Dhondt-Grellet ROC Solare Extra Brut (Base 2022)

EXTRA BRUT | COTEAUX DU SÉZANNAIS 90% CHARDONNAY / 10% PINOT NOIR

BASE 2022 (70%) & RESERVE PERPETUELLE 1986 (30%) 1 G/L DOSAGE | DISGORGED DECEMBER 2025

Derived from vines planted between 1965 and 1975 in the Coteaux du Sézannais and

based on the 2022 vintage, complemented by 30% reserve wines drawn from a perpetual reserve initiated in 1986, the second edition of NV Extra-Brut Roc Solare is showing superbly. Disgorged in February 2025 with a dosage of one gram per liter, the wine unfurls in the glass with aromas of lemon confit, dried flowers and iodine, mingled with sandalwood and smoky reduction. On the palate, it is full-bodied and concentrated, driven by succulent yet racy acidity and culminating in a long, chalky finish. One should anticipate a more generous expression than Dhondt’s wines from the Côte des Blancs; yet, with quality of this caliber, it can hardly be regarded as an entry-level cuvée. 95 pts, The Wine Advocate

Derived from Coteaux du Sézannais, the NV Extra-Brut Roc Solare is a new addition to the Dhondt-Grellet range. Dans un Premier Temps is no longer produced, as the Pinot Noir vines in Avenay Val d’Or were replanted (with Pinot Meunier from Cuis set to produce a different bottling in the future). As a result, Adrien decided to isolate the vines from Sézannais in this new standalone cuvée. Predominantly composed of the 2021 vintage, with a 30% perpetual component, it was disgorged in September 2024 with a dosage of three grams per liter. The grapes are sourced from four plots in two villages—Barbonne-Fayel and Fontaine-Denis—planted in the 1970s by Adrien’s grandfather. The blend is heavily Chardonnay-based, with the remaining 10% Pinot Noir. It is vinified entirely in barrels (around one-third new), in line with the rest of the estate’s wines.

“It’s a warm terroir,” observes Dhondt, noting the deeper clay and pebbles of silex, which emit a flinty aroma when struck together. In the glass, the wine reveals a complex bouquet of lemon zest, lychee, pine nut, iodine and smoke. A full-bodied and deep wine, it boasts striking concentration and almost electric acidity, shaped by the cool growing season. “The aim is to showcase the warmth of the place, but the profile of the 2021 vintage restrained it,” explains Dhondt.