I was back in the US last week, and being a good native-New Yorker, ordered some more of the Chateau Frank sparkling wine to try. It's supposed to be one of the better US sparkling wines, but my first experience with this maker underwhelmed me. So I ordered two more bottles - one being the highly rated blanc de noirs. Unfortunately, this also wasn't great, and definitely didn't live up to the hype or the tasting notes. It had no balance, hitting the tongue with a bit of green apple that turned sweet in the mid-palate and then very acidic, leaving no finish whatsoever. It had none of the yeasty, nutty flavours that it claims to have, maybe just a tinge of biscuity sweetness in the middle. And the warmer it got, the sweeter it got. The bubbles also started big and heavy, but fizzled quickly into nothingness. Sigh. I have one more bottle from this maker to try, I really, really want to like it.
To perk up our tastebuds following the let-down of the Chateau Frank, we opened a bottle of Marie-Courtin Resonance Extra Brut that I got from The Sampler. This is a low dosage, predominantly pinot noir champagne, and it couldn't have been more different from the Chateau Frank. The orchard fruit flavour - pears and apples fresh from the tree - was pure and rich, not a touch of sweetness in it. The bubbles were fine but persistent. The finish lasted forever. What a lovely wine, and a great example of what champagne is meant to be!
Showing posts with label low dosage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label low dosage. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
A Sampling from The Sampler
Just before Christmas, I ordered some champagne from The Sampler, and we've been drinking some of it in the last couple of weeks. A report on the four bottles we've tried:
We liked best Paul Dethune Grand Cru Brut, a 70/30 mix of pinot noir and chardonnay. This was everything I want in a champagne - it smelled of green apples and yeast, tasted like brioche, had a slightly tart and lingering finish, and had masses of tiny, never-ending bubbles. I bought this for around £30 for the bottle, and I think it was really good value. I would love to try other champagnes from this maker.
Next we liked RH Coutier Brut Rose. This was an incredibly dry rose for all of the lush berry scents it emitted, and we liked it for not being sweet. It had a touch of black pepper at the back of the mouth, but unfortunately no finish. While we enjoyed it, I preferred the English Pebblebed rose for having a similar balance but much better finish. Being slightly more expensive than the Paul Dethune, it didn't feel great value for money, so while we liked it, I don't think it will be a repeat purchase.
We had mixed feelings about Charlemagne Brut Nature, a non-dosage blend of 70/30 chardonnay and pinot noir - which I liked and my husband found disappointing. I liked it for being a straightforward, citrusy, bubbly aperitif, the kind of champagne you would serve in great quantities to guests on a nice day in the garden. I think my husband was expecting something more, some sort of complexity from it being a zero-dosage champagne. But I liked it for what it was, and also was impressed with the amount of bubbles it had. If you're looking for something challenging, this isn't it. If you're looking for something very drinkable, hold out your glass and say 'more please'.
Finally, the biggest surprise was the champagne we liked the least - La Parcelle blanc de noirs from Inflorescence. We couldn't believe how sweet this was, especially for a non-dosage champagne. Not to my liking at all, which surprised me considering how much I like the regular vintage version of their champagne. And at double the price of the Paul Dethune, definitely not a value-for-money drink.
We liked best Paul Dethune Grand Cru Brut, a 70/30 mix of pinot noir and chardonnay. This was everything I want in a champagne - it smelled of green apples and yeast, tasted like brioche, had a slightly tart and lingering finish, and had masses of tiny, never-ending bubbles. I bought this for around £30 for the bottle, and I think it was really good value. I would love to try other champagnes from this maker.
Next we liked RH Coutier Brut Rose. This was an incredibly dry rose for all of the lush berry scents it emitted, and we liked it for not being sweet. It had a touch of black pepper at the back of the mouth, but unfortunately no finish. While we enjoyed it, I preferred the English Pebblebed rose for having a similar balance but much better finish. Being slightly more expensive than the Paul Dethune, it didn't feel great value for money, so while we liked it, I don't think it will be a repeat purchase.
We had mixed feelings about Charlemagne Brut Nature, a non-dosage blend of 70/30 chardonnay and pinot noir - which I liked and my husband found disappointing. I liked it for being a straightforward, citrusy, bubbly aperitif, the kind of champagne you would serve in great quantities to guests on a nice day in the garden. I think my husband was expecting something more, some sort of complexity from it being a zero-dosage champagne. But I liked it for what it was, and also was impressed with the amount of bubbles it had. If you're looking for something challenging, this isn't it. If you're looking for something very drinkable, hold out your glass and say 'more please'.
Finally, the biggest surprise was the champagne we liked the least - La Parcelle blanc de noirs from Inflorescence. We couldn't believe how sweet this was, especially for a non-dosage champagne. Not to my liking at all, which surprised me considering how much I like the regular vintage version of their champagne. And at double the price of the Paul Dethune, definitely not a value-for-money drink.
