Les Papilles Insolites Extra Brut

Stopping briefly in Paris on my way to the States for a friend’s wedding, I brought along a bottle of Jacques Lassaigne’s Les Papilles Insolites to drink last night (you know, for fortification en route). This is a tiny cuvée that seems to be slightly misunderstood by most people, at least those who write about it on the internet. (I’ve even seen it referred to as Les Papilles Insolentes on a French wine forum, which I think is even better!) In truth, most people have never heard of it at all, as it’s really only available at the two places in Paris for which it’s named: Les Papilles and La Cave de l’Insolite.

What’s unusual about this cuvée is that while it comes from Montgueux, which is basically known exclusively as a chardonnay terroir, this is 75 percent pinot noir. It’s all from the 2005 vintage, disgorged in January of 2008 and released without dosage, and it’s definitely a hipster champagne (it made me think of you, Sharon). Showing an unusually pronounced color, it’s intense and vinous in aroma, feeling almost like a poulsard or other light red wine rather than champagne, and it takes well over an hour after being opened to fully reveal its depth of flavor. The earthy, taut aromas of dried cranberry, redcurrant and plum skins are lively and refreshing, and continue to expand in depth and length as this gains air — in fact, I would consider decanting this the next time I open it. I also think that it could have a better balance with a gram or two of dosage, as the finish feels quite stern and compressed, but of course that’s not in the spirit of this cuvée. Regardless, it’s delicious and intriguing, and I love its unique personality.

Wine of the Week: Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules

I’m back home in Champagne, after a whirlwind tour of Portugal’s Vinho Verde region. It was a blast, as you can imagine, but there’s also something to be said for being back in Champagne.

One of the hottest young champagne producers today is Cédric Bouchard, in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Aube’s Côte des Bar. Although he’s only been making wine since 2000, he’s been attracting a great deal of attention for his richly flavored, intensely soil-expressive champagnes, and in fact, he was just named Champagne Vigneron of the Year in the 2008 Gault-Millau.

Bouchard has a strict “single variety, single parcel, single vintage” policy: each of the parcels in his 1.37 hectares of vines is planted with only one variety, and each is used to make a single-vineyard wine every year. Obviously the quantities of each cuvée are very small, but it’s a tremendously intriguing idea: this is as Burgundian as it gets in Champagne.

The estate wines, of which there are now four, are bottled under the label Roses de Jeanne; there is another label, called Inflorescence, which comes from an additional 1.49 hectares of vines owned by his father, but which Bouchard works himself and bottles separately. Les Ursules is his original parcel of vines, located on a relatively flat piece of land close to the estate itself. The majority of the vines here were planted in 1974, and they are worked organically, although without certification.

The current release of Les Ursules is the 2004, which is rich and vinous, redolent of blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Like all of Bouchard’s wines it’s non-dosé, yet thanks to the impeccable work in both the vineyard and winery this feels entirely harmonious and complete, with a finely silky texture, an insistently chalky undertone and a staining, saturating sense of length on the finish. It needs quite a bit of time to open up, and while I didn’t decant this bottle, I would definitely consider decanting my next one, as it has plenty of depth, vinosity and richness to be able to do so. Yet what impresses me about this wine is not its concentration, but its finesse, its balance and above all, its expression of terroir.

Cédric Bouchard’s wines are imported into the United States by Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY, and Triage Wines, Seattle, WA, although beware: the quantities are miniscule.

Champagne Dosnon & Lepage, Avirey-Lingey

Dosnon & Lepage is a relative newcomer on the champagne scene, but the two proprietors, Davy Dosnon and Simon-Charles Lepage, both have roots in wine country. Dosnon studied viticulture and winemaking, working at champagne houses such as Serge Mathieu and Moutard Père et Fils, as well as at Rossignol-Trapet in Burgundy. He eventually inherited some vineyards from his grandfather in their hometown of Avirey-Lingey, in the Aube’s Barséquanais, and in 2005 he was joined by Simon-Charles Lepage, who while also being a native of Avirey-Lingey, had previously been living in Paris acquiring a doctorate in criminal law. The two decided to put their minds together to create a new champagne house, intended to express the terroirs of their native region.

Dosnon and Lepage own two hectares of vines in Avirey-Lingey and purchase fruit from about five additional hectares in the surrounding area, making for a total production of around 50,000 bottles a year. At the moment they have three different cuvées, although another two are in the works. The Recolte Brute contains 70 percent pinot noir and 30 percent chardonnay, which are blended together because this is sold as an extra brut, at four grams per liter of dosage, and they feel that a blend results in more harmony. The current release is based on 2004, and like all of their wines, it’s fermented entirely in barrique, giving it a warm, slightly smoky richness. “The barrels give roundness and complexity, without sacrificing structure, purity and finesse,” says Lepage. “But to work successfully with barrels, you’ve got to be a super-maniac. Like him,” he laughs, pointing at Dosnon.

