A WEEK OF BUBBLES FROM COAST TO COAST

Edouard Bourgeois
November 11, 2022

It was great to see some of you last week and we are sorry to have missed the others. While we look forward to La Tablée this coming week, we wanted to share a few pictures from our team of a successful La Fete du Champagne.

Kicking things off in NYC at the excellent Gabriel Kreuther restaurant. Incredible menu and rare wines from Philipponnat.

Charles Philipponnat and Chef Gabriel Kreuther made everyone feel at home. Raj seems to agree.

Charles Philipponnat introduced us to his son Francois, standing, who already has the energy, humor and professionalism of his father.

The Philipponnats jumped on the plane to continue the festivities on the west coast. Here leading a seminar in LA!

Corinne and Anselme Selosse at my side after an incredible dinner. The wines were on a different planet. So was I…

Once in a life time dinner - Selosse!

Impeccable service from team Spago.

Jacquesson Lunch at Wally’s Santa Monica.

Raj and Peter Liem hard at work.

Probably the most photographed event of La Fete, the “Apéro” on the rooftop of hotel La Peer. The painted skies made for a memorable evening with the perfect music, French disco!

Caviar never fails!

Francois Philipponnat’s Photo Bomb Level: Expert

Not much Champagne left!

Some of the wines tasted during the Vilmart seminar with Laurent Champs and his audience of sommeliers.

Another seminar, around the legendary wine of Cristal.

Every bottle was in perfect condition. Impressive lineup and a very attentive audience.

Rodolphe Peters, starring here at the Grand Tasting, under the Santa Monica sun.

Our team in LA, from left to right:

Jaime Dutton, Dan Swinehart, Max Goldberg Liu, Edouard Bourgeois, Raj Vaidya, Victoire Chabert.

Missing from the picture was Justine Puaud who is heroically taking care of her two babies, her dog and her husband at home!

And of course, Daniel Johnnes and Sally Johnnes. We missed you.

Recap - Champagne and Pizza Dinner

August 25, 2022
Edouard Bourgeois

Champagne is very adaptable when it comes to pairing with food. The naturally high acidity revives the palate and the fruity quality may provide enough power to match with hearty dishes. 

I’ve always thought that there is a true love affair between the cold bubbles and the crispy dough and tomato sauce of the world’s favorite food, pizza.  

I believe that last night’s dinner at Marta proved me right! Here is a recap of my impressions on the different cuvées.

We kicked things off with Lenoble Brut Nature, a champagne that received no dosage at all before bottling. It delivered exactly as expected with crispness and good balance of fruit (75% of Pinots, both Meunier and Noir and the rest being Chardonnay) but somehow flew under the radar a bit, maybe because it was the first wine. This first flight was completed with three Blanc de Blancs, by definition champagne made only with Chardonnay. First, the non-vintage from Henriot, served from a magnum. This is made very traditionally in a way that the complex blend of its dozen crus varies slightly according to the base vintage in order to maintain a “house style” year after year. The third champagne was from A. Margaine, a Blanc de Blancs from the celebrated 2008 vintage. Although this producer is surrounded by Pinot Noir because of its location on the Montagne de Reims, its specialty is in fact Chardonnay. Margaine uses a specific clone of over 30 year-old Chardonnay vines that does really well in their village of Villers-Marmery. No malolactic fermentation here to preserve a certain freshness. We closed the first flight with a zippy magnum of Valentin Leflaive Blanc de Blancs, Mesnil sur Oger, non vintage. With strong roots in the Cote d’Or, the Leflaive family approaches their champagne winemaking the same way they do in Burgundy, focusing on site specific cuvées. Here, this bottling showed a classic expression of one of the most respected villages of the Côte des Blancs, famous for its immaculate white chalk, Mesnil-sur-Oger.

