Suenen 'La Cocluette' Oiry Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2019
"La Cocluette" Oiry Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2019 is a compelling single-vineyard Champagne that highlights the purity and finesse of Oiry Grand Cru, one of the Côte des Blancs' hidden gems. Produced by Aurélien Suenen from a prized parcel of old-vine Chardonnay, this terroir-driven cuvée is fermented with native yeasts and aged extensively on the lees before a delicate Extra Brut dosage, allowing the vineyard's character to shine. The exceptional 2019 vintage reveals elegant aromas of Meyer lemon, crisp pear, white peach, citrus blossom, toasted almond, fresh brioche, and crushed chalk. The palate is finely etched and beautifully balanced, combining vibrant acidity, silky texture, and a pronounced saline minerality that carries through to a long, precise finish. Sophisticated and age-worthy, La Cocluette is a brilliant expression of Grand Cru Chardonnay and one of the standout single-parcel Champagnes from the Côte des Blancs.
"Continuing its strong run, the 2019 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Oiry La Cocluette, disgorged in June 2025 with a dosage of three grams per liter, blossoms in the glass with aromas of orange oil, pear and peach, mingled with notes of iris and a faint hint of Sichuan pepper. On the palate, it is full-bodied and concentrated, ample and textural, built around racy acidity and chalky structuring extract, concluding with a precise, intensely saline finish. As always, the most tightly wound of Suenen’s lieux-dits Blanc de Blancs, it marries the flamboyance of the vintage with tension and possesses the structure to age for 15 to 20 years post-harvest. It bears recalling that this cuvée is sourced from a site planted in 1925 and exposed predominantly to the north, with the remaining 30% facing south. Here, Suenen has raised the trellising and rolls the canopies without trimming the apex for shade and better ripening. Vinified in concrete and Stockinger foudre, it was harvested on September 19, attaining just over 13% final alcohol." Wine Advocate 96+
