CHAMPAGNE - THE NEXT CHAPTER

 When I started this blog I never aimed at making it a major thing. The sole purpose of it has always been to keep notes on Champagne.

That was nearly a decade ago and a lot of Champagnes later it transpired through long days in isolation due to covid19 that it is time to move on and tell another story.

So, whomever, ever read these 'pages' thank you for reading about my adventures.

There is something in the making that I will post the update on here, but eventually this blog will cease to serve its purpose.

Alone but never lonely!

Peter

17TH INTERNATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY

There are times, when I drink more and there are, naturally, times when I drink less. The last Champagne year wasn't as filled with Champagne as others were, but I was not dry.

This year, I also started using Riedel's Veritas Champagne glass which I had tested before and the results couldn't have made drinking Champagne more enjoyable.

There are few wines that I thought were exceptional, but one really stood out. Champagne Lallier Grand Rose Grand Cru. In a few words the aromas that just punched me when I first drank it were of pure strawberry and mint. An odd combination, but it worked.

I cannot ignore that I had another bottle of Pierre Peters Blanc des Blancs but because of my biased expectations on the day I drank it, I could not declare it as the Champagne of the year.

Although the day to celebrate this remarkable tipple is a few days behind, still, if you can, indulge in a bottle of Lallier!

Alone but never lonely!

Drink, think and believe Champagne.

p.

GUSBOURNE ROSE - ENGLISH FIZZ

Given the experience of this tipple, I shall be very brief.

The blurb of the producer that the wine feel like English summer, 'strawberries and apples', did make me wonder: 'they must buy the strawberries in Tesco and in January'.

Sadly, this wine had a price tag of a Champagne, but it was no (-where-near) Champagne (quality).

Won't be rushing into buying one anytime soon, if ever.

NON-CHAMPAGNE ENTRY - BUT - QUARTET - AKA ROEDERER ESTATE (USA) NV

Well well! For anyone interested in drinking wine, it is always nice to drink something interesting.

Quartet, which is what in Europe is the same cuvee as in the USA, Roederer Estate became my companion on one evening. I have known this wine for a few years. I drank it a few times as a good alternative, in fact a cheaper one, to a decent Champagne; for your information, this 'excuse' developed around 2008 when I finally managed to lay my hands on my first bottle and drank it.

Since then, I had had it a few times and somehow, quiet possible for drinking just Champagne, this fizz, outside of our glamorous patch, definitely impressed my palette and encouraged me to write about it.

Quartet (EU), Roederer Estate (USA) is a Chardonnay dominated blend from California, had indeed, redefined the concept of a new world fizz.

At first the wine has a wonderfully lively nose of citrus. Though, that is, what I remember it to be; today's bottle, however, seems a little more aged.

Slight buttery notes with a hint of toasted hazelnuts and dried apricots, green and red apples where you think that only cinnamon is missing to complete a complete strudel taste leaves one wondering. The outstanding balance in respect of the taste is a testament to the excellence of blending skills from Louis Roederer.

That is however, at best, unsurprising; their skill to deliver on excellence is imbued in the name itself, but...

... what a fizz!

It didn't even need to come from Champagne!

Alone, but never lonely!

Drink, live and think Champagne.


hmmm, this wine shows a remarkable aging potential. The layers!!!!!

Peter

PIERRE PAILLARD - LES PARCELLES - CHAMPAGNE - MAGNUM

Relatively recently, at a friend's house, and on the last evening of my visit, I thought a Champagne experience was inevitable and my thoughts were leaning towards a magnum, and how it benefits the tipple; more importantly how the benefits manifest themselves in the experience of the tipple.

Chance had had it that there was nothing exciting on the shelves but the same chance had let me take it on another, completely unknown (to me) fizz. In other words, Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles was the only Champagne available in magnum. I didn't hesitate very long, which, as you may know, is a rare event, but I thought: 'a Grand Cru, from Bouzy' could turn out interesting! I think taking a chance on a unknown Champagne is the ultimate expression and extent of my gambling.

