A Little About This Blog...
Everyone should be able to appreciate champagne - which is why I set up this blog.
It's more than a diary of my personal champagne journey - of learning, understanding and appreciating. It's a way of sharing my love for this magnificent cuvée in an easy to understand way so that others may be inspired (regardless of how much they know about wine) to delve deeper into their champagne experiences.
So that readers get the most out of sharing my experiences, I have provided links to further reading and other information to support the learning journey.
I hope you too are inspired and enjoy your journey as much as I do mine.
They were only 2.5 kilometres apart, but getting from Louis Roederer to Ruinart in Reims seemed like an impossible task the longer we waited for our cab amidst the drizzle and icy winds.
The generosity of time (and free-flowing champagne) bestowed upon us at Louis Roederer far exceeded our expectations. It was such a joy and indeed a treat - but we were now running terribly late for our next appointment at Ruinart, the oldest champagne house.
We nonetheless arrived, albeit with flat, wet hair and slightly stressed - much to the amusement of a few Americans already there. Oh well, at least they won't forget us in a hurry.
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!
I am so glad that I had a wonderful first experience with Ruinart's Brut Rosé Non-Vintage recently. Afterall, it had a lot to live up to; the R de Ruinart I had tasted a week before was sublime - so I had big expectations. However after reading Tyson Stelzer's write-up about his misfortune with this cuvée, I consider myself fairly lucky.
I use the word 'luck' very deliberately because after reading Tyson's tasting entry in The Champagne Guide 2012, it really seems to be 'pot luck' right now in Australia as to whether you get a good or a bad bottle.
Tyson recounts how after several failed attempts he finally struck a good bottle, putting it down to the fact there were several bottles still floating around with a vintage base of 2005 or 2006. In addition to the challenges presented by the 2005 vintage year, both champagnes were brought down by the fact they had been disgorged for a fairly long time.
Disgorgement refers to the process whereby all the sediment that gets captured in the neck of the bottle (at the end of secondary fermentation) gets released, leaving a clear cuvée ready for corking and distribution to the market.
Since last week when I blogged my tasting notes on Louis Roederer's Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2004, there has been a significant development with this champagne house.
Decanter magazine announced that Louis Roederer had increased its vineyard ownership from 214 hectares to 230 hectares all whilst becoming Champagne's largest biodynamic producer, following the purchase of Champagne Leclerc Briant.
The purchase comes after the passing of Pascal Leclerc Briant in 2010, leaving his three daughters to gradually sell off the 30 hectare estate which mostly takes in highly coveted Premier Cru territory.
Louis Roederer purchased two hectares in October 2011 and its owners, the Rouzaud family, has paid an estimated €40M to buy the remaining estate which includes the Leclerc Briant brand itself. These remaining parcels of land are located in the Premier Cru areas of Hautvilliers, Cumières and Damery.
Moët and Chandon Grand Vintage Rosé 2002 serves as a good example of rosé champagne that has benefited from a fine harvest. 2002 is considered to be the best harvest since the famous 1996 harvest that produced consistently good quality grapes (primarily showing excellent balance of sugar and acidity).
For Moët and Chandon’s heralded 2002 grand vintage, it benefited from a relatively warm winter followed by a warm, dry spring with no persisting problems from frost. Despite significant storms around harvesting time in September, the grapes quickly dried off which produced healthy grapes. The warmer, drier weather allowed grapes to ripen beautifully – that is, the rate and timing of sugar levels rising as acidity levels fell was close to perfect, producing grapes with good alcohol level potential (around 10.5% and - according to Moët - is the highest since 1990) which would eventually result in great structural harmony. This particularly affects chardonnay, a very sensitive grape, as the warmer climate produced different characteristics to other vintages; resulting in more developed, riper fruit flavours.
If you can see
beyond the glitz and the glamour of the world’s largest champagne producers you
will find the most exciting, delicious and splendid champagne of them all in
small to medium size champagne houses, cooperatives and grower producers.
Billecart-Salmon (pronounced bill-car sal-mohn) is one-such champagne house.
Located in Premier Cru territory of Mareuil-sur-Ay (in the Vallée de la Marne, just south of Reims) Billecart prides itself on 'two centuries of vinification steeped in tradition'. And certainly, reading Tyson Stelzer's 'The Champagne Guide 2012' (can't recommend this highly enough for learners like me) indicates the family are pretty down-to-earth and genuine about this; saying that 'vinification is the key and the rest is bulls**t'. How refreshing!
It is this attitude that leads a hands-on approach to every aspect of production - from the vineyard to the cellar door - since 1818 when the Billecart and Salmon families came together. For their efforts, they are universally recognised as being one of the leaders in their field - producing fine and expressive champagnes and pioneering the way using some of the most advanced production facilities in the region.
They were only 2.5 kilometres apart, but getting from Louis Roederer to Ruinart in Reims seemed like an impossible task the longer we waited for our cab amidst the drizzle and icy winds. 
