Champagne - does any other
beverage evoke a moment in time, a feeling, or that special place? I think not.
Here is a little insight into some gems for our two day tour of the champagne
region. There are 319 villages in Champagne with 17 Grand Cru and 41 Premier
Cru sites, so this is really only a small glimpse… but here are some little beauties
worth noting!
BRUNO PAILLARD - Montagne De Reims
Amazing to meet Alice Pallaird,
daughter of Bruno and part of the 32 staff who work for her father. This is
considered a smallish and relatively young ‘house’, making between 400,000 and
500,000 bottles a year. Their largest
export markets are Japan and Great Britain. Known for their ‘mult-vintage’
wines and for using different artists to complement their vintage range labels.
Bruno wanted to add personality to the vintages but express their nature on the
bottle labels. Basically artists are given two words that relate to the vintage
(ie ‘structure’ and ‘velvet’ in 1996) and they are asked to submit works based
on this.
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| The multi-vintage selection from Bruno Paillard |
MV Bruno Paillard
Première Cuvée Brut
Made from the traditional varieties, with Pinot Noir winning
the race out of the three with a 45% make up of the blend.. a wine that teases
the palate with excellent balance and power – hints of toastiness, honeysuckle,
and citrus (lime) with dry but textured finish. Spends 3 years on lees with 6
g/l dosage.
MV Bruno Paillard
Première Cuvée Rosé
Has always been a crowd charmer at ARIA Sydney. Mostly made
up of pinot noir (percentage undisclosed) and from 12 vineyards. Dosage also 6
g/l with high toned acidity and red currants being the flavour of the day.
MV Bruno Paillard
‘Reserve Primee’ Blanc de Blancs
From three terroirs, spends 4 years on lees with aromas of
white flowers, fresh almond and tangerine. Tightly built and fine bubbles. For me, the complete aperitif. Gets you salivating!
JEAN LALLEMENT – Verzenay in Montagne de Reims
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| The selection from Lallement |
We were treated to some excellent hospitality by Alexandra
Lallement and it was an honour to try their range of wines. The production is
tiny with about 25,000 bottles per year made, 80% of which is exported. The ‘grand cru’ village of Verzenay produces
pinot noir with incredible perfume but has more elegant result on the palate
when compared to the wines from Ambonnay. Alexandra’s husband, Jean-Luc is at
the helm and all the base wines undergo malolactic fermentation. These were
wines with great personality and which scream of their origin.
NV Jean Lallement
Brut Tradition (80% Pinot Noir & 20% Chardonnay)
Rich and toasty with brioche and baked pastry notes
upfront. Then later comes the liquorice
and fennel seed hit with fresh almonds and hints of nougat. 6 g/l of dosage so pretty dry but delectable
and artisian.
NV Jean Lallement
Brut Reserve (80% Pinot Noir & 20% Chardonnay)
From vieilles vignes (old vines between age of 35 and 45
years). Drier than the Brut Tradition
with 4 g/l of dosage, some more savoury notes with pine needles, citrus and
bracing mineral notes.
NV Jean Lallement Rosè (100% Pinot Noir from 2009 Harvest)
100% pinot noir assemblage – all from Grand Cru sites. A
much more serious style that would hold up well into main course territory for
food and wine matches - riper red currants and cherry notes. Dosage of 4 g/l
keeps it nice and tense.
MICHEL ARNOULD - Verzenay in Montagne de Reims
Up the hill we went (5
minutes) to visit Patrick Arnould, a humble man with an incredible passion to
produce wines of personality and quality. He makes about 100,000 bottles a year
and owns 12 hectares, 95% of which are also in Verzenay. His pinot noir from
the village has a northern exposure thus giving it a certain ‘lightness’ in the
mouth. There is consistency throughout the whole range with a super fine bead
and elegance. Solid stuff!
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| NV Michel Arnould Brut Reserve |
NV Michel Arnould
Brut Reserve (70% Pinot Noir & 30% Chardonnay)
Clean, fresh, immediately appealing with 10 g/l dosage and
aged for 2-3 years before disgorging. Crisp minerality so defined with citrus
and hint of nectarines.
NV Michel Arnould
Grande Cuvée (70% Pinot Noir & 30% Chardonnay)
Some more exotic notes with lovely crisp minerality and
drive. Slightly deeper than the Brut
Reserve but the acidity keeps everything in harmony (9 g/l dosage).
