Pur(e) Chardonnay

The first champagne in our summer 2015 collection is light, refreshing and an excellent example of how our producers try to diversify to stay ahead of the crowd. Boulachin-Chaput presents this wonderful 100% “Pur Chardonnay”, despite cultivating in a predominantly Pinot Noir area. With slight green tints, this champagne has notes of subtle citrus and exotic white fruits like pineapple on the nose. On the palate it is extremely smooth with mellow flavours of tropical fruits. It is always a vintage champagne, representing the finest growth years. This example is from 2008 – at the time of writing, this champagne is still relatively young and is light enough to enjoy all year round as an aperitif, but will keep on improving as it matures further. Excellent with shell fish and lightly spiced dishes.

Boulachin-Chaput
Pur Chardonnay

From the Northern Aubois village of Arrentières, with a slightly thinner, chalkier soil, the champagnes here have more of a minerally freshness than elsewhere in the region. The Boulachin-Chaput vineyard has championed “viticulture durable” for over a decade to reduce the impact on natural eco-systems. It is impressive that they manage to create such masterpieces whilst keeping with natural processes as far as possible. Examples of their sustainable operations include planting grass between alternate rows of vines (enherbement) to maintain soil structure and encourage natural pest control, ploughing in and around the vines during the Autumn every year to aerate the soil and maintain its quality and using minimal chemical intervention during the growing period – notably between May and July – with a mere 7 treatments compared to 10 plus elsewhere. Boulachin-Chaput actually adopts more mechanical processes thereby reducing erosion and compaction of soil in the vineyard caused by frequent and repetitive footsteps. This latest addition to our range used to be called “Cuvee Particuliere”, but in 2013 they changed the name to Pur Chardonnay – sales increased 5-fold as it was clearer what the champagne was and appealed to the more curious palate as it has been produced in an area dominant with Pinot Noir.

Boulachin-Chaput Vineyard

Intrigued? You can try it for yourself here. Or join our Champagne Club and get it cheaper.

The ageing of Pinot Meunier

In our third post about our “Mystery of Meunier” spring theme, we look at the ageing potential of this grape variety, putting one exceptional example of an aged Meunier under the spot light.

Prior to our research into this incredible grape variety, we had been led to believe that Pinot Meunier is not suitable for ageing over any considerable length of time. Yes, it is often used in blends, which can be left to age over a fairly substantial period, but not in any significant majority. The dominant grape varieties seem to always be either Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Perhaps this is because, as we discovered last time, Meunier can be susceptible to rot given the proximity of the grapes on the bunch, which, for those who do not practice selective picking, may affect the overall quality of the wine. Or maybe it is because the Meunier grape actually reaches maturity more quickly than other varieties?

We can’t be sure exactly what the individual thoughts are in this regard, but as they say, the proof really is in the pudding, or in this case, champagne tasting.

And so we move to the second of our spring selection, taken from Délouvin-Bagnost, a wonderful little vineyard in the village of Vandieres in the Vallée de la Marne. We have wanted to work with them for some time as they have three exceptional examples of Pinot Meunier.

During one of our first visits to this quaint house, we tasted the Brut Tradition, which is 79% Meunier, 15% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir, closely followed by the 1999 vintage of the same blend. Wow. Never have we tasted such a rich, powerful champagne, which is still really easy drinking.  And so when we were presented with their 2005 vintage, we were not surprised to find the same characteristics, albeit to a slightly lesser extent given its relative youth compared to the 1999.

Délouvin-Bagnost 2005 Vintage

The great thing about vineyards who keep the same blends across multiple cuvées is that you really get to see the evolution of flavours as the wine ages, which with Pinot Meunier is important given the lack of vintage examples available. The Tradition has the roundness, the depth and a touch of creaminess, but this intensifies with age. Unlike an aged Pinot Noir, which over time adopts more of a fortified wine aroma and maybe even taste and Chardonnay, which becomes buttery and biscuity, but still with a slight acidity, Meunier seems to retain its smoothness, making it a wine to be enjoyed very much on its own, as well as with food if one chooses.