The joy of ignorance is in its bliss; the joy of Champagne is in the bottle, and little did I know only to be pleasantly surprised what a seductive, intellectually compelling this wine would turn out.

A lean-mean-elegant-classic-Champagne-machine on the palette and on the nose. Long, flirty, with a masculine drive casts a pretty dark shadow on some of the giants in the region. This sexy chemo-sensory stimulus is a tipple that has just added itself on to the list of 'assess again', but I couldn't just wait to complete my rule of 3 and then share the joy of drinking this perfection.

And the wine was another Champagne perfection.

Bollinger might be Absolutely Fabulous, but Pierre Paillard's Les Parcelles was Absolutely Perfect. This, of course, is just my current view on the tipple and I will of course review it again and again just to ensure that my reader doesn't feel cheated.

A MUST!


P.S. I must have had the virtually the whole magnum to myself, even though I was sharing my enthusiasm of this wine with an obliging audience, along with the wine, but on the following day I was told that I had fallen asleep on the bar stool in the kitchen. Oh well...

16TH INTERNATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY

So it is the time of the year when I usually sum up what I have been drinking in the past year and let my beloved reader know what were the outstanding tipples.

Previously, I had raved about the Chardonnay Jewel of Champagne, namely Mesnil-Sur-Oger's cooperative branded, Le Mesnil, however there was another nectar that I have yet to mention and write about separately.

I also reunited myself with Bonnaire which became my go to when I visited many of my friends across Europe. Elegance and richness of the cuvees make them an outstanding nectar at a very good price, but, sadly, and probably for the better, access to it in certain countries isn't great.

At last, but of course not least, and I will write about the following tipple in a greater details soon, was an unheard-of tipple from Bouzy under the brand of Pierre Paillard.

So despite the considerably reduced Champagne intake of the last year, there is still space for new and exciting creations from this sensational region.

And these are just my suggestions for this year's International Champagne Day; as always.

Enjoy the 18th August 2018 and toast to the greatest drink at 18:00 wherever on earth you might be!

Think, Drink, Believe Champagne!

LE MESNIL - THE CHARDONNAY JEWEL WTH ANOTHER ONE OF ITS FACETS

I have written about this tipple before. Everytime I drink it, I am astonished at what this simple non-vintage shows in its liquid form. May it be because it is a chardonnay or champagne or simply just grand cru, this wine rocks on all fronts!

Not only did this tipple set a bar a high enough, it actually exceeded it; a sensational experience after sensational experience. Too few can be ascribed that!

Recently, I was surprised to find a bottle at £25 (CAD 50.00) that, of course had stood on the shelf for ages (who knows about this obscure house anyway?), so naturally, the storage wasn't ideal. In fact, probably second to being cooked in the Sun or near a hot element.

But still this wine showed impressive qualities! Ripe, big with notes of exotic fruits dominated by pineapple the wine showed qualities of a superb Chardonnay that can put some more famous wines from the Cotes des Blancs to shame.

Although, a basic non-vintage, this wine is a cuvee de prestige at a price where others add another zero to it! And I am not the only one recognising that! Certain department stores do actually stock it, but, at nearly double the price!

So I guess, Le Mesnil is wining this year's prize of MY FAVOURITE CHAMPAGNE NOW.

At least now I know what I will be drinking on the day of 16th INTERNATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY

....well, at least I made up my mind there. :)

CHAMPAGNE DRAPPIER - CUVEE ST. GEORGE

The rule of 3, that is that I declare/form, my opinion on a Champagne has been applied to this tipple.

This cuvee is a special blend for Oddbins which was released relatively recently. I have drunk more than just 3 bottles of it, but I have only drunk 3 bottles during which I was determined to form my opinion.

As attempt 1 was not reliably conclusive, attempt 2 hadn't helped my thoughts on it either. I left it for a few months, so that my taste balances out and I build up an interest and appetite for this wine. So, committed to my own rules, bottle 3, or attempt 3 has to decide what I think of it.

So what is it like?