2007 Michel Arnould
‘B-50’ (50% pinot & 50% chardonnay)
This wine has not been released yet so was a real privilege
to so how it is embracing its journey in the bottle. It is fermented in 2-3 year old burgundy oak
and does not go through any malolactic fermentation. Loved the ‘vinous’ appeal
this wine had and Patrick has had a mixed response to it so far. Thumbs up from us… definitely a main course
wine and not for the faint hearted.
NV Michel Arnould
Brut Rosé (100% pinot noir from Grand Cru vineyards)
Ripe raspberry fruits with sour cherry, sweet candy cane and
sherbet.. quite a powerful entry but streamlined enough for dry finish. 9 g/l
dosage
R & L LEGRAS – Chouilly in the Côtes des Blancs
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| 2004 R & L Legras‘Presidence’ Vieilles Vignes’ |
Chef de cave Julien Barbier is going to be a superstar. From the winery, to the fit out, to the end
result in the bottle… there is so much going on here. Plus there is an
important link with gastronomy as they sell 80% of their wines to
restaurants. Places such as Guy Savoir and
La Tour d’Argent in Paris are high-profile
examples of restaurants that use their own label in conjunction with this
producer. Julien states they make 150,000
bottles on average per year and his passion for the Chardonnay dominant
Champagnes from here is evident. In his
words: “Chardonnay from Chouilly is good young or old - there is a high level
of natural acidity”.
NV R & L Legras Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay)
High toned acidity, with lemon citrus, white flowers and a super
dry finish (dosage 7 g/l). Lightness and elegance are the theme here.
2004 R & L Legras
‘Presidence’ Vieilles Vignes’ (100% Chardonnay)
Toasty brioche aromatics with baked brioche and toasted
almonds but then fresher notes of young grapefruit and lime zest.
NV R & L Legras
Rosé (85% Pinot Noir & 15% Chardonnay)
Subtle expression of pinot noir
from Ambonnay with chardonnay kick and 7 g/l of dosage.
1996 R & L Legras ‘Saint-Vincent’ (100% Chardonnay)
This was the standout Champagne
from our visit. Yes I know it’s from 1996,
one of the best vintages of all time, but it was compelling and spell binding.
Things like orange rind, almonds, hazelnuts all came through with incredible
balance and poise. Could drink it all day – no problem!
GUY CHARLEMAGNE – Les Mesnil-Sur-Oger
It may be located just across the
road from the exclusive ‘Salon’, but this Champagne house has remarkable personality in its
own right. Located in the heart of the
Côtes des Blancs, their vineyards total 15 h.a and the grapes are essentially chardonnay
(87%) and the rest made up of pinot noir. Production is around 130,000 bottles
a year of which 70% is exported. They
also have vineyards in Sézanne. Sales manager Elodie Caraskakis took us through
the range.
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| Old versus New labels |
NV Guy Charlemagne Brut Nature (70% Chardonnay & 30% Pinot Noir)
This is their ‘no sugar’ example
from the chalky soils of Sézanne. It is
vinified in termo regulated stainless steel.
Fresh but ripe… got some hints of green olive, white flowers and
grapefruit.
NV Guy Charlemagne Brut Classic (80% Chardonnay & 20% Pinot Noir)
Powerful nose of ripe summer fruit
(cherry plum). Smooth entry on the palate with pear and mandarin character with
soft, dry but long finish. 8 g/l dosage.
NV Guy Charlemagne Brut Rosé (100% Pinot Noir)
Terroir in Sézanne is dominated by
chalk and clay and the result here is a more masculine style and a strongly
coloured wine. Riper dark berry fruits shine here (blackberries and kirsch)..
strawberry jam on the mid palate but dry, opulent finish. 8 g/l dosage.
NV Guy Charlemagne ‘Reserve’ Brut Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay)
From vineyards in Mesnil sur Oger
and Oger with limestone soil, High-toned acidity, super dry with green olive
and some more complex candied fruit notes (pineapple and angelica). 6 g/l
dosage.