The second flight entered the scene with a boom. Complete change of décor with four vinous, deep champagnes where Pinot Noir was the star of the show. First, a gorgeous bottle of Philipponnat Royale Reserve. It should be mentioned that this is the “entry level” cuvée of the house yet in my opinion, it displays the quality of a top champagne. The blend of 65% of Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and a sprinkle of Pinot Meunier makes for a solid wine, proudly exhibiting the style of Mareuil-sur-Ay. Note, 30% of reserve wines, aged in a solera system, are certainly responsible for the depth of this excellent champagne. The second wine in this flight was served from magnum and one of the many show-stoppers of the night. The majestic Cuvée Louis from Tarlant imposed itself, showing vinosity and savory notes from its age, being from two harvests, 1999 and 2000. Perfectly crafted blend of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the first Cuvée Louis was created in 1982 and is always fermented in Burgundy barrels. No Malolactic fermentation and no dosage. This magnum reminded everyone that champagne is indeed wine. We continued with another magnum of producer Paul Bara, located in one of the most celebrated Pinot Noir villages of the Montagne de Reims, Bouzy. Fermented in stainless steel, this Pinot specialist works with over 30 year old vines and only uses the first and most pure juice that comes out of the press, also known as “the cuvée”. And finally, a true Blanc de Noirs by the great Eric Rodez. This bottling, Empreinte Noire 2009, is a focus of four sites, all within Ambonnay. Eric likes to identify this wine philosophically as an “anti-champagne”. What it means by that is that champagne has a history of blending grapes, sites and vintages but here, he only uses one year, one grape and one village. Again, here the oak plays a great role in winemaking, providing structure and volume and this wine was the favorite of many attendees.

While the irresistible scent of pizza filled the room, we moved on to the last flight, starting with a voluptuous bottle from Fred Savart, cuvée “l’Année” from 2011. Despite the complicated nature of the vintage, the wine’s bouquet of ripe red fruits and juiciness was quite impressive, I found. The blend, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, didn’t go through malolactic fermentation, was aged in large oak barrels, one of Savart’s signature move, and only received 3 grams of sugar/liter at bottling. Great performance. We followed with Pol Roger’s prestige cuvée, the inimitable “Sir Winston Churchill”. Named after the famous prime minister, known for his hedonism and wit, this champagne perfectly matched the quote Sir Churchill would use: “My tastes are simple, I’m easily satisfied with the best.” Crafted only using Grand Crus Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes across the Marne, riddled by hand in the deeper part of the Pol Roger cellars at 33 meters deep, this champagne is a classic. From the gorgeous 1999 vintage, it was full of savory notes, complex spices and a touch of smoky, toasted quality attributed to the long aging. Another prestige cuvée from one of the most recognizable names, Veuve Clicquot, “La Grande Dame” was served next, from the 2004 vintage. A beautiful bottle also made using eight Grands Crus in the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.

We closed this champagne celebration with Delamotte’s newest addition, a delicate, lacy Brut Rosé. Vinified using a expertly managed maceration of Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Tours-sur-Marne, this wine was succulent and could make you forget that Delamotte, sibling of Champagne Salon, is known to be a Chardonnay specialist!

Champagne!

by Edouard Bourgeois
Friday, March 25, 2022

After a month of tasting some of the most exhilarating Burgundies one can dream of during the “Paulées” on each coast of the country, we decided to host a dinner dedicated to the fine bubbles of Champagne. It was a real pleasure to see some of you and for those who couldn’t make it, here is a rundown of my impressions on the event.

We started out with a fresh, clean flight of Blanc de Blancs from three producers. Lassaigne’s pitch perfect cuvée “La Colline Inspirée” is a vibrant wine made from once abandoned vines grown in Montgueux, on a south exposed chalk mount I used to climb, sweating on my bicycle (my hometown is just miles away). The second wine, made by Pasacal Doquet gave a different expression of Chardonnay with more roundness and a creamy texture. This cuvée Pascal named “Arpege” is made from three plots in the Marne: Vertus, Villeneuve and Mont Aime. We closed this brilliant Chardonnay flight with a vintage Champagne. 2008, a year that started on the wrong foot with too much rain but saved by fine weather in August, eventually producing fine, ripe fruit, proved to be excellent in the hands of domaine Margaine. The producer is known for its unique Chardonnay clone, in an area where Pinot Noir is prominent.

