DAYLIGHT SAVINGS WINE
I don’t really have a unifying theme this month, just two great and well-priced bottles to get you through the last of the winter doldrums, or save and pop when more daylight shows up.
The first is a brut rose from Louis Gantinos, who is the 12th generation of his family to grow and make bubbly in the Grand Cru village of Äy, in the Vallée de Marne. Probably best-known as the home of such famous Grandes Marques as Bollinger, Gosset and Deutz, Äy is one of the most important communes in all of Champagne, as its vineyards are all ranked Grand Cru and it is considered one of the very top sources for Pinot Noir in the region. Louis sells a portion of his crop to those big houses, including Bollinger, but with each passing year he is bottling more and more for his own label. Pierre Cheval-Gatinois, Louis's father, was the quintessential Champenois traditionalist and spoke out repeatedly about the potential pitfalls of using new oak in the fermentation and elevage of Champagne, which has been gaining adherents amongst several of his fellow grower-producers in the region. Gatinois remains quite small, producing a mere 3,300 cases each year total, and each bottle well worth seeking out when and if they make it to these shores.
The second is a Blanc de Blancs (or 100% Chardonnay) from Laurence and Charles Baffard, third generation vignerons who have been running their estate, called Bolieu, since 1998. The house’s appellation is a portmanteau of its history, with the ‘B’ taken from ‘Ballard, the ‘O’ representing their immediate predecessors, Lydia and Serge Ortillon, and the concluding ‘lieu’ derived from ‘Bealieu, the surname of their grandparents, Léone and André, the vineyard’s original founders. Bolieu is located in the village of Bassuet, in a remote and less known part of Champagne nearby the town of Vitry-Le-François. Geographically, Vitryat (as the larger area known) is part of the Côte des Blancs subregion, but isolated from the rest of it, lying slightly more than 40 km (25 miles) further to the east. Chardonnay dominates completely here, and the soils are mostly limestone with varying proportions of marl. While 90% of the town of Vitry-Le-Francois was destroyed during the Second World War, its most iconic structure, the Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Collegiate Church, remained standing, if partially damaged. A restoration was completed in 1960 and it is still the largest classical style church in the department.
All this destruction (along with a particularly nasty bout with phylloxera in the 19th century) is presumably why Vitryat remains relatively off the grid (it’s not even on all Champagne maps) today. As far as I can tell, this is the first time we've spotlighted the place in the club as well. If Bolieu is at all indicative of the quality that currently obtains there, we can look forward to many more top notch bottlings in the future.
Sante!
The PlumpJack Wine Team
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Champagne Gatinois Brut Rosé |
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From: Äy, Vallee de la Marne |
About the Winemaker: Nicolas Le Cacheur and Françoise Remy married in 1696, and since then there have been 12 generations on the famous hillsides of Aÿ. Louis Cheval took over the domaine in 2010 after a career as a geologist. He now runs Champagne Gatinois and oversees all stages of production, from the vineyards to the cellars. His is the task of producing a range of champagnes that naturally reflect the real substance, warmth and depth of the family history. As a trained geologist, Louis Cheval could talk to you for hours about the soils and sub-soils that make up the Aÿ terroir. The subtle balance between chalk and limestone in this very special terroir endows the champagne from Aÿ with its prized power and finesse. Assemblage/Vinification: This cuvée is always an “assemblage” (blend) of three vintages, with the majority from the most recent vintage and around 30% of “réserve” wine from the two previous years. To obtain the rosé colour, 7% of still red wine Côteaux Champenois Grand Cru (Pinot Noir) is blended with 83% of Pinot Noir white juice giving a blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. Hand-harvested, the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and spend 36 months aging on the lees before bottling. Dosage: 6 g/L (Brut) Tasting Notes: This is a classic Äy rosé: deep, full-bodied, pure and utterly refined, with notes of wild strawberries, red currants, wheat toast and a lovely base of soil. |
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Winemaker: Louis Cheval |
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Price per bottle / Price per case: $55.99/$604.70 |
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Suggested Food Pairing: Aperitif Charcuterie Seared Atlantic Salmon Duck Breast Creamy Cheeses |
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Champagne Bolieu Fleur de Craie NV |
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From: Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France |
About the Winemaker: Bolieu is located in the village of Bassuet, in a remote and less known part of Champagne nearby the town of Vitry-Le-François. Le Vitryat only covers 1000 acres today and has been largely forgotten after the Phylloxera crisis. Bolieu’s 6.5 ha are mostly composed of Chardonnay planted on S/SW exposed hillsides, anchored in a particular type of chalk with clay inclusion. These characteristics tend to bring an openness in the mid palate and citrus notes to the Chardonnay. All cuvées went through extended aging on the lies: Pépin de Vignes is kept 55 months, Fleur de Craie 77 months, Assemblage/Vinification: This 100% Chardonnay champagne is named after the chalky limestone terroir where the vines, over 40 years of age, are planted. Fermented and raised in a mix of stainless steel vats and oak barrels (15%) before aging on lees for approximately 6 years prior to release. 30% reserve wines added in the final blend. Dosage: 0-12 g/L (Brut) Tasting Notes: The clay-limestone (marl) soil that typifies the region is represented here in the mineral-driven palate that expands to encompass citrus, lemon and white flower as it develops. |
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Winemaker: Laurence & Charles Baffard |
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Price per bottle / Price per case: $63.99/$691.10 |
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Suggested Food Pairing: Oysters, Crab Cakes Potato Soup Pesto Linguine |
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