A Weekend of Wonderful

We had a BBQ on Saturday and, of course, we served some bubbles. One of our guests very kindly brought two bottles (thank you!). The first was Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs grand cru. It's been a while since I've drunk this champagne, and I had forgotten what a perfect champagne this is - crisp, delicately yeasty, slightly nutty, and non-stop bubbles. To me it is the gold standard for what a blanc de blancs should be.

The second was an interesting comparison, Pascal Doquet Premiers Crus de la Cote des Blancs. I remarked to my friend that, while I liked this champagne, it was edgier than the Billecart-Salmon. While the Billecart-Salmon was full of refined flavours, the Pascal Doquet tasted of a rounded blend of fallen apples and raw yeast. It was a wine that I enjoyed trying, but while I could drink the Billecart-Salmon every day, the Doquet had a richness that would almost overwhelm if drunk too often. My friend commented that the maker of this wine was definitely an 'edgy'-type, from a traditional wine family, but who branched out on his own to become a small producer. I liked this story, and am glad that he's making such lovely wines. He's one to watch!

We ended the meal with a sparkler that I had bought for my friend to try - Camel Valley 2008 Pinot Noir Brut. This rose had won the 2010 International Wine Challenge, and I was curious to see how a group of wine lovers would rate it. Even the very particular French contingent begrudgingly admitted it was better than they had hoped it would be, with rich berry flavours and lots of fizz. Surprisingly, it held up well against the chocolate mousse cake that I was eating. This one is expensive for a British sparkler (almost £60/bottle), but a fun thing to introduce to people who like bubbles.

On Sunday, my husband and I had the garden to ourselves, so we opened the one bottle of bubbles in the fridge that hadn't been opened the previous day - Le Cantorie Franciacorta brut that my friends had brought back to me from a trip to Italy (again, thank you!). I couldn't believe the whoosh of bubbles that exploded from the bottom of glass on pouring - it was just so awesome and unexpected. For the bubbles alone, everyone should try this wine. But the flavour was lovely too, with most of it hitting the mid-tongue in a burst of silky fruit. The wine didn't have much finish, but that just didn't bother me because of all the bubbles.

What a wonderful weekend, full of great company and great wine!!