The second course, a spicy and intense dish of lentil curry found a great match with a flight of Pinot Meunier, sometimes referred to as Blanc de Meuniers. Tarlant “La Vigne d’Or” delivered power and complexity, thanks to its concentration that its low yielding vineyards dictate. The second wine, from Leclerc Briant was quite similar with no dosage and the use of neutral oak barrels for both the fermentation and the aging. The third Champagne was from the highly sought-after Emmanuel Brochet’s “Hauts Meuniers”, made from a parcel on top of the famous Mont Benoit where vines were planted in 1962. Superb expression with plenty of savoriness, spice mix and density for these great Meuniers.

The restaurant The Dutch is famous for its deliciously crispy fried chicken, a dish that screams Champagne, at least for us at Pressoir... So, we paired three Blanc de Noirs (Pinot Noir) with the bird. First, a perfectly balanced “Maillerettes” from Pierre Paillard, one of the leading producers in the Pinot Noir Mecca of Bouzy. Also from 2008, this wine, aged for 5 years on its lees was sublime. As a wink to a previous edition of La Fete du Champagne where we explored the difference between the terroirs of Bouzy and Ambonnay, we poured a succulent bottle of “Empreinte de Terroir” from Eric Rodez. This 2005 vintage, all from Ambonnay showed tremendous power. We wrapped up the flight with a very unique Champagne, the cuvée “Concordance” from Marie Courtin, in the Aube village of Polisot. I remember interviewing Dominique Moreau during the pandemic for our “At Home Session” series. Dominique, who runs the domaine she named after her grandmother, Marie Courtin is reserved, incredibly humble and a bit shy. The wines she makes however, are always quite flamboyant I find. She calls this cuvée “Concordance” because she will only produce it if everything goes perfectly. Only released in certain vintages, in that case 2013, this Champagne sees no sulfur at all, not even at bottling, and both fermentations are assured exclusively by native yeasts. This was probably my favorite Champagne. I got to taste it after being opened for a while. It was flat by then but the multi-layered complexity was stunning, suggesting aromas of a great red wine, did you say Burgundy?

Although initially planned to be served with cheese, I decided to pour the only still red wine of the night with the chicken. This excellent bottle of Coteaux Champenois, also made by Pierre Paillard impressed everyone. This young red from 2019 was full of life, very expressive and vivid. If the Champagne region can sometimes produce red wines with over-the-top, sharp acidity, this was surprisingly balanced and juicy, a great discovery for many of us at the table.

For cheese, we added a touch of color with a flight of Rosés starting with Cédric Moussé’s “Les Bouts de la Ville”, a rosé de saignée made from the oldest plot of the domaine, a great terroir of clay and sand. The deep ruby color matched the intensity of the rich red fruit aromas. A more pale but excellent bottle of “Elizabeth Salmon” from the renown Champagne house Billecart-Salmon offered a delicate mouthfeel. This 2007, marked by a snappy acidity had nerve and great class due to its long aging, a decade spent quietly on its lees, deep down in the chalky cellar of the Mareuil sur Ay property. Another Champagne house was honored with the last wine of the night. Philipponnat Royale Reserve offered an interesting comparison with the Billecart-Salmon. Based on the vintage 2009 and blended with older vintages according to a Solera system, this warmer year gave a luscious profile to this wine, based on a solid 75% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier blend.

Another great dinner in great company.

What's Pressoir Drinking - Champagne Agrapart & Fils Avizoise 2005

January 12, 2022
by Edouard Bourgeois
I have had few experiences with the Champagne of Pascal Agrapart but they have always been memorable. The superior wines of this producer from Avize in the Côte des Blancs are not easy to find, but always worth the effort.