So despite the fact that Pinot Meunier matures more quickly than other grape varieties, it can go on to develop further still, bringing out more of its wonderful characteristics. This has been fully understood and respected by Délouvin-Bagnost, who gives the vintage time to “find itself” and truly express its character. What they have also realised is that in leaving their Pinot Meunier to age for longer, they do not need to add as much extra sugar when it comes to disgorging, as the combination of the three grape varieties, as well as the maturity, combine to create a wonderful scent of syrup and rich, full-bodied, fruity flavours with no overpowering acidity and an incredible length. If you wanted to pair this with something, it is powerful enough to pair with blue cheese or even spicy beef dishes.

During our Meunier adventures, you may remember that we said we were surprised by the more acidic and minerally varieties that we discovered. Whilst these vineyards had not yet released vintage versions of their Meunier champagnes, we couldn’t help but think ageing would soften them and bring back some of the roundness we had been expecting, thereby making them slightly easier on the palate.

It is no surprise really that this little vineyard should excel in their work – the family roots can be traced back to the end of the 17th Century when their main work was as barrel makers. Georges Délouvin began cultivating grapes as early as the 1930s, but sold them on to the big merchant houses like many others pre-wartime. Eventually he dabbled in making his own champagnes, before passing the baton to his son Robert, who married in the late 1940s to a fellow winemakers daughter with the name “Bagnost”. They had a son called Christian, who in turn had a son called Jérome and it is he who today creates the masterpieces under the watchful, yet respectful eye of his father.

Jérome and his family!

With a modest 4 cuvées in their range, we can’t help but feel there is more to come from this house, which has significantly expanded over the years and now has the potential to produce around 100,000 bottles per year compared to the 10,000 of recent times.

More information on the champagne can be found here.

If you have ever tasted a vintage Pinot Meunier, we would love to hear your thoughts so please feel free to comment below.

Until next time, happy drinking.

Karen

Chief Bubble Taster @ The Real Champagne Company

Making your mind up….

This season took us on a quest to uncover Champagne’s ‘other’ pinot; the grape which lives perennially in the shadow of Pinot Noir, more fleeting and perplexing, more difficult to pin down: the enigmatic Pinot Meunier.

On any search for champagnes with a basis of Pinot Meunier, you have to venture into the spiritual heartland of the grape: the Vallée de la Marne. Here you will find the true Meunier specialists, those for whom the grape is a raison d’être rather than the poor relation the grand houses sometimes regard it to be; those who might be brave enough to put their family name on a bottle containing only Meunier.

This wide valley, which curves its way gently west from Epernay to the edge of the Marne and beyond, has an aspect which encourages the cool, often damp climate in which this grape can thrive. Its soil is silty from the erosion ground out by the river which lies at its heart and also contains more clay than its neighbours, the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. These conditions combine to favour a grape which is slow to bud and quick to ripen, as rich in sugar and acidity as Pinot Noir and yet softer, more aromatic, sensuous and complex.

And so it was that we found ourselves drawn, over a few days on a mist-draped February road trip, to the fringes of the Marne in search of the promulgators of Pinot Meunier. We went with a certain expectation in mind: to find champagnes with perfumed noses and flavours of musty dark fruits with a strong florality pervading the palate, but perhaps with less depth and body than their Pinot Noir-based cousins.

As it was we discovered a wide gamut of Meunier styles; some soft, apricotty and slightly bitter flavours, a fruity kick of vivacity elsewhere and floral minerality from another part of the region. How does one choose? In the end, the ultimate decider had to be quality, whilst giving a good representation of the overriding characteristics of the Meunier grape. All of the champagnes we have selected for our spring collection have the lovely fragrance, soft musty bitterness and subtle fruit we have come to expect from a good Pinot Meunier, combined with the balance, maturity, complexity and elegance needed to be accepted as Real Champagne Club champagnes.

