With an annual production of 6.5 million bottles, Taittinger is the sixth largest Champagne house. It’s family owned (with help from Credit Agricole Bank) and run, and they have 712…
Lunch with Paillard, Solaia and Biondi-Santi
Had a nice lunch in the garden with Robin and Nikolai. I brought Champagne, and they stepped things up a notch with two famous Italians. Champagne Bruno Paillard Assemblage 2009…
Grower Champagne focus: Marie Courtin Résonance Extra Brut
Champagne Marie-Courtin Résonance Extra Brut NV (2014) France 12% alcohol. Dominique Moreau runs the estate – her grandmother was Marie-Courtin. It’s 2 ha in the Aube, and all of the…
Champagne highlights (2)
These bottles were all drunk on the trip. Some great discoveries here – these are all from smaller growers. Champagne Emmanuel Brochet Le Mont Benoit Extra Brut NV France Emmanuel…
Some Champagne highlights (1)
So four and a bit days in Champagne, many wines tasted, quite a few drunk. Here are just a few of my highlights from a few of the producers I…
In Reims
I’m spending a few days in Reims, in order to do some Champagne visits. It’s a lovely city to spend time in, and there are plenty of good options for…
Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2012
Nice to try the new Grand Vintage from Moët. Last release was 2009 in 2017, so there’s been quite a jump to 2012. It’s really good, despite the slightly up and…
Champagne Castelnau Réserve NV
This is an impressive Champagne for the price. Made by the CRVC (www.crvc.fr) a cooperative, this spends six years on lees, which is a long time for an NV Champagne….
Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois NV France
This is an interesting Champagne, marketed on the basis that fermentation is entirely in oak barrels, something that’s very rare for larger Champagne houses. It’s made of Premier and Grand…