That bottle of “Avizoise”, a pure Blanc de Blancs with minimum sugar dosage, was very expressive and a great companion for the many different dishes I had that night. It makes you reconsider the belief that Blanc de Blancs should only be paired with lighter appetizers. My wife had cooked a juicy filet mignon of pork that night and with the glazed root vegetables and the rich veal jus, this Chardonnay was a really talented performer.

Among the seven cuvées produced at Agrapart, “Avizoise” is considered to be the most powerful. Pascal Agrapart works with some of the oldest vines in the village and represents the fourth generation to run the domaine, founded in the late 19th century. Amboise Agrapart, Pascal's oldest son, recently joined his father at the domaine. Together they manage nine and a half hectares of predominantly Chardonnay vineyards, the vast majority of which are Grand Cru, in the heart of the Côte de Blancs (primarily in the villages of Avize, Oger, Cramant and Oiry).

Often and rightfully so, these great Champagnes from the Cote des Blancs are compared to the best white Burgundy. Not only do they share the same grape variety, but the soil is somewhat comparable. The bedrock of limestone in Burgundy finds its equivalent in Champagne’s unique chalk, while the various amounts of clay give the final makeup of the soil. “Avizoise” is, not surprisingly, produced from a terroir that is rich in clay, hence its power.

One last element that distinguishes Pascal’s work is the use of large 600 liter oak vessels. Although the use of wood in Champagne is seeing some kind of trend, it is people like him or his revered neighbor Anselme Selosse who really excel in that practice.

The colorful “Avizoise”, a pure Chardonnay from the 2005 vintage, did not disappoint and over delivered considering the vintage where some others lacked acidity.

What's Pressoir Drinking? Memorable Wines of 2021

December 24, 2021
by the Pressoir.wine team

Memorable Wines of 2021

Raj - 197? Coteaux Champenois from A. Margaine

I’ve apparently earned a reputation amongst my friends and mentors in Champagne as being a ‘Coteaux hater,’ not completely undeserved…

Generally, Coteaux Champenois (still wines made from the Champagne region) tend to be too austere for my liking, with soaring acids and not enough richness or phenolic material to balance them out.  On one lovely evening this past summer in Reims, the lovely Mathilde Margaine decided to pour this beauty (uncertain of the exact vintage but dating from the 1970’s) for me blind at the Epicerie Bon Manger.  It truly changed my perspective, the wine was perfectly balanced and nuanced and exceptional.  I learned that Coteaux can be fantastic, just needs 40-50 years to resolve itself :)… 

Cheers and happy holidays, and may 2022 hold more vinous surprises and discoveries for us all.

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Edouard - 1978 Montrachet Bouchard Père et Fils

After tasting a glorious magnum of Corton Charlemagne 1955 directly from the cellar of Bouchard Père et Fils in Beaune, I was particularly excited during La Fete du Champagne Gala Dinner to taste another white Burgundy with age from this producer. This time, it was a pristine bottle of Montrachet 1978. The wine was brilliant. Not a trace of fatigue or undesirable oxidation. It offered the perfect kiss of hazelnut and buttered brioche a mature Chardonnay of that pedigree can deliver. 1978 did well indeed for Chardonnay, prolonging the growing season until a late harvest mid-October

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Max - 1988 Cristal Rosé

It was an emotional return to France for me this past July after 18 long months of not having been able to travel there - the longest stretch of my professional career. It was exhilarating to be back capturing footage for the virtual seminars at La Fête du Champagne, and one of our first visits was with Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon at Champagne Louis Roederer. Following an epic tour of their press house & vineyards in Aÿ and winery & cellars in Reims, as well as a tasting of Roederer’s current releases, we settled in for a fantastic dinner at the house which featured many memorable wines, including Cristal 1980 (only produced in magnum), but for me, the star of the show was the remarkably fresh 1988 Cristal Rosé, an extremely rare wine whose combination of delicate, lacy strawberry flavors and laser-like focus and cut made for quite an impressive experience in the glass that exhibited a trait that many of my favorite wines do, described aptly by Fréd Mugnier as “intensity without weight.” Cheers to more profound wine experiences in 2022!

