Jean-Louis Delavenne and his son Jean-Christophe farm 10 hectares in the heart of Bouzy, one of a very few villages in Champagne that can claim Grand Cru status. Located at the foot of the Montagne de Reims these vineyards enjoy nearly perfect southern exposure and yield complex, intensely aromatic pinot noir.
The Brut Rose is a blend of this exceptionally ripe Pinot – from vintages three and four years old – and a small amount of Chardonnay. Dark berry and spice dominate the nose and palate while fine acid and delicate perlage convey the wine’s flavors gracefully. Excellent with richer fish and soft-ripened cheeses.
Regional History
Le Champagne comes to us out of a rich history of changing fashions in wine, devastating wars, king’s coronations, the cork stopper, and verre anglaise, the first glass able to sustain the prise de mousse (pressure of carbonic acid generated by the 2nd fermentation in bottle).
It should be said that the wines from Champagne were first popularized as pale reds in the 16th century. In the 17th century it is unlikely that the fabled Père Pérignon made much other than still wine in his career as meticulous vineyard master at Hautvillers.
The irony of Champagne, the sight of so many of the world’s bloodiest battles, is that it provides the wine synonymous with celebration and friendship. Here Roman legionnaire fought Gallic tribesmen; Attila the Hun, after leveling much of the region, was finally stopped by Theodoric, the Visigoth. The town of Epernay was sacked no less than 25 times in the course of ancient history and through WWII.
Regional Foods
Champagne’s culinary traditions are not complex. Aside from in the Vallée de la Marne, the Montaigne de Reims, and the Côtes de Blanc where chardonnay and pinot noir vines thrive, little else is grown. Hence, the restaurants of Champagne rely on the best traditional foods from elsewhere in France; Charolais beef from Burgundy, black truffles from Bordeaux, foie gras from Toulouse, and salmon from the Savoie, are not uncommon.
Indigenous dishes exist – mostly based on pork, root vegetables and grains – but the cuisine that best expresses the culture of Champagne is haut cuisine. The Champenoise have invented a different style of sparkling wine to suit every nuance of this complex cooking: young, crisp Brut or Brut Nature with oysters, some caviar, and smoked fish; mature vintage Champagnes with dishes involving black truffles, cream sauces & certain rare caviar; Rose Champagne with green herbs, spices, tomatoes, and red meats served rare: Champagne Demi-Sec or molleux with foie gras, cheese plates & sweet reduction sauces.
© 2007 Moore Brothers Wine Company