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| Champagne is a sparkling wine made in the region of the same name in Northern France. It can legally be white or rose. It may be made from three grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It can be non-vintage, meaning it is made using wines from different years, or vintage, meaning all the grapes must come from the year named on the bottle. Champagne is also one of the best drinks ever invented and should be drunk as often as possible rather than just on your birthday It's a combination of microclimate, soil type, technique and grape blends that makes Champagne definably what it is, as opposed to cremant de loire, which uses the same technique, on similar soil, but different microclimate and different grapes. Or Cava, which uses the same technique, in the case of some, the same grapes, but is in a totally different area, meaning different acid and flavour patterns in the grapes themselves, different potential alcohol and sugar levels. Anything else, from anywhere else, will be (slightly) different. But then each Champagne house produces a wine different to the others. But all these are still different from New World wines like those of California. The only places that could claim to have all of the characteristics of Champagne are in the south of England, where the chalk is exactly the same geological feature as that in champagne, but even then the weather is slightly different. So now you all know eactly what it is and where it comes from - let's have your thoughts, opinions and tasting notes.
Champagne. Whenever possible
Champagne Tuesdays
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Forum Newbie
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Chris Hambleton (03/02/2006)
Champagne.... may be made from three grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Not strictly true, as I'm sure you know.
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Forum Newbie
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Yes but you won't see pinot blanc or petit meslier quoted in the oxford companion under champagne, at least not my version.
Champagne. Whenever possible
Champagne Tuesdays
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Supreme Being
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| I've heard Champagne Jacquesson were making wines with Petit Meslier but they don't seem to mention it on their website. However Moutard Père et Fils are producing "Vieilles Vignes" from the Arbane grape, has anyone tried it? What is it like, worth picking up a bottle or two? Are there any other Champagne producers currently using unusal grape variates?
Jeremy Hopkin
Libation U.N. Limited
www.libation-unlimited.com
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| Duval-Leroy do a Meslier - very small production. Autreau also do Les Perles de La Dhuy which is a blend of the usual plus 15% that monsieur Autreau won't tell me - I think it's pinot blanc and petit meslier.
Champagne. Whenever possible
Champagne Tuesdays
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Jeremy Hopkin (05/02/2006)
However Moutard Père et Fils are producing "Vieilles Vignes" from the Arbane grape, has anyone tried it? What is it like, worth picking up a bottle or two? Yes - the Arbane is delightful.
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Chris Hambleton (05/02/2006)
Yes but you won't see pinot blanc or petit meslier quoted in the oxford companion under champagne, at least not my version.Sorry, I thought you post was your own work, not copied from the Companion.
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Forum Newbie
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of course it's my own work - the point being that including the minor grapes would be confusing to most people and HRH Jancis doesn't mention them in the Oxford - a reference point for many people. Those wines that have got these highly unusal grapes in them are hardly widely available and as such of no interest to most people as they will not be able to buy them.
Champagne. Whenever possible
Champagne Tuesdays
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| have you ever thinking about buying grapes from Champagne and do own wine in your country ? | | | |