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Sally - 2014 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph
I can say honestly that I am spoiled with wonderful wine, having Daniel as my sommelier. This glass of wine, set at the table with a very tasty steak and roasted potatoes, just burst from the glass, it was so soooo delicious. Thank you to Pierre and Jean Gonon for such beautiful wine. And a very merry holiday to all, with best wishes for a healthy, lively, joyous new year.

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Jaime - 1969 De Vogue Bonnes Mares en magnum

As with every year, wine moments shared over great meals with friends, family and colleagues are always memorable. I always say to myself that I need to write them all down but always end up snapping pics of the bottles instead. This works and then I can take a visual trip to remember the great bottles of the year. Thinking back bottle that comes to mind without the picture is an amazing magnum of Domaine de Vogue, Bonnes Mares 1969 from magnum. It was perfect - I did not take a picture of this bottle, but I remember it - the bottle, the label, the excitement as I brought the glass to my mouth. Everything a great aged burgundy should be - perfumed, ephemeral, all at once light and elegant but with power and length, a core which came alive on the palate offering a silky feel, and persistence. The aromas stayed with me. 

I was offered a glass of this wine in Beaune at Le Bistro de l’Hotel by a generous collector who was dining with Daniel and a number of winemaker friends. Raj and I stopped by to say hello and wish everyone well and bon appetit. In the true spirit of Burgundy, we were handed a glass of something that was more than special, it was memorable.

Cheers and here is to 2022!

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Daniel
There were two wines that made the deepest impression on me this year. Both were red Burgundies (no surprise).

In no particular order they were Domaine G. Roumier, Bonnes-Mares 1934 and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Echézeaux 1953. 

The Echezeaux is the wine that the Domaine shows first in a tasting of its holdings in Flagey-Echézeaux/Vosne-Romanée. In so doing, they are suggesting it is the most approachable and perhaps the least complex. And of the 50’s I consider ‘52 and ‘59 to be the vintages of the decade followed by ‘53, 55 and ‘57. But this wine was near perfection in a true old-school Burgundy sense. All perfume and lace. What makes it one of the wines of the year for me is that I was not expecting the kind of depth, complexity and sheer beauty this wine delivered. It over performed which for me is the sign of a great wine.

Now for the Roumier Bonnes-Mares 1934. I have little experience with the vintage but a lot of experience with Roumier. The wine was deep in color with little signs of fading. Incredible for a nearly 90 year old Burgundy. The aromas was what all Burgundy lovers are looking for. A potpourri of dried rose, violet, plum, smoke, black cherry, earth and mushroom. As sexy a bouquet as one can hope for! But the truth was on the palate. Mouth coating texture, silky with plenty of vigour and Bonnes-Mares power.

Being friends with Christophe Roumier, the grandson of the winemaker, Georges Roumier added one more dimension to the experience.

I will never forget this wine!

Happy Holidays

News from the Vineyard in Champagne

by Edouard Bourgeois

September 2, 2021

Imagine having to remove half of your vines in order to keep making the wine you love? Although it is still unclear, the vignerons of Champagne may be required to do so by law, in order to meet the production specifications (Cahier des Charges) of the Champagne appellation.

While our La Fete du Champagne team is working on building this upcoming October festival, we are interviewing the participating growers to build our audio guide of the Grand Tasting. In one of these interviews with Benoit and Melanie Tarlant on zoom, I couldn’t help but notice the red logo displaying bold letters #NOVSL on Benoit’s tee-shirt. VSL is the acronym for “Vigne Semi Large” and designates a pruning system where vines are planted with a height of over 2 meters high and an increased space between the rows. The Champagne region is known for its high density of plantation with some vineyards reaching as much as 12,000 vines per hectare. Adopting the VSL would mean reducing that density of plantation to 3,800 vines per hectare.