Anyone that drinks champagne often enough will probably like it. I think the cuvee is designed to be tasted not drunk because drinking makes the wine grow in your mouth; by that I mean that the flavours do expand on the palette, but sadly don't entice you to drink more. That in itself is mark of a bad champagne. But, bad champagne this is not!

Although very low on sugar, this wine is naturally very ripe and very meaty. Sadly it lacks elegance and flirt which would entice anyone to either rave about it or at least drink more. Its acids are quite tired and the ripeness dominates more making a reasonably pertinent point to wonder what may become of champagne once the summers there get too hot and berries too ripe. (maybe a bit more Chardonnay from Chouilly would give it the desired life)

It is a good non-vintage fizz, with ripe, almost over-ripe plum and mirabelle textures which may be confused with Bollinger Special Cuvee, but unlike Bolly, this has a lot less life in it. It reminds me of an old, and tired vintage of Veuve that had its prime in its youth and not the best for aging. As I have implied the likeness to Bolly, I will not be too far from boldly stating that this wine is a Bollinger wannabe!

I am only presuming, that St. George, is supposed to denote an English dedication, and as much as, historically the English contributed to the creation of champagne as we know it now, I regret to state that the honey tones of ripe to over ripe Pinot Noir in a non-vintage blend just don't work.

When I look at the tech spec, the cepage shows the desire for a bold and muscular wine, but as I am assuming that the chief buyer of Oddbins was involved in the making this tipple, a warning sign to us all needs to be a notion that not every nose or palette that is capable of drinking and tasting wine is capable of blending base wine for our noble tipple.

So to sum up, this Bollinger wannabe, is a nice try that comes at a relatively affordable price, is a good drink, and a reasonably good champagne but the blending skills in the cepage indicates, lack of experience, lack of understanding what champagne is expected to be and with reticence, a wine that is more tired in youth than I would expect it to be. The lack of youth and vibrancy isn't all that bad, but when it dominates in your glass for the 2 hours of drinking it, it becomes oppressive and dull; adjectives one would not want to associate with Champagne.

It is not bad, I admit, but that, sadly, is not good enough.

Having said what I have said, I am willing to accept that this is the wine's identity, but I must admit that this identity isn't a champagne identity; it is way too old for a new entry onto the market. Nice try by Oddbins, but a far cry from making a sensational champagne. Let's see how successful it will be, just as let's see how much longer will Oddbins remain on our streets.

For alternatives, look at NV Bollinger, Philipponnat and Louis Roederer.

I wasn't charmed!

15TH INTERNATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY

So here we go again.

More champagne and more champagne.

Well, this year was rather uneventful and similarly was last International Champagne Day.

I drank Ayala, Brut Majeur and it still remains the best bargain on the market. How long we will be able to enjoy £25 per bottle of such a wonderful Champagne I cannot tell.

So keep drinking!

Drink, Think and Believe Champagne!

CHAMPAGNE - THE FUTURE OF THE PAST

...OR THE PAST OF THE FUTURE.

The 90s had their 90 and 96. The noughties producer some fascinating vintages of which 02 and 04 stand out the most so far. 02 being seen as the new 96, which of course did not impress me, but the general rave is about that vintage. I am in favour of 04 and I did ask someone of astonishing authority, which vintage was better: he agreed with me. But I am not God to dictate what the trends should be nor will I ever insist on asserting my view about a vintage as they all change and evolve (typical example was the 'out-of-this-world' youth of 95, its evolution in a bottle post initial disgorgement and its evolution in the bottle post second and third disgorgements too; the same applies to 1996 which showed 'out-of-this-world' character and flirtation seductiveness best after the second disgorgement). Other vintages are yet to appear on the market but I am curious to see what Bollinger, Pol Roger, Gosset, Vilmart, Louis and many others release onto the market.

This decade I am certainly going to look out for 2015 and I am going to be very interested in what 2016 will show. 12 is so far rated as the bombshell and received pretty high ratings and reviews but for the final product we have yet to wait 2-5 years. I am not going to disregard 2017 either even though the vines have only just bloomed. 14 may still surprise me, but I am not holding my breath for it.

