Suenen - C + C Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2019

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Suenen Description

Although Aurélien Suenen is seen as one of the most promising young talents in Champagne, his first love was basketball. He used to be player as well as coach at semi-pro level and returned to the family’s domaine when his father fell ill in 2008. Dynamic and committed, he progressively learnt the ropes inspired by his illustrious neighbours Pascal Agrapart (who introduced us) and Anselme Selosse, regularly exchanging with them and embracing a similar philosophy.

The previous generations of Suenen acquired vines through the whole Marne region but, based in Cramant, Aurélien decided to focus on the Côte des Blancs and his clutch of parcels (3ha) scattered across the grand cru villages of Chouilly, Oiry and Cramant. The travel distances prevented him from working the northern plots (Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims) as diligently as he wanted so he sold them, with the exception of 0.2ha of ungrafted 60yo pinot meunier, a stunning terroir in the Vesle valley (Massif de Saint-Thierry).

Aurélien made his first wines in 2009 blending the different grapes and parcels, mostly in non-vintage bottlings, as per the family tradition. Moving towards a terroir-specific approach he produced the cuvées Oiry and C+C (Cramant + Chouilly), based at first on the 2013 harvest, and 2018/19 saw the official release of four single-vineyard millésimés: Cramant Les Robarts 2012, Chouilly Mont-Aigu 2013, Oiry La Cocluette 2013 and Montigny-sur-Vesle La Grande Vigne 2013. He works his vines tirelessly, assisted by one employee who’s been with the family for over 20 years. Willing to learn as much as possible about his different vineyards, he hired the services of Claude and Lydia Bourguignon (microbiologists and soil experts) to study and understand the specificities of his soils, so that he could work them accordingly, increase organic matter and help the rhizomes grow deep.

His thirst of knowledge extends to the cellar where he regularly experiments and takes risks. Sulphur is used at press only and malolactic may naturally occur, wild yeast fermentation and long ageing are done in a mixed of vessels (old pièces bourguignonnes, Stockinger barrels, oak foudres, cement eggs and enamel tanks), and extended ageing is allowed after bottling. He reduced the liqueur d’expédition from brut to extra-brut to allow the specificity of each parcel to shine through. And since dosage increases a champagne’s ageing potential, he adapts its level depending on release dates to market, with the second batch of the same cuvée slightly more ‘dosé’. The wines are textural and intensely mineral, they feel unforced with a real sense of purity and class. Their progress has been exponential and there is more to come, this is a very exciting time for Aurélien Suenen.