Recap - Chartogne-Taillet Dinner

Edouard Bourgeois
July 14, 2022

Shortly after he took over the family business at age 23, Alexandre Chartogne became one of the elite Champagne growers, focusing on single vineyard cuvées that reflect terroirs with outstanding accuracy. After he interned at famed Domaine Jacques Selosse, then under the guidance of grand master Anselme, he embraced the complex (to say the least) philosophy of this guru who naturally became his mentor. Testing various vessels from concrete eggs to used barrels from his friends in Burgundy, Alexandre makes it a point to work in the most traditional way possible. While he doesn’t care about an organic certification, his farming is recognized as a model of environmental awareness and understanding of the terroir.

Merfy, the small village where he and his ancestors have been growing vines since the late 15th century, is not the most famous. Yet thanks to Chartogne’s hard labor, this commune in the Northern Montagne de Reims has been revealed through his single cuvées that savvy sommeliers around the world strive to adorn their cherished wine list with.

The expertly prepared cuisine of Momofuku Ko paired magically with these fine Champagnes.

Here are my notes:

Opening with a glass of “Heurtebise” for the “welcome glass”, this cuvée, made entirely from Chardonnay from the 2016 harvest, delivered exquisite freshness.

Festivities continued with a flight of two vintages of the blended cuvée “Sainte-Anne”. 2014 offered mouth-watering acidity with irresistible shortbread and pastry aromatics, while the 2010 vintage, served out of a magnum, seemed creamier and extremely refined. We closed that flight with “Saint-Thierry” 2016, a blanc de noirs loaded with red fruit and spices.

We moved on to the second flight with two Pinot Meunier cuvées from the sandy site of “Beaux-Sens” from 2011 and 2013. Note that this cuvée was only produced in these two vintages and also 2014. Hazelnut was the unanimously chosen flavor profile to describe these two wines. I did find that the 2011 expectedly showed the vegetal character of that difficult vintage, with notes of green asparagus. The 2013 appeared much sweeter. Two other wines were poured in parallel: “Couarres” 2017 and 2010. While the young and solar 2017 exploded with energy and panache, the 2010 revealed a hint of oxidation, tertiary aromas reminiscent of mushroom and forest floor. “Couarres” is a rich clay site planted with a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The final proportion in the wine depends on the vintage but tends to be equal parts.

Ko’s must-have fried chicken was partnered with a vertical of “Orizeaux”. This pure Pinot Noir cuvée is truly magical. Planted in 1970 on a mount that is both exposed south and north tends to produce an atypically rich wine for the village. Alexandre talks at length about the importance of working with old vines so they can dig deep to reach the chalk. In his words, the plant needs at least 15 year of age to go through the thick top layer of sand and extract the complex DNA of the terroir. “Orizeaux” 2016 was gorgeous, once again bursting with small red fruit aromas. 2012 was marked by a firm acidity and I was happily surprised with the 2011. Its complex minerality made me forget the quite unpleasant green notes the vintage often gives. Great job!

Finally, we ended on a high note with the last three wines. The oldest cuvée of the night, also the only one Alexandre Chartogne didn’t make (he was 13 years old then) was a 1996 vintage. Despite my research, I couldn’t find any information on this wine. I found it to be quite flashy and with a strong personality but quickly fading. It was not the wine of the night for anyone but certainly an interesting comparison of style. The wine of the night may have been the superb “Les Barres” 2015 which in my notes received the three-letter adjective “wow”. The ungrafted Pinot Noir from that site was planted in 1952 and clearly had the shoulders to match the juicy strip loin we served with it. It had notes of earl grey and almost a red Burgundy quality to it. Truly memorable. Finally, we went back to Orizeaux with the 2010 vintage. It appeared much fresher than the “Couarres” from the same year, served earlier that night. Although made entirely from Pinot Noir, I found aromatic descriptors I would usually attribute to a white wine such as “tarte au citron meringuée”, a shortened pastry base filled with lemon curd and topped with meringue. The acidity was piercing through a delicious, sweet core of exotic fruit.

What's Pressoir Drinking?

April 6, 2022
by Daniel Johnnes

Dom Perignon 1955

Our very own Raj Vaidya came across a bottle of Dom Perignon 1955 and very considerately thought of bringing it to share with me in recognition and celebration of my birth year.

After several attempts to find the time and place to open it we finally brought it to Runner Up, the fantastic gem of a restaurant owned by Daniel Eddy in Brooklyn. Daniel has several exciting projects opening in Brooklyn this spring and summer so keep an eye out. He also happens to be baking the best bread in New York right now!