At any rate, it is clear that there is loads of interesting stuff that is yet to come out of Champagne so naturally there will be a lot more drink and lot more to spend money on.

Oh dear!

CHAMPAGNE - REGRETS

What would life be without regrets?

A few years ago, I wrote an article about investing in Champagne wines. Although, I still maintain the view I did a random search and noticed that a bottle of Salon 1996 (another fantastic vintage) now fares at nearly £1000.00 and given that I had bought a case of 1995 at £80 a bottle the price astonished me. At the time when I got the 95, 96 had not been yet released. Of course, I drank the case because the wine was sensational but I have become riddled with regret realising that, in theory, I could have made a chunky return on the wine; add to it a few more cases and my return would amplify, albeit not linearly but it would. And who knows how much the wines will cost in the next few years or another decade.

In order to achieve that a few things need to happen. One of the most obvious one would be finding a buyer for it and the next, perhaps not so obvious, good storage. Finding a good buyer is the biggest mission because there aren't as many Champagne lovers as one might think, but I am hopeful that the trend has been changing and it will continue to change.

Oh well, to believe that the list of my regrets won't expand in the future would be a futile mission.

Think, drink and believe Champagne!

CHAMPAGNE - 'THE-DRINK-AGAIN' LIST

So here is the list of the Champagnes I am committed to drink again and those of which review you will read at some point in the future.

1. Veuve Vintage 2008 - first encouter with the wine was impressive, but I shared it so I didn't get the full experience

2. Lallier Vintage, NV and BB - same as point 1.

3. Louis Roederer BB - because that is my usual to see how each vintage manifests itself in this fabulous Chardonnay.

4. Veuve La Grande Dame 2004 - need a second review as 04 was a great harvest and I wasn't too impressed with the wine the first time. I think I know why though.

5. Bonnaire - time to revisit the producer and his range.

6. Pol Roger 2006 - Third time lucky perhaps? I drank 2 bottles of it already and I wasn't too impressed but since I religiously follow every vintage I might have to accept that 2006 was simply unimprressive

7. Gosset Grande Blanc - two very different experiences altogether. Perhaps third time lucky again.

8. Gosset Petite Doucer - what a fascinating wine on the first tasting! So time to make an evening out of it (for myself).

9. Chaler Heidsieck NV - I reluctantly accept that I have never given this historically very important wine enough credit and with the invention of the new champagne glass it is time to perhaps, change that.

10. Ruinartf 'R' (NV) - it has been so long since I had the standard 'R'. So let's jog the memory of it with a new approach.

11. Ayala - my star of last year and a favourite tipple of this year. Need to review the entire line though as I only tasted it and given the time restrictions at the tasting the temperature wasn't favourable.

12. Vilmart - Grand Cellier - the most unsual Champagne I have ever had. Time for a new review.

13. Gobillard - BB and BN. Shared the two bottles so need to review fully. First impression however favoured more the Blanc des Noirs and the Chardonnay disappointed slightly. But I didn't manage the experience well enough and it had an impact on expectations so I have to give it another chance since the house is very good

MY CHAMPAGNE RULES

Over the years I developed several rules about drinking Champagne and wine respectively all of which I often broke several time only to come to the conclusion that they evolved for a reason. This is not a self-reproach but indiscriminate critisism of my own opinions and choices. After all these years and with a beyond proven record and acknowledgements from highly respected houses I accepted that perhaps it is time to trust my own opinion. That is not to say I don't doubt myself but an encouragement to the reader that the psychology of drinker is constantly changing, evolving and in the long run always a self-designed method of achieving the best experience; in which, one always experiences profound disappointments and joys.

1. NEVER SHARE - never a share a bottle because a single bottle of Champagne is designed for 1 drinker in both volume of the drink and volume of alcohol.

