Description
In 1986, Eric Dhondt and Edith Grellet decided to stop selling off grapes to negociants and started Dhondt-Grellet. Their focus on farming translated into honest Champagnes from great holdings across the Côte des Blancs.
Starting with two hectares, the domaine has now tripled in size and starting gaining real attention when Adrien took over winemaking in 2012 at age 22. Today, joined by his sister Alice, he has slowly increased the range of Champagnes produced by isolating their holdings across the villages of Cramant and Cuis and bottling pure expressions of Chardonnay. Most recently, he launched a small négociant project to satisfy his curiosity outside of his own domaine’s style.
Adrien has an ambitious vision with no signs of slowing down, and we couldn’t be more excited about the direction of this young domaine.
The Dhondt family have worked with a perpetual reserve since they began estate bottling in 1986. After drawing off 30% of his reserves for the new year’s tirage, Adrien replenishes the loss with wine kept back from the new vintage and racks the resulting blend to barrel—accompanied by the fresh lees of the latest vintage—in May. Come harvest time, when empty barrels are needed, the perpetual reserve is returned to tank. Each year, the process is repeated, ensuring the domaine’s barrels are never empty.
Adrien uses organic & biodynamic practices, but he is not seeking certification, preferring to work in the spirit of what he calls “peasant viticulture,” using no synthetic products, no herbicides or insecticides, enriching his soils with homemade compost and, as of Spring 2021, plowing each plot with his horse, Thor. His philosophy is to have a living soil with a healthy balance between microbial life and the vine. In the vines, there’s a lot of manual work: he prunes short and debuds severely to limit yields and produce ripe, concentrated fruit at harvest time. He often cites inspiration from great Burgundy estates by practicing plot selection.
“Chétillons de Haut” is a vivid articulation of what the Grand Cru terroirs of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger can whisper. Drawn from mid-slope vines with deeper soils known for their generous texture, this Blanc de Blancs is built with precision and restraint.
Vinified in barrel, aged on the lees for around 8 months, and released Extra Brut, it delivers purity and minerality without sacrificing inner richness. The low dosage allows the chalky soils and vineyard character to shine through.
On the nose, expect orchard fruit (pear, green apple), a swirl of white flowers, and hints of brioche and beeswax. The palate opens with crisp citrus, a fine stream of saline minerality, and layers of stone fruit, underlain by lees-derived texture—creamy yet taut. The mousse is delicate, the finish long and mouthwatering, ending on citrus peel and chalk dust.
An elegant Champagne for moments of celebration or contemplation alike—perfect with oysters, fresh shellfish, or subtly flavored fish. Also, spectacular on its own as a sipping wine for lovers of finesse.
