Every Friday The no1 Champagne expert in the world will taste new & old Champagne s to give You a tip or two for the weekend. This week Richard Juhlin tasted Deutz @ Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius. [read the full champagne story]
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Deutz
★★★★ of ★★★★★
In 1838 two Germans, William Deutz and Pierre Gelderman, founded this distinguished firm in Aÿ. Deutz was hit hard during the Champagne Uprising of 1911. The house was long run by André Lallier, who has made large investments in other wine districts. Notable among these properties are Delas in the Rhône Valley, Maison Deutz in California, as well as another site producing sparkling wine in the Loire Valley. In 1993, Louis Roederer gained a majority stockholding in Deutz.
Nowadays the firm is ably run by my dear friends the very likeable gentleman Fabrice Rosset with great help from Jean-Marc Lallier. Winemaker is Michel Davesne. Seventy-five percent of the grapes are bought from grand cru and premier cru villages from 80 growers. Deutz themselves own land in five villages. The property is among the most beautiful in Champagne, and even the wines are extremely distinguished.
The style is laid-back, elegant, and sophisticated, with a medium body, crystal-clear fruit, and an exemplary mousse. All the wines are good and the Vinothèque wines and the white William and Hommage a William are also world class wines.
With the 1993 vintage Deutz launched Amour de Deutz, an ultra-sophisticated prestige Champagne. It has sold like hot cakes since Madonna took a liking to it—they say that there is always a chilled bottle ready wherever she goes. The 2002 and 2008 is pure essence. Unfortunately there are no more William Deutz Rosé but the Amour de Deutz Rosé is almost as great.
‘One of my absolute favourite houses. Very close to 5 stars.’
Richard Juhlin
