Wine of the Week: Jacques Selosse V.O. Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs

The reason my Wine of the Week is on Sunday this week instead of Friday is because on Friday I was drunk and disoriented, not to mention on a different continent, and I simply forgot that it was Friday. (The reason it's on Sunday, two days later, instead of Saturday is pretty much the same one.) Since it’s a decadent sort of week, I’ve picked a wine that’s a little more decadent than usual.

I had brought a bottle of Jacques Selosse Version Originale with me from Paris to share with friends, as this wine can be somewhat difficult to procure here in the United States. The V.O. comes from Avize, Cramant and Oger, and is a blend of three different vintages (in this case 2002, 2001 and 2000), aged for three and a half to four years on its lees and released without dosage. It's been a while since I've drunk a bottle of this, and it was extremely satisfying to spend several hours watching it evolve: I considered decanting it, but instead we just opened it and drank a bunch of other wines while monitoring its progress.

There’s a deep core of richness that persists on the palate throughout the long, sleek finish, its body and breadth amplified by its vinification in wood. Like all of Selosse’s wines, this possesses a distinct personality and a confident, self-assured character, but the most striking element about it is the way that it seamlessly balances its complexity and richness. There are other champagnes that can be rich — weight, after all, is easy to acquire if that's all you're looking for, even in a northerly region like Champagne — but none do it as stylishly or as harmoniously as Selosse, and most attempts to emulate him are doomed to failure.

My friend Pete, upon seeing this bottle, generously went downstairs to his cellar and brought up a bottle of Selosse's 1988 vintage, and while it was a terrifically thrilling wine, it was still severely intense and wound up. It made the V.O. look downright gentle, although comparing the two eras of winemaking, I did feel that the V.O. showed more fine-ness and elegance, especially in the way that it harmoniously fit all of its parts together.

Jacques Selosse is imported into the United States by The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA, and the suggested retail price for the Version Originale is $130.

Wine of the Week: Ulysse Collin Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2004

Champagne is full of rising stars. One of the newest is Olivier Collin, in the village of Congy in the Sézannais, south of the Côte des Blancs. A gregarious, hospitable and inquisitive winegrower, Collin gives credit to Anselme Selosse for inspiring him to become a Champenois vigneron. He did a stage with Selosse in 2001, which he describes as “one of those encounters that changes your life,” and in 2003 he was able to take back a portion of his family’s vines that had been rented to the négoce, allowing him to make his own wines. Nature wasn’t immediately in the mood to cooperate, however, as the 2003 crop was severely hit by frost, and Collin had to sell off the entire harvest.

He made his first wine in 2004, from a 1.2-hectare parcel in a vineyard called Les Perrières, in the nearby village of La Gravelle. The chalk in this area is very close to the surface, with little topsoil, and it’s mixed with chunks of black silex, which is highly unusual in Champagne (see the bizarre-looking evidence to the right). Les Perrières faces roughly southeast, and Collin’s vines here are about 30 years old. Winemaking as a rule here is as natural and non-interventionist as possible, and the indigenous yeasts took an alarmingly long time to ferment, which has turned out to be a normal occurrence for Collin: this week I tasted vins clairs from 2007 that still hadn’t completed fermentation in mid-July! Fermentation and malolactic are all in old (three- to six-year) barrique, and the wine is neither fined nor filtered.

