“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” –Mark Twain
Champagne Albert Reerens cultivates chardonnay, meunier and pinot noir for their brut champagnes in Côte des Bar.
" data-orig-size="500,667" title="ABeerens" data-image-title="ABeerens" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/abeerens.jpg" style="width: 162px; height: 217px;" height="217" width="162" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/abeerens.jpg?w=225" data-original-height="217" alt="Anne-Laure Beerens of Champagne Albert Beerens, Côte des Bar. | Image: L.M. Archer ©2016." data-original-width="162" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1458736402","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"64","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/abeerens.jpg?w=500" /> Anne-Laure Beerens of Champagne Albert Beerens, Côte des Bar. | Image: L.M. Archer ©2016.
Champagne Patrick Regnault crafts famous Grand Cru champagne from their vineayrd in the Côte des Blancs.
" data-orig-size="500,667" title="PRegnault" data-image-title="PRegnault" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/pregnault.jpg" style="width: 162px; height: 217px;" height="217" width="162" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/pregnault.jpg?w=225" data-original-height="217" alt="Champagne Patrick Regnault, Côte des Blanc, Champagne. Image: L.M. Archer ©2016." data-original-width="162" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1458737257","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.005952380952381","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/pregnault.jpg?w=500" /> Champagne Patrick Regnault, Côte des Blanc, Champagne. Image: L.M. Archer ©2016.
Champagne Lutun produces brut , brut