In an area where tradition is so rooted in the culture and the commercial messaging, change is not always seen with a good eye and protests against VSL started to erupt on social media, leading to petitions. Although, the idea of reducing the plantation density is not new in Champagne. A number of larger Champagne houses have pushed the project since the 80’s. VSL’s detractors like the Tarlants denounce the industrialization this would cause in the region. If it is certainly easier to work in a vineyard where rows are wide enough to use a regular tractor, that also means the yield would be much lower. About 2,400 kgs of grapes per hectare under VSL would mean about 18% less than in a “normal” year in a vineyard planted traditionally. This also raises the question of machine harvesting, a practice that is strictly forbidden in Champagne where producers never cease to proudly remind their clients the magic words “vendangé a la main”, meaning harvested by hand.

What are the pros of the VSL project? The first idea is once again to make it easier to work with tractors, reducing labor costs by almost half. It is also believed that it would reduce the risk of spring frost thanks to better air circulation, reduce the use of herbicides since ploughing would be easier and finally offer a better response to climate changes. This last point is probably what divides producers the most. One of the strongest arguments against it is that VSL facilitates sun burns on the grapes due to less leaf cover.  

It will be interesting to see what the vineyards of Champagne, classified in the UNESCO World Heritage, will look like in 10 or 15 years.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

Vines planted under VSL allow for a more ergonomic work position

The classic view of the Moulin de Verzenay surrounded by vineyards planted in high density

CHARLES PHILIPPONNAT DISCUSSES AN ALREADY HISTORIC HARVEST 2020

September 16, 2020

by Edouard Bourgeois

Through these highly informative videos made by our friend Marie-Pascale, you will learn the ins and outs of the 2020 harvest for the Champenois, starting with the testimony of Charles Philipponnat from the eponymous Champagne house. Charles explains the contrasted nature of the year and goes over the different stages of the season, starting a with a wet winter that proved essential to replenish the water reserve for the months that followed. The historic drought that hit France led to early debudding and early flowering. The precociousness of the vintage is the signature of a year that recorded one of the driest months of July ever. The exceedingly small canopy (the amount of leaves that developed during the growing season) helped reduce the rot pressure but exposed the grapes to sun, resulting in a decrease of 30% of the production due to sun burnt berries. M. Philipponnat also explains how he adapted his viticulture methods through grass management in between the rows of vines. And finally, some exclusive news regarding the illustrious Clos des Goisses where the last rows were just purchased by Philipponnat, now sole owner. The increase is small but symbolic, as the house has been working on acquiring these last rows for 85 years.

Watch the videos here.

The Clos des Goisses, now entirely owned by the Champagne house Philipponnat, is a fully south exposed, unique vineyard.

News from the Vineyard - Special Harvest Edition

August 25, 2020
by Justine Puaud & Max Goldberg Liu

NEWS FROM BURGUNDY

Côte de Beaune

This year is historically early for many growers in Burgundy.

Guillaume d’Angerville finished on August 25th which was the start date of his previous earliest harvest - 2003. This is a very different vintage than 2003, however - so far the grapes coming in have been very well balanced with good concentration due to the late summer drought, and are not at all overripe or dramatically low in acidity. Sanitary conditions are excellent as well - there is almost no need for a sorting table.

Thus far, weather conditions have been perfect - beautiful sunny days and cool nights, and growers are crossing their fingers that it continues.

Frédéric and Clothilde Lafarge finished the first day of harvest with a big smile, declaring the quality of the grapes to be amazing and forecasting 2020 as a great vintage. So far, the Lafarges are equally happy with the quality of both the whites and the reds. They should finish the harvest Friday evening and will be celebrating their Paulée with the vendangeurs.

Be sure to check out the video below with Fred Lafarge that our friends Richard and Carla Rza Betts captured the other day. Richard and Carla are in Burgundy this week capturing exclusive content for the Pressoir.wine Club, so be sure to look out for more footage from the harvest.