Monday, 5 September 2011
A Couple More to Report
I've been negligent in my blogging, and finally clearing up the last two bottles that we're drunk that have been sitting by my sink waiting to be typed up. They were interesting, but I'm not sure I'd rush to drink either again.
The first was the Cuvee Fleurie from Jean Claude Mouzon, which I bought from the Champagne Warehouse. This is a 100% chardonnay champagne, but unlike any others that I've tried before. It had a lush melon taste, but with a sweetness that hit the mid-palate rather than the finish. It was surprising, when I drank it, I asked myself if I really tasted that sweetness, and didn't comprehend that I had until I offered my husband a top-up and he said "No, it was too sweet". You don't often get sweet in the middle. I didn't mind it so much, because it disappeared on swallowing, so I was left with this melon-y taste. But as my husband proved, this one isn't for everybody.
The second champagne to report on was Bertrand Gautherot's Blanc d'Argile, which I purchased from Green & Blue. Not only is this a biodynamic wine, but it is also low dosage. The best comparison I could make for this wine is that it tastes just like the 1990 Bruno Paillard NPU that I've had, but with much better bubbles. And considering the former costs in the £100's where the Blanc d'Argile was around the £50 mark, I know which I'd prefer!! This had that same oxidised taste of rich orchard fruits - something I really enjoyed, but just couldn't drink a lot of. Well worth the investment, though, if you want wonder-year flavour without the same price tag.
The first was the Cuvee Fleurie from Jean Claude Mouzon, which I bought from the Champagne Warehouse. This is a 100% chardonnay champagne, but unlike any others that I've tried before. It had a lush melon taste, but with a sweetness that hit the mid-palate rather than the finish. It was surprising, when I drank it, I asked myself if I really tasted that sweetness, and didn't comprehend that I had until I offered my husband a top-up and he said "No, it was too sweet". You don't often get sweet in the middle. I didn't mind it so much, because it disappeared on swallowing, so I was left with this melon-y taste. But as my husband proved, this one isn't for everybody.
The second champagne to report on was Bertrand Gautherot's Blanc d'Argile, which I purchased from Green & Blue. Not only is this a biodynamic wine, but it is also low dosage. The best comparison I could make for this wine is that it tastes just like the 1990 Bruno Paillard NPU that I've had, but with much better bubbles. And considering the former costs in the £100's where the Blanc d'Argile was around the £50 mark, I know which I'd prefer!! This had that same oxidised taste of rich orchard fruits - something I really enjoyed, but just couldn't drink a lot of. Well worth the investment, though, if you want wonder-year flavour without the same price tag.
Friday, 15 July 2011
Two From The Sampler
This week, we drank two champagnes that I bought from The Sampler. They were both uniformly good, well-made champagnes with lots of bubbles. This was a nice surprise, as I'm used to things being a bit more hit-or-miss when I'm buying from a supplier I don't know very well.
The first champagne was Varnier-Fanniere Brut Zero, a zero dosage champagne made purely from grand cru chardonnay grapes. This champagne had a very clean taste, with a bit of hay and biscuit in it, but had very little flavour at the finish until it warmed almost to room temperature. It was almost too clean, as I liked it enough that I wanted it to linger on my palate but it didn't. At £30/bottle, I'm not sure it's value for money.
The second champagne was more interesting, Laherte Freres Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature. This was also a zero dosage, 100% chardonnay champagne, although 40% of the wine mixture came from reserve wines from years past. The champagne had a wonderful, very green flavour, with just a touch of smokiness at the end. I think I liked it more than my husband, but he certainly finished his without complaint. I would order this again to share with other champagne-lovers, because it managed to be unusual and yet still what I expect from a champagne.
The first champagne was Varnier-Fanniere Brut Zero, a zero dosage champagne made purely from grand cru chardonnay grapes. This champagne had a very clean taste, with a bit of hay and biscuit in it, but had very little flavour at the finish until it warmed almost to room temperature. It was almost too clean, as I liked it enough that I wanted it to linger on my palate but it didn't. At £30/bottle, I'm not sure it's value for money.
The second champagne was more interesting, Laherte Freres Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature. This was also a zero dosage, 100% chardonnay champagne, although 40% of the wine mixture came from reserve wines from years past. The champagne had a wonderful, very green flavour, with just a touch of smokiness at the end. I think I liked it more than my husband, but he certainly finished his without complaint. I would order this again to share with other champagne-lovers, because it managed to be unusual and yet still what I expect from a champagne.
