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Champagne 2010 Part 1: Non-Vintage Champagne
Champagne 2010
Notes from the 2010 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting:
Part 1: Non-Vintage
Part 2: Vintage
Even at the finest trade tastings held in the most luxurious and exclusive venues - such as the annual Champagne bash in London's Banqueting House, for instance - there's always a good chance that by the end of the day someone, somewhere in the tasting room, will be regretting their decision not to spit. A full day of tasting is not a problem; a full day of drinking, however, inevitably leads to inebriation. The annual Champagne tasting is naturally not immune to this phenomenon, and perhaps it is more at risk than others; it has, after all, a reputation as a tasting at which a great number of the attendees have at best a tenuous link to the wine trade. Many are - and who can blame them I suppose - just out for a good time.
One year ago, at the 2009 tasting, it seemed one attendee was starting early when, shortly after lunch, the tasting room resonated not to the tinkling of breaking glass (which is not an infrequent sound at any tasting) but to the leaden thud of a body, devoid of muscle tone, slamming to the floor. It was an impressive sound, one which silenced the considerable hubbub in the capacious banqueting hall where the hundreds of tasters were gathered. Upon capturing sight of the elderly lady involved this was surprising; she was in fact very slight in build, not the rugby-player or weight-lifter that you might have thought would be required to produce such a solid thump.
Standing
only a few feet away I naturally went to her aid, and it quickly transpired that
the lady was not drunk and had in fact slipped on a wet area of floor.
Thankfully an officious first-aider also appeared, thus saving me from having to
pretend that I had the slightest inkling as to what I should do in such a
circumstance. With a firm grasp of pseudo-medical jargon, and possessing
enthusiasm in spades - the latter perhaps a more valuable attribute than the
former - the first-aider decisively diagnosed both concussion and shock and
summoned an ambulance. And I was free to continue my tasting.
One year on and there was no such drama at the 2010 Champagne Tasting, which is a shame (not a shame for the individual of course!) because this senior citizen's collapse makes a rather pointed analogy for Champagne sales in the UK, which have tumbled in a very similar fashion. The UK remains France's most significant export market, soaking up (quite literally!) well over 35 million bottles per annum. But that rate of glugging (which isn't that amazing really - less than one bottle per head of population each year) can't be maintained through a recession, not even if every banker were to order an extra bottle of Krug with their bonus-fuelled lunches, and thus the Champenois saw sales to the UK fall by 15% in 2009. That equates to 5 million unsold bottles stacking up in the chalky cellars of northern France, compounded first by falling sales in many other markets and second by a huge and healthy crop of grapes in the vineyard. The latter saw the Champenois legislating on production levels for the 2009 harvest; well, there's a glut looming, and you have to keep those prices buoyant somehow, don't you?
Every cloud has a silver lining, and one possible benefit of this Champagne slow-down is that bottles that take longer to reach their final market might actually be ready to drink. Unlikely I suppose, as many newly-released non-vintage Champagnes seem as though they could do with at least another year or two in bottle before they are drinking well, but it might help a little. Last year I did note less overt sulphur in many wines, and this was again the case this year. That might indeed be due to more in-bottle maturation before tasting, or it could just be good luck, or perhaps it simply reflects my self-imposed restriction on tastings of the non-vintage cuvées, principally because tasting notes on non-vintage wines are non-translatable. By that I mean you - the reader - has no idea whether or not the non-vintage fizz you might be considering buying, opening and drinking is the same as the non-vintage fizz I tasted here. Having said that, of course, different disgorgement dates for vintage wines means there is great potential for bottle variation at this level also, so taking this argument to its natural conclusion would mean tasting very little Champagne at all!
That wouldn't be of any use to anyone, so taste I will, although as with last year I have limited my non-vintage notes from this year's slip- and trip-free tasting to a dozen-or-so wines that piqued my interest for one reason or another, and wherever possible I have extracted some information on blend and disgorgement. Although this data will be of no use to the casual drinker, if you are determined enough to discover the identity of your blend (through declared disgorgement dates, cuvée numbers or secret neck-foil codes) then, should the identities match, you can at least compare your thoughts on the wine with my own.
Below are my baker's dozen of non-vintage notes, and notes on the vintage wines will be added tomorrow. (20/4/10)
Non-Vintage Champagne - Tasting Notes
Tasted in March 2010. Click
to locate stockists.
