lees and one more post-disgorgement without any additional
dosage (no added sugar). Rare Champagne from a blockbuster vintage? Check. Crystalline fruit and Ironman-sculpted minerality? Yep. Both cellar-worthy and an eye-popping conversation starter? Check that off too. Just remember: Quantities are severely limited!
Anyone who loves great Champagne, and Pinot Noir, recognizes Bouzy as ground zero for the region’s most profound expressions of the variety, with a star-bright constellation of producers that includes Pierre Paillard, Benoît Lahaye, Camille Savès, André Clouet, and Paul Bara (some of whom also bottle tiny amounts of Bouzy Blanc de Blancs.) The Vesselle surname is attached to several different properties within Bouzy, which can get confusing, but Delphine and David Vesselle have distinguished themselves by producing some unique bottlings, including today’s 100% Chardonnay. Check the numbers: The family’s 13 hectares of vineyards (over half of which are in Grand Cru Bouzy) are planted to 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, a ratio which mirrors Bouzy as a whole.
The Vesselle Grand Cru sites in Bouzy are farmed with the utmost attention to detail. The family is entrenched in viticulture, working tirelessly in the vineyard to adhere to organic practices. For their 2012 “B3,” the Chardonnay was harvested by hand and the grapes fermented on natural, airborne yeasts in used French oak barrels over a long, undisturbed period. The resulting wine was then transferred into bottle, where it aged in their subterranean chalk cellars for nearly four years. It was disgorged in 2017 without any addition of sugar—brut nature. There is, however, a gram or two of natural sugar remaining from fermentation!
“B3” is all about taut power and chiseled minerality. It’s leaning heavily toward the bold and muscular side of the Blanc de Blancs spectrum, which means you should: 1) pour it in large stemware, 2) serve it around a 50- to 55-degree temperature, and 3) consider a brief decant. We expect this will be charging ahead with a full head of stem over the next 10, even 20, years—but don’t hesitate to pull the cork on one now. It pours a brilliant silver-yellow and unleashes streams of beads that zip up to form an ultra-fine mousse. If the temperature and vessel is right, it instantly reveals intense aromatics of crushed chalk, damp stone, white and yellow flowers, citrus blossoms, honeysuckle, and raw lees. Piquant fruit also arrives after some time in the glass: salt-preserved Meyer lemon, yellow and green apple skin, lime peel, underripe mango, crisp Asian pear, and fresh apricot. The palate reveals swathes of electrifying crushed-rock minerality and prickly fruits that end in a wonderfully bright yet creamy finish. Though “B3” is almost demanding a main-course pairing of roast chicken or pork loin, we couldn’t help but think of how perfect a selection of soft French cheeses would be. The powerful minerality and soaring acidity on this special wine will slice right through it. Check out the site referenced here for a quick guide. Enjoy!
