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.
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!
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.
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.
