Björnstierne Antonsson aka TheChampagneSommelier was invited by Champagne Deutz for the premier tasting of ‘Deutz Berceaux Vinotheque Wines’ in London.
Estimated reading time: 26 minutes
Intro …
It was a cold and rainy September morning when I landed at terminal 2B at Heathrow Airport. I am picked up by Mortimer, my driver. He navigates us towards London City with a steady hand on the wheel. I’m in the back seat of our French car on the way from the outskirts of London, it’s mid-September.
I sink into my thoughts of the year before. On another journey but from now on as classic as ugly-chic Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle airport. As the suburbs of Paris fade away, the landscape becomes more hilly and the idylls more rural. The tendrils go from green to autumn-like crimson in orange and red, still with the greenish shimmering element of a long and but not particularly hot summer. Most of the vineyards are in the starting pits to sink into their dormant stage. Later, everything is in the hands of the winemakers, who expectantly and eagerly wander between the fermenters and see what is happening. How is 2022? Is it a legendary vintage on par with the great 02, or the hotter 03, 79 or even 61? With patience we will soon know. We steer towards the Pan Pacifc Hotel & Resort in Houndsditch and the Deutz house for my meeting with the skilled CEO Fabrice Rousset & team Champagen Deutz.
On a personal note …
‘In all the years I have traveled around Champagne’s countless villages and met the dedicated wine farmers, I have asked the question of their favorite champagne except their own?’
Richard Juhlin
Strikingly often, the answer has been Deutz ‘Blanc de Blancs’. It is clear that this applies above all in the Côte des Blancs where Deutz’s presence is large, but even far from the core area there is great respect for this family brand. When I heard the answer the first few times I was surprised because for me Deutz was primarily associated with Aÿ-based Pinot champagnes from the home village. It is still the case that I even prefer botanizing among different vintages of ‘William Deutz’ in both white and rosé versions, even though the company’s most sought-after prestige champagne today is ‘Amour de Deutz’, a blanc de blancs.