Friday, 8 July 2011
I'll Half That
I didn't realise it, but I ordered a half-bottle of champagne from The Sampler when I placed my order. The website did actually say it was a 375ml bottle, but I wasn't paying attention. It had caught my eye that they had a number of half-bottles on offer, which I really liked. It's a great way of trying new things without committing too much money (or paying for things you might not drink). But I was buying wines that were low dosage when I placed my order, rather than looking at the half-bottles. At some point, I'll go back and order more half-bottles intentionally.
When I unpacked this particular bottle, I immediately put it in the fridge thinking that it would be nice to have for some night when I was on my own. Wednesday was such a night, my husband was out and I was home by myself. I uncorked the half-bottle of La Chapelle Brut Audace as a small treat, sipping it while I watched The Apprentice. It's a predominantly pinot meunier champagne with a bit of pinot noir and chardonnay, something I usually like. This bottle was a bit different - it smelled of stewed apples with just a touch of dirty dishwater. It had lots of ripe orchard fruit flavours with a touch of shortbread biscuits, but not the crispness that I like and expect from a great champagne. In its favour, it had loads of bubbles, but that just wasn't enough to make me love this wine. It was fine, but it didn't 'wow' me, so my mistake in ordering just a half-bottle paid off!!
When I unpacked this particular bottle, I immediately put it in the fridge thinking that it would be nice to have for some night when I was on my own. Wednesday was such a night, my husband was out and I was home by myself. I uncorked the half-bottle of La Chapelle Brut Audace as a small treat, sipping it while I watched The Apprentice. It's a predominantly pinot meunier champagne with a bit of pinot noir and chardonnay, something I usually like. This bottle was a bit different - it smelled of stewed apples with just a touch of dirty dishwater. It had lots of ripe orchard fruit flavours with a touch of shortbread biscuits, but not the crispness that I like and expect from a great champagne. In its favour, it had loads of bubbles, but that just wasn't enough to make me love this wine. It was fine, but it didn't 'wow' me, so my mistake in ordering just a half-bottle paid off!!
Friday, 10 June 2011
That's Better
We celebrated my husband's birthday yesterday, and he had asked me to pull a 'good bottle' of bubbles out of the assortment we had in the house. I knew exactly which to choose - Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs that came from Green & Blue. After the previous day's fiasco with the Champalou, I wanted to serve him a wine that we hadn't tried before, but from a maker that we trust and like.
This one was just right for the evening - a low dosage champagne whose cork exploded into my hand with a surprising and celebratory 'POP'. It smelled just like the apple pie my husband was eating, tart apples and buttery pastry. The green apple carried through in the flavour, complemented by a clean, chalky finish, a lovely, more-ish flavour. The bubbles were plentiful on pouring but didn't last long in the glass, which meant we kept having to top up our glasses to refresh the bubbles. This bottle didn't last long, and was enjoyed immensely.
This one was just right for the evening - a low dosage champagne whose cork exploded into my hand with a surprising and celebratory 'POP'. It smelled just like the apple pie my husband was eating, tart apples and buttery pastry. The green apple carried through in the flavour, complemented by a clean, chalky finish, a lovely, more-ish flavour. The bubbles were plentiful on pouring but didn't last long in the glass, which meant we kept having to top up our glasses to refresh the bubbles. This bottle didn't last long, and was enjoyed immensely.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Not My Thing
When I made my last order at Green & Blue, I added a few things to the case that I wouldn't ordinarily order, just to stretch my boundaries. We drank one of them last night, a 2006 Petillant Naturel from Thierry Puzelat. This is a Loire valley sparkling wine made from a grape I had never heard of before, menu pineau. The 'naturel' in the name indicates that the maker uses very low amounts of sulphur in the wine-making process. It is also a low dosage wine.
I wish I could say I loved it, but I didn't. The amber-coloured liquid had a dense, apple and honey flavour, more like a cider than a wine. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with that, but it's not really what I want in a sparkling wine. It also had just a touch of stinky socks on the finish, I wasn't sure I liked that, but it was fleeting. What really disappointed the most were the bubbles. The wine is, at best, effervescent on pouring, and the bubbles quickly disappeared altogether, leaving just the heavy flavour behind. While this was interesting to try once, it really wasn't my thing. But since it was only around £15 for the bottle, I didn't break the bank with my experiment.
I wish I could say I loved it, but I didn't. The amber-coloured liquid had a dense, apple and honey flavour, more like a cider than a wine. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with that, but it's not really what I want in a sparkling wine. It also had just a touch of stinky socks on the finish, I wasn't sure I liked that, but it was fleeting. What really disappointed the most were the bubbles. The wine is, at best, effervescent on pouring, and the bubbles quickly disappeared altogether, leaving just the heavy flavour behind. While this was interesting to try once, it really wasn't my thing. But since it was only around £15 for the bottle, I didn't break the bank with my experiment.
