Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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Bought directly from Champagne Dhondt-Grellet's UK agent Wine Source, the bottles are stored in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, in ideal conditions at a constant 13°C. For same-day deliveries, small quantities are kept in our office cellar, where the temperature is maintained between 11–13°C. We source all our bottles directly from the Maison or their official UK office, eliminating the risk of poor storage. This is crucial, as champagne quality is highly sensitive to heat: temperatures above 18°C accelerate maturity significantly, which compromises quality.
Founded in 1986. Dhondt Grellet's focus on biodynamic farming has translated into vivid champagnes from great parcels across the Côte des Blancs. The domaine is 6ha of Grand Cru and 1er Cru vines, with an average age of 40 years. A family run business, their son Adrien is now at the helm, together with his sister Alice. Inspired by the great white winemakers of Burgundy, Adrien is taking his family’s wines to another level, focusing on chardonnay and terroir. The quality of Adrien’s cuvées was recognized when he was voted Winemaker of the Year 2017 in the Trophées Champenois.
This is the first cuvée of Adrien's range and the largest. The intention is to be an expression of all 6 hectares of his holdings spread across Sezanne, Cuis, and Avenay val d'Or. The Chardonnay receives 50% fermentation in barrel, and the rest in tank. 30% of the Pinot Noir and 20% of the Meunier is tank-fermented. All farming is organic and biodynamic, with plowing done by Adrien's horse, Thor.
Weather: The 2018 year started cold particularly February with some snowfall. By April the sunshine emerged leading to flowering at the end of May, some 10 days ahead of the 10 year average. Summer was hot and mostly dry with harvest starting on 20th August and lasted some 4 weeks. The lower night time temperatures during summer helped preserve the grapes natural acidity. In general all grapes performed well, with lots of forward fruit and most champagne will have ok acidity, not racy, not soft. Becoming a new benchmark for the Champagne region in terms of the heat, drought and sunshine levels!
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Sezanne, Cuis, and Avenay val d'Or
Grape Varieties: 50% Chardonnay from Sezanne, 30% Pinot Noir from Avenay Val d’Or & 20% Old vine Meunier from Cuis
Base Vintage: 70% from 2018
Reserve Wines: 30% from a perpetual reserve with the oldest wines from 1986
Bottling Date: May 2019
Disgorged: March 2022
Lees ageing: 3 years
Dosage: 1.5 g/L
Drink: Now to 2033
Tasting Note: The NV Extra-Brut Dans un Premier Temps (2018) is excellent, bursting with aromas of peach, citrus oil, white flowers, fresh bread and stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a demonstrative core of fruit and succulent acids, it's vinous and enveloping, drinking especially well out of the gates.. - Tasted by William Kelley
In 1986, Eric Dhondt and Edith Grellet decided to stop selling off their grapes to negociants and started Dhondt-Grellet. Their focus on biodynamic farming has translated into vivid champagnes from great parcels across the Côte des Blancs. The domaine is around 6ha of Grand Cru and 1er Cru vines, with an average age of 40 years. Their son Adrien is now at the helm, together with his sister Alice. Inspired by the great white winemakers of Burgundy, Adrien is taking his family’s wines to another level, focusing on chardonnay and terroir. The quality of Adrien’s cuvées was recognised when he was voted Winemaker of the Year 2017 in the Trophées Champenois.
Cellar Master: Adrien Dhondt-Grellet
Winery Location: Flavigny | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Vallée de la Marne
Expert Reviews
92/100
William Kelley
“Disgorged in January 2020 with three grams per liter dosage, the NV Extra-Brut Dans un Premier Temps (2018) is excellent, bursting with aromas of peach, citrus oil, white flowers, fresh bread and stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a demonstrative core of fruit and succulent acids, it's vinous and enveloping, drinking especially well out of the gates.”
