Super Champagne

We all know that champagne is supposed to be fabulous but we are too often let down by expensive acidic fizz from this eponymous region. What is really letting the side down is the cheap “diffusion” ranges from the Grand Marques, their top stuff is justifiably expensive. Heidsieck Rare is one of life’s real treats but try a certain wine famous of its very dark label and you will feel very disappointed with the bang per buck. You don’t have to spend lots or be disappointed with bulk champagne  for the masses. There is a hidden secret in Champagne and that is grower champagne, artisan producers who can control volume and quality. They don’t have marketing and the sponsorship budgets of a small country to keep up the illusion they the bottle you buy because its supposed to be good, is actually good. Grand Marque champagne really can be a Emperor's New Clothes con-trick.

The Champagne Warehouse specialises in grower champagne, it is unlikely that you will have heard of any of their brands, “Quality Behind the Label” this their motto. Founded in 2000 by Tony Stones, they have the distinction of being the first wholly internet retailer to hold an alcohol licence. In a monastic-like atmosphere I tasted a range of wines, none of whichI had tried before but which surprised me with the consistent quality and, now, having seen the prices extraordinary value. They offer a number of Cava and Processcos but having tasted these after excellent champagne they were somewhat over-shadowed. Top producers from  the day included Roger Legros from Prouilly north of Riems, Jannison et Fils in Verzenay, Montagine de Riems and Charles Ellner from Epernay

Roger Legros Brut £24.99

Predominately Pinot based, pale with a steely gold colour, balanced nose with a reductive edge, lots of layered fruit, hint of blackcurrant jelly.

Roger Legros Rosé £23.99

Onion skin colour, caramelised apples with strawberry, light brambly fruit with soft acidity

G Tribaut Grand Cuvée Spéciale £29

Chardonnay from 2006 and Pinot Noir from 2008, this wine is clean, dry and fresh with pears, quince and sweet Mirabelle fruit. Great toasty mouthful of boiled sweets and cleansing acidity

Charles Ellner Brut Integral £29

60/40% Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from old wines, 2003 and 04 this is great, fully reductive toasty brioche steely apple acidity, great balance and a long, mouth cleansing finish.

Charles Ellner Cuvée de Réserve £25

Chardonnay dominated wine from 2003/04 wines, this has rich brioche from 6 years on its lees. There is flint and soft fresh leafy fruit. A great wine 

Charles Ellner Premier Cru £28

Again this wine is mostly Chardonnay with 9 years on lees, it is mostly the 2002 vintage. It is pale gold, rich reductive almost honeyed, it has nose of delicate honeysuckle, lemons, flint, brioche and Mirabelle plums.

Charles Ellner ‘Seduction’ 1999 c£35

Only 200 bottles of this antique style are produced in exceptional years, the Chardonnay is aged in oak prior to bottling and it spends an incredible 11 years on its lees. It is bright rich straw colour with a reductive/brioche flavour, think tarte tatin, quince and patisserie. Great length and a hint of burnt lemon. Incredible!  

Jean-Paul Morel Carte Noir £24

This Pinot Noir led wine is pale straw with a full brioche nose. Rounded apply freshness with gooseberry/greengages, a fruit led fizz, its very classy. Reminded me of sherbet dips with a liquorice stick.

Jannison et Fils Brut Traditional c£24

Pale gold, fizzy pear nose, an explosion of bright fresh fruit; pears, quince and English apples. Perk acidity. Wow!

Janisson et Fils Grand Cru Rosé £33

Pale orange/pink, rich toasty nose boiled strawberry, dry finish with dark fruit shadow. The best wine of the day. Truly excellent

Imbibe Live–Part 1

The were some excellent wines on show at the Bar and Restaurant show this week, the Portuguese and French stands had a broad range and impressive quality, whilst the New Zealand stand tried to show that there is more to the country than sauvignon blanc. There were some attractive wines from Lebanon.

France

Alsace Grand Cru Kirchberg Ribeauville, Riesling Domaine Henry Fuchs 2007 (£17)

Rich and honeyed this is steely and dry with a marvellous flinty finish. Still plenty structure and will develop in the next couple of years but a refreshing drink right now.

Alsace, Pinot Gris Grand Cru Kitterle, Domaines Schlumberger 2007 (£25)

Big honeyed nose with and off-dry finish, toffee apples, lemon and pineapple this wine is rich and crisp. Truly fantastic.

