Vintage - 2018, Champagne, cha...
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Champagne
The chalky soils of Champagne combined with its frigid growing environment create wines that are electric and salivating. But it’s the creation of bubbles that makes these wines stand out.
The bubbles are formed during a secondary fermentation in bottle, known as Méthode Traditionelle. The longer they age, the more nougat and brioche flavours develop and the finer the bead (bubble) becomes.
In terms of who invented Champagne, the English make a strong case as they worked out the formula for purposely making the fizz happen and their stronger coal-fired glass bottles - resulting from the Industrial Revolution - could hold the pressure. Whereas the French were still bottling in wood-fired glass which wasn’t strong enough and they hadn’t cracked the technique of creating bubbles on purpose.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay
Red: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Styles
Nowhere in the world can emulate the fineness and electric detail of these wines. Non-vintage Champagnes should be enjoyed earlier in their lives, while vintage wines have more structure and can age beautifully. House styles differ too. Blanc des Blancs (100% Chardonnay) offer a more elegant and fragile expression while Blanc des Noirs (100% Pinot and or Meunier) are darker fruited with more obvious structure and power.
Favourite Producers
Pierre Peters, Louis Roederer, Vilmart, Andre Clouet, Taittinger, Larmandier, Egly-Ouriet, Jacques Selosse
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Pierre Peters L'Esprit Millesime 2019The L'Esprit de 2019 is one of the best versions of this wine I can remember tasting. Exuberant and racy, with tons of energy, the 2019 reflects the natural intensity of this great vintage while retaining the super-classic signatures of the Côtes des Blancs. This cuvée is a blend of fruit sourced from Grand Cru sites in Le Mesnil, Avize, Cramant and Oger. Readers who want to enjoy a top-flight Champagne without splurging will find so much to like here. Hints of tangerine peel, marzipan and dried flowers linger on the intensely saline finish. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 19, 2023. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
The year’s heat has yielded concentration and fragrance rather than weight, with lemon oil and Mirabelle plum framed in a compact, driven, yet polished palate whose firm core of acid will unwind beautifully over the coming decade as the aromatics develop further. Between the excellence of Pierre Péters non-vintage and the renown of its top offerings, the vintage-level cuvée can sometimes be overlooked, but in 2019 – one of winemaker Rodolphe Péters’ favourite years – it’s an absolute star. (95) TOM HEWSON, Decanter2018chardonnayFrance376$195.00 As low as $175.50