Ulysse Collin Les Enfers 48 mo sur lie (Base 2013, deg 2018)

The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers (2013) derives entirely from the 2013 vintage, maturing sur lattes for 48 months before disgorgement in March 2018 with 2.4 grams per liter dosage. Opening in the glass with notes of citrus oil, Asian pear, warm bread, white flowers and orange rind, it's full-bodied, satiny and layered, with a deep and concentrated core of fruit that's dense but fine-boned, underpinned by a lively spine of acidity, and concluding with a long, saline finish. This is a touch more lavish and expansive than the 2014-base Les Pierrières tasted alongside, but it's just as precise. Les Enfers and Les Roises are separated by a vineyard track, but while Les Roises faces south, Les Enfers turns to the east; Les Enfers' significantly shallower soils are also richer in iron.

By William Kelley August 2019