Le Domaine d'Henri 821 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Burgundy, France

Fine bubbles carry citrus zest, green apple, and lightly toasted notes over a cool, chalky mineral core in the 2023 Le Domaine d'Henri 821 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut. Made entirely from Chardonnay grown in the Chablis area, 8.21 uses the méthode ancestrale, beginning fermentation with indigenous yeasts before finishing naturally in bottle and spending 28 months on its lees. Disgorged without dosage, it combines the freshness and mineral definition associated with Chablis Chardonnay with the creamy texture and gentle complexity of extended lees aging, an inventive expression of the Laroche family's long connection to the region.

Product Details:

• Owners: Michel, Cécile and Margaux Laroche
• Winemaking: Margaux Laroche
• Cellar Master: Vito Tomasello
• Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
• Farming: Certified organic
• Vineyard Source: Chardonnay parcels in the Chablis area
• Vine Age: More than 35 years on average
• Harvest Method: Hand-harvested
• Fermentation: Méthode ancestrale; fermentation with indigenous yeasts at approximately 15 to 16°C, arrested by cooling at approximately 20 g/L residual sugar before bottling, where fermentation resumes naturally to create the wine's effervescence
• Lees Aging: 28 months on the lees in bottle
• Disgorgement: Disgorged after lees aging
• Dosage: None
• Residual Sugar: 3 to 5 g/L
• ABV: 12.5%

Sensory Description:

Bright and finely effervescent, the 2023 8.21 opens with lemon zest, crisp green apple and fresh orchard fruit, followed by subtle tropical notes and the gentle toastiness of extended lees contact. The palate is dry and energetic, with a fine, persistent bead carrying citrus fruit across a creamy yet precise texture. Chalky mineral tension keeps the wine focused through the mid-palate, while delicate brioche notes add breadth without obscuring its freshness. The finish is clean, long and mineral, with citrus, green apple and a lightly savoury lees character lingering after the bubbles recede.

Producer's Background:

Le Domaine d'Henri marks Michel Laroche's return to the family vineyards that shaped his life in Chablis. After more than four decades developing Domaine Laroche and its subsequent merger in 2009, Michel retained vineyards inherited from his parents, Henri and Madeleine, along with parcels he owned personally. He established the new family domaine in 2012 and named it for his father. Today his daughters Cécile and Margaux Laroche are taking the estate forward, with Margaux supervising viticulture and vinification and defining the style of the wines, while cellar master Vito Tomasello oversees work in the cellar. The domaine has been certified organic since 2022 and works with indigenous yeasts and restrained intervention. The Laroche family's connection to vines around Chablis stretches back generations, giving the experimental 8.21 a foundation firmly rooted in local tradition.

The 8.21 cuvée began with the 2017 vintage and applies the méthode ancestrale to Chardonnay from the Chablis area. Its name refers to 821 days, or approximately 27 months, representing the minimum journey from budbreak through harvest, fermentation, bottle fermentation, lees aging and disgorgement. Rather than adding sugar and yeast for a separate secondary fermentation, the estate cools the partially fermented wine while natural sugar remains, bottles it, and allows that same fermentation to finish inside the bottle. The result is a naturally sparkling Chardonnay that brings an unconventional format to the domaine's emphasis on freshness, precision, and Chablisien character.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve well chilled at approximately 8 to 10°C in a tulip-shaped sparkling wine glass or a medium white wine glass, which allows the Chardonnay's citrus, lees and mineral character to develop while preserving the fine bead. Its dry profile and bright acidity make it particularly suited to oysters, sashimi, sushi, prawns and other shellfish, while its creamy lees texture also works well with gougères, lightly fried seafood, smoked trout and young, mild cheeses. It is equally compelling on its own as an aperitif.