Monday, 7 February 2011
A Triple Zero
We went to lunch with some friends on Sunday at Bar Baloud. The plan was to arrive a little early for a drink and then head to our table to sample the burgers for which the restaurant is known. I had heard this before we arrived, but the prices of the drinks were shocking - upwards of £12 for cocktails, the same price range as the burgers!! I cast my eye over the wine list, and was pleased to find a champagne I'd not tried before listed by the glass for around £9. So I ordered that - the Montlouis Petillant Triple Zero from Domaine de la Taille aux Loups.
This champagne is officially 'triple zero' because there are three stages in the champagne-making process where a maker could add sugar but this maker does not. I rate this champagne a triple zero because it 1) was unpleasantly bitter - smelling and tasting of not-quite-ripe greengages 2) had no finish whatsoever and 3) had no bubbles even though my glass came from a just-opened-before-my-eyes bottle. An absolute disappointment, particularly after the pleasure we'd had on Saturday with the Billecart-Salmon extra brut.
Three things saved the day. Our friends are great company, and we had a very nice afternoon with them. The burgers were mouthwateringly good, and I'm saying this as someone who's not a huge hamburger-eater. The Piggie Burger, topped with BBQ pulled pork and green chilli mayo hit all of the right spots. And, on top of that, when we got home we had 3/4 of a bottle of Roger Legros Cuvee Speciale to finish.
This champagne is officially 'triple zero' because there are three stages in the champagne-making process where a maker could add sugar but this maker does not. I rate this champagne a triple zero because it 1) was unpleasantly bitter - smelling and tasting of not-quite-ripe greengages 2) had no finish whatsoever and 3) had no bubbles even though my glass came from a just-opened-before-my-eyes bottle. An absolute disappointment, particularly after the pleasure we'd had on Saturday with the Billecart-Salmon extra brut.
Three things saved the day. Our friends are great company, and we had a very nice afternoon with them. The burgers were mouthwateringly good, and I'm saying this as someone who's not a huge hamburger-eater. The Piggie Burger, topped with BBQ pulled pork and green chilli mayo hit all of the right spots. And, on top of that, when we got home we had 3/4 of a bottle of Roger Legros Cuvee Speciale to finish.
Will Work for Bubbles
I've been doing some garden design work for some friends, which is great practice for me as I'm undertaking my coursework. On Saturday, they very kindly assembled and gave me a case of champagne to thank me for my efforts. This was totally unnecessary as I'm not really comfortable charging anything for my gardening work with my still-amateur status - but very much appreciated (thank you!). And so I put one of the bottles in the refrigerator for Saturday evening - Billecart-Salmon extra brut - a zero dosage blend of pinot meunier, pinot noir, and chardonnay.
I love this champagne, it is totally my kind of champagne. It smelled like toast and grapefruit (or 'pamplemousse' as my friends say). It had the cleanest, richest, most refreshing taste with lots of citrus but no sourness or bitterness. The finish lasted forever and left us wanting more.
And the bubbles...perfect, round, plentiful bubbles!! The bubbles are my gold-standard for what a champagne should be.
This bottle disappeared far too quickly, even though my husband and I savoured every sip. My husband, cheeky-chappy that he is, suggested that we open the other bottle of champagne that was in our fridge, so that we could compare another champagne that we like to it. He knew I wouldn't say 'no' to that.
So he popped open the Roger Legros Cuvee Speciale from the Champagne Warehouse and we had a glass each. I have to say, I was a little nervous, because I've really liked this champagne in the past and didn't want it ruined because it couldn't stand up to the Billecart-Salmon. I'm relieved to report that, while it's definitely not in the same league as the Billecart-Salmon, it was still a very good champagne.
I should point out that there's no pinot meunier in the Roger Legros and that it's not a low or zero dosage champagne, so we weren't at all comparing like-for-like. These differences are very evident, with the Roger Legros having a much mintier nose, a lighter flavour, and a sweetness that I never noticed before when I'd drunk it on its own. My husband commented that while the Billecart-Salmon was 'toasty' the Roger Legros was more 'biscuity'. The Roger Legros was also far less structured than the Billecart-Salmon, it wasn't as crisp and lacked the amazing finish. While it couldn't quite compete with a bigger player, the Roger Legros still ranks among the top of their price range.
I'm now really starting to understand what you get with some of these bigger name producers...and why it's worth the price differential.
I love this champagne, it is totally my kind of champagne. It smelled like toast and grapefruit (or 'pamplemousse' as my friends say). It had the cleanest, richest, most refreshing taste with lots of citrus but no sourness or bitterness. The finish lasted forever and left us wanting more.
And the bubbles...perfect, round, plentiful bubbles!! The bubbles are my gold-standard for what a champagne should be.
