Away from the Routine

Life has been a bit hectic of-late, so I've missed a few posts on champagnes that I've drunk - nothing new to report, but a few delicious bottles of Billecart-Salmon and Maison Lenique.

This weekend, though, with the holiday and the good weather, we've been trying a few new things so I'm compelled to blog again.

On Friday, we had some friends over for BBQ. They had given me a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Millesime 2002 for my birthday a couple of years ago, and with great restraint, I waited to open it until we could find a nice day together in our garden. Friday was such a day, and it was totally worth the wait! The champagne, a chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend, had a slightly floral, somewhat jasmine scent, very light and fresh. It had a much richer flavour, of ripe apples and biscuits, with an incredibly long finish. It also had non-stop bubbles, perfect for me. A fantastic gift, thank you very much!

My friends had also brought a bottle of Bruno Paillard NPU 1995 to try, so we opened that next. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I've only ever drunk the 1990 vintage of this maker, and while it tastes wonderful, it never has enough bubbles for me. Not the case with the 1995, which bubbled away happily in my glass, leaving me feeling much more favourably about this maker!! The 1995, a 50/50 split of chardonnay and pinot noir, lacked the amber-coloured richness of the 1990, but had a similar, well-rounded flavour with lots of orchard fruits and yeasty-goodness. My husband preferred it to the Perrier-Jouet that we had started with, saying that the Bruno Paillard wasn't as heavy on the palate.

In all, an excellent start to the weekend, and two stunning champagnes.

Late...

My husband is late. We knew he might be late tonight, as he was meeting some friends for drinks at the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society. He told me he would try to get home at a reasonable hour to have a pre-dinner drink with me and then some pasta, but he's not here. He did call to say that he would be home shortly, so I have turned the 'everything in the fridge' pasta that I had started into baked ziti by mixing everything together in a baking dish, coating it with a generous helping of grated mozzarella (so much for my healthy meal), and popping it into the oven. Then I poured myself his pre-dinner drink (since I had already finished mine) and came up to the computer. I really should be finishing off the gardening paper that I started this afteroon, but he'll be home in 10 minutes, which is not enough time.

So I'll report on the pre-dinner drinks instead - kindly provided by the Champagne Warehouse (thank you!) - Roger Legros Rose, a pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay blend. It has a lovely aroma, full of ripe plums. On first sip, I was really surpised by this champagne. For a rose, it's got a hefty berry taste, not sweet strawberries and raspberries, but rich blackberries and cranberries. This leaves just a slightly bitter note on the finish, not unpleasant, but it's noticeable for just a moment. This champagne also has a consistent and fine stream of bubbles!

The tasting notes say that this is a good wine with summer salads like watermelon and feta or with non-chocolate desserts. I could defintely see those pairings working, and they would probably eliminate that touch of bitterness. I'll be ordering another bottle when watermelon is in season, as I do have a good watermelon, feta, and mint recipe that I've been keen to try.

Another nice champagne from Roger Legros. I'll have to try to visit them if I ever get back to the Champagne region.

D-Fly In Da House

To set the scene for this post - Champagne Magazine recently released its annual list of the top 100 champagnes. I sent the list to a friend of mine who has an interest in champagne, saying that I was a little disappointed with it as it seemed like a marketing exercise for the big producers. I don't really need a magazine to tell me that the big brand names that cost hundreds of pounds are good. I also can't believe that there aren't any smaller producers who can't compete in that field, especially because I think I've drunk some. And to top it off, does anybody besides rap stars drink Cristal, so how relevant is all of this anyway?

Two days later I had to drink my words about Cristal. We were at Ransome's Dock for dinner with some friends. There on the wine list was a new addition - Louis Roederer Cristal 1996. Part of what we love about Ransome's Dock is that the chef doesn't believe in price gouging on wine. If he buys the wine at a reasonable price, he marks it up to a reasonable margin, so the Cristal was on offer for a far better price than any rap star is paying. Don't get me wrong, it still cost more than my entire outfit that night, shoes and handbag included. But comparatively, it was a bargain, so we ordered a bottle.

This champagne has the most unusual nose, which the chef helped us place - freshly-made cooking stock. It's actually a bit strange, because it's not what you expect from a champagne. The flavour is where Cristal hits the mark. It tastes like a perfectly made lemon tart, balancing buttery richness with tart (not sour) citrus and a creamy finish. It is incredibly well made, well balanced, and very, very good. It has interesting bubbles, too - big, fat, and plentiful on pouring, then calming down into a fine stream as you drink. This pleased me, as some of the other older champagnes that I've drunk have been lacking on the bubble front. I can see what the hype is about.

That said, it does still come down to a relative value proposition for me. While it was interesting to try this once, if I were spending the money again, I'd rather have three bottles of Billecart-Salmon than one bottle of Cristal.