The 2004 was released in the fall of 2007, and while it was of obviously high quality, I felt that it was still a little bit angular and nervously adolescent at the time. Today, with a few months to settle down (and nearly a year of post-disgorgement aging, as it was disgorged on 27 July 2007), it’s filled out in aroma and has integrated its components in superb fashion. When I first tasted it back in October, I had a slight hesitation as to whether or not it would find a balance as a non-dosé, but now I have no doubt whatsoever. (Apparently Olivier had the same hesitation: he made 500 bottles of a so-called Brut version, dosed at two grams per liter. But it was sold only here in France.) It’s achieved a wonderful harmony, showing warm, fragrant notes of apple, quince, cashew and brown spice, along with a sleekly supple texture and resonant depth of fruit. It’s enlivened and enriched by its vinification in wood yet not at all subservient to it, and I love the snappy, brisk minerality on the back end, which combines with the racy acidity to give this a feeling of vitality and kinetic energy. While it feels harmonious and finely-knit, it does pack a subtly gripping density, and in homage to Brooklynguy’s Friday Night Bubbles post last week, I would say that this is a good candidate for decanting. (I’ll admit that I didn’t decant this bottle, because I’m too busy drinking it. But I’m enjoying it more out of a tulip glass than a flute, as I find that it brings out more vinosity and depth in the wine. So I ask you to give me style points there.) By the way, this doesn’t show the vintage on the label, but it’s printed as a lot number on the back, at least on the French back label.

Collin made only 5,500 bottles of the 2004, but in 2005 he increased this to 9,000, and in 2006 he made 10,000 bottles of this wine and 5,000 bottles of a pinot noir from a vineyard called Les Maillons. However, despite the higher production the wine isn’t necessarily going to be any easier to obtain. Collin wants very much to increase the amount of aging on the lees, so he will only release half of the 2005 this fall, and the other half in 2009. It’s a financially difficult move for him, but he’s committed to it for qualitative reasons, which I find highly admirable.

As an aside, here’s a photo that I love, even if it’s probably not Olivier’s favorite. This was him disgorging the 2006 for a sneak preview — it’s an absolutely terrific wine, but it won’t be for sale until September 2010, so you’ll have to wait to hear about it.

Ulysse Collin is imported into the United States by Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY, and the suggested retail price for the 2004 Extra Brut is $82.

René Geoffroy Pureté

Sorry I haven’t been blogging much. I’ve been buried in work of various sorts, and haven’t had much time on my hands. However, I did go see Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy this afternoon to taste the current lineup, which is terrifically strong — anything that says 2004 and Geoffroy on the label should be a mandatory purchase, including the Empreinte, Volupté and the as-yet-unbottled Cumières rouge. I can’t wait to see the 2004 Millésime in a few years.

Geoffroy introduced me to a new wine of his, which unfortunately you can’t buy unless you live somewhere like Norway or Japan. (Ironically, you can’t even buy it in France, although I’m sure he’d sell some out of the cellar if you asked nicely.) It’s called Pureté, and it’s exactly the same wine as Expression (Geoffroy’s non-vintage brut) except that it has zero dosage.

Normally I’m not such a big fan of such a practice, as my reasoning is that if a blend shows balance at nine grams of sugar per liter, how can it be balanced with zero? My favorite non-dosé wines are usually those that have been intended to be non-dosé from the start, and I’m often disappointed when I taste a non-dosé version of someone’s regular brut. Yet with enough richness and depth of fruit, a few people are able to pull it off. Benoît Lahaye and Marie-Noëlle Ledru are two names that spring to mind, and now I'm adding René Geoffroy to the list.

The 2004/2005 Pureté smells terrific, with an intensely minerally nose and sleekly lively notes of cherry skins, red apple and blanched almond. It isn’t necessarily a better wine than the Expression: it has greater nuance and detail, as well as more pronounced chalkiness, but the Expression has a more complete finish and it’s certainly the more user-friendly wine. Yet I do think that both wines are successful in their respective ways, which surprises even me. (By the way, that's obviously not the real packaging in the above photo, although it would be a great idea.)

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.

Wine of the Week: Pol Roger Pure Brut Nature

It’s not easy to produce a good non-dosé champagne on a large scale. Actually, it’s not easy to produce a good non-dosé champagne at all. Getting the balance right requires ripe fruit and skillful blending, and even then not many champagnes are very harmonious without at least a little bit of dosage.

