Chardonnay — Paroles de vignerons - Vinparleur

Tasting of the Dernière Cueillette 2010 from Domaine de l’Arjolle

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

The color of this overripe Chardonnay, aged for several months in oak barrels, without topping up, is already very charming – golden, deep and shiny…

Shortly afterwards, my nose faces a veritable explosion of aromas. Dried fruits like apricot and apple, but also pear and fresh almonds, butter and hay, fresh oak wood and a hint of smoke. Full-bodied en generous, even fat and juicy, but not heavy or thick at all, as a nicely perceptible acidity keeps the wine upright.

Interesting: a slight tannins structure, surely coming from oak ageing, that coats the palate on the final.
A “revelation”: This wine at the end of a cold winter day, around a campfire with freshly grilled chestnuts…
Great taste! #Champagner Extra Brut from Paul Lebrun in Cramant

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

A wine from Champagne may be labelled „Extra Brut“, if less than 6 g/l of sugar have been added during the „dosage“ after disgorging. This wine, a 100% Chardonnay with only 4 g/l of sugar, is made fom grapes grown on the chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs close to Epernay and on the pebbly stone soils of Cézanne further south. A rather low “dosage”, if you consider that most of the Champagne wine we drink labelled as “Brut”, has a dosage up to 15 g/l of sugar.

Champagne Paul Lebrun Extra Brut

Personally, I think this Champagne doesn’t like to stay alone, asking for culinary company. The nose is rather discreet, with citrus smells and flowers, before revealing some ripe peachy and buttery aromas. On the palate you will find straight, crispy acidity and fine, tight bubbles, while lemon and peach aromas recall the nose. It’s the straightness of the palate makes you think spontanuosly about oysters! Their salty savouriness will perfectly harmonize with the crispy lemon taste and the fine bubbles of this Champagne. You should serve it fresh of course, but I prefer a temperature of 10°C to 12°C for this wine to accentuate its hidden vinosity.
Visit to the vineyards of #Champagne and tasting of the #2013 vintage

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

A trip through the vineyards in Champagne around Cramant, Avize and Épernay and tasting of the 2013 wines with Nathalie Vignier at Champagne Paul Lebrun.
Prerelease #Champagne Purs Cramants from Nathalie Vignier

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

It’s always a little thrilling to discover a new wine, a new cuvée. Nathalie Vignier presented her Champagne Pur Cramant in a very uncomplicated manner: comfortably sitting in her kitchen. A prerelease, disgorged just minutes before, while the remaining bottles will continue their ageing for another couple of weeks. A beautiful champagne, delicately chiseled out of chalk and Chardonnay, with a powerful and enthusiastic nose: white peach, some hazelnuts, zesty lemon and the smell of blossoms that made me think of lily of the valley and mayflowers.

Straight and mineral on the palate, with powerful and impressive acidity. The bubbles are lively but tender, melting down slowly into the wine, giving a creamy mouthfeel on the final. There is something tactile in this wine, something your tongue and cheeks can feel, a chalky impression that makes you think of its terroir, giving length and persistence. A beautiful wine for tasting and for food, that one would spontaneously associate to Sushi orfish carpaccio.

To be released...
#Champagner Paul Lebrun Extra-brut Blanc de blancs Rated with one star by the Guide Hachette 2014

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

Founded by Henri Lebrun in 1902, this Estate became its final name in 1931 from Henri’s son Paul. Today, the grand-children of Paul, Nathalie and Jean Vignier, take care of the 16,5 hectars of Chardonnay on the Côte des Blancs and in Sézanne. They are specialized in making blanc de blancs. This cuvee is partly fermented in oak wood and has been bottled as an Extra Brut (a very low dosage of only 4 g/l of residual sugar). After some delicate toasty aromas and smells of brioche, it reveals a savoury, medium-bodied, fresh taste on the palate, perfectly compatible with its bouquet.

