‘Les Aulnes’ is 100% Chardonnay assembled from several parcels rather than a single site. The current bottling is based on the 2021 harvest with 30% reserve wine. Vinification and élevage take place in oak barrels, with the base wines spending more than ten months on their lees before tirage. There is no fining or filtration, and dosage is a barely-there 1 g/L, placing it firmly in Extra Brut territory. For all that dryness, this is not an austere Blanc de Blancs. The oak and extended lees aging give it a wonderfully rounded, savory texture, opening with ripe yellow apple, pear and lemon before moving into toasted almond, buttered brioche, gentle smoke and warm spice. There is a lovely creaminess through the middle, balanced by fresh citrus and a chalky mineral grip. The finish turns more savory, with toasted nuts, lemon peel and a subtle saline note lingering behind the fruit. Generous and immediately appealing, but with plenty of structure underneath, it is a particularly good example of how rich Chardonnay can feel at an extremely low dosage.