The Effects Of Regionality On House Style - Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé Brut Non-Vintage

Regionality is something that is rarely defined on the labels of champagne bottles or indeed on the websites of champagne producers. Yet we cannot begin to fully appreciate  how terroir (the soil, climate, weather and topography) is manifested in the champagne that we drink without first understanding Champagne's regions and the villages that comprise them.

Each village is unique, feeding the grapes it produces with properties that can only come from its defined location. When the Grandes Marques bring these grapes together in cross-regional blending, each village becomes a critical ingredient in a complex recipe. Whilst grower-producers will often showcase the terroir of a village - or indeed specific vineyards - using more defined parcels of land. 

Getting into the 'nitty gritty' of grape manifestations according to their village is a daunting and complex task - it also can be quite alienating. Start talking to people about the oyster shell or chalky minerality of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and watch as people's eyes start to glaze over!

Not wanting to bore my readers, I will keep this discussion fairly high-level. However the reason for my introduction on regionality is because it is important to my recent tasting involving Perrier-Jouët. Some weeks ago I started a tasting journey with their Grand Brut Non-Vintage and Blason Rosé Brut Non-Vintage before moving onto Belle Époque 2004. 

What I've noticed is a specific style linking each of the experiences with a softer experession of pinot, leading to broader definition. Pinot meunier is used to bring a glorious fruity, fleshy, rounded suppleness that also works to harness the pinot noir. But the pinot noir also contributes to this broader definition. It's less 'edgy' and not as powerful as with other pinot dominated champagnes.  With pinot tamed in this way, the chardonnay is allowed to shine through , even when it is represented in smaller quantities - such as in their non-vintages. This delicate marriage perfects Perrier-Jouët's lighter, floral style beautifully.

As with anything, the style is not to everyone's taste. Reading Tyson Stelzer's Champagne Guide 2012-2013, he compares Perrier-Jouët's champages (excluding the Belle Epoque) to other 'like' houses and in doing so, believes they can "lack definition and fruit carry through the mid-palate".

But therein lies the problem. Champagnes need to be appreciated for what they are - not for what they are in comparison to their neighbours. The broadly defined style of Perrier-Jouët is very deliberate on their part starting first with the grape variety and percentage they choose to use, but also the specific villages it chooses to source its grapes from - especially its pinot noir and pinot meunier.

To this end, Perrier-Jouët mostly refrain from using pinot noir in their non-vintages from the southern part of the Montagne de Reims (such as Bouzy or Ambonnay) because the grapes from these villages that sit at the foothills have stronger flavours and are much more structured and 'angular'. Instead, they source most pinot noir for their non-vintages from the slopes on the northern part of the Montagne de Reims which are known for producing wines with good body and tannin but are less 'edgy'. Villages at the foothills, like Bouzy, experience the settling of cold air and frost whereas vineyards on the northern slopes benefit from the rise of warm air, accentuated by the river reflecting warmth from the sun.

When it comes to the Blason Rosé Brut Non-Vintage, grapes are taken from the northern Montagne de Reims villages of Mailly, Verzy and Verzenay. Starting at the top and heading east around the mountain, the northern, sloped village of Mailly is known for its perfume whilst the nort-east facing village of Verzenay is known for its body. Heading further around the mountain is east-facing Verzy on the mountain top slope.

Likewise when it comes to pinot meunier, the grapes are sourced from Dizy, Damery, Venteuil and Vincelles. Their proximity to the river allows their vineyards to warm up and ripen beautifully, producing softer and supple flavours with broader definition.

Regionality and terroir have a major impact on champagne yet it is probably the least understood aspect of our champagne drinking experience. Which is why comparing champagnes is not as easy as comparing 'like' houses. As I move forward with my champagne learning journey, my challenge is to take regionality on board with every one of my tastings and to appreciate the wonderfully unique qualities it so generously gives to it.

My tasting notes for Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé Brut Non-Vintage follow.

Blend - 50 percent pinot noir (from Mailly, Verzy and Verzenay), 25 percent pinot meunier (from Dizy, Damery, Venteuil and Vincelles) and 25 percent chardonnay (from Cramant, Avize and Chouilly). Around 15 percent reserve wine is added.

Glass - Clear sparkling salmon with a medium, persistent bead.

Nose - Clean and fresh, it has medium intensity aromas and features fresh strawberries, red cherries and a slight smokiness.

Palate - Starting off quite dry, this medium plus bodied champagne has a mouth-watering cherry-pie tartness to it which is restrained by sweet/savoury notes of strawberry hull, fresh stawberries and a touch of spice from nutmeg. Fruit-forward, the flavours are generous, fleshy and supple, manifesting broadly and softly across the palate. There are bouquets of white flowers that add fun, romance and deliciousness, accentuating the delicate nature of the composition and the feeling of softness on the palate. There is also complexity from a flinty minerality and toasted nuts. A well-defined line of lemon acidity runs down the middle of the palate, giving the broadly defined structure what it needs to stay together before ending with a serving of cream on the back of the palate and a medium finish. Delicious.

Verdict - 91 / 100.

Further reading - There is an interesting interview here with Perrier-Jouët's Chef de Cave via Luxury Insider. For a discussion on Champagne's regions, visit the Wine Doctor.

Where to buy - I purchased mine from Champagne Gallery for around $110.