Cuvée des Caudalies Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut 1500ml Magnum

Wine Description for Cuvée des Caudalies Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut 1500ml Magnum by De Sousa

Colour & Appearance

Luminous, vibrant straw yellow with lively perlage. The mousse presents itself fine and creamy, laying down silky and almost foamy on the palate – a first hint at the complexity of this cuvée.

Nose

Immediately present: toasted toast with salted butter, oven-stewed yellow apple and salted hazelnuts. Beneath these unfold dried summer flowers, hay and time and again that characteristic wet slate chalk of the Côte des Blancs. The Réserve Perpétuelle, maintained since 1995, lends the nose a remarkable aromatic depth.

Palate

The opening is flattering: silky mousseux, almost melting texture. Then the Champagne reveals its true nature. An elegant phenolic structure contours the palate, building subtle tension and pressure. Despite power and drive, it remains disciplined – a Champagne with backbone. The aromatic complexity is impressive, the balance between creamy fullness and saline chalk minerality perfectly calibrated.

Finish

Long, precise and characterised by saline minerality. The chalk of Avize resonates, underpinned by fine toasted aromas and a clear, dry freshness. The name „Caudalies“ is programme.

Terroir & Origin

100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyard sites of the Côte des Blancs, particularly Avize. The vines average 60 years of age, rooted deep in chalk – farmed biodynamically (Demeter-certified since 2013), ploughed with horses. This is Champagne terroir in its purest form.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Chardonnay. Hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation, full maturation in 228-litre barriques (8% new wood). The cuvée comprises approximately 50% of the Réserve Perpétuelle maintained since 1995 – each vintage flows in, creating continuity and complexity. Base vintage 2020, tirage 2021, disgorged 2025. Dosage approximately 5 g/l. Neither fined nor filtered.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Scallops with hazelnut butter, pan-fried turbot, lobster salad, Comté or aged Gruyère. Also an excellent choice with calf’s sweetbreads or truffle risotto.

Special Features

The magnum bottle (1500ml) guarantees optimal ageing conditions. De Sousa ranks among Champagne’s biodynamic pioneers. This cuvée is a masterclass in Réserve Perpétuelle – a living archive that lends each sip historical depth.