2. ALWAYS DRINK ALONE - Alone but never lonely! Best still if you are completely alone and in a familiar environment so that the Champagne experience dominates not anything or anyone else. And I love drinking after dark so that I limit my the distortion of olfactory senses by light polution. Of course I don't drink in complete darkness as one needs to see the colour.

3. GOOD GLASSWARE - this was a mission for years to find the perfect glass. Flute is dead! Riedel's Managing Director, a total Champagne nut (afterall he was at the inception of the Bollinger Glass, the Dom Perignon glass which started the movement of Champagne specific glass)*, has decided that he would make Champagne flute totally extinct. For years I was using Riedel's 'Chianti/Riesling' glass, which is the one I settled for until, a year ago, I laid my hands on Riedel's Veritas range and in the range the very-much-look-alike-to-the-Chianti/Riesling-glass was sent to me as a sample. I had no idea what it was so I had to ask the rep. He explained and I never turned back.

4. TEMPERATURE - if you keep a bottle of Champagne in your fridge overnight the wine will be too cold; it will feel very acidic and not too enjoyable. If you like it that way then don't read any further because you won't like my words. I put a bottle in a deep freezer for up to 35 min take it out start drinking and by the time I finish it the wine will have bloomed into it's full glory. When it comes to certain blends opening the wine and leaving it open over night benefits the wine more than it is conventionally believed. The point is for the wine to warm slowly and open up with air thus experience the various layers of Champagne. About air I will right in a separate rule.

5. HOW MUCH TO POUR - standard measure for a glass of Champagne is 175ml per glass. For me that is way too much to swirl in a glass and anywhere between 50 to 100 ml (closer to 50 than 100 as you can always top up) is ideal.

6. NEVER TASTE ALWAYS DRINK - this a bit of a controversial topic. I don't spit Champagne and I always drink it. A lot of thought and effort goes into making the bottle and wasting by spitting I regard as utterly disrespectful for the art form of Champagne which I refer to as 'Haute Viticulture'. When I open a fresh bottle I always have the first glass straight down my gob (my volume 50 - 100 ml) and on an empty stomach so that the small amount of alcohol gets into my head and relaxes my attitude towards the wine and optimises the approach to it which in turn enables me to maximise my experience of the wine and dissolves my stresses of the upcoming experience.

7. AIR - in some respects air could be the enemy of Champagne. But with the recent development of Champagne air is actually beneficial in drinking it. So it is no surprise that there was the change of the glassware and now it is quite normal to decant it (or leave it open over night in the fridge). Just as with temperature, air plays an important part in appreciating Champagne.

8. RULE OF 3 - in order for me to form an opinion of a new house style or Champagne I need to drink 3 bottles of it. When it comes to vintages I usually still to just one or two but that depends on the level of wine. The most revolting wines I usually give a second or a third chance but in the end if it is revolting after the second it is unlikely I will drink it again.

9. NEVER LISTEN - this is a tricky one. Don't listen to anyone who is trying to lecture you on what you should be tasting but listen to those who encourage you to form your own opinion. I listen to everyone in Champagne but no one outside of it, outside of Champagne I trust myself.

These rules are there for me to maximise my enjoyment of the tipple. I have broken them, and I will break them especially point 1. because to share the experience I need to share the wine and it enabled me to see on others' faces when they fell in love with the tipple just as I did experience my love at first sip.

*the history and the evolution of Champagne glassware is quite interesting, but about that in another article.

CHAMPAGNE LALLIER

Although, I would love to pass a definitive judgement on the house I am unable to do it.

Drinking only three of their cuvees isn't really enough.

But, it is noteworthy, and thus the house remains on my 'drink again list', which is growing.

The NV however, did stand out in its maturity, and richness which would be expected.

The Blanc des Blancs I wished I had loved more and the vintage wasn't memorable enough.

Nevertheless all three feature on the 'drink again list'.

CHAMPAGNE AND BREXIT

I cringe at the idea of Brexit. But politics aside there might be a silver lining for us who love our golden hued tipple.