With most grande marques and commentators still discounting Pinot Meunier as a protagonist in its own right, we hope we have managed to find three champagnes to carry a torch for this under-appreciated and often misunderstood grape. Perhaps the misgivings about Meunier come from long-held assumptions: we had heard for instance that Pinot Meunier doesn’t age well, but we found much greater balance, maturity and flavour from aged Meuniers on our travels. Equally it became clear that without careful treatment it’s hard to attain the maturity and power of Pinot Noir or the finesse of Chardonnay with this grape. But perhaps the greater appreciation of Meunier lies in the hands of those who are willing to push the boundaries a little, just like the three wonderful new producers with have found for spring.

So if you would like to taste the fine examples we have selected for Spring, you can join us on Friday 6th March in London’s Covent Garden and make your own mind up about this elusive grape.

We hope to see you there.

PS. We have frozen our early bird ticket price too, so they are just £40 instead of £45!

Love is in the air….the champagne’s in the fridge….

And if it isn’t, then it should be! February has a reputation for being a bit lovely, a bit sexy and a good excuse to wheel out the romance – even if it is just once a year! That’s right, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching so credit cards at the ready boys!

Now if you are anti-Valentine’s Day, single or otherwise, fear not, there is something of interest in this post for you also! Any occasion is one to indulge in champagne.

We have put together some fantastic selections of champagnes, macaroons and chocolates to get the senses racing whatever you have planned.

If you are looking for a quiet night in, with a nice, sophisticated bottle to enjoy over dinner, then you should most definitely have a gander at our stunning Dame Noire from the Boulachin Chaput house in Arrentieres, Aube. This 100% Pinot Noir champagne is from the 2006 vintage and is warm, inviting and earthy, with a nose of golden syrup, dried fruits and honey and intense flavours of dark red fruits. It is great before or during a meal – hell, you could even have it after, why not! And it is dressed in a stunning bottle.

If you are looking for a little pre-and post-dinner treat, or just a pick me up, maybe our champagne and truffles gift set is the way to go for you?  A half or full-sized bottle of artisan champagne, paired with 12 sumptuous and rather boozy champagne truffles, all dressed in a beautiful gift box. The truffles are rolled in chocolate flakes to add to the indulgence. And you get to choose from a variety of champagnes.

And now on to something a little more teasing…our brand new popping candy macaroons. A pimped up version of the traditional macaroon to leave a lasting and fun sensation on the tongue. Paired with a beautiful bottle of artisan champagne to add to the fizz! The macaroons are vanilla flavour and are delivered in a lovely little gift box. Ooooh our tongues are tingling at the thought:

Finally, as if they weren’t exciting enough, you might also like to try one of our special champagnes from our “Lovers” Collection from the Jean-Jacques LAMOUREUX vineyard (that’s French for lovers by the way). You can see them and the rest of our range here.

Whatever your plans are for the 14th February, make sure you invest in some decent champagne and have a great time! We will be dining at Chez Max in Epernay, a fabulous little bistro. Can’t wait!!

Lots of love,

Real Champagne 

The Mystery of Meunier

Well, this post is a little later than we had anticipated for 2015 – things have been unusually busy for January. Not only have we been working hard getting orders out to our lovely customers, we have also been planning for the year ahead – more news on that to come.

We have finally selected our theme for the first champagne tasting of 2015 – “The Mystery of Meunier”. This is a much misunderstood grape variety, not just by the consumer, but also by many winemakers, who often only use it in small quantities to round off their blended cuvées.

Meunier is a black-skinned grape, like its cousin Pinot Noir, but its characteristics are very different. Pinot Noir likes warm weather and clay-like soils similar to that found in the Aube, in the south of champagne. Pockets do grow in the Marne as well in the parcels of land with the right micro-climate. Pinot Noir is sensitive to rot through excessive rain, so growers have to cultivate it with care. It is also prone to frost bite (just like us) and if a cold spell hits at the wrong time, an entire crop could be wiped out.

This is where Meunier differs – it has special powers and can regenerate up to 70% of its growth in the event of frost or hail damage. It is a hardier, more robust variety, but much more difficult to work with than Pinot Noir – one of the reasons many winemakers don’t cultivate it in vast quantities. It has also long been regarded as a lower quality grape, with less ageing potential than the others.  With our spring selection, we will be investigating whether or not this is the case and opening the discussion up to our followers, as well as providing other facts about this particular cépage.

