2008 Champagne Deutz, Cuvée William Deutz, Brut

Deutz are based in the village of Aÿ, which is very much Pinot Noir country. Theirs is one of the grandest Champagne houses in the village, where they count Bollinger as their near neighbours. Founded in 1838, Deutz is now under the ownership of the Rouzaud family (owners of Champagne Louis Roederer) and their finely-crafted range is currently inspiring critical acclaim.

Cuvée William Deutz is named after the founder of the house and combines a majority of Pinot Noir with around a third Chardonnay; a final sprinkling of Pinot Meunier completes the blend.

This vintage of Cuvée William Deutz offers an excellent purity of fruit and remarkable energy on the palate. It is a real stand-out wine from a vintage that undoubtedly has an abundance of wonderful wines. In such a superb vintage for Champagne, it may be easy to overlook some producers and focus on the bigger names. However, I would encourage you not to overlook this wine, it truly is an underappreciated gem.

"We are almost at the stage where the 2008s will no longer be available from source, with the vast majority of houses having moved on to more recent vintages. In conclusion – '08 is first class, iconic and will be the vintage we all aspire to open with friends and family over the coming 20+ years. This is also a wine that is only made in rather small quantities compared to many of its peers, so may not come across the table again. I encourage everyone to purchase as much '08 Champagne as possible, this is a vintage to savour!"

Joshua Friend - Private Account Manager