This eagerly anticipated event sold out quickly, and we had a full house, welcoming visitors from as far away as Manchester.
This evening offered a rare opportunity to compare back-to-back (or should that be Blanc de Blancs?) Six different vintage champagnes.
We began with Champagne Palmer Blanc de Blancs 2008 priced at £38 per bottle.
- Champagne Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs 2008
This promises to be a great vintage, possibly the best since 2002. The 100% Chardonnay Champagne is clean, fresh with a fine effervescence.
Bright notes of brioche and citrus are immediately noticeable with notes of lively minerality contribute to a decent lengthy finish.
The previous Blanc de Blanc vintages (2006 & 2007) from Palmer have won awards, (2006 winning best vintage Champagne award in Decanter’s World Wine Awards 2012, and the 2007 achieving Gold in 2013) so watch this space for further honours!
Number two was Gremillet Blanc de Blancs Cuvée des Dames 2007 : £27 per bottle
Gremillet Cuvee Blanc de Blanc Cuvee des Dames 2007
This had a slightly fuller mouth feel with honey and floral notes as well as citrus fruit. Less lively and with a fine mousse, a good balance with enough acidity to cut through a creamy sauce. Great value from a consistently good small producer.
Third was the visually impressive Magnum from Launois Pere et Fils Special Club 2005 £70.50
Launois Special Club Pere et Fils 2005
Derived from old vines planted pre-1952, the richer, fuller-bodied wine had well-developed notes of yeast, vanilla, toasted brioche, stone fruits (apricots, nectarine) and a creamy, fuller mouth feel.
Another excellent quality champagne from a small grower.
Larger bottles, such as Magnums, generally provide slower development of flavour complexity due to the lower surface area/volume ratio found therein.
Next was Amaury Coutelas 1809 Vintage 2004 £35.50
2004 Amaury Coutelas ´1809´ 2004
Noticeably fuller bodied again and yeasty, having spent eight years on the lees, also some oak, but not overwhelmingly so. There are floral and citrus top notes.
The Cuvée ‘1809’ is fermented entirely in small oak barrels and comprising selections from the coeur de cuvée (the heart of the pressing – the juice with the most structure and complexity), made with grapes harvested from vines more than 40 years old.
This is a tremendously individual small grower Champagne.
We are fans of this small grower’s range and this 2004 vintage is very impressive – only available in the UL from N&P, it’s great value for money, proving to be very popular with our customers.
Fifth of the night: Moet et Chandon Millesime 1999, £59.99
Moet et Chandon Millesime 1999
From one of the biggest names in the Champagne region, a big wine.
The maturity is showing; some of the lighter, youthful, citrus and floral notes have diminished, in their place are prominent toasty notes of brioche and biscuits.
Also present are aromas of toffee, mocha coffee and fruit such as pineapple.
A very full mouth feel with a long finish.
The wine is assembled from equal quantities of the three grapes. (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) Capable of holding its own with richer foods – chocolate mousse, anybody?
Gosset Brabant Grand Cru Cuvee Gabriel 2004
The final treat of the evening was
Gosset Brabant Grand Cru Cuvee Gabriel 2004 £38.75
This 85% Pinot Noir 15% Chardonnay assemblage produces a full-bodied wine with notes of citrus,green apples, apple tart, greengages, yeast, some red fruits such as sour cherries – very complex, good acidity. The domain is a close neighbour to Bollinger, and the quality of grapes produced is very similar, resulting in a style of champagne that bears comparison with examples from Bollinger, but at a fraction of the price. Great, great value.
What is there not to like about sampling half a dozen different vintage champagnes? A quick reminder that some of these super sparklers are only available in the UK from Nickolls & Perks! Why not treat yourself now?
Next tastings: Thursday, 11th September at 7 p.m. a very special evening – Highland Park & Cocktails with award-winning master bar tender, Wayne Collins! £20.00 per ticket
Friday, 12th September at 7 p.m. Wine & Cheese Pairing Tasting £20.00 per ticket
Click on the links to book, or email James for further details.