December Wine Focus: I’ll take Champagne

[David M. Bueker]

And my final one for this Focus topic:

2013 L. Aubry Fils Champagne Ivoire et Ebene Champagne Blend
Gorgeous. I don't know what made up this wine, but had presumed it's a chard/pinot blend based on the cuvee name. However, I did not taste the 'noir': the chardonnay flavors were generous, good concentration, lots of lemon curd and cream. Not 'austere' as someone else on CT noted recently noted, just dry. Putting this on my shopping list for more if still available.

Aubry is amazing. Their basic NV was our house Champagne for three years when we could get it for $27 after case discounts. I miss those days.

[Jenise]

Well, doesn't look like I'll be getting any more of this, sadly, my source is out and there wasn't much around in the first place. I've learned that the cuvee is 70% chardonnay and 30% PN/PM. I'll add this entertaining description from the original seller to flesh out what I said about it:

One of our top selling wines last year, the new vintage is like turning AC/DC up with the windows down. It's electric and powerful. From a single vineyard with a river cutting the vineyard in two. One side is the "Ivoire", it's chalky soils the color of ivory and it's planted all to chardonnay. The other side, "Ebene" is mostly gravel with pinot noir and pinot meunier planted. The resulting wine is a juxtaposition of the elegance, minerality and cut of the chardonnay with the power, weight and fruit expression of the red grapes. A brilliant wine with a double 93 point score to boot. As Galloni puts it, "built on serious power and textural resonance...

One of the best champagnes I had all year.

Aubry rang a bell. They also make a Champagne from old varieties which I have had, le Nombre d'Or, which is a blend of 5 varieties.

I went to the site to refresh my memory, they say the Ivoire et Ebene vineyard is planted with Chardonnay and Meunier, at least that's how I read it:

a cuvée Ivoire et Ebène, une improvisation de 1982. Les raisins d'une même parcelle complantée de Chardonnay et Meunier ont été vinifiés séparément en petites pièces de chêne âgées de vingt à cinquante ans. Restait à oser l'alliance entre la noblesse d'un cépage et la rusticité de l'autre. Ce mariage insolite et réussi illustre bien le concept cher aux Aubry, celui de vin de Champagne.

I opened a bottle of Krug NV to celebrate the new year. This is an annual ritual for me, and I keep a pipeline of four bottles in the cellar. According to the control code, this bottle was disgorged in 2017. I find that most NV Champagne, including Krug, improves markedly if cellared for a few years. I bought a replacement bottle yesterday--it was disgorged in Februrary 2018*. It's scheduled to be opened on December 31, 2024.

-Paul W.

* update: it was disgorged in 2018, not 2020. I initially read the control code wrong.

[David M. Bueker]

Our Krug NV waits much longer than that. More like 8-10 years.

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N.V. Gratien & Meyer Saumur Brut (The Wine Society) (France, Saumur)

I think Chenin makes excellent fizz and TWS website mentions only Chenin but back label says Chardonnay, Chenin & Cabernet Franc

From the taste I'm guessing Chardonnay is by far the majority. This was excellent bubbly with lots of bubble and an ethereal creamy taste. Jo thought it was Champagne, and it could be BdB - but, wearing my critical hat, I could have done with more oomph.

TWS has been listing Gratien & Meyer wines since 1906, and as well as several Gratien & Meyer Champagnes, G & M also produce the Society's own label Champagnes and Loire method traditional sparklers.

Looks like a real gem Peter!