Chablis Premier Cru, Montee de Tonnerre, Damien et Romain Bouchard 2010 (£30)

A very modern, new world style from the sons of one of Chablis’ best families. It has a rich toasty nose with concentrate fruit, lemon and orange rind, with chalky minerality. Very classy

Chablis Grand Cru, Blanchot, Domaine Vocoret et Fils 2009 (£46)

Full and rich, a massive wine with the noble character you would expect from this tradition style Chablis – chardonnay at it best. Plenty of clean citrus fruit and crisp, well balanced acidity.

St Joseph, Guigal Blanc 2009, (£15)

Full, rich and elegant with plenty of peachy fruit and lemony acidity from the marsanne grape, excellent value at this price.

Cote Rotie, Guigal 2005, (£32)

Full with jammy brambly sweet fruit, delicate with subtle tannins, drinking very well now, a very classy and a very fine example of Cote Rotie, Syrah at its supbulent best.

Chilean Bargain of the Week

 

Luis Felipe Edwards Mountain View Chardonnay 2011 (from £4.99 Majestic)

You are not going getting 1er Cru Chablis for £4.99 but you are getting a crisp, buttery chardonny with bags of flavour and good balance. The price is for a limited time but even at full price it is worth having

Great Big Brand Aussie

It was trophy day at the International Wine Challenge this week and also a chance for the trade and consumers to try 130 of the 400+ gold medal winning wines. I was pouring some top grade Aussie wines from Wolf Blass. The brand is very familiar for its reliable, large chain red and yellow generic Aussie classics but offers some premium blends that are worth seeking out. Up from the red and yellow label, the firm offers a silver, gold, grey, black and its top platinum labels. No doubt someone at brand development was recruited from Mastercard!

Here are my thoughts on the IWC winning wines;

Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills 2008 (£15)

Adelaide Hills is one of the cooler Australian wine regions and the grapes are sourced from across the area. Pale straw in colour with a rich, clean nose, no mistaking this as an Aussie chardonnay. The flavour is led with a strong citrus flavour with a little pineapple behind. A very refreshing flavour and a well balanced wine.

Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills 2010 (£15)

A better vintage from, the 2010 was still coming together, but was clearly richer on the nose and palate. The citrus notes where still abundant with a rounder, buttery back bone. Not finished and will be a much nicer wine in two years time than the 2008 is right now.

Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling, Eden Valley and Clare Valley 2010 (£15)

Great value from Australia’s top Reisling growing areas, at 400m+ both these regions are cool and this give this wine is crisp, limey acidity. With Clare known for its minerality and Eden for a more floral style, this wine brings both together, there is a hint of the petrol notes that will develop over time. A beautifully clean and refreshing wine that I would match with grilled sardines.

Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz, Barossa 2006 (£75)

A block-busting Shiraz from the best area in Australia, this is as close as Wolf Blass does to a single estate, 80% from one lot, which can vary each year. The wine is still very young, dense and deep purple in colour it boasts and intense nose of leather, dark fruits, ground coffee and liquorish. The flavour is intense and still closed, if you are going to drink it now decant hours before drinking. Despite its youth, its is still yielding oral pressure and will develop for another 10-15 years at least. 

What to take to a BYO?

Wine: What to take to a BYO? | Life and style | The Guardian

Fiona Beckett

Mas Belles Eaux Vin de Pays de Caux Rosé 2010 (£7.95,fromvineyardsdirect.com; 12.5% abv), an elegant blend of syrah and mourvèdre from an estate just north of Pézenas . At that price it is at least £2 less than a comparable Provençal rosé would be.

Neutral, minerally whites such as the flexible Austrian grüner veltliner really useful. Waitrose has a good offer on the Domäne Wachau Terraces Grüner Veltliner 2010(12% abv), which from next Wednesday will be reduced from £8.49 to £6.36 (though you may well find the 2009, which is also fine).

Australian chardonnay with some bottle age, such as the sumptuously creamy Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay 2008, from Margaret River (14.5% abv), currently £23 from the Wine Society, it's perfect for scallops, salmon, roast chicken or veal, so covers a fair number of menu options.

Reds that you can chill and drink with fish are also handy, for instance a beaujolais, Loire red or a pinot noir. The luscious Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2009 from Chile (£9.59 if you buy two or more at Majestic; 14.5% abv) should keep everyone happy. It's really impressive for a big brand.

Honest Aussie Chardonnay

Snapper Cove SE Australia 2010 £5. Just a quaffing wine the the Mrs bought; acids are limey, tropical fruit, obvious but acceptable oak.
good value