In 2012 we started a tradition between six friends of getting together to drink a healthy amount of quality Champagne with sushi and (mostly) French cheeses. Everyone fell in love with the concept immediately and it became an annual event for us although a couple of times we’ve done it twice in a calendar year. Now it was time for our tenth event and while I thought for a while of having only prestige cuvées in the end we chose to go with mostly hot small growers given that most often the biggest hits within our group have been of the farmer fizz kind. After all the main idea in the very beginning had been the comparison between the classic wines of well-regarded houses and the more quirky, characterful wines of the small producers. By no design the first four wines were biodynamic.
The clear “winner” of the night turned out to be the Marguet which is surprising because the last time we had their wine (the 2009 Amboniacus) it was received as the odd bird of the night due to its considerably more “natural” style. Might be a vintage thing but this wine had it all and more - one for all the acid fiends out there but also with plenty of texture and flavor to not be austere.
The runner-up was Vouette & Sorbée and I think the reason for this was first and foremost its non-polarizing style: it does not lack character but it is just very pleasant, harmonious and inoffensive by nature. It was my first time around with this producer and I was definitely pleased with it, need to try the Fidèle next.
The bronze medal went to Clos des Goisses and given the wine’s stature this might be a surprisingly low placing but on the other hand it is a real juggernaut of a wine and just might be too much for some. This was my first CdG and I definitely do not need to wonder why it is so revered and I am now all the more excited about having a bottle of the 1999 in the cellar.
The last three wines were quite polarizing with some hating and some loving each of them. Number four, the Chemin du Bois, is an interesting wine given its unusual production method. 15 % of the grape juice is removed before the first fermentation and the second fermentation is started by the addition of the removed grape juice. It is a single parcel Pinot Noir from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ - interestingly the same village where Clos des Goisses is located. Only neutral barrels are used but from the style of the wine it is quite obvious that this is not a steel-aged/fermented wine. It is definitely a wine I would call somewhat demanding and perhaps might have been better from a Burgundy bowls than the Zalto Universal that I used.
Number five turned out to be Egly-Ouriet’s rosé which was hated on loudly by two of our group. I was a bit slow writing my tasting notes so I only got to this wine after hearing the others’ complaints. Thus I was all the more surprised to find myself absolutely loving it. I think if you are a fan of savory, high pitch and high acid reds you cannot not love it. Even on CT not everyone seems to be so excited about it while Egly’s other wines tend to be quite universally loved but I want more more more.
The wine that received the least love this time was L’Artiste by David Léclapart and I think this is for a large part due to it being at such an early stage of its life. Unlike the Blanc d’Argile it does not seems to be a wine made to be enjoyed this young. As there were six of us and the initial pours were more or less 10cl there was some wine left in each bottle in the end. To me this was the wine that had changed the most after being a bit clumsy early on and my note reflects more on how it was in the end than in the beginning. Being right next to the fresh and bright Blanc d’Argile it did feel somewhat disjointed and uninviting at first. Even though no new oak should have been used to me it really seemed to have a clear oak+malo thing going on.
Overall I was quite happy how the wines turned out and more than anything as none of them was faulty. Until now almost each time there has been one faulty wine which is always disappointing when we are talking about non-inexpensive wines.
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2015 Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Blanc d’Argile Brut Nature - France, Champagne (1.5.2019)
The nose is pleasant yet somewhat timid with hard candy-esque green apple, herbs and some toast. A very dense, mouth-caressing mousse. The flavor profile is very much fruit-forward and primary yet seems really polished at the same time - it all seems very much carefully designed instead of the wine feeling like it’s not “there yet”. Bone dry, crisp and really firm. Notably tense and energetic yet civilized as well. Not terribly complex but has real character and pride of what it is. Definitely a different style of blanc de blancs and one I really enjoyed. -
2013 David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L’Artiste Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosé Trépail - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (1.5.2019)
The nose is toasty and slightly buttery with notes of baked apple, raisins and oak. Very intense and persistent bubbles reveal a bone dry and markedly savory wine very much akin to white Burgundy. While quite mouth-filling and airy it possesses tremendous acidity that only seemed to become more prominent with time. There is notable smokiness to the flavor profile that otherwise offers very tangy apple, crushed rock and some bitterness. Very youthful with lots of untamed power, without a doubt there is some real potential for development here. I would assume the oak to integrate a bit more with time and if that happens I see this becoming a very nice wine. -
2012 Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Les Crayères - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (1.5.2019)
Highly expressive, bright and generous on the nose with a good deal of smoke, ripe apple, lemon and whipped cream with a fat/butter note. On the palate somewhat on the richer side with a real wine underneath the strong and very persistent mousse. Very dry yet not austere at all, if anything it is really satisfying. Markedly minerally/saline with just fantastic energy. A highly confident, powerful and serious wine with a structure to behold. -
2009 Roger Pouillon et Fils Champagne Chemin du Bois - France, Champagne (1.5.2019)
Generously rich and very, very ripe on the nose - I mean pastry-esque. The aromatics really explode from the glass. Quite toasty with attractive blood orange laden fruit. Unsurprisingly super rich and vinous on the palate with a very big and dense mousse. Despite its ridiculous concentration it is also quite spry and energetic due to what seems like a totally ridiculous acidity that became more and more prominent with time. To me this is more about the texture than anything else - by all means fairly young at this point but seems to have a lot of potential for further development. Perhaps a bit too much of stuffing for myself right now but I cannot really say that it’s overdone in any way. -
NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Rosé Tradition - France, Champagne (1.5.2019)
Very savory on the nose with beautiful notes of raspberry and red cherry. Not perhaps extremely complex but super bright, detailed and delicious for sure. On the palate it starts off with a very strong and persistent mousse. The wine beneath is moderately proportioned yet very vinous and delightfully savory. Impeccably balanced with awesome acidity and intriguing bitterness. Once again, not hugely complex yet irresistibly tasty and highly drinkable. -
2007 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses - France, Champagne (1.5.2019)
Straight fireworks right from the get-go. Both big and beautiful on the nose with intense ripe fruits (apple, lemon and tangerine) and haunting spiciness. Very complex and quite savory despite the ripeness. On the palate the same theme continues: remarkable density and size and the power of a V12. Really vinous and full-bodied with tons of fruit similar to the nose. Clearly it is very early days for this wine but already I find it extremely satisfying and delicious. A very unique prestige Champagne and worth the tariff I would say.
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