Under-the-Radar Tête de Cuvée from Drappier

The 2010 Drappier "Grande Sendrée" is feather-light on first sip, and gains seriousness as you drink. A stunning tête de cuvée.

Cinnamon and I try to make every Sunday special as it is our one day off together, and this week she treated us to a special Dungeness crab dip for our aperitif. To go with it, I opened perhaps the most “under the radar” of all the great houses’ tête de cuvée bottlings, the 2010 Drappier "Grande Sendrée" Brut Champagne. It was a great reminder of the incredible depth and pleasure that this single-vineyard Champagne has to offer and went fabulously with the crab dip. 

This Champagne is composed of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from one vineyard in Urville in the Aube department. This vineyard was the site of a huge fire in 1836, and the name “Sendrée” refers to the cinders left behind by that tragic event. The soil here is Kimmeridgian, like in Chablis, and they call it “Crayot” here in the Aube. The 2010 vintage saw a little bit over one-third barrel fermentation and was ripe enough that after a decade on the lees it only needed 5.5 grams per liter of dosage.

After 11 years of age, this wine still has a very light, white-gold color with a flash of green in it. The bead is very compact and dances nicely in the glass. I loved the nearly pineapple-like Meursault-style flavors and aromas and the contrast with the very dry, focused, mineral-driven finish. While the wine comes off as feather-light at first, it becomes more concentrated and serious when you spend time with it. With the green chili and parmesan crab dip, the low dosage and fabulous acidity made this a perfect pairing.

If you have never had an opportunity to taste La Grande Sendrée, this 2010 is a perfect place to start.

A toast to you!

- Gary Westby