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News and Updates from January 2009
The First Issue of The Champagne Warrior
Newsletter is here!
Well, the first issue of The Champagne
Warrior Newsletter is finally here and clocks in at just
over 100 pages of tasty and aromatic info.
If you’d like to request a copy of the first issue for only one
dollar, click here
to go to the Subscribe page. If you
choose to give it a go, I hope you find it valuable and please, let me know
your thoughts.
Also, if you would like to read some of my other
articles on Champagne
and sparkling wine (plus an occasional dally into the still wine world), I
also contribute to the Gang of Pour. Stop by and take a look. You’ll find a lot more than just Champagne and bubbly
from this talented and crazy cast of characters (they have to be crazy to
allow me to contribute).
January 19, 2009
There’s more than meets the eye
 Say the word Philipponnat to any wine
geek and thoughts of Clos des
Goisses instantly enter their head and for good reason. Clos des Goisses is one of the greatest Champagnes and a true
“first growth”, however a high quality producer is more than just a tete de
cuvee and Philipponnat is certainly a high quality producer. It is important for producers to be more
than just a tete de cuvee because tete de cuvee production is often a very
minor portion of what the house produces.
For Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses normally represents between 1-6% of
total production. This means that no
matter how good it is, the house cannot survive on the greatnes of this wine
alone.
Taking the above into account, how
many of you are aware of the high quality of Philipponnat’s other wines? The wines have always been good, but the
last decade has brought the quality level even higher as Charles
Philipponnat’s leadership has made it one of the highest quality producers
across the entire range. I find the
Basic NV Royale
Reserve and Reserve Rosee
cuvees to be wonderful wines for the price.
The Vintage
Brut and Vintage Grand
Blanc (Blanc de Blancs) are solid year after year. If you are in
the mood for a high quality sweeter Champagne that still has character and
complexity, the Vintage
Sublime Reserve is one of the few that fit the bill. And, we can’t forget the pure, luxurious,
mineral driven fruit of the Vintage 1522 cuvees which delight lovers of both low and higher
dosaged Champagnes
while excelling at expressing the house style of Philipponnat better than any
other wines in the range… and look at the price.
I point all of this out to remind
you that there is more to a Champagne producer than just the tete de cuvee
and you miss a number of incredible experiences (and values) if that is all
you choose to explore. After all, the
bread and butter of most Champagne producers
are the lower end cuvees. What
separates the elite from the average is the ability to make high quality
cuvees for a fair price across the entire range. Philipponnat is one of the producers who is
a benchmark for this so please try their NV cuvees and then work your way up
through the range; you’ll enjoy the adventure and make a few new friends.
January 6, 2009
De Sousa releases a new cuvee “3A”
 Top notch recoltant De Sousa Champagne has
just released a new cuvee called “3A”.
This cuvee is named for the villages it comes from which happen to be
the well known Grand Crus of Avize, Ay, and Ambonnay (3 villages that all
start with the letter “A” hence the name).
For 50% of the blend, winemaker Erick De Sousa has taken Chardonnay from
50+ year old Avize vines and fermented it in 225L barriques. Completing the blend are 25% steel
fermented Ambonnay Pinot Noir from vines that are all around 60 years of age
and 25% steel fermented Ay Pinot Noir.
For this wine, De Sousa was looking to create a
high end blend of expression and balance by showcasing an equal amount of
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from some of the best sites. As always, strict selection and attention
to yield were practiced in order to make a wine that has Erick extremely
excited. An Extra Brut dosage finishes
the wine off.
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