This bottle disappeared far too quickly, even though my husband and I savoured every sip. My husband, cheeky-chappy that he is, suggested that we open the other bottle of champagne that was in our fridge, so that we could compare another champagne that we like to it. He knew I wouldn't say 'no' to that.
So he popped open the Roger Legros Cuvee Speciale from the Champagne Warehouse and we had a glass each. I have to say, I was a little nervous, because I've really liked this champagne in the past and didn't want it ruined because it couldn't stand up to the Billecart-Salmon. I'm relieved to report that, while it's definitely not in the same league as the Billecart-Salmon, it was still a very good champagne.
I should point out that there's no pinot meunier in the Roger Legros and that it's not a low or zero dosage champagne, so we weren't at all comparing like-for-like. These differences are very evident, with the Roger Legros having a much mintier nose, a lighter flavour, and a sweetness that I never noticed before when I'd drunk it on its own. My husband commented that while the Billecart-Salmon was 'toasty' the Roger Legros was more 'biscuity'. The Roger Legros was also far less structured than the Billecart-Salmon, it wasn't as crisp and lacked the amazing finish. While it couldn't quite compete with a bigger player, the Roger Legros still ranks among the top of their price range.
I'm now really starting to understand what you get with some of these bigger name producers...and why it's worth the price differential.
Monday, 18 October 2010
17 Years
Saturday was our actual anniversary, and despite a few showers in the afternoon, it was a lovely autumn day. We drove the dog out 'to the country' (in reality, 20 miles away from home, with most of the drive being through South London and Croydon) to go to a farm shop and garden centre that my husband found on-line. We bought apples and pumpkins and British cheese and meat, a lovely way to while away the afternoon.
When we got home I made pie with the apples. While I was baking, we nibbled on the cheese that we had bought and finished the bottle of Maison Lenique 2005 that we had opened the night before, a very good combination, and cosy with the scent of apples and cinnamon in the kitchen.
From there, we took the dog for her walk and then settled in for the evening with some movies and pizza and more chocolate cake - and a bottle of Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus that my husband had picked up from Green & Blue. We've had this champagne before and really liked it. It's a zero dosage blanc de blancs that has lots of lime and mineral flavours - completely different from the Maison Lenique that we had been drinking earlier, but every bit as good. This is one of those champagnes that we call a 'wine with bubbles', as it would be just as drinkable if it were a still wine. It was a lovely treat, something a bit different for our special day.
When we got home I made pie with the apples. While I was baking, we nibbled on the cheese that we had bought and finished the bottle of Maison Lenique 2005 that we had opened the night before, a very good combination, and cosy with the scent of apples and cinnamon in the kitchen.
From there, we took the dog for her walk and then settled in for the evening with some movies and pizza and more chocolate cake - and a bottle of Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus that my husband had picked up from Green & Blue. We've had this champagne before and really liked it. It's a zero dosage blanc de blancs that has lots of lime and mineral flavours - completely different from the Maison Lenique that we had been drinking earlier, but every bit as good. This is one of those champagnes that we call a 'wine with bubbles', as it would be just as drinkable if it were a still wine. It was a lovely treat, something a bit different for our special day.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Wednesday Came Early
It's another busy week - one in which I won't be seeing much of my husband because of our different committments and schedules. But we were both home for dinner on Tuesday, so we decided to turn Tuesday into the new Wednesday and open a bottle a bubbly. On top of that, he cooked, something that always makes the evening special!
Another prosecco was on the champagne shelf from the Champagne Warehouse - this time it was Zero assoluto from La Jara made from 100% glera grapes. To be honest, I almost didn't order this prosecco because the description said that it was 'floral' and that's not something that I love. The Zero assoluto is zero dosage, though, and I've never tried a low dosage prosecco before...so it went into the case.
On its own, the floral-ness of the prosecco is very strong, smelling and tasting heavily of honeysuckle, but with an appealing, clean, grapefruit finish. For my palate, the prosecco went down much better with food - a blackened chicken and garlic-broccoli pasta - that squelched the flowery taste and left only the lighter citrus notes of the prosecco. While not completely to my taste, it was worth trying, though, an interesting comparison both to other low dosage bubbles we've had and to the other bottles of prosecco that we ordered.
Another prosecco was on the champagne shelf from the Champagne Warehouse - this time it was Zero assoluto from La Jara made from 100% glera grapes. To be honest, I almost didn't order this prosecco because the description said that it was 'floral' and that's not something that I love. The Zero assoluto is zero dosage, though, and I've never tried a low dosage prosecco before...so it went into the case.
