94 points Wine Advocate
Drink: 2026-2035
Disgorged in April 2025 with a dosage of three grams per liter, Adrien Dhondt’s 2021 Blanc de Blancs Oger Les Plantes d’Oger reveals itself in the glass with aromas of nashi pear, dried flowers, citrus oil and toasted bread, mingled with a top note of rooibos. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, taut and incisive, underpinned by racy acidity that leads into a long, chalky finish. It is a lovely wine in the spirit of the 2021 vintage. As I have written before, it originates from a northeast-facing site located between Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; while it is produced from purchased fruit, Dhondt advises on the farming, and it is his team that harvests the fruit.

It appears that everything Adrien Dhondt touches turns to gold, as he has also produced a brilliant set of wines from purchased fruit. Adrien Dhondt’s small négociant project, under his own name, is the result of a desire to explore the terroirs of the southern end of the Côte de Blancs. Picking small parcels from different sites almost every year, the new 2021 releases feature one lieu-dit from each village—Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. While Dhondt does not farm these parcels, it is his team that harvests the fruit.

Winemaking follows the same approach as for the wines of Dhondt-Grellet: spontaneous fermentation with short or no settling, élevage in wood (about one-third new) for eight to nine months with regular topping up, minimal use of sulfur and disgorgement with low dosage.