As I have written before, the last economic farce that had half the world freaking about the word crisis, had a positive impact on Champagne. What did I do? I drank more Champagne. Yes, we have been enjoying the fruits of exceptional stock management in Champagne to present day and we will continue to do so for the next few years.

Fact is that in the next few years some of us will not be happy. I shan't be! Especially due to the fact that my favourite tipple will start increasing in price. Marginally, but still.

And just like ten years ago, the consumption of Champagne in the UK will recede and to add, the prices will go up because there will be hired tariffs put on imported goods.

And for the Champagne houses the change will be short lived just like all other crises and changes that Champagne has had to weather in the past two centuries.

And what will I do?

Well, I had more than enough of Champagne last year and I have not had anything this year yet, though there have been cravings (I admit, but I made the most out it). So this temporary resting period will come to an end. When I don't know.

Think, drink and believe Champagne!

XMAS SPECIAL - CHAMPAGNE

Normally, I would not write anything in reference to what to drink around xmas and nye, but recently the influx of opinions have put me in a position that as a Champagne drinker I have to concede and say something.

People are talking about the review of 'Which?' in relation to Champagnes best buys. Yes, I think it is a marvelous thing to impartially advise on what is good and/or what is a good buy.

I have always been following the supermarket brands of Champagnes and they all have changed. The best one I remember was actually Waitrose Blanc de Blancs which is made by Mesnil from Cote de Blanc. I have to warn you that this is not a classic Champagne! And neither is a pure Blanc de Noirs! The quality of Champagne varied, and so did the taste. This is not only because of storage, stocks, price, shipping or my mood, but inevitably trends and bottom line. I remember when Tesco did its pure blanc de noirs which was exquisite. I also remember that Sainsbury's blanc de noir was a bit dull and hard to drink.

Anyway, what struck me in the article was the declaration of what Champagne should be; whoever said it is biased and probably never listened in or been to Champagne. The rule number 1, the ultimate rule of Champagne is ABOVE ALL, balance! All champagne wines, the fizzy kind, are always balanced, that is the ultimate rule to which all Champagne houses adhere! Everyone! So whether you are Louis Roederer, Laurent-Perrier, Salon, Krug, Bollinger, Deutz, Charles Heidseick, Pol Roger, Perrier-Jouet, Delamotte, Mumm, your key mission in creating your cuvee is balanced. Now, this may seem trivial, but achieving balanced cuvee in a region that is so diverse in producing varied intensities of each of its grape varieties is quite a mission. Champagne producers are so good at it, that it is taken for granted. A good example is how other regions outside of Champagne have managed to achieve balance - just to revert to my previous entries, Akarua fizz from New Zealand is a perfect example of good balance; or Graham Beck from South Africa.

The next rudimentary criterion of Champagne is a bit more elusive but it is one of the fundamental blocks in drinking Champagne. Champagne has to drink itself; by that I mean that if you are drinking Champagne with every glass you drink you want more. This is chiefly down to the alcohol content but the style plays an important role as well.

Now, one more thing you need to know. Remember that the likes of Moet, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl etc are made in volumes and I mean loads. The question of quality of grapes will be important to pose. As much as all are Champagnes the quality of the grapes is on the lower scale; save tesco, as it indicates they have a premier cru (and if I am not mistaken, Waitrose actually has grand cru).

So what to drink this year?

Well, if you are on a budget and you need to buy loads to cater for a large group of people, get the Tesco Premier Cru.  Overall, it is a good wine, good price, it has been consistent, plus it is from one of the best villages in Champagne.

Although I am going to be slandered for saying this, Lanson is on special and despite the fact that LVMH have stripped them off all the good vineyards, they keep producing consistently good wines! The NV is on special, but if you can get the vintage, or the Cuvee Noble you won't be disappointed in quality, sensation and price.

As regards, Piper or Moet, well, there is a reason why one is called Pepsi and the other Coke of Champagne.

The two Champagnes I drank in the past few months, were Bonnaire and Lalier. So if you can get your hands on those you will be guaranteed to have a sensational experience.

