What a rare and exceptional wine! The cuvée  is a homage to the grandfather of José Michel, the founder of the House, who was given the nickname Père Houdart in their home village of Moussy. The Cuvée du Père Houdart is a blend of vintages from 1971, 1975, 1976, 1982, 1984 and wines from the 2011 harvest. Pale gold in colour, the complexities of the aged material is balanced and refreshed by the younger wine to deliver a cuvée  that unfolds and opens in glass continuously. A terrific wine and a fitting homage to the founder. History in a glass! A blend of 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay vinified in a mixture of old barrels and stainless with a dosage of 4gm/ltr

Grand testimony to José Michel’s remarkable cellar of old vintages, the sheer weight of ancient reserves in this cuvée must be unparalleled not only in Champagne, but anywhere in the beverage world outside the most ancient fortified blends. Boasting an insane average age of more than 29 years, it exudes the full, expansive complexity that would be expected from such ridiculous maturity and rarity. And yet it, of course, tastes nothing like a 29-year-old cuvée. It’s at once deeply mature and intriguing in its complexity, and yet it springs from the glass with the life and confidence of its young base. Pipe smoke, old hearth and bruised apple are all here, uniting with layers of mixed spice, ginger, candied orange and dark fruit cake. Its old components show the dryness of age in bottles, with the challenging 2011 season bringing dry phenolic grip and bright yet integrated acidity. An idiosyncratic style as unusual as its inimitable recipe. 91pts TYson Stelzer 'Champagne Guide 2020-2021'