Pol Roger’s new Brut Nature, called Pure, is one that gets it right. The inaugural release of Pure is based on the 2004 vintage, with the addition of about 20 percent reserve wines. Its composition is identical to the Brut Réserve, with equal proportions of the three main grape varieties of Champagne, but it is not the same blend. To Pol Roger’s credit, they recognize that a wine that finds a balance at ten grams of dosage will not be balanced at zero, and they have created a different blend for the Pure in an effort to find the proper harmony. “It’s more floral,” says Laurent d’Harcourt, export director for the house, “and it comes from a different selection of crus, to create a better balance as a brut nature.”

This wine shows the same freshness and liveliness as the Brut Réserve, but I find it to have more character on the palate. It’s bold and hearty in the Pol Roger style, with black fruit dominating the palate: currant, blackberry and plum, accented by a hint of ginger. The finish shows an excellent balance and length for a brut nature, and it finishes with plenty of fragrance and personality.

Pol Roger is imported into the United States by Frederick Wildman and Sons, New York, NY. The suggested retail price for the Pure Brut Nature is $55.

Champagne Ayala, Aÿ

At the Bollinger vin clair tasting a couple of days ago, I ran into Hervé Augustin, general manager of Champagne Ayala, and he invited me over for a visit. I’ll admit to not having tasted Ayala’s wines for quite some time—I last visited the house in 1998. As the brand has recently been re-launched with a new aesthetic following its purchase by Bollinger, it seemed like a perfect time to make a reacquaintance.


As the house is located in the village of Aÿ, many people believe that the name Ayala is somehow derived from that, but in fact it was the name of its founder, Edmond de Ayala, a Spanish aristocrat who married the niece of the Vicomte de Mareuil in 1860. As a wedding dowry, he received the Château d’Aÿ and its vineyards in Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. (Why can’t these things happen to me?) The house changed hands several times over the years, and in 2005 it was acquired by Bollinger, who has sought to reinvigorate the brand. “The idea is to create something different with Ayala, something that is of high quality but that isn’t in competition with Bollinger,” says Augustin. “At the same time, Ayala is not a second wine of Bollinger. We share some grape sources, but we have separate chefs de caves, separate cellars, separate operations.”

A key element of the new Ayala style is a reduced dosage, or even no dosage whatsoever. The entry-level brut, currently based on the 2004 harvest, is offered in two versions: the Brut Majeur, which is dosed at 8.5 grams per liter, and a Zéro Dosage Brut Nature. I like the balance of the Brut Nature, as it feels full and plush, with plenty of apple and apricot fruitiness, while retaining a zesty, salty vivacity. The Brut Majeur is less complex and less racy, but still feels harmonious and shapely. (Interesingly, Augustin says that a higher percentage of men tend to prefer the Brut Majeur, while women often favor the Brut Nature.) The 2000 Blanc de Blancs, made from Le Mesnil, Cramant and Chouilly, seems to exemplify the Ayala style—these aren’t wines that attack you with overt power, but rather they build slowly and quietly, increasing in depth and intensity of aroma as they move back on the palate. Ayala’s vintage-dated prestige cuvée is called Perle d’Ayala, and as of the 2002 vintage it’s offered in both dosé and non-dosé versions, which is rather unusual marketing strategy. It’s great for wine dorks like us, however, to be able to compare the two. While the brut nature is very sleek and fragrant, I prefer the classic version, dosed at seven grams per liter, as I find that the dosage here amplifies the complexity and depth of aroma, and provides a better overall balance. It will undoubtedly age better as well, and I would love to see it in another decade or so.