So we settled down at our high stool table and we handed the bottle to the waiter to open it. He apparently pulled the cork with no problem and poured an ounce or so into my glass, giving me the honors. The small sample had a deep golden color with a hint of orange and browning. As he filled the other glass, you could see it was quite deep tawny, suggesting the wine had passed its time.

The first nose suggested oxidation but not fully Sherry-like. I found hints of baked apple, spice, a touch of VA but not altogether off-putting as it’s color might have suggested.

The pleasant surprise came when tasting it. Often the color and aroma is a precursor to what to expect and the taste only confirms the clues offered by the visual and aromatic markers. This wine still had sweet, ripe, clean fruit, good balance and was much more youthful than expected. There was barely a hint of effervescence.

We kept going back to it and all at the table kept commenting, “hey, it’s pretty good”. It was tasty yet we rather quickly suggested moving on to the Dauvissat Chablis Grand Cru Preuses 2017. Brilliant, saline, soft, with a mineral backbone and even better after twenty minutes while the DP started to fade away.

Having gone to the gym that day, I felt compelled to say to Raj, “Thank you for the beautiful bottle but some ‘55’s are aging better than others” :)

SCENES FROM THE SOMMELIER SCHOLARSHIP TRIP TO CHAMPAGNE (Part Deux)

Wednesday, February 23

by Raj Vaidya

As Max mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we have been hard at work formalizing our new 501(c)3 organization called the Sommelier Scholarship Fund. Last week I had the pleasure of hosting (and chauffeuring) 4 young sommeliers on their first trip to the region of Champagne, and it was an absolute blast! I have always said that I’ve learned much more about wine by standing next to a barrel than from reading any book on the subject, and these four scholars really had a crash course in their education on Champagne…

I was joined by Peter Liem and Pascaline Lepeltier to introduce the region in all its splendor. With Pascaline piping in often with astute questions and Peter providing context and critical direction during and in between visits, we had the chance to really dig into the subjects that are at the forefront of Champagne winemaking and viticulture, for example the rise of organic farming and the use of dosage in crafting the balance of these wines.

It was the first trip to Champagne for each of them, and so maybe the best part for me was watching them discover the people of the region, from the easy rapport enjoyed with Mathieu Billecart, to a conversation that swung from lees aging to hip hop music with Fred Panaiotis, and their wide eyes at the spectacle of Pascal Agrapart sharing a 1991 Cuvée Mineral or Vincent Laval disgorging a bottle for us to taste ‘ala volé’.

We shared a number of our photos and experiences on our new social media channel @sommelierscholarship, if you don’t already follow us there, please do! We will continue to chronicle more as we delve into our mission to educate via experience and human exchange…

To recap Max’s report from last week; the scholars were:

Femi Oyediran - Graft Wine Bar, Charleston SC
Luis Garcia - Per Se, New York NY
Ryanna Kramer - Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder CO
Dwight Alexander Phyall - Roots Fund Scholar

and we visited:

Champagne Moussé-Fils, Cuisles
Champagne Tarlant, Oeuilly
Champagne Agrapart, Avize
Champagne Pierre Péters, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier, Vertus
Champagne Salon / Champagne Delamotte, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Henriot, Pierry
Champagne Billecart-Salmon, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Philipponnat, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Ruinart, Reims
Champagne Bérêche & Fils, Ludes
Champagne Georges Laval, Cumières
Champagne Chartogne-Taillet, Merfy

Interested in supporting the Sommelier Scholarship Fund? Email us.
The Sommelier Scholarship Fund is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law.

Scenes from the Sommelier Scholarship Trip to Champagne

Friday, February 18

You may have seen our announcement that our “Sommelier Scholarship” trips and activities we have been hosting for a number of years are now officially organized under a new 501(c)3 organization called the Sommelier Scholarship Fund.

Our first trip under the umbrella of the new organization is underway in Champagne! Raj has joined Peter Liem and Pascaline Lepeltier in guiding four well-deserving sommelier scholars through the region, visiting some of the top producers.

It is the first trip to Champagne for each of them, and it is such a rewarding experience for us to bring the terroir and winemakers to life for the scholars, who have great passion for the wines that grew through much tasting and studying at home in the US.

This trip’s scholars are:

Femi Oyediran - Graft Wine Bar, Charleston SC
Luis Garcia - Per Se, New York NY
Ryanna Kramer - Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder CO
Dwight Alexander Phyall - Roots Fund Scholar

They are visiting:

Champagne Moussé-Fils, Cuisles
Champagne Tarlant, Oeuilly
Champagne Agrapart, Avize
Champagne Pierre Péters, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier, Vertus
Champagne Salon / Champagne Delamotte, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Henriot, Pierry
Champagne Billecart-Salmon, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Philipponnat, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Ruinart, Reims
Champagne Bérêche & Fils, Ludes
Champagne Georges Laval, Cumières
Champagne Chartogne-Taillet, Merfy

Interested in supporting the Sommelier Scholarship Fund? Email us.
The Sommelier Scholarship Fund is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law.

