As part of a local winetasting group mainly comprised of winemakers from the Mornington Peninsula ( South East Australia)I was asked to put on a tasting of champagnes. So what to put on , how to structure it.I decided on the following line up with the first bracket to show a quick snap of the spectrum of styles in Champagne, multi village Blanc de Blancs ( no wood, malolactic fermentation), Blancs de Blancs , no wood , malo ferm, but single vineyard old vines, the single vineyard, old vines Blanc de Blancs, old barrel wood treatment , no malolactic, Vilmart with 30 % pinot noir, new oak, followed by 100% pinot noir
with wood treatment.
Diebolt –Vallois 1996 - lovely classic blanc de blancs with years ahead of it. cramant cream counter pointed by Cuis aggression. Lovely wine on its own but made to look a bit simple by the company it kept tonight.
Pierre Peters 1998 Cuvee Speciale - this is pure elegance, Mesnil acid spine but mellowed by the Peters , fragrance and tangerine notes
Diebolt-Vallois 1998 Fleur de Passion - Cramant creaminess coats the mouth, coconut, white flowers, minerality, subtle wood notes. Superb
Vilmart 1998 Grand Cellier d'Or - Bolder more obvious but again intense quality fruit enveloped with sweet oak. Not quite the class and finesse of Peters & Fleur de Passion but still a great drink.
Selosse Contraste - sweet pinot fruit, gentle
sheery notes, spice, balance,seamless finish.
Claas juice.
Next bracket to show them that champagne does age
Agrapart 1983 - Honied, little past its best but still beautiful baked fruit patisserie notes
and goiod length
Agrapart 1985 - Sweet fruit, honeycomb, grilled almonds, mineral, at its peak.
Diebolt-Vallois - Guy Vallois 1985 - honey, nuts, mushrooms , combine with swet fruit and Cuis acid spine to provide a memorable wine.
Rosés
Agrapart - more typical NV rosé with more generous dosage but lovely strawberriy fruit
balanced and no rough edges. Very acceptable again shadowed by its company.
Selosse - this has got to be one of the very best rosés. Sweet red fruits, spice, wood notes
, elegance , length. What more can you ask for?
Vilmart Grand Cellier d'Or Rubis 1998 - wow a second great rosé, more powerful, wood more evident but it is all in balance and the length and palate saturation is amazing.
Egly-Ouriet - great red fruits nose, nicely integrated oak notes good length, slightly marre by dry, slightly aggressive finish and lacking the dimensions of the previous two.
Selosse Exquise
Without a doubt the best demi-sec champagne made.
This wine is rich and spicy without being at all cloying and the harmony of the wine is what seperates it from the ruck of demi-secs. Can marry dleightfully with foie gras, hazelnut/ walnut gateaux, tonight it married well with some local brie type cheeses.
The winemakers were stunned by the new taste sensations and the new array of descriptors that these individual wines evoked.
Cheers, Ian