I was very impressed with both of Ayala’s rosés—unsurprisingly, one is dosed and one isn’t, but here they aren’t at all the same wines. Composed of half chardonnay, the Rosé Majeur has a wonderful elegance and finesse on the palate, showing floral, airy aromas of red cherry and cranberry and finishing with surprising length and depth of flavor. The Rosé Nature is 53 percent chardonnay and 47 percent pinot noir (the Majeur has a little meunier), and is held back longer in the cellar—the current release is 2002, though it’s not vintage-dated. It’s a grander wine than the Rosé Majeur, with more complexity and nuance on the palate, and like many of the other Ayala wines, the finish is the star of the show, with expansive aroma and long, subtle length. At the same time, I can see myself drinking more of the Majeur, with its fresh, inviting aroma and graceful balance. The Rosé Nature is a more severe wine, and would perhaps be better with food, or served as an apéritif with hors d’oeuvres. It’s certainly a bold move to release a non-dosé rosé champagne. (It’s not, however, the only non-dosé rosé, as the American press release claims it to be. The same press release states that “Ayala has created the trend for zero and low dosage champagne,” which is about as realistic as Hillary claiming to dodge bullets in Bosnia. Oh well. At least the wine is good.) It will be interesting to see how the style of this wine and of the other Ayala non-dosé wines are refined over the coming years, and how receptive the market will be to wines of zero dosage. So far, I believe the quality is promising.

Monday Morning at J.-L. Vergnon

I’m still in a state of shock over the horrific injury suffered by Arsenal’s Eduardo this weekend. It’s a huge blow to my team, but honestly it doesn’t matter what side you support—a potentially career-threatening injury like that is devastating for the game of football as a whole. Beyond any illusions of him recovering anytime soon, I just hope that he can even play football again.


On a more positive note, I tasted a terrific non-dosé champagne this morning in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, among a number of other wines tasted with Christophe Constant of Champagne J.-L. Vergnon. At first glance a description of the Cuvée Confidence Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs 2002 makes it seem like a prop from a dental horror movie: besides not having any dosage, it comes entirely from Le Mesnil and didn’t go through any malolactic fermentation at all. “Some people say that in Le Mesnil, with no malo, if you don’t dose these young wines with 10 or 11 grams of sugar they’re undrinkable,” says Constant. “But it’s not true—you just have to harvest ripe grapes.” This wine was harvested at 11.5 degrees of potential alcohol, and it’s impeccably balanced, feeling long, expressive and complete. There’s really nothing severe about it at all.

So the bad news is, you can’t buy it. Vergnon used to be imported to the U.S. by Kip & Nancy Wine Marketing in Lagunitas, CA, but Constant isn’t working with them anymore. While you might find this wine at a few select restaurants here in France, there were only 1200 bottles made, so it’s not plentiful. The good news is that Constant is doing exciting things with this small, five-hectare estate. He’s only been making wine here since 2002, so it’ll take some time to get the estate to where he wants it to be, but his practices of ripe harvesting, little to no chaptalisation, no malolactic and long aging on the fine lees before bottling all add up to wine worth searching for. Hopefully he’ll find a new U.S. importer soon.

Cutting Back on Dosage

There’s no question that champagnes are getting drier, especially those of the top growers and houses. There are three primary reasons for this, at least when talking about young champagne. The first is that people are harvesting riper fruit, due to better vineyard practices. Riper fruit gives more stuffing to a wine, and also higher sugar generally results in lower acidity, meaning that you need less dosage to balance the whole. The second reason is that people are harvesting riper fruit due to warmer weather. Whether or not you believe that global warming actually exists, the fact is that champagne grapes are now maturing faster, earlier and to a higher degree of potential alcohol. The third is simply that dry champagne, especially extra brut or, increasingly, non-dosé champagne, is very fashionable right now.

I like extra brut champagne as much as anyone (as you can see from this photo of some recent things I’ve been drinking), and yet I’m not in the camp that believes drier is automatically better. The issue is not that I prefer sugar or don’t prefer sugar. To me, each wine finds its own particular balance – sometimes that’s at a dosage of three grams per liter of sugar, sometimes eight. Sometimes it’s even (gasp!) at ten or eleven, and yes, sometimes – only sometimes – it’s none at all. To say that drier is unequivocally better reminds me of the German riesling trocken craze around the late 1990s. There is a certain segment of champagne that is moving in the same direction. And yet, there are some absolutely brilliant extra brut and non-dosé champagnes. What are your thoughts?