Ohh, champagne. The queen of hype. The name immediately conjures thoughts of wealth, luxury, and celebration. So what is it, anyway?
Well, it is a sparkling wine produced in Champagne which is the most northern of France's wine regions. A bottle typically won't have a year on it unless it is a "vintage blend" from that year. This is because most of the time, the wines are blended from not only different vines but different years as well. Chardonnay grapes are certainly associated with champagne but Pinot Noir and Meunier Noir are used as well. Don't like Chardonnay? Look for a blanc de noirs which will not include Chardonnay. Alternately, if you absolutely love Chardonnay, look for a blanc de blancs which will be all Chardonnay.
"Champagnes are also ranked and promoted by producer, not by any more finely delimited appellation."
Not surprisingly, when you buy a bottle of wine from a big name - Krug, Mumm, Moet & Chandon - a portion of what you're paying is definitely paying for the name on the label, so keep the following in mind: given the choice of a big name brand with no further appellation or an unknown-yet-legitimate champagne with a "premier cru" or "grand cru" label, both for roughly the same price, go for the cru over the name. Also, most people will find a good french sparkling wine just as nice to drink and substantially cheaper but I have heard it said that the best champagnes are in a league of their own.
~The details~
Name: Quatresols-Gauthier
Year: Unlisted
Region: Champagne
Grape/Cépage: 30% Pinot Noir, 40% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 12%
Serving Temp: unlisted
Serving ideas: unlisted
Special notes: Brut. Premier Cru
What we did: Served it at our Christmas Eve Réveillon along with nibbles which included a raw milk Brie de Meaux, a hard cheese laced with truffles, goose rillettes, a paté with foie gras in the centre, my father-in-law's awesome Canadian tourtière, and lots of sweets.
I can't say this one was a surprise. We bought this champagne last autumn during the wine fair at the grocery store under the guidance of a well-informed employee who gave me a good crash course in reading labels and a few samples to taste, so I knew the bottle we bought was going to be good.
I've never been very fond of champagne. I'm not a huge fan of chardonnay either, frankly. A lot of off-dry sparkling wines are so sweet that they get sickly in combination with the bubbles or so dry that the fizz seems to amplify the harsh sourness of the product. It makes finding a pleasant middle-ground challenging. I'm sorely tempted to go seek out a case of this stuff, though. This was floral, fragrant, fruity with a bit of grapefruit but still dry and refreshing. Loved it!
1- Source of quote.
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