Beautiful cool harvest weather (Nicolas Rossignol, August 24, 2020)

Rapid fermentation of Clos du Château des Ducs (Clothilde Lafarge, Domaine Lafarge)

Early morning at Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Meursault Charmes (August 23, 2020)

Côte de Nuits

As is usually the case, the Côte de Nuits was generally a little behind the Côte de Beaune in starting the harvest, and the quality is looking to be equally as high.

Véronique Drouhin remarked that her Griotte-Chambertin was quite small in quantity but that the small bunches look magnificent.

Bonnes Mares (Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, August 25, 2020)

La Romanée being picked on August 26, 2020 (Louis-Michel Liger-Belair)

Griotte-Chambertin (Véronique Drouhin, August 22, 2020)

NEWS FROM CHAMPAGNE

2020 is also a historic vintage in Champagne: the earliest harvest on record.

This is the third warm year in a row producing beautifully ripe grapes. Many Champenois are comparing the trio of 2018, 2019, 2020 to the heralded trilogy of 1988, 1989, 1990. There are many similarities in growing conditions, precocity of the harvest, good ripeness, and clean fruit.

Many of the winemakers are finishing picking and pressing Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Some of the Chardonnay is in but growers in the Côte des Blancs are waiting a bit longer to pick.

Rodolphe Péters of Pierre Péters is proud of how his Chardonnay vines have handled the changing climate: “This brings me to a thought about VERSATILITY, having a look back to the recent history of Champagne. What was the grape variety which used to be harvested the first when the climate was very challenging and cool and harvest was taken place in late September or October? And what is now the latest grape variety to be picked, while we face impacts of the global warming and must manage every year earlier and earlier harvests ? Only one answer in both cases: Chardonnay.”

Our friend Marie-Pascale Do-Dinh is in Champagne this week - we look forward to sharing the footage and photos of her visits with you in the coming weeks.

Pinot Noir from 1er Cru Les Noues in Ecueil at Champagne Frédéric Savart (August 26, 2020)

AR Lenoble is finishing pressing Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Harvest started simultaneously in Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay and Clos du Mesnil. (Olivier Krug, August 26, 2020)

Chardonnay from the top part of Les Hautes Chèvres (Vincent Laval, August 25, 2020)

What's Pressoir cooking? Lobstah!

July 21, 2020
by Max Goldberg Liu

I am a firm believer in not getting too caught up in wine pairings but I often like “simple” dishes that act as more of a blank canvas for a wine to shine. For me, there is nothing better than a simple roast chicken alongside a red Burgundy.

Vacation on Cape Cod last week gave me the opportunity to enjoy another favorite - lobster!

These were 1 1/4 lb specimens that we simply steamed for around 16 minutes. I’d much rather have two of these than a 2.5 pounder (I find the meat gets a little tough past two pounds). Tastier and less expensive - it’s a win-win!

The first wine we opened at the table was a Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc “Au Bout du Monde” 2018. Climate change has rendered the Hautes Côtes in Burgundy much better at producing ripe grapes but was still a little lean for my taste with the lobster.

We usually think of Blanc de Blancs Champagne when pairing with shellfish. We had drank our last bottle of Pierre Péters Cuvée de Réserve before dinner so I decided to open a Pierre Gerbais Cuvée de Réserve (the same cuvée that is now called Grains de Celle). The 25% Pinot Blanc in the blend added a wonderful touch of fleshy white stone fruit that paired beautifully with the lobster.

While these lobsters were simply steamed, I think my other favorite preparation would have also paired really well with the Champagne - my father’s Cantonese-style stir-fried lobster with ginger and scallion. Next time!

What's Pressoir Drinking? Champagne Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne 2007

May 28, 2020
by Edouard Bourgeois

I was really charmed by this silky and fresh Blanc de Blancs from Taittinger. This very seductive and creamy Comtes de Champagne, the prestige cuvée of the house was first released in 1952 and since then only made in the best vintages. Made only with Chardonnay from 5 Grand Crus villages of the chalky Cote des Blancs, this 2007 was aged 10 years upon release.