Champagne Deutz Releases a Brut Classic Cuvée with an Intriguing Generational Provenance
Champagne Deutz, brut classic © Nathalie Mohadjer
The Art Of Drinking
Champagne Deutz Releases a Brut Classic Cuvée with an Intriguing Generational Provenance
While the champagne house has enjoyed a storied history since 1838, the latest release of its core Brut Classic bottling is more about a loving hand-off of that heritage and expertise to a new generation.
Founded 188 years ago in the French town of Aÿ, a noted center for champagne making, especially of the “grand cru” variety (which strictly uses grapes grown in the 17 highest-rated villages of the Champagne region), Champagne Deutz carries a history as impressive as any classic Maison.
For the first time, Deutz’s Brut Classic, the cuvée that stands as the very signature of the House, embodies a unique dialogue between two generations: the vision of Michel Davesne, Cellar Master from 2003 to 2023, and that of Caroline Latrive, who now carries this legacy forward.
Moreover, the base of the new release is from 2022, the first year of Latrive’s involvement with the house. So, this multi-generational transmission of savoir-faire carries some spiritual significance.
The Cuvée Learning Curve
Before we get into the story behind this particular bubbly, a bit of connoisseurship: You now have a sense of what “grand cru” means, but the term “cuvée” can be a point of confusion for the uninitiated, as there is no official, legal definition for it in the industry, and it can be applied to both still wines and champagne. For still wines, cuvée refers to a blend, batch, or a special selection of wine.
For champagne, cuvée generally refers to an expertly crafted blend of sources and vintages (often with a base preponderance of a specific year’s growth); however, most definitions of cuvée as it relates to champagne also refer to the ultra-gentle, first press “free run” juice of the champagne grape.
Cuvée differs from straight-up “vintage” champagnes, which are made wholly from a specific year’s grape harvest. With a cuvée champagne, you are tasting the exacting result of the Cellar Master’s blending art; with vintage, you are more locked into the idea of “how good a year was that?”
For an even deeper dive down the champagne terminology rabbit hole, click HERE.
Four Hands Are Better Than Two
Like the watch world, the champagne world can be notably small, and Caroline Latrive and Michel Davesne’s paths crossed multiple times in their careers. As the daughter of a consulting oenologist from Reims, the now 51-year-old Caroline Latrive first met Michel, her mentor, in 1998, and let’s just say some strong impressions were made.
In fact, when it came time to weigh in on his potential successor as Deutz’s Cellar Master, Davesne didn’t hesitate to put Caroline’s name forward.
While watching a video by Caroline about the profession of Cellar Master, I felt something special. I immediately recognized what had already struck me during our meetings: this rare ability to instill deep emotion into a profession is often approached solely from a technical perspective.
Michel Davesne
This Brut Classic cuvée expression, which should price out at well under $100, represents the fruits of a 14-month period of collaboration and transition between the pair.
In The Glass
Of course, emotional connections become even more apparent when working with superior constituents. The excellent cuvée 2022 base blend is 35% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, and 40% Chardonnay. About 28% of the overall cuvée blend comes from reserve wines, primarily from the 2019, 2020, and 2021 vintages, adding complexity and freshness to the final product.
Deutz describes the results of the collaboration as:
Precise, delicate, and silky as a singular caress, this cuvée unfolds a personality that transcends the vagaries of the harvest and perfectly reflects the house’s philosophy of purity and harmony.
For those who have had a chance to taste the Brut Classic cuvée (including some of my lucky Watchonista colleagues), they report an experience of a floral bouquet that gives way to aromas of toast, marzipan, and stone fruit, with a distinct Pinot Noir creaminess and Chardonnay freshness on the palate, ending with a persistent fruity note for the ending.
(Hopefully my co-workers left a bottle or two untouched for me to try.)
Raise Your Glass
Our Watchonista Lounge stories explore interesting interconnections for watch lovers between horology and luxury topics like motoring, yachting, cigars, cuisine, design, jewelry, and fashion, while also focusing on spirits and wine. However, in our experience, watch enthusiasts are among the quickest to spark spontaneous celebrations, so champagne holds a special place in The Lounge.
In fact, Deutz’s new Cellar Master goes even further by pointing out some apt lines that connect watchmaking and champagne-making.
Watchmaking and Champagne share the same philosophy: that of time mastered. Behind each great watch, as behind each great champagne, are the precision of the gesture, the exacting attention to detail, and the patience necessary to achieve excellence. They are also two worlds where transmission is essential, allowing exceptional know-how to cross generations.
Caroline Latrive
To that, all we can say is “Cheers!”
For more information, check out Champagne Deutz’s website.
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