A ripe Champagne, that matches very well to scallop or lobster on chicory.
When time plays with the smell of #champagne...

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

After the second fermentation in bottles, which confers the famous bubbles to the wine, the bottles are left to rest for several months: At least 12 for “common” champagne, not less than 36 months for vintage champagne, in accordance with the rules of the Appellation d’Origine. Actually, it is more a period of calm and devout work, where the taste and particularly the odour of the wine are mould by time.

Depending on the composition and the wanted aromatic ripeness of the wine, many cuvees often ripen much longer in bottles. Many “common” Champagnes age 2 or 3 years on fine lees, vintage Champagne or “Grand Cuvées” often stay cellared for 4 to 10 years before being disgorged.

There is no doubt for Nathalie Vignier: ”Aromatic complexity and ripeness increase. The wines love to spend time on the lees!”

Even if the bouquet of every Champagne depends on its original character, a general tendency of aromatic evolution has been observed:

“First you’ll get flowery and citrus aromas. Later it gets to riper fruit, peaches or pear for example, before the rise of tertiary aromas like butter, toasted bread, pastry or dried fruits…”

Watch the CIVC aroma map here

According to the potential of the wine, which mainly depends on grape varieties, terroir and ripeness, you may literally sculpt the bouquet of the wine by using time: Crispy and fresh fruit for shorter aging, spicy and rich after years of patience.
The “Clos l’Abbé” – #Champagne in #Burgundy style

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

I know Burgundy isn’t a benchmark for everything, but it’s a benchmark for Chardonnay. At least, as much as the “Côte des Blancs” in Champagne…

Being more used to straight and fruit wines from the latter region, I am surprised by the aromatic diversity and character of the Clos l’Abbé (The clos of the Abbot) . It’s the first “finished” bottle that Hubert opens for me for a tasting. The wine has gained a lot of fullness and complexity during the last months of bottle ripening. And I am sure, this is not due to the final “dosage”, as this wine is an “extra brut” with only 5 grams per litre of residual sugars.

In the glass, the Abbot shows elegancy and style through its bright silvery shining colour and subtle small bubbles. In the nose I first smell dried fruits, fresh apricots and almond paste, with hints of toasty and smoky aromas coming up after a couple of minutes. It’s a bouquet with both young and ripe characters.

Rich and smooth, the Abbot is rather full-bodied, showing a slight tannin structure on the final, which adds tightness to the mouth. The finish is rather long, with crispy acidity, delicate bubbles and slightly oaky aromas. All together, the wine has a very pleasant, juicy mouth feel, from the beginning to the end. A complete wine, a good companion of your taste buds, to be appreciated your eyes closed. It perfectly matches to creamy and delicate cheese, like Brillat-Savarin or Brie de Meaux, as well as lobster and crayfish. I would even dare to serve it on a pheasant or partridge with fresh boletus.

A wine that leaves its fingerprints on your palate, like a great Meursault…
One week at the press - where grapes become #Champagne

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

Like for every wine, the character of great Champagne is born in the vineyards. But its quality highly depends on the pressing of the grapes. Traditionally, vertical basket presses containing 4000 kg of grapes (or a multiple of 4000 kg) are used in Champagne. Press, cellar and tanks are standardized and their conformity is checked by the CIVC (Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) and the INAO (Institut national des appellations d’origine). Grapes are pressed as whole bunches without destemming. The advantage of whole bunch pressing is that the juice flows out of the pomace more easily. Additionally, the pomace filters the juice, that runs out of the press particularly clean and clear.

According to its quality, the must is split into different parts, called “cuvee” for the first part, “taille” for the last part. During pressing, pomace is restacked by hand several times to facilitate liberation of the juice.

After several hours of loading, pressing, restacking and unloading the basket, the wine maker obtains some 2050 litres of “cuvee” and 500 litres of “taille” must. That’s the maximum press yield allowed by the production rules of the Champagne region.