What's Pressoir Drinking? (Turkey Day Edition...)

November 25, 2020

Raj Vaidya - Ulrich Stein, Riesling Kabinett Feinherb 2013

I’ve long been a proponent of drinking whites with fowl rather than leaning into the habit of picking a red, and while I think turkey is a pretty blank canvas for pairings, I like to pay more attention to pairing wines with the rest of the spread on the Thanksgiving table. With the smokiness of the sausage in my stuffing (shamelessly purchased from Restaurant Daniel rather than making it myself), the grilled squash I plan to serve and the sweet and salty cranberry jelly, I like to drink a slightly off dry Riesling from Germany, so I’ve picked one of my favorite producers, Ulrich Stein’s Kabinett Feinherb from 2013. Delicate, super mineral, with the weight of a feather and the palate reminiscent of rainwater, the perfect wine for tomorrow’s festivities…

Justine Puaud - Domaine Huet, Vouvray “Le Mont” Sec 1993

I always love to pair poultry with a juicy and elegant Pinot Noir. But this year I will go for something different. We chose the wine based on the stuffing. For this Thanksgiving holiday, we will stuff the turkey with raisins, prunes, nuts and a little bit of foie gras (as always!!!) and decided to open a Chenin from Domaine Huet Vouvray “Le Mont” sec 1993. I bought this bottle from our good friend James of restaurant Popina. My husband and I are Chenin lovers and are looking forward to discovering it.

For many wine insiders, Le Mont is one of Vouvray’s greatest vineyards. Some people even say it is indisputably a Grand Cru vineyard. With age, Le Mont develops strong perfume, great length and finesse. The richness of this age worthy Chenin Blanc will pair perfectly with the dry fruits in the stuffing and the saline aromas and notes of petrol will go superbly with the foie gras. My mouth is already watering….

Max Goldberg Liu - Domaine Didier Fornerol, Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge “La Rue des Foins” 2013 en magnum

While our Thanksgiving table will be a bit smaller than usual this year, the wines we drink can give back some of the warmth of being with family and friends. I’m looking forward to sharing this magnum from a winemaker friend, Didier Fornerol - it’s more generous and fruit-driven than many 2013 Red Burgundies I’ve had, but still has the vintage’s trademark cranberry or grapefruit-like tanginess that I think will be a great foil for the turkey.

J

aime Dutton - Champagne Chartogne-Taillet Les Barres Extra Brut

As I was picking out wines for our Thanksgiving  festivities, I went straight to Champagne this year. Not just for the celebratory moment of the holidays but because I love Champagne and I love the wines of Alex Chartogne and I cannot wait to pop this bottle tomorrow! This year we will just be 6 at our table and 2 of them prefer sparkling cider, so I am very happy that I will be able to enjoy this Champagne not only at the start of the evening but also when we sit down to the table.

As our plates are filled with turkey, stuffing, fresh Cape Cod cranberry sauce, sweet potato and squash all doused in gravy, I can imagine there is nothing better than enjoying more than a glass of Chartogne’s Les Barres.

This bottle is from the 2011 harvest and is 100% Pinot Meunier.

Eléonore Lafarge - Domaine Trapet, Gevrey Chambertin 2017

I will celebrate my first Thanksgiving this year. Since this is a time to enjoy with your family, I wanted to feel like I was at home during these festivities, so I decided to drink a Gevrey Chambertin from Domaine Trapet from 2017. My family has always been close to the Trapet family, so enjoying a bottle of Trapet always makes me feel at home.

I am going to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving menu, so this bottle should pair perfectly with the turkey. I am already hungry and thirsty when I think about tomorrow!

Daniel and Sally - Domaine Simon Bize, Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru Les Guettes 1993.

Our small family gathering this Thanksgiving will enjoy a magnum of Domaine Simon Bize, Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru Les Guettes 1993. Not only will the wine pair perfectly with the flavorful heritage turkey raised by our neighbor upstate but it is another way of giving thanks to friends and family. Patrick Bize was one of my dearest friends in Burgundy and this wine will remind me of how thankful I am to have known him and enjoyed so many great times with him.

Edouard - Domaine de la Grand’ Cour Fleurie Lieu-dit “Champagne” Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2017 from Dutraive

For those who know me, my wine choice for Thanksgiving may not come as a surprise. Yes, I love Beaujolais. An often, this wonderful wine is considered the best companion for turkey, so I couldn’t resist. I’ve been wondering how the cliché of Beaujolais for Thanksgiving was born. Is it because of timing? Probably. Beaujolais nouveau is celebrated on the 3rd Thursday of November while Thanksgiving happens the week after. Or perhaps people found out that a juicy, delicious Gamay was the perfect answer to an often dry bird meat (not everyone masters turkey roasting like Julia Child…). Anyway, for me, Beaujolais has its place on the table everyday, with arguably all sorts of food, if any!

