This is Crémant with gravitas. Bone-dry and deeply mineral, it opens with candied lemon peel, toasted brioche, orchard fruit and a subtle smoky, limestone edge. The mousse is creamy and fine, carrying layers of citrus, ripe pear, gentle nuttiness and a savoury, almost salty finish. There’s real depth here. It's rich but precise, powerful yet laser-focused. If you love Krug Champers, this will absolutely hit the spot (and then some).

Let’s head to Orschwihr, just south of Colmar, where Domaine Valentin Zusslin has been quietly doing exceptional things since 1691, for thirteen generations! This is living, breathing Alsace history, whilst wildly relevant. Today the reins are held by siblings Jean-Paul and Marie Zusslin, a dream duo who took over in 2000 and pushed the estate firmly into cult territory. Certified organic since 1997 and biodynamic since 2000 (before it was cool), the Zusslins farm with horses, plant trees, keep bees, and basically treat their vineyards like a self-sustaining ecosystem rather than a monoculture. The vibe? Deep respect for nature, zero shortcuts, maximum expression. Their vines stretch across some of Alsace’s most exciting sites - Bollenberg, Clos Liebenberg and the Pfingstberg Grand Cru - with old vines rooted in hard Jurassic limestone. The star of this cuvée is the legendary Bollenberg hillside: a sun-soaked, limestone-rich, Natura 2000–protected site with a rare Mediterranean microclimate (yes, in Alsace). Red clay streaked with iron oxide, wild orchids, lizards, birds - it’s alive. And that life translates straight into the glass. This Crémant isn’t made to mimic Champagne; it’s proudly, confidently itself. Long vinification in old oak, wild yeasts, no dosage, no sulphur, and an epic 104 months on the lees. Time, texture, and terroir - the Zusslin holy trinity!