Suenen, Champagne, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, C+C Extra Brut (Base 2021)

Aurélien Suenen is one of the most respected grower-producers in the Côte des Blancs, crafting precise, mineral-driven Champagnes from vineyards in Cramant, Oiry and Oger. A former professional basketball player turned vigneron, Suenen took over the family domaine in the early 2010s and immediately began shifting farming and winemaking toward greater transparency of terroir. He farms sustainably with organic principles, working parcel by parcel and favoring massal selections and low-intervention practices. In the cellar, he vinifies each lieu-dit separately, uses a mix of stainless steel and older oak, and favors low dosage to keep the saline, chalk-inflected character front and center. Suenen’s wines are recognized for their tension, purity, and unmistakable Côte des Blancs energy. Today he is considered part of Champagne’s new vanguard of precision growers, producing limited-quantity wines that are increasingly sought after for their finesse and terroir expression.