New Year toast for premium bubbly
Wine expert Helen Coburn visits a seasonal tasting of Champagne Deutz, hosted by Febvre, where she was most impressed by the Cuvee William Deutz Rose 1999
Print16 January 2012
The year was just on the turn when importers Febvre hosted a seasonal tasting of Champagne Deutz, led by Fabrice Rosset, who manages the company on behalf of its major shareholders, the Rouzaud family. Deutz was one of the founder members of the Grande Marques syndicate in 1882, and it’s one of the most venerable of the Champagne houses. The present owners only took control in 1996, however, and since then over €15m has been invested in the vineyards and wineries. Last year a new phase of investment began, with new presses being installed and storage facilities being upgraded to 3.5 million bottle capacity. That’s a huge increase, given that the Deutz output was only 600,000 in 1996. The firm expects to produce 2 million bottles for 2011 and hopes to reach annual production of 2.5 million bottles in the medium term.
That’s a lot of bottles and drinkers are often surprised at the large quantities actually produced by the grand Champagne houses. The challenge, of course, is to maintain profitability by producing sufficient quantities while, at the same time, ensuring such quality that consumers are prepared to pay premium prices for the wine. On this occasion, the wine that showed best was Cuvee William Deutz 1998, with its complex aromas of yeast, dried apple, and creamy honey. All this was repeated on the palate with a big burst of bubble, firm acidity and long, long finish with notes of bramley apple right to the end. Trouble is, this nectar comes with a hefty price tag – €150 retail – so it’s really confined to the corporate and celebration market. The basic Classic Deutz Brut non vintage is decent though, and priced at €45; it has fresh, slightly floral aromas, nicely balancing acidity and soft apple notes.
The non-vintage Rose Brut is €62 and is delicately hued, with light, zesty fruit. For me, the classic white had more oomph and I would rather spend my money on that; but this is largely a matter of taste and I’m not pink Champagne’s biggest fan. Cuvee William Deutz Rose 1999 was much more impressive – and it should be, for it costs €165. It had real elegance, with decent structure and a long finish, well laced with refreshing fruit.
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