HENRIET-BAZIN – Premier Cru & Grand Cru
from Villers-Marmery
Henriet-Bazin. You know you’re enjoying things when you walk
out after two hours and it felt like 10 minutes! From the get-go it was evident how much
passion and pride are put into their wines and how excited they are about what
they do – rightly so. For every Champagne we tasted Marie-Nöelle had in-depth
descriptions of food matches. For
someone to be obsessed with this as me it was 7th heaven, and to hear
her different take on things was both enlightening and an inspiration to push
the envelope.
We were shown
examples of terroir and for the east exposed village of Villers-Marmery, it is
made up of gravely chalk, crushed little rocks, so the roots are able to go
deep, giving pure expressions. Bottles
produced here range from 55,000 to 60,000 bottles a year. They are located in La Grande Montagne de
Reims but they also own vineyards in Verzenay and Verzy.
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| NV Henriet-Bazin Cuvée Sélection de Parcelles Brut |
NV Henriet-Bazin Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut (100%
Pinot Noir from Verzenay & Verzy)
Lots going on here
with red apple, white pepper and then on the palate there is toasted bread,
brioche and pineapple. 5 g/l dosage and 100% from 2008 harvest – super fresh
with high-toned acidity.
NV Henriet-Bazin Blanc de Blancs Brut (100%
Chardonnay from Villers-Marmery)
This is the
‘postcard’ wine of Villers-Marmery.. or as Nicolas puts it: “the little island
of chardonnay in an ocean of pinot noir”.
Things like liquorice, lemon verbena and honeysuckle dazzle the palate..
creamy effervescent finish with excellent lemony acidity and mineral freshness.
8 g/l dosage.
NV Henriet-Bazin Cuvée Sélection de
Parcelles Brut (50% Pinot Noir & 50% Chardonnay)
‘Fresh and
mature’ are two words that sum up this wine.. honeysuckle, lime and pistachio
on the nose and then on the palate there are crystallized fruits with exotic
acacia honey and star anise. 8 g/l dosage and 70% coming from the 2007 harvest,
and 30% of reserve wine.
2006 Henriet-Bazin ‘Grand Cru’ Brut (65%
Pinot Noir & 35% Chardonnay)
Fresh mint and
garden herbs on the nose and then on the palate there is spicy notes and some
denser yellow fruits (preserved peach) with cinnamon and hints of toasty
almonds. Marie Nöelle and Nicolas relate the ‘almond’ characters to
be linked with the minerality in the soil. 8 g/l dosage from the fruity 2006
vintage.
NV Henriet-Bazin Rosé Brut ‘Grand Cru’ (50%
Chardonnay & 50% Pinot Noir)
Do you like a
more ‘vinous’ style of Rosé? Then this is for you as it includes 19% of red wine made by them, using the wine issued from maceration! Fruity and concentrated nose with morello
cherry, black pepper and clove.. Then creamy palate with dark red and black
fruits shining.. blackcurrant, kirsch. A
trademark of this range is the lemony acidity and this still comes through
here, which keeps everything fresh. Sensual and homogenous! 8 g/l dosage.
TO WRAP IT UP:
Best champagne tasted:
1996 R & L
Legras ‘Saint-Vincent’ Brut, Chouilly
Most exciting food & wine
match:
NV
Henriet-Bazin Blanc de Noirs Brut and quail breast with caramalized apple & mushroom risotto.
Best dining ‘experience’:
L’assiette de
Champenoise in Reims – worthy of its 2 Michelin Stars and what a wine list! All
pages meticulously maintained and attention to detail oustanding.
Best dish at L’assiette de Champenoise:
Foie gras du
Perigord – shaved pheasant foie gras with sour cherries.
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| Melt in your mouth |
Trends/Fashion:
In a nutshell
most producers we spoke to this trip have seen in increase in Blanc de Noir
sales and a decrease in Rosé popularity.
Zero dosage wines (no sugar added) are on the up in popularity but
consumers seem to have a love-hate relationship with them. So in essence most of these trends are in
line with Australia except I would be interested to know how Rosé is fairing at
home as from my end they seem to sell quite well at the moment, compared to a
couple of years ago. Overall Australians are drinking more bubbly helped by the strong Aussie dollar driving shelf prices down. New figures from France's Champagne Bureau show Australia imported 4.862 million bottles in 2011, an increase of almost a third. America and Japan are other big movers in Champagne sales.
From a service end, a lot of restaurants/bars are moving away from serving Champagne in traditional flutes.. and the following type of white wine glass is being presented... bravo to that!
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| The move away from traditional flutes |
