Pol Roger’s vineyards Photo © Pol Roger; Duval-Leroy’s Femme de Champagne Brut Grand CruChampagne
Blancs Brut Grand Cru made entirely of Chardonnay grapes and fermented
with the Lallier leaven while the house has brought out a Grand Rosé
Grand Cru for the holiday season this year made with Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay grape varieties and also fermented with the Lallier leaven.
Meanwhile, Vertus is home to one of the last independent and family-
owned houses of champagne, Duval-Leroy founded in 1859 and now
in its sixth generation. The house creates exceptional champagnes
blending together savoir-faire and elegance. Elaborated using traditional
methods, the grapes used in the house’s champagnes emanate from
organic vineyards. For the holiday season Duval-Leroy has brought out its
Femme de Champagne Brut Grand Cru, refined, delicate and filled with an
aromatic complexity.
Also nestled in the heart of Vertus is the Maison de Champagne Paul
Goerge, which has just brought out its vintage champagne Lady 2007
that was aged for nine years and was elaborated entirely with Chardonnay
grapes from the old vine plants of Vertus in the heart of the Côte des
Blancs growing region. “2007 is an atypical vintage, one of the rare ones in
Champagne when the harvest began in August,” explains Johan Jarry, the
house’s cellar master, “The spring was particularly hot followed by months
that were particularly gloomy and rainy, the harvest was small but the
quality of the vintage is remarkable.”
Just outside of Epernay in the beautiful village of Damery the independent
house of Champagne Jean-Nöel Haton has been elaborating fine
champagnes in a region that is part of a natural park. The house’s
champagnes are marked by the Elégance range, which is made up of
three champagnes, the classic, a rosé and the Brut Réserve all aged for at
least two to three years. And for connoisseurs there is the Cuvée Vintage
Extra 2005 elaborated with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
One of the epicentres of champagne-making Epernay is home to some
of the most venerable houses like Pol Roger, who holds a Royal Warrant
from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and whose Brut Réserve Non Vintage
was served at the reception following the wedding of Prince William
to Miss Catherine Middleton. And this year for Christmas and New
Year’s celebrations, the house is featuring the Brut Réserve elaborated
in equal quantities of the three grape varieties used in champagne
making, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and boxed with two
champagne flutes. Also on the menu is the house’s Sir Winston Churchill
2006 vintage, a fine companion to a perfectly roasted capon.Perrier-Jouët is another mythical name on the Champagne horizon.
Founded over two hundred years ago in Epernay in 1811, the house
is located on the fittingly named Avenue du Champagne. The house
possesses some of the finest vineyards in the Côte des
Blancs growing region, and although its champagnes
have always been marked by Chardonnay, this year for
the first time, the house has brought out a Blanc de Blancs
100 percent Chardonnay champagne for the holiday
season ensconced in a gift box with two flutes delicately
decorated with anemones.Meanwhile, there are some fine
places right in Paris to enjoy a wide
range of champagnes. The Les
Ambassadeurs bar at the Crillon
has no less than 200 champagnes
on the menu and features 100 craft
producers alongside the leading
names in Champagne. Head wine
steward Xavier Thuizat works with
young producers as well, all of whom
he has met personally. The ambiance
is muted, elegant yet warm in this
bar, which is located in a room that is
listed and dates from the 18th century.Pol Roger’s vineyards (above) and Duval-Leroy’s Femme de Champagne Brut Grand Cru (below)