On its own, the floral-ness of the prosecco is very strong, smelling and tasting heavily of honeysuckle, but with an appealing, clean, grapefruit finish. For my palate, the prosecco went down much better with food - a blackened chicken and garlic-broccoli pasta - that squelched the flowery taste and left only the lighter citrus notes of the prosecco. While not completely to my taste, it was worth trying, though, an interesting comparison both to other low dosage bubbles we've had and to the other bottles of prosecco that we ordered.
Monday, 24 May 2010
BYOBB May'10
I have been blessed with a very thoughtful and helpful circle of friends. They're the sort of people who, when you invite them over, always ask what they can bring, and will even call you on the day to make sure there's nothing you missed that they can't pick up on the way over. I always want to tell them something useful to bring, but a lot of the time, I just can't think of anything.
Then I had this idea during the year of bubbles. It was rather forward, really. But I thought, why not invite a group of people over for some fantastic food and ask each family-group, up-front, to bring their own bottle of bubbly that we can open and try during the meal? Thus, the Bring Your Own Bottle Of Bubbly - BYOBB (TM)- event was established.
The ground rule has always been that what you bring doesn't have to be expensive or name brand, just a wine with bubbles that interests or excites you. The first year (2008), we were a group of about 10 people, and tried everything from cava to English sparkling wine to Billecart-Salmon rose. We didn't really rank it, just drank and ate a lot, and had a very nice afternoon.
Last year, we stepped things up a notch. We had about 16 people over, and we decided to blind-taste and rank everything we drank. It was a bit too big, to be honest, and because I didn't blog about it, I shamefully can't remember all of the different wines that we drank. I do remember that the favourites of the day were vintage Krug and Ruinart, with a surprisingly strong showing from Biddenden, an English sparkling wine.
This year, the BYOBB board decided that we needed to get back to a smaller group and do some serious (blind) tasting of non-vintage bubbles. And while we unfortunately were missing two guests due to illness, Mother Nature smiled on the six of us who got together on Sunday as we sat in the garden in the glorious sunshine!!
To start, I had been asked by The Champagne Warehouse to taste a bottle of Charles Ellner Brut Integral, a zero dosage champagne. This was a good aperitif, as the flavour of the wine was not very strong but held up to the mango gazpacho and prosciutto/melon/rocket rolls that I had made. Any stronger food and this champagne would be a bit lost, though. I was a little disappointed with the bubbles of this champagne (a common complaint for me throughout the day). This champagne scored an even mix of 4s and 5s out of 10 (10 being the best you've ever drunk, 1 being undrinkable), with a total score of 27/60.
As we were waiting for late arrivals, we moved on to the Philizot et Fils numero 2, a surprise entrant that my husband threw into the mix, as he was wondering what other people would make of this champagne. Thankfully, this bottle was nothing like the first one we opened and lacked the strong ground pepper flavour that made it hard to drink. One of our friends liked it more than the rest of the group, saying that it was fresh and flavoursome. Scores ranged from 4 to 7 out of 10, with a total score of 28/60.
The next bottle we opened was the Philizot et Fils numero 1. We served it with a spinach, chorizo, and potato tortilla and whipped salt cod with bread and crackers. Everyone agreed that this was a light, fresh champagne and marks moved up to 6s and 7s out of 10, with a total score of 41/60.
While I was in the kitchen preparing the next dish, a grapefruit, avocado, and pomegranite salad topped with lemon-marinated shrimp, my husband came in with the next glass of champagne, saying "this is just your thing". It turned out to be Billecart-Salmon brut blanc de blancs, a crisp, yeasty, wonderful champagne (even blind-tasting, my husband knows what I'll like). This was the top-scorer of the day, earning all 7s and 8s, with a total score of 47/60.
The final bottle was opened over our dual desserts of apple and rhubarb crumble and chocolate pate with chocolate-hazelnut shortbread. This wine was a puzzler - it was the only one that had enough bubbles for me. It had intense aromas and a depth of flavour. It defintely wasn't French, but none of us could place it, or identify the kind of grapes. It turned out to be a Russian sparkling wine from Abrau-Dyurso, which is a blend of some traditional champagne grapes and other grapes like riesling. Because it was such an unusual and interesting wine, it scored 5s and 6s, with a total score of 34/60.
It was a little surprising to me that our top two bubbles were French blanc de blancs, but I guess nothing beats a well-made and fresh sparkler on a hot summer day!
Along with thanking my friends for bringing their wines and for spending the afternoon drinking, eating, and ranking with us, I do have to thank my 'corporate sponsors':
Billecart-Salmon, for providing glasses, chilling buckets, and aprons and
The Champagne Warehouse for providing the tasting bottle and some tasting notecards.
We'll be repeating this tasting with the same wines later in the year, and it will be interesting to see if and how our opinions of these wines change with time!
