For the Love of Cold Vintages: 2011 Amour de Deutz
If Champagne has a lot of one thing in the pipeline for us Champagne lovers, it is hot vintages. The 2015 vintage unseated 1852 as the hottest vintage ever, only to be unseated itself by 2018. There was no shortage of sun in 2019 or 2020 either. While the power and roundness of ripe vintages like these are widely appreciated, I think that in the fullness of time, there is a lot to be said for a cool vintage as well. The 2011 Deutz "Amour de Deutz" Blanc de Blancs Champagne that I just had is a great example of the sleek elegance that strict selections can yield in a cold year like this.
The Amour de Deutz is 100% Chardonnay carefully selected from some of the top places for that grape in Champagne. It is mostly Grand Cru: 50% Avize, 15% Mesnil, and 12% Oger, with 11% Villeneuve, 6% Vertus, and 6% Villlers-Marmery. That last village, Villers-Marmery, is on the east slope of the mountain of Reims, and I think adds a lot of aromatic complexity to this expertly crafted wine. This is the current release at 11 years old as I type, which demonstrates an increasing commitment to long ageing for this tête de cuvée from Deutz. The first vintage of this wine was the 1993, and we were selling that back in 2000. Although I could not find any information on the vinification, this shows very much like a stainless-steel-fermented wine, and I would guess that very little, if any, oak was used.
Cinnamon and I enjoyed this Champagne with experimental arancini aux crabe; fried risotto balls that I made with crab meat. The pairing, and especially the Champagne, were a big success. This wine has a clear white gold color and a generous nose of tarte tatin pastry crust and crisp apple. The texture is exquisite, with a buoyant bead lifting the delicate wine and leaving one feeling lighter after every sip. The balance between toast and bright apple fruit is perfect and the finish adds a twist of chalk that really carries it. The rich arancini gave the wine something to cut and had real synergy with the wine. This dry but generous tête de cuvée is a huge treat.