For our inaugural tasting of 2015, we will be looking at 3 majority Meunier champagnes, so our guests and Club Members can experience the unadulterated taste of this fascinating grape variety. We will also have other champagnes available to try, as standard, allowing for an interesting comparison between the aromas, flavours and structure of the wines.

This is sure to be an educational and eye-opening experience. Next week we hit the road on our mission to source the spring champagnes – we are so excited!!

If you would like to share our new finds before they are launched to the public, you can join us for the preview tasting – details below:

Spring 2015 Champagne Tasting

We will gather in the impressive Barrister’s Court at Brown’s Courtroom in the heart of London’s Covent Garden. The address is:

82-84 St Martin’s Lane
Covent Garden
WC2N 4AG

Time: 7.00pm-9.30pm
Date: Friday 6th March 2015

Seasonal canapés will be provided and a pre-theatre menu is available to enjoy before the tasting if you wish. Full details can be found by clicking on the image above. We hope to see you there and if you can’t make it, we look forward to sharing the feedback with you in due course.

Happy drinking 🙂

How well can artisan products really work together?

We have officially launched our 2014 gift range to kick start the festive season! Much research was carried out into the different gift options available on the market and it has to be said, we were quite surprised at the general lack of interesting and different champagne gifts on offer.

A bottle of Veuve Clicquot in a cardboard box (branded of course), Lanson in white and pink bottles and bottle holders, maybe some Belgium chocolates or other generic confectionery is thrown in for an extra treat! For a nation whose interest in wine, champagne and artisan products has boomed in recent years, it is amazing that we do not see a greater variety of unique gift options that give consumers the chance to enjoy new taste experiences.

The advantage for smaller entities is their ability to adapt to the market quickly and they can therefore launch new product lines fairly promptly in comparison to their major counterparts. As our focus is very much on giving customers new experiences when it comes to tasting champagne, we thought it would be great to combine this with other artisan retailers to show how well our respective products can complement each other – not just pairing for pairings sake, but actually looking for products that will go together.

Whilst we do offer the usual gift boxes and champagne and flute sets, we have tried to broaden our horizons by adding interesting new collections to the range. Year on year we see the same things offered to customers – it seems many retailers use what is easily available to them (i.e. gift sets from a big brand available through large UK distributors at a low price). Whilst this is good for customers in the sense that they can often get hold of such items at a good price, it does mean that eventually, they may be forced to look elsewhere, perhaps to other industries or even countries to find something truly different.

Rémy Massin Tasting Set

For our close followers, you will have noticed our recent partnership with Hampshire-based chocolatier Mick Collins of Chocablock Ltd, who set up his business just a few months ago. His chocolates use only the finest ingredients and are intense in flavour, which works very well with champagne, especially the more powerful styles. Chocablock takes care not to add too much sugar to their chocolates, therefore making them an ideal match for dry champagnes, as well as the sweeter varieties.

Another of our new partners, Flavour Tastings and Events, Haslemere’s cheese experts, provide us with a selection of locally produced cheeses. Their aim is to give people a better understanding of the origins and production process of cheese, the diversity available and the superior quality of artisan varieties compared to supermarket/mass-produced versions. Through their network of small cheese producers, they are able to offer an impressive variety of styles, which again fosters fantastic pairings with artisan champagnes.

Customers can choose specific flavours of chocolates, cheeses and macarons via our website, www.real-champagne.com, for which an appropriate style of champagne will be selected or recommended by one of our team for the ultimate pairing. In addition to the individual gifts available, these, plus other small producer items have been packaged into courier-friendly wooden hamper boxes in a variety of sizes, which make fantastic foodie (and drinkie) gifts.

Champagne Hamper

Whilst our gifts will certainly not be the cheapest available this year (we are the only retailer of many of our brands and import direct), we are looking to attract those customers who really value the origin, quality and heritage of their purchases and for foodies looking for new and interesting food and drink combinations that they won’t necessarily have tried before. And when you look at what you get for your money in real terms, we are confident our customers will agree we offer fantastic value.

