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Wine Description
The Story
This wine is produced from various regions, namely 45% of Avize, 40% of Mesnil sur Oger, 8% from Villers-Marmery and 7% of Cramant, Oger and Chouilly.
This wine pleases the eye with its clear robe of bronze highlights, typical of the Chardonnay vintage, and with its dense and smooth effervescence. Delicate and elegant to the nose, this Blanc de Blancs offers a unique aroma, well balanced between elegance, liveliness, minerality and pleasant hints of white flowers and mirabelles. The attack is frank and lively. Then, the wine is elegant to the palate, in perfect harmony with the aromas revealed to the nose. The palate is powerful as well as ripe. A happy mixture of ripe white fruits and pleasant notes of delicate citrus. The finish is expressively pure, with aromas nicely persistent and a subtle hint of brioche. The wine has an interesting cellaring potential.
This Brut Blanc de Blancs, excellent as appetiser, offers a good enough structure to be served with fishes such as Bass, Salmon, Saint-Pierre or even a Saint-Jacques carpaccio or a simple Tuna tartar; could also be grilled or served with a mousseline sauce. This wine could also be the perfect complement of a steamed Sea Bream served on ginger and onions.
Vintage 2004
A great example of how large yields do not necessarily mean poor quality in Champagne. As a reaction to the previous year's low yields, the vines produced one of the largest crops on record. The growing season proceeded without major difficulties but the bumper crop called for bud thinning. August brought about cooler weather and some rains, increasing the risk of rot. The massive crop, averaging 13,990 kg/ha, was picked from September 18th onwards. The quality was a pleasant surprise; vibrant wines with appropriate intensity, refined charm and refreshing lightness. This vintage impresses me more and more, and I feel tempted to give it the full five stars. It comes with a rare balance of freshness, lightness, yet fine aromatic intensity. Post-release, this vintage has proven to be slow to age, and elegant wines are likely to keep on ageing gracefully. Dom Pérignon and Louis Roederer Cristal both excelled.