Then I had this idea during the year of bubbles. It was rather forward, really. But I thought, why not invite a group of people over for some fantastic food and ask each family-group, up-front, to bring their own bottle of bubbly that we can open and try during the meal? Thus, the Bring Your Own Bottle Of Bubbly - BYOBB (TM)- event was established.
The ground rule has always been that what you bring doesn't have to be expensive or name brand, just a wine with bubbles that interests or excites you. The first year (2008), we were a group of about 10 people, and tried everything from cava to English sparkling wine to Billecart-Salmon rose. We didn't really rank it, just drank and ate a lot, and had a very nice afternoon.
Last year, we stepped things up a notch. We had about 16 people over, and we decided to blind-taste and rank everything we drank. It was a bit too big, to be honest, and because I didn't blog about it, I shamefully can't remember all of the different wines that we drank. I do remember that the favourites of the day were vintage Krug and Ruinart, with a surprisingly strong showing from Biddenden, an English sparkling wine.
This year, the BYOBB board decided that we needed to get back to a smaller group and do some serious (blind) tasting of non-vintage bubbles. And while we unfortunately were missing two guests due to illness, Mother Nature smiled on the six of us who got together on Sunday as we sat in the garden in the glorious sunshine!!
To start, I had been asked by The Champagne Warehouse to taste a bottle of Charles Ellner Brut Integral, a zero dosage champagne. This was a good aperitif, as the flavour of the wine was not very strong but held up to the mango gazpacho and prosciutto/melon/rocket rolls that I had made. Any stronger food and this champagne would be a bit lost, though. I was a little disappointed with the bubbles of this champagne (a common complaint for me throughout the day). This champagne scored an even mix of 4s and 5s out of 10 (10 being the best you've ever drunk, 1 being undrinkable), with a total score of 27/60.
As we were waiting for late arrivals, we moved on to the Philizot et Fils numero 2, a surprise entrant that my husband threw into the mix, as he was wondering what other people would make of this champagne. Thankfully, this bottle was nothing like the first one we opened and lacked the strong ground pepper flavour that made it hard to drink. One of our friends liked it more than the rest of the group, saying that it was fresh and flavoursome. Scores ranged from 4 to 7 out of 10, with a total score of 28/60.
The next bottle we opened was the Philizot et Fils numero 1. We served it with a spinach, chorizo, and potato tortilla and whipped salt cod with bread and crackers. Everyone agreed that this was a light, fresh champagne and marks moved up to 6s and 7s out of 10, with a total score of 41/60.
While I was in the kitchen preparing the next dish, a grapefruit, avocado, and pomegranite salad topped with lemon-marinated shrimp, my husband came in with the next glass of champagne, saying "this is just your thing". It turned out to be Billecart-Salmon brut blanc de blancs, a crisp, yeasty, wonderful champagne (even blind-tasting, my husband knows what I'll like). This was the top-scorer of the day, earning all 7s and 8s, with a total score of 47/60.
The final bottle was opened over our dual desserts of apple and rhubarb crumble and chocolate pate with chocolate-hazelnut shortbread. This wine was a puzzler - it was the only one that had enough bubbles for me. It had intense aromas and a depth of flavour. It defintely wasn't French, but none of us could place it, or identify the kind of grapes. It turned out to be a Russian sparkling wine from Abrau-Dyurso, which is a blend of some traditional champagne grapes and other grapes like riesling. Because it was such an unusual and interesting wine, it scored 5s and 6s, with a total score of 34/60.
It was a little surprising to me that our top two bubbles were French blanc de blancs, but I guess nothing beats a well-made and fresh sparkler on a hot summer day!
Along with thanking my friends for bringing their wines and for spending the afternoon drinking, eating, and ranking with us, I do have to thank my 'corporate sponsors':
Billecart-Salmon, for providing glasses, chilling buckets, and aprons and
The Champagne Warehouse for providing the tasting bottle and some tasting notecards.
We'll be repeating this tasting with the same wines later in the year, and it will be interesting to see if and how our opinions of these wines change with time!
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
1-2-3
By Sunday, the dog was doing much better, so my husband and I decided to do a tasting of some new champagne that we got through 3-D Wines. They were offering a mixed case of champagne from Philizot & Fils which sounded interesting, as they make low dosage champagnes. We tried all three that came in the case to compare and contrast the differences.
The first, the brut numero 1, was 100% chardonnay. It was a very drinkable champagne, light and fruity with good bubbles, and a good start to the tasting, although not a very interesting or memorable champagne.
The second, the brut numero 2, was a mix of pinot noir and pinot meunier. It smelled and tasted like freshly ground pepper, which made it interesting, but was slightly off-putting. This champagne is not a sipper and should be served with food, so we decided to put it back in the fridge to try again with a meal. This champagne we will remember, although I'm still not sure I really like it...
