Champagne De Sousa - Grand Cru Extra Brut Cuvée 3A

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Érick de Sousa is a highly talented winemaker, who has been working on the family estate since 1986, ten hectares in the Côte des Blancs region that have been biodynamically farmed for over twenty years. Uncompromising and meticulous, he forges a range of scintillating wines with pure, nuanced expression, playing on the terroirs of Avize, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil, planted with chardonnay, some pinot noir from Aÿ and Ambonnay, and a little meunier. The result is a very wide range of champagnes, different in approach but with a family link in smooth texture and aromatic originality, enhanced by very fine wood ageing. From this point of view, cuvée 3A is representative of this irresistible slide, as is the remarkable cuvée mycorhize, not forgetting cuvée caudalie, which over the years has become inseparable from the house and its standard-bearer. As for the vintage, the 2008 holds its own, while the 2010 surprises with its fresh balance in a year reputed to be supple. If the nose can sometimes surprise, it's on the palate that we discover the stylistic charm of this house with an established reputation.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

A cuvée that perfectly combines three fine terroirs and two grape varieties. Textured and full-bodied on the palate, with hints of citrus, melilot, fruit compote and apples à grenier on the finish - it's delicious! The bubbles are slender, and the perfectly-adjusted dosage brings that hint of gourmandise we love.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

Chardonnays from Avize and Pinots Noirs from Aÿ and Ambonnay share the limelight in 3A, a structured, dense, vinous, full-bodied wine. A bubble for the table.

About the domain :

The estate, run by the new generation, continues the work of the late Eric de Sousa. Charlotte is in charge of sales, Julie is in charge of the vines and the horses, and Valentin is in charge of the cellar. The estate comprises 14 hectares of vines, mainly Chardonnays from the Avize Grand Cru, as well as Pinot Noir from the Aÿ and Ambonnay Grands Crus. Certified organic in 2010 and biodynamic in 2013, the estate also boasts vines of advanced age. The controlled management of ageing in wood underlines the magnificent substance of the wines.

James Suckling

About the wine:

A rich, layered white with notes of soy, ginger, dried apple, pear and honey. Full-bodied and tight, with phenolic tension and framing. Chardonnay from Avize (50%), pinot noir from Ay (25%) and Ambonnay (25%). For drinking or cellaring.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Made from the three grands crus of Avize, Aÿ and Ambonnay (hence the "3A" in the name), Champagne Grand Cru 3A Extra Brut NV is half chardonnay from Avize and the rest equal parts pinot noir from Aÿ and Ambonnay. With 2018 as the base vintage, it was aged in oak barrels, with 30% reserve wine. Medium straw-yellow in color, it opens with notes of wet stone, delicate toast, fresh earth and citrus blossom. Reserved in aroma, it opens on the palate with fantastic purity and clarity of fruit. Medium-bodied and elegant, it reveals a delicate arch of ripe fruit on the mid-palate, with fresh purity. The Chardonnay still shines, though the fresh, mineral texture of Avize is balanced by the ripe fruit of Aÿ and Ambonnay. Well-balanced and long on the palate, it remains refined, with a soft mineral texture and a beautiful finish. The oak never interferes, adding a touch of depth and polish.