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CIB Tasting 2009 Part 1: Non-Vintage Champagne

Champagne 2009

Notes from the 2009 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting:

Part 1: Non-Vintage

Part 2: Vintage

March always sees the Champenois ride into town, with the arrival of the annual Champagne roadshow, bringing as usual an array of vintage (tasting notes in part two) and non-vintage wines (notes below) for assessment. This is the fourth year that I have attended this tasting, although this year I organised my time a little differently...and I found the wines to be a little different also.

In previous years a feature of many of the Champagnes on show, particularly when it came to the non-vintage wines, was sulphur. The concern is refermentation, especially after the wines have just been topped up with the liqueur d'expédition (more commonly referred to today as the dosage), a sugar-rich wine for augmenting the just-disgorged bottle. There are plenty of reasons, however, why the addition of sulphur could be reduced in wines such as these; first, disgorgement is effective at removing yeast, and secondly those cells that remain are inhibited both by the depletion of oxygen and nutritional nitrogenous molecules that has occurred, and by the higher concentrations of carbon dioxide and alcohol in the wine, all naturally the result of prior microbial activity. Nevertheless with non-vintage wines it seems customary to add a significant dose of sulphur. I suppose it is understandable; refermentation would be disastrous, and heavy sulphuring provides security. But as these non-vintage wines tend to be rushed to market (or at least to this tasting) after a quick disgorgement and little post-disgorgement ageing, an unfortunate effect of this practice becomes apparent. In short, sulphur stinks.

For many of the wines the aromas of sulphur will fade with time, but I find it does make an assessment of some of the wines difficult. How can one describe whether a wine is floral, fruity, stony or otherwise when the nose reeks of nothing but struck matches and mothballs? This is the first reason why, this year, I decided to spend a lot less time looking at the non-vintage cuvées. The second reason is the inherent and persistent problem of identifying the wine. Let's face it; for the vast majority of the non-vintage wines I taste, once I have left the tasting room the notes are already useless. One bottle of Black Label Lanson looks very much like the next, even though they may be based on different vintages, with different reserve wines, have a different dosage and variable dates of disgorgement. They are, inevitably, different wines, regardless of the generic "consistency of style" spin that the Champagne houses trot out. A Bordeaux analogy; it is a little like trying to assess how a bottle of du Tertre of unspecified vintage will taste by reading a note on a different wine, say Giscours, again unspecified vintage. You might get an idea of the characteristics of the commune, but no more than that. And which of these bottles does my note apply to?

And so my tasting notes for non-vintage cuvées this year make for a very slim volume. I focused on a baker's dozen of wines which were new to me (Bollinger & Krug Rosés), or piqued my interest (Dumangin, Larmandier-Bernier, Gimonnet, Moncuit) or which are in some way identifiable as individual cuvées (Jacquesson's Cuvée 733). Other wines I simply chanced upon, including a couple on which I couldn't even write a note such was their sulphurous malodour. (21/4/09)

Before I get on with the tasting notes, there are older notes available, as follows:

Non-Vintage Champagne - Tasting Notes

Tasted in March 2009. Click to locate stockists.

Non-Vintage Champagne

Bollinger Rosé NV: Current release. A pink, onion-skin hue, and a nose of wet pebbles and strawberry leaves. The palate is attractive, vibrant and rather pure in style, with a clean and firm core of acidity. There is a good polish to this. It needs a few years in my opinion, but could be very good given that time. 15.5-16+/20

Brice Tradition Brut NV: Current release. This has an unappealing nose of sulphur and volatile polystyrene cement. The palate has some good points, namely a rich, flattering fatness, but there is a bitter element to it as well. At best this is interesting. 12/20

Dumangin Brut Cuvée 17 NV: Current release. This is lean, rather herby and peppery, with a little trace of sulphur although this latter element thankfully doesn't come through onto the palate which has a fresh sherbet and cream texture. It is nicely filled out, but bright and firm, with attractive fruits edged with nettles and herbs. 16-16.5+/20

Pierre Gimonnet Cuis Premier Cru Brut Blanc des Blancs NV: Current release. This cuvée, based mainly on the 2006 vintage, has a very pure, direct and rather floral nose. The palate has a fresh and lively character, and integrated but remarkably bright components. It remains fresh, like a stony spring meadow. Overall this is very appealing. 17+/20

Jacquesson Cuvée 733 NV: A very clean style on the nose, attractive and a little perfumed, with chalky yellow fruits. The palate has a lovely freshness, elegant yet full, harmonious and full of flavour. Impressive, broad and mouth-filling. This is very good wine. 16.5-17+/20

Joseph Perrier Brut NV: Current release. This displays overt sulphur on the nose, nevertheless this doesn't carry through onto the palate which is attractive and harmonious. Creamy, slightly exotic and tropical fruit dominates, with gentle acidity. Overall it has an attractive, ripe and open composition. This may come good with time. 14-15+/20

Krug Rosé NV: Current release. This wine has a deep onion-skin hue. The nose is remarkable, full of character, and I though it very typical for Krug, with its polished wood, mature style, in this case tempered by a little blackcurrant leaf and some caramelised fruits. I know that others were not so convinced, though. The palate has an intense, baked apple character over fine definition and a good mousse. A good savoury finish too. 17.5+/20

Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut NV: Current release. This is mainly the 2005 vintage, with a little reserve wine from 2002 and 2004 blended in, and an eventual 5 g/l sugar. The nose has intense, perfumed, rock-dust character, herby-chewy, but overall quite feminine in style. The palate is bright, stony, chalky and hugely characterful. It has harmony, and yet is vigorous and vibrant, with elements of nettle and blackcurrant leaf. There is substance here. An impressive and certainly distinctive wine. 17+/20

Larmandier-Bernier Né d'une Terre de Vertus Premier Cru Non-Dosé NV: Current release. This wine is based entirely on the 2005 vintage, with no reserve wines and zero dosage. Another wine served very cold, so I let it warm a little in the glass. Despite being non-dosé it has a surprisingly honeyed character, although with a perfumed, chalky-herby element too. The palate has a smoky depth, pungent herby minerality, and a little cheesy funk too before a stony-smoky end. Certainly interesting! 16/20

Péhu-Simonet Grand Cru Brut NV: Current release. A slightly acetic note, with dried-confected fruit. At the start an attractive palate though, with a rounded, creamy mousse and good acids. Gentle and feminine in style. There is an acetic character to the flavour here also though. This doesn't appeal. 13/20

Pierre Moncuit Cuvée Pierre Moncuit-Delos Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV: Current release. This has a lean and stony nose, lightly perfumed, with an attractive, feminine style. Soft, rather gentle on the palate, but with well composed mineral edges and a vigorous and fresh acidity later on. This is good. 16.5+/20

Philipponnat Royale Réserve Non-Dosé NV: Current release, based on the 2005 vintage. Lean, chalky and herby on the nose. The palate has a very good, crisp style, although it is a little fuller than I expected for a non-dosé. Firm and well-rounded, a touch tight, and certainly attractive within the zero-dosage firmament. 15.5/20

Pommery Brut Royal NV: Current release. A sulphurous nose here, and this character comes through onto the palate as well. Lively mousse, broad, decent acidity, but it is so laden with protecting sulphur I find it very difficult to judge today. Nevertheless I don't sense great quality here. 13-14?/20