Suenen Champagne "C+C" Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut R21

Aurélien Suenen has been at the head of his family’s estate in Cramant since 2009. He manages 7.4 acres (3 hectares) of Chardonnay vines in Chouilly, Cramant, and Oiry, and about 5 acres (2 hectares) of Pinot Noir and Meunier in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, an area north of the city of Reims. Influenced by Pascal Agrapart, a friend of his, Suenen is focused on studying his terroirs and expressing their characterisitcs through his work in the vineyards and the cellar. He practices organic viticulture and uses some biodynamic practices, but ultimately he creates his own systems. Since 2013, he has continued to focus on his vineyards in the Côte des Blancs area.

He vinifies about one-fourth of his production in oak barrels of various sizes, and the rest is vinified in either old, enameled-steel tanks or egg-shaped concrete tanks. Some of his fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts, and some of the wines undergo malolactic fermentation, depending on their individual characteristics.

Suenen, along with his mentor Agrapart, is one of the best producers in the Côtes des Blancs today.

This blanc de blancs is based on a blend of grapes from the villages of Cramant and Chouilly. “C+C” typically shows more richness than the Oiry bottling.