The Récolte Noire is pure pinot noir, all from Avirey-Lingey, and is also currently based on 2004, with reserves from 2002 and 2001. This is a sterner, more particular wine than the Récolte Brute, showing the bold, spicy richness characteristic of pinot from the area. Like the previous wine, however, it quickly turns to mineral aromas on the back end, finishing with a much greater presence of soil character than fruit.

The third cuvée is the Récolte Rose, which is pure pinot noir but made by blending rather than by saignée, which they find to produce overly heavy wines. “We’re looking for a rosé of freshness and purity, not a ‘bodybuilding’ rosé,” says Lepage. Fragrant and plummy, this balances deep fruit flavors with an elegant structure, feeling delicate and lively on the palate. The wines of Dosnon & Lepage are neither fined nor filtered, and the expression of fruit seems particularly pure in the rosé.

Care for the environment is of primary concern to Dosnon and Lepage, and in fact, respect for the environment is built into their mission statement: “The fundamental philosophy of la Maison Dosnon & Lepage is one of harmony: harmony of mankind, of terroirs, and of wines in their environment. Though young producers of champagne, we are nonetheless highly aware of the environmental impact we have on this harmony, and we feel that we are therefore obliged to minimize the effects of our actions.” This attitude is manifested in their insistence on sustainable viticulture, as well as in their support of 1% For the Planet, an organization whose members donate at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental groups around the world. Imagine if all champagne houses did that.

This is a house that’s doing everything right, from their work in the vineyards and the cellar to their ecologically-aware business practices. Their wines have impressed me so far, and I look forward to tasting many more of them in the future. Dosnon & Lepage is imported into the United States by Jon-David Headrick Selections, in Chapel Hill, NC.

(I apologize profusely for not including any photos. Actually, since it isn’t my fault, I apologize profusely on Blogger’s behalf for not including any photos. I am still having the most miserable problems uploading photos to Blogger, and I am completely at my wit’s end – had I actually any hair to pull out, I would have done so long ago. I will endeavor to post photos as soon as I can figure out what Blogger’s problem is.)

Edit 22 May: Photos are added. I've made some technical changes to my blog and I'm hoping that this works now.

La Roseraie, Essoyes

Last week I took a short trip down to the Côte des Bar, in the Aube, to visit a few winegrowers. On the recommendation of a friend, I spent the night at a beautiful chambre d’hôte, or bed and breakfast, called La Roseraie, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to you.

La Roseraie lies on the banks of the Ource River, in the small, quiet village of Essoyes. The village’s main claim to fame is that it was the summer home of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and the great painter is also buried here, together with his family. In terms of wine, Essoyes is located in the Barséquanais, in convenient proximity to such champagne producers as Dosnon & Lépage, Drappier, Serge Mathieu, Cédric Bouchard and Moutard Père et Fils. It’s also very close to Les Riceys, home of the famous Rosé des Riceys.

La Roseraie’s two buildings date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and are surrounded by an idyllic and verdant garden. The four guest rooms, ranging from 95 to 105 euros per night, are spacious and well-appointed, offering peaceful and welcome repose after long days of winetasting! Before purchasing the property, Marie-Claude and Pierre, La Roseraie’s hospitable and charming proprietors, used to own a restaurant in Paris, and if you request ahead it’s possible to dine with the couple on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Marie-Claude is a superb cook, and it’s a joy to partake of her generous and hearty French country cuisine, sourced from fresh and local produce. Be sure to ask her ahead of time to make her outstanding gougères. In addition, the couple have relationships with several champagne producers in the area, and love to introduce their guests to the local wines.

La Roseraie, 6 quai de l’Ource, 10360 Essoyes
+33.(0)3.25.38.60.24, accueil.laroseraie@laroseraie-en-champagne.com

Wine of the Week: Moutard Père & Fils Brut Cuvée des 6 Cépages 2002

Ask most people how many grape varieties grow in Champagne and the knee-jerk response is likely to be three: pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier. There are, however, several more to be found, even if only in miniscule quantities.

One of the houses still growing some of the old, obscure varieties is Moutard-Diligent, located in the village of Buxeuil in the Aube. (Moutard Père & Fils is the main label under which they sell their champagne.) While they do make perfectly traditional champagnes, they’ve gained particular notoriety for two unusual wines: a champagne made entirely from old vines of arbanne, a white grape that produces rich, honeyed flavors (unusually, Moutard spells it “arbane”); and the Cuvée des 6 Cépages, which blends arbanne, petit meslier and pinot blanc with the three more familiar grapes of Champagne.

The Cuvée des 6 Cépages is vintage-dated, and the current release is the 2002. Aged on its lees for four years, it’s full in body but not weighty, supported by a fine streak of acidity. It’s unusually pungent in fragrance on both the nose and the palate, and while its texture and body make it feel obviously champenois, the array of flavors is anything but classic, ranging from exotic citrus and beeswax to apple jelly and quince marmalade. It’s delicious and quirky, offering a completely different perspective on the idea of champagne. Moutard Père & Fils is imported into the United States by Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, NY, and the suggested retail price for the Cuvée des 6 Cépages is $56.