So if you or someone you know is looking for something truly different this year and for new taste sensations, why not try one of our new artisan gifts?

If you’ve seen really interesting food and drink ideas, please do share them with us, either here or via our Facebook page (link on right).

Happy indulging 🙂

It’s a game changer…

That’s right, the next champagne in our autumn collection is a serious contender – one that will divide the crowd. It pairs perfectly with rich game dishes such as venison or pheasant.

Do you believe that two are better than one? That the perfect pairing work in harmony with each other?

Perhaps you’re one of those who thinks that the good things in life come to those who wait…Or maybe you think that some pills are less bitter to swallow when taken with a good meal…

Whatever your philosophy, this sophisticated pairing is a complex beast. It looks classy, mature, well-educated, but boy does it knock your socks off. The perfect marriage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, aged for a period of 7 years, this little number should not be taken lightly.

From Regis Corniot, Montgueux

For some it will be too much to bear, at least in one evening, whilst for others, it will be indulged in heartily, maybe even over a good supper.

The perfume this time is more intense, starting light, but developing into a spicy, musty scent. Intriguing.

Intimidated? Why not give it a go paired with a game dish such as venison sausages, sauerkraut and onion gravy? Or how about pan-fried venison with Blackberry sauce? Add some spice to your life! Take some time, get to know each other…

Fancy it? Don’t miss out on this unique encounter for just £35 or £185.00 for a case of 6. Find out more here.

PS. If you prefer more of a gathering, why not try the others in our autumn range? Find out more here.

Autumn Leaves & a brimful of bubbles

On Friday 5th September, we launched our latest seasonal collection at the prestigious Lansdowne Club in Mayfair. Steeped in history, it boasts one of the best social and leisure scenes in London. Since we continue to provide some of the best grower champagnes we can find, it seemed like a good fit.

This season we selected our newly explored “Champagne Island” – the towering hill West of Troyes named Montgueux. Little known or discovered by the British, given its “off the beaten track” location, this island is home to an incredible micro-climate, creating a style of champagne that we have not come across elsewhere.

Montgueux – 7km to the west of Troyes

Despite technically being part of the Aube, where one finds clay soils and majority Pinot champagnes, the terroir here is more the kind you would expect in the Marne, with chalky soils. But even in Montgueux it is different still, thinner to allow optimal drainage and maximum absorption of nutrients. Vines are planted from North to South for the best exposure to the sun. Champagnes from this village produce minerally yet powerful majority Chardonnay champagnes. The Chardonnay here is rich, smoky and full bodied, even with a younger wine, with aromas of autumn leaves and crisp, sunny days. An interesting comparison with the same variety from the Aube, which tends to be softer, with flavours of exotic fruits. The area is likened to Montrachet in Bourgogne, which has a similar isolated position and perfect conditions for fantastic Chardonnay wines. Unlike Montrachet, Montgueux also produces Pinot Noir – but not as we know it. These wines are much more powerful then elsewhere in the region – deep, earthy, musty and strong. When blended with Chardonnay, they work together in perfect harmony to create the most intriguing of champagnes.

Vines of Montgueux, separated alternately by strips of grass to further help drainage, reduce the risk of rot and encourage natural pest control

Our guests on Friday tried three champagnes from one vineyard in Montgueux, both 100% Chardonnay and a blend and all were fascinated with the variety despite relatively small differences in production technique. What was interesting was to see how the wines changed, developed and even improved with time in the glass. One of the champagnes received fairly low marks across the board on the first run. The second time around, pretty much everyone increased their scores and many were encouraging others to try it again “just to make sure”! They were pleased they did. Someone even suggested making jellies from it the taste was so good. We like this idea! And here lies the beauty of the work we do! The magic that unfolds when tasting champagne.

Our newest additions will be officially released soon. If you have been to Montgueux, what did you think of the champagnes? If you were stuck on an island, which champagne(s) would you take with you??

I know which I would choose…

Happy exploring!

Real Champagne