By Alexx Stuart
Luxury Tastings Drinks Expert
Champagne is a wine like no other. It can mean I love you, I want you, let’s celebrate, I got the job, I sold the business, we’re getting married, who needs him anyway– what a clever wine indeed!
It has come to be such a powerful symbol that we often forget that it is a wine. We get so caught up in the moment that we rarely stop to smell the bouquet, ponder the colour, consider the mouth feel, character or finish. August the 22nd was a day to stop and do just those things at the Champagne Bureau Tasting day, held every two years at the Hilton in Sydney.
Many fabulous & well known houses were on show – Gosset, Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Ruinart, Charles Heidsieck & Jacquesson for example, and there were exciting organic & biodynamic drops to discover too. Here are five standout champagnes from the day.
1. Fleury, 2004 Cepage Blancs. Fleury is fully biodynamic & organic and this is a wine that will make wine lovers very, very happy. Cepage means grape variety, therefore Cepage Blancs refers to the fact that white grapes are used, in this case Chardonnay & a touch of Pinot Blanc, one of the rarely used varietals in champagne. This spicy champagne has blackberry, yeasty bread dough & honey, along with a zesty acidity. It took the prize for Champagne of the Year in the Wine and Spirits Magazine last year, and it’s easy to see why.
2. Gosset Vintage 2000. If you get the chance to head to Champagne a visit to the generous people of Gosset is a must. This generosity can be found in their wines. This vintage is stunning. Vibrant, fresh, fruity and rich with sweet lemon cream, it also has a zesty dry finish. An excellent wine for drinking with or without food, and if you’re thinking food, I’d suggest some delicious crab sandwiches à la Guillaume @ Bennelong.
3. Réne Geoffroy Rosé de Saignée. Saignée means literally ‘bled’, so in other words, the colour has been slightly bled from the skins to create a pink juice, whereas often a percentage of rosé wine is fully vinified as red wine and then blended with clear wine – it just depends on what the wine maker is after. This is an interesting rosé, with strawberry, currants and spices and would be a sensational food matching champagne for a quail or squab dish with a sweet, caramelised sauce – getting hungry and thirsty?
4. Paul Bara ‘Spécial Club’ Rosé 2004. Wow. This is their first Rosé Vintage release, and it’s been worth the wait. A definite stand out in the rosé department on the day. Go and get thee a bottle of this vibrant yet unctuous rosé, and share it only with the people you love – mainly because it’s $180 RRP, but also because it’s utterly divine.
5. Ruinart Blanc des Blancs. If you’re a fan of fresh, vibrant, apéritif style champagne, then this is the champagne for you. The adorable bottle is reminiscent of those used in the very early days of champagne wine making, and Ruinart should know, as they are the oldest champagne house. With notes of honeysuckle, white flowers & lemon zest, it is just about one of the best ways for you to precede spring time lunch.
I hope you get the chance to taste something from the list soon, as they’re all fabulous wines and well worth discovering. Drink the best you can afford… and a little less in general. Between the two parts of this philosophy, lies a very nice time indeed.
where to shop for champagne? www.vinewine.com.au & www.champagnegallery.com.au should be able to look after you nicely.
I’m interviewing some incredible local sommeliers to bring you all you need to know on Italian white wine next month, so enjoy the champagne till then!
Connect with Alexx at Luxury Tastings and make sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook
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