Champagne Veuve A. Devaux

Stenopé 2008

By Champagne Devaux & Michel Chapoutier

Visuel Stenopé 2009
Description Sténopé

Sténopé

• Noun
(from the classical Greek stenós, narrow, and opê, hole)
Small hole in a partition wall of a dark room, serving as a photographic lens. Very simple optical device used at the very beginning of photography to capture an image of reality.

L’art de faire la photographie du terroir

The art of capturing the image of the vintage

The Genesis

Sometimes, two wine regions meet and they inspire one another

It all began with a meeting between Champagne and the Rhone Valley, around shared values of open-mindedness and respect for terroir. This encounter gave birth to a daring idea of creating a Champagne that is both rare and full of character: one that would portray the most trustworthy image of a single and unique year. This vision – capturing the very best portrait of a season – is the inspiration behind the name Sténopé.

The Approach

Always a vintage, Sténopé is the result of a precise and unique blend of black and white grapes: Pinot noir and Chardonnay, two emblematic Champagne varieties.

The Cellar Master, Michel PARISOT carefully selects the grapes from his preferred vineyard plots. This same attention to detail is applied during the pressing of the grapes, and the vinification – most of which takes place in barrel, as well as during the delicate “prise de mousse” stage which is followed by a prolonged bottle ageing.

The Ambition

The challenge is, harvest upon harvest, to interpret a season, with all its unique characteristics that become apparent over time and, with one sip, to take each person on a journey of the senses, to the heart of that year.

2009

2009

What nature had in store for us…

Very changeable weather dominated this year’s harvest. One of the coldest winters in the last twenty years was followed by a considerable rise in temperature in April. Flowering occurred at the end of May, almost one month early. The summer, stormy at the start, then hot and dry, provided good grape growing conditions. Mid-August brought weather conditions ideal beyond expectations. All-important rainfall fell at the start of September, prior to a sunny harvest that took place in the middle of the month.

All the necessary elements came together to make a great vintage...

Cool September nights helped to keep hold of high acidity levels and favoured aromatic complexity. Perfect ripeness, as well as excellent vineyard health at the time of the harvest: the elements required for a great vintage. The resulting wines are balanced and expressive...

Champagne Sténopé 2009 - Falcon et étui

Sténopé 2009

Revealing…

The nose is pure indulgence: vanilla, brioche, warm bread, praline... but also lemon, zest and candied.

On the palate, it is fresh and refined, with the body and intensity that is typical of the 2009 vintage.

Lemon, bergamot, citrus zest and toast balance with beautiful tension. The finish is long, with chocolate notes.

Sténopé 2009 is the perfect blend of generosity, ripeness and freshness. It is the "blessed" vintage.

Exclusive Prestige Cuvée
Limited quantities: 6 215 units of 75cl bottles and 880 units of 150cl magnums