So, merry holidays. :)

CHAMPAGNE BOLLINGER - SPECIAL CUVEE - BASE WINE TASTING

I was invited to a tasting of the blend of the Special Cuvee in March this year. The tasting took place mid April and you might wonder why I have not written about it. Well, for a variety of reasons:

a, the tasting, as an experience, robbed me of all the words to describe it

b, I was professionally involved with wine, and I didn't think to impart critical thoughts about any aspect of it publicly

c, it was one the things that I never thought I would achieve, or experience so naturally, the shock from the whole thing was both, intense and long lasting

d, the tasting was filled with so many new sensations that I still haven't quite reconciled my emotions about them.

To be really honest, this kind of experience, was something I had always wanted but because I have always been on the periphery of the wine world, I never thought would materialise.

I am no different in recognising that Bollinger is a highly respected brand in Champagne and in the world of wine, commerce, branding, entertainment, sensation, banking, fashion or in more simple terms, Bollinger as a brand is intricately woven in everyone's fabric of life. Those that know me would argue that Bollinger is my favourite brand, but that is not true as, for instance, this year my favourite, is Ayala (incidentally, owned by Bollinger). With Champagne, it is important to understand that every house, well most at least, does endeavour to convey a unique style, and the Champagne appellation is a great platform to allow so many producers from one region to deliver different expressions, or more pragmatically, products.

We were taken through the 2015 Pinot Noir from Tauxieres, 2015 Chardonnay, 2015 Pinot Meunier and from 2014 all basic varieties, along with 2006/7/8 reserve wines stored in magnums. The magnums are a unique thing to Bollinger and I was curious how much the reserve wines contribute to the style. To add, we tasted the cepage/blend before 'pris en mouse' and aging. Naturally, it was a brilliant analysis of the process of creating the Special Cuvee, what Bollinger declares to be the vehicle, or the flag ship, of the House of Bollinger; a sort of naked tasting of Bollinger.

I wasn't the only one who was impressed with the 2015 Pinot Noir. I would call it 'Le Perfume de Bollinger' but that would be a complete lie because I would die to know what the base wines for Vielles Vignes Francaises (VVF) must have tasted like. The wine was a smack in the face and there wasn't just one 'wow'. The Deputy Cellar Master, understatedly declared it only as 'expressive'. Just to give you an idea, Tauxieres is a village in Montagne de Reims which is famous for growing the best Pinot Noir in Champagne. Its slopes are north-east, east, south-east and south facing which give the grapes differing intensities in expression. So if the Tauxieres intensity had an enormous wow factor, and it is south east facing, with added sun of south facing slope of Ay where Vielles Vignes Francaises are grown, I am very excited about what VVF will reveal in a few years time.

In Champagne blending is something of an art. It is crucial and in many respects, one of the key features of Champagne as a wine. To blend variety of still/base wines from differing grapes and differing plots with differing intensities and further work with production methods to achieve a distinguishable style isn't exactly the easiest task but with a years of experience and an ongoing dialogue and honest opinions it is evidently achievable. And it is clearly achievable not only by The House of Bollinger but many others. So much so, that even a layman can tell the difference; and that is the actual point.

But that is not just what Champagne is about. :)

More some other time!

CHAMPAGNE - BONNAIRE - TRADITION

Well, well! I tasted, but didn't drink Bonnaire range in 2003 with the wine maker and his son. I asked out of curiosity when the son first drank Champagne. It was the father who replied: "The minute he was born". It was probably intended as a joke but I decided to believe it. Since then Bonnaire slipped completely from my radar, for a few reasons of course. It was practically invisible to me as hardly anyone stocked it. My  memory of it was great, and memorable but in those days a malolactic Champagnes and a straight Chardonnay weren't exactly on the top of my agenda of Champagne explorations. In those days I was fascinated by Pinot Noir expressions. Though, it would be unfair to say that about a year later I would drink Mumm de Cramant which is a village, grand cru, growing exclusively Chardonnay grape producing extremely elegant and floral Champagnes. Mumm's relic which I have not seen on the shelves for years reminded me of Bonnaire, but yet again, Bonnaire slipped my mind just as Mumm's blanc de blanc slipped from shop shelves; for years (a decade!)

