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Tasting note
Sourced from a different parcel each year, the 2018 Blanc de Blancs Le Grain de Beauté originates from Clos Sainte-Sophie and matured for four years in 500-liter barrels from the Mâconnais. Bottled in 2022 and disgorged à la volée for our July 2025 tasting, it stands as the crowning achievement of this year’s portfolio, soaring from the glass with a striking bouquet of physalis, nashi pear and spring flowers, mingling with green tea and a faint hint of almond, all subtly framed by the light reduction of its recent disgorgement. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, savory and textural, with a taut core of fruit that preserves remarkable brightness and vibrancy despite its protracted élevage in wood. Unusually chiseled in the context of the vintage, it is animated by racy acids and concludes with a long, chalky finish. While it may appear aromatically less flamboyant than Autour du Minuit, it ultimately reveals itself as the more harmonious and complete wine this year.
Score: 97
Kristaps Karklins, The Wine Advocate, September 2025