The third, the brut numero 3, was a mix of pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay. It smelled like fresh olive oil and tasted of honeysuckle, an unusual but very nice combination. This was easily our favourite of the three champagnes!
The first, the brut numero 1, was 100% chardonnay. It was a very drinkable champagne, light and fruity with good bubbles, and a good start to the tasting, although not a very interesting or memorable champagne.
The second, the brut numero 2, was a mix of pinot noir and pinot meunier. It smelled and tasted like freshly ground pepper, which made it interesting, but was slightly off-putting. This champagne is not a sipper and should be served with food, so we decided to put it back in the fridge to try again with a meal. This champagne we will remember, although I'm still not sure I really like it...
The third, the brut numero 3, was a mix of pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay. It smelled like fresh olive oil and tasted of honeysuckle, an unusual but very nice combination. This was easily our favourite of the three champagnes!
Friday, 23 April 2010
The WOW Factor
Having had such a bad bubbly experience on Wednesday, my husband and I decided to open what we knew would be a sure winner last night - Billecart-Salmon's Vintage 2004, a low dosage, extra-brut champagne made primarily from pinot noir grapes.
This wine is stunning. It smells like my kitchen does when I have bread rising - pure, raw, yeasty scents. It tastes like nothing I've ever tasted before, with such complex but balanced flavours that it's impossible to say 'it tatsts like this...'. It has no sweetness to it whatsoever, which I loved. It's tart without being acidic. Very strong fruit and citrus flavours to start, but melding into more vanilla and biscuit flavours at the finish. Fine, fizzy little bubbles, although I would have liked more of these. It absolutely wowed me, even being drunk with such humble fare as our chicken and chorizo salad and homemade apple and cranberry crumble.
It's not a light sipper, though - my husband commented that because of its complexity, it's not the sort of thing he could drink every day. This champagne wants (and deserves) your full attention.
This wine is stunning. It smells like my kitchen does when I have bread rising - pure, raw, yeasty scents. It tastes like nothing I've ever tasted before, with such complex but balanced flavours that it's impossible to say 'it tatsts like this...'. It has no sweetness to it whatsoever, which I loved. It's tart without being acidic. Very strong fruit and citrus flavours to start, but melding into more vanilla and biscuit flavours at the finish. Fine, fizzy little bubbles, although I would have liked more of these. It absolutely wowed me, even being drunk with such humble fare as our chicken and chorizo salad and homemade apple and cranberry crumble.
It's not a light sipper, though - my husband commented that because of its complexity, it's not the sort of thing he could drink every day. This champagne wants (and deserves) your full attention.
Friday, 9 April 2010
Just Another Thursday
Last night was like any other Thursday night - we went though our usual after-work routine and then I made dinner, chicken and courgettes with garlic cream, a quick and easy recipe from my sister that I've since tweaked a bit.
As I was cooking, my husband was rummaging through the fridge. He pulled out the bottle of champagne that I had put onto the 'champagne shelf', mostly just to see what it was. But when I saw him do that, discussion ensued as to what we would drink with the chicken. Normally I would have had a glass of white wine, but we don't really keep white wine in the house anymore since we've been stocking more champagne. So we opened the cold bottle of champagne.
The bottle we had was one from my Champagne Warehouse order - the Marie Forget Extra Brut, which is a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot munier and made with a low dosage. I loved this wine from the first sip, it reminded me of my favourite dessert from the Austrian pastry shop, Demel, which is sweet pastry layered with apples, walnuts, and poppy seeds. The fruity apple flavours came through right from the start, and the more complex flavours developed through the finish. For a low dosage champagne, this was sweeter than I expected, but in a nice, ripe-fruit sort of way.
We re-stocked the champagne shelf with a different champagne from this maker - I have high expectations now!
As I was cooking, my husband was rummaging through the fridge. He pulled out the bottle of champagne that I had put onto the 'champagne shelf', mostly just to see what it was. But when I saw him do that, discussion ensued as to what we would drink with the chicken. Normally I would have had a glass of white wine, but we don't really keep white wine in the house anymore since we've been stocking more champagne. So we opened the cold bottle of champagne.
The bottle we had was one from my Champagne Warehouse order - the Marie Forget Extra Brut, which is a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot munier and made with a low dosage. I loved this wine from the first sip, it reminded me of my favourite dessert from the Austrian pastry shop, Demel, which is sweet pastry layered with apples, walnuts, and poppy seeds. The fruity apple flavours came through right from the start, and the more complex flavours developed through the finish. For a low dosage champagne, this was sweeter than I expected, but in a nice, ripe-fruit sort of way.
We re-stocked the champagne shelf with a different champagne from this maker - I have high expectations now!
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