Until, last Friday, it was offered to me as a gift. I was very pleased to see it! I was pleased to see they have changed the design and I was pleased to be drinking it. I was excited to finally have something as delicious as Cramant Chardonnay.

Oh and was it sensational! Round, perfectly balanced, although not a total blanc de blanc but unmistakably rich, full of fruit and long elegance. Structured almost like an Avize Chardonnay would be, and as elegant as Le Mesnil would grow. Brioche nose with light hints of honey will develop over a few years into nice hazelnut tones. And for an entry level Champagne this is an absolute BARGAIN and a total sensation!

I have a new favourite!

Buckets of it now!

CHAMPAGNE - THE BEST? - AGAIN - THE STORY OF FINDING THE ANSWER

I am not sure how many really care, but the question that I have been trying answer to myself is clearly on my mind, and has been for a few years.

The difference this time, is that perhaps I have found an answer to it which I feel is good enough to accept without compromising wines or houses or vintages, which may not stand out as much as some select few or worse reduce the brilliance of vintages, house styles just to a universal one. That in itself for me seemed too unjust and discriminatory, and in simple terms I just could not do something like that because, as you have probably ascertained, I experienced so many wonderful Champagnes and to select just one was a mission impossible.

I ,also, perhaps slightly hypocritically, dumped the question on my reader and between the lines the text was: 'I cannot make that decision nor will I commit to naming the best champagne so if you are a drinker who cares about that, then perhaps you should name your best Champagne'. This was a good approach, one a psychologist would apply, but in the end the question remained unanswered. And, as  friend put it, 'a Champagne expert' like me, with my own critical approach, should be able to answer the question. Because, I, too, as a drinker, dumped the question on me.

You will find that the answer is just as confusing as the question, but the story of it makes sense. The fact that even an expert, regardless who named him/her, cannot answer the question does not mean that there is no answer to it. Yes, there is no such thing as the best Champagne, in fact the oblique nature of the adjective 'the best' is in respect to Champagne wines, houses, vintages virtually impossible to apply. Without a doubt it is okay to accept that Champagne is the best wine in the world, but he who drinks it will know that, and he who does not will probably argue that so that as a question and a dilemma is practically redundant.

The answer is surprisingly simple. It is a straight forward no; there is no such thing as 'the best Champagne' but if the question is changed into something that many aren't able to articulate, we encounter a very reasonable avenue of thought and emotion to explore. And it is exactly there where the answer lies.

Those that drink Champagne genuinely love it. It is true that the current trend of dissing Champagne in favour of 'Prosecco', is best summed up as cheaper alternative but delivers a similar sensation albeit utterly incomprable. So human sensation is the answer. I can progress from processo and say with great confidence that Champagne is infinitely more sensational. I can also say that there are some sensational sparking wines from all over the world but then there is Champagne, wine and region, which produces the most sensational fizz in the world and even within that region there are more sensational Champagne than others.

Naturally then, what is the most sensational Champagne? And what is the best sensation in a human life? Love? Falling in love? Standing in Love?

So, what is the most sensational Champagne? Well, simply, the one you love, or the one you have fallen in love with! Does this satisfy me as the answer the question of 'the best' Champagne? YES!
Because I have fallen in love with a few and love many.

CHAMPAGNE LOUIS ROEDERER - BRUT PREMIER

RUMOUR HAS IT....

...that Louis Roederer no longer makes their Brut Premier. Nothing illegal about the fact that they do sur latte. But ethically.....

since all bottles are numbered and should not appear in supermarkets eventhough that Waitrose is an exception I wonder if the consistency remains the same.

My magnifying glass is now on it!

Magnums, single bottles, until I am fully convinced that there is small variable my scrutiny will be ruthless. Louis, I am watchful. and if you do do sur latte, and deliver a consistent product, I shall congratulate you exponentially.

fail, but can you?

:)