The wine pictured here was made by winemaker Jean-Louis Dutraive, an incredibly generous and talented man I had the chance to visit him at his domaine in Fleurie, Beaujolais. I was also around when, during a Paulée in NYC a few years ago, he opened some of his old bottlings from the 1990’s and the crowd, sipping on Pinot Noir from DRC and Chardonnay from Leflaive, dropped their jaw as they experienced the incredible freshness from such old wines, and on top of that, from Beaujolais!

Jean-Louis’ wines are easy to recognize among others. First, simply by looking at their robe. Because they’re never filtered nor fined, they usually appear slightly cloudy, with an intense light ruby color splashed with hints of fuchsia. I found his wines to always be incredibly expressive, almost exuberant at times. Aromatically, I guess the name of the appellation “Fleurie” has the psychological power to suggest scents of flower but I do find the aromatic palette to be loaded with violets, tulips and roses. The smell of wine may be called “bouquet” for a reason.

Whenever I serve Beaujolais to my guests and friends, I really enjoy watching them take a sip and immediately see an irresistible grin light up their face.

Guess the Label - La Fête du Champagne edition

In honor of the upcoming Fête du Champagne, test your knowledge of Champagne and Guess the Label!

Post your answers in the comments section below.

What's Pressoir Drinking? Champagne Dhondt-Grellet, "Les Nogers" 2013

September 8, 2020
by Max Goldberg Liu

At what point does a pairing become a classic? Some foods and wines are just a perfect match, even if their cultural origins are very different.

Fried chicken and Champagne is one such pairing for me.

For my family's Labor Day fried chicken (Bon Appetit's recipe - boneless thighs dry-brined for a few hours, coated in spices, soaked in buttermilk, dredged, and shallow fried) I decided to open this bottle from one of my favorite producers, Champagne Dhondt-Grellet.

Located in the tiny village of Flavigny (population 165), just east of Avize in the Côte des Blancs, Dhondt-Grellet is a six hectare estate that follows the recent history of many of the small grower families in Champagne - in the mid 80's, couple Eric Dhondt and Edith Grellet decided to stop selling grapes to the large houses and became récoltants-manipulants.

Today, their son Adrien runs the estate, and like so many winemakers of his generation, he is conscientious in his farming, working both organically and biodynamically (though uncertified). The estate's small size allows him to cut no corners.

This particular cuvée has undergone a few name changes over the years. It was originally Millésimé, then Vieilles Vignes Sélectionnées until 2011, and since 2012, Adrien has bottled it as Les Nogers to pay homage to the lieu-dit in Cuis (another example of the shift in focus towards terroir-centricity by this new generation).

As a Premier Cru village, Cuis is maybe one of the less heralded villages in the Côte des Blancs compared to some of its more famous neighbors but I find there is a lot of finesse in Cuis, which is often described as producing blanc de blancs Champagnes with a certain "lightness".

Dhondt leans into this style by making Les Nogers entirely in stainless steel. Combined with the concentration obtained from relatively old vines for Champagne (~50 years), this wine has a great amount of precision and cut, despite being from the rich and ripe 2013 vintage, giving aromas and flavors of lemon, white peach, and brioche, along with terrific minerality.

All this to say that it was a knockout pairing with the fried chicken. I particularly enjoyed how the chalkiness plays with the hot pepper in the spice mixture.

I know I am not nearly the first to enjoy this pairing, and with so many people enjoying fried chicken with their Champagne, it's probably safe to call it a "new classic!"

What's Pressoir drinking? Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé

June 13, 2020
By Edouard Bourgeois

The art of blending not only different varietals but also vintages and grapes coming from different villages is, in Champagne, the signature process that defines the style of each Champagne house. Unlike smaller growers, these wineries have access to a large diversity of “Vins Clairs”, enabling them to create, year after year a very similar taste for a given cuvée. I find that one of the best examples of this consistency is illustrated by the famous Brut Rosé bottling of Billecart-Salmon. I have been drinking this Champagne for over a decade and despite vintage variations in the Champagne region, this Mareuil-sur-Ay based house has always been able to maintain the beautiful signature of this very elegant and fresh rosé. It’s a delicious, quaffable wine with an usual high proportion of Chardonnay compared to other Rosé Champagne. The red wine from Pinot Noir grapes that’s blended to give its color is of very high quality. I would recommend the Billecart Rosé for any occasion and there is nothing pejorative about Its “simplicity”.