Is it June yet? Not quite, but in anticipation of the weddings, anniversaries and bar mitzvahs that occur during that period, we feel we should offer our readers a brief primer on Champagne and sparkling wines, which are almost mandatory for any and all festive occasions.
Champagne is a French sparkling wine made by the traditional method of fermenting the wine in the bottle. This is an expensive and labor-intensive process, but the wines produced are exceptional. The soil and the climate of the Champagne district also mark the variety with its distinctive flavor and aroma stamp.
The classification of sparkling wine permits a broad spectrum of manufacturing methods, some good and some bad. In this category, it is best to let price be a factor in determining quality.
There are sparkling wines from California that are easily the equal of Champagne and are priced accordingly because the work put into those wines is the same as that for Champagne. Then there are the wines produced by the Charmat method: fermented and naturally carbonated in bulk, then bottled. This is a less expensive process, but does produce wines of good quality. Finally, there are carbonated wines, which are made bubbly in the same manner as soda pop and are usually very cheap (and often taste that way).
Let’s begin our cruise through the world of sparkling wines with the top of the heap: Champagne. We have tasted many Champagnes in our four decades of writing about wine, including the prestigious Dom Perignon and Crystal, which are, in our opinion, grossly overrated and dramatically overpriced.
No Champagne however, has impressed us more or been a better buy those from Billecart-Salmon.
Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose ($95) The brut rose is a blend of chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir, producing an aroma of black cherries combined with raspberries and strawberries.
These aromas invite the first sip, which features the flavors of berries and peaches. There also is an excellent bread-like flavor that weaves in and out of the fruit. The finish ends in a creamy blast of raspberries.
This is the wine that has remained in our memory, and, with great pleasure, we announce it hasn't changed.
Champagne Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs ($95) It has become a trend among Champagne makers to produce a blanc de blancs (all chardonnay). This blanc de blancs is made from hand-selected chardonnay grapes grown in carefully cultivated vineyards.
What resulted is a creamy elegant wine with a bright and clear daffodil yellow color that begs for the first sip. The aromas are typical of any chardonnay-based sparkling wine, soft summer fruit and flavors with a crisp acid bite and a delicate yeast background. The flavor continues with the citrus and also shows significant amounts of apricots and honey. As one would expect from a chardonnay-based Champagne, this one possess a soft, smooth, velvet-like creamy finish and small, long-lasting bubbles.
It is a wine that bespeaks the true elegance and opulence that only great Champagne can.
Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve ($65) The Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve is not a lesser version of the other two, but rather another variation on the same theme.
This Champagne is made with the same classical grapes used to make Champagne for centuries: chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir. The chardonnay adds elegance, finesse, crispness and delicacy to the finished wine, while the pinot noir contributes body and strength and imparts its incredibly haunting fruit flavors. The pinot meunier acts as a softening buffer between the two other dominant elements, while adding a fresh, young quality to the wine.
There can be no question about it. This is a well-made, sure-to-please Champagne.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