Bollinger Special Cuvée NV:
Lot number L002601 (printed on the neck foil). This wine is a blend of 45% 2004,
45% 2005 and 10% reserve wines. Disgorged September 2009. The nose is clean,
rather reserved, showing gently polished fruit. Good structure to the palate,
with a stylish definition around some good substance. A crisp mousse, fine, and
good balance overall. Very good. The Special Cuvée really is an excellent buy
these days. 17+/20
Bollinger Rosé NV:
Lot number L005004 (printed on the neck foil). This wine is a blend of 45% 2004,
45% 2005 and 10% reserve wines (as for the Special Cuvée) with this
assemblage then augmented with 5% red wine. Disgorged October 2009. This has
a lovely, peachy hue and a restrained, stony nose. Very elegant yet quite
substantial sense to the palate, broad, with a fleshy substance, but also
composed and well delineated. There is style and savoir-faire in spades
here. Delicious wine. 17+/20
Jacquesson Cuvée 733 NV:
This is predominantly 2005 vintage (78% in fact), and comprises 52% Chardonnay,
24% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunier. A lean and rather minerally nose here.
Rather an austere palate, crisply defined structure, steely even. Stony and
upright, certainly much more reticent than any previous tastings. A very good
wine, but less expressive than last year, and with some hard edges. 16.5/20
Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Extra Brut NV: This
is predominantly the 2006 vintage, backed up by 2005 and 2004, and is sourced
from Avize, Vertus, Chouilly and Oger. Dosage just 2 g/l (hence extra brut).
There is a faint but undeniable seam of sweet apple candy here, and I can't get
it out of my head that there is a thin seam of oxidation here too, although the
sulphur use is a lower-than-usual but very adequate 40-ish mg/l. The palate has
a nice substance, creamy and rounded, very dry obviously, and there is more of
that appley note of concern here. Lots of grip at the finish. A characterful
wine, although not one that appeals to me. 13.5/20
Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée Premier Cru Extra Brut NV: This is
one of the very small number of saignée Champagnes, and is always richly
coloured. This comes from 2-3 days of maceration on the Pinot skins which are
stirred to increase colour extraction. The extraction could be achieved over a
longer period with less agitation but Larmandier is comfortable with the current
time period (I personally would be comfortably with less colour and extraction). Dosage 2 g/l again. Deeply coloured, with a very Pinot nose,
in fact I've had some red Burgundy with less substance and character than this.
Slightly medicinal, admittedly, with toffee and raspberry fruit, so it isn't
perfect for my palate. Rounded, fairly soft acidity, dry with just a touch of
tannin, with some grip into the finish. Good but a unique style that will not
have universal appeal. 15.5/20
Mumm Cordon Rouge NV: The base vintage here is 2004, with 25% reserve
wines coming entirely from the 2001, 2002 and 2003 vintages. Dosage 8 g/l.
Lightly chalky fruit on the nose, slightly touched by toffee, overall a nice,
soft appeal. On the palate it has rather obvious fruit and fatness but it is
attractive, although soft and fleshy. Nicely composed. Good for current drinking
rather than keeping I would say. 15.5/20
Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV:
This cuvée is based on the 2004 vintage, the blend being 25% Chardonnay, 35%
Pinot Noir and a considerable 45% Pinot Meunier. The dosage is 11 g/l.
The nose has some attractive fruit, and a good style follows on with the palate,
which has a nice cheesy-biscuity Meunier feel to it. A good, fresh character
with a soft mousse and nice structure from the acidity which is fine. I like
this. 16+/20
Philipponnat Royale Réserve Non Dosé NV: This wine has the 2005
vintage for its base, with 25% reserve wines blended in. It is approximately 40%
Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir and just 10% Pinot Meunier (or thereabouts). It was
disgorged in October 2008. The nose is restrained, with some polished fruit and
a lightly stony edge. Good ripeness can be found on the palate, which has a
vibrant character from the acidity, a soft mousse and overall a nicely defined
and very fresh style. I like that firm acid core; this will do well in the
cellar. 16+/20
Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV:
The base vintage here is 2005, the blend the usual one-third each of Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier, and the dosage 10 g/l. A very pale hue
in the glass, fresh and crisp and feminine in style, followed by a rather rich
and fleshy style on the palate. Quite accessible at present, more so than
expected from that crispy-fruit nose, with a broad and fresh presence of fruit
here, highlighted by a beautiful floral character. Very fine. 17+/20
Roederer Brut Premier NV:
This is based on the 2005 vintage, with 20% reserve wines and 10 g/l
dosage. The blend is two-thirds Pinot Noir and Meunier, one-third Chardonnay.
Made from a mix of purchased fruit (which will have undergone malolactic
fermentation) and estate-grown fruit (which will be non-malo), with 20% in wood
for the first fermentation. The nose has soft and sherbetty fruit with a
slightly smoky edge. The palate is fleshy, with a crisp acidity behind it,
underneath a foamy, white fruit character. It has the fruity approachability of
a wine from a warmer vintage, and at present it still seems very primary and
simple at present though - a year or two for it to come together will probably
work wonders. 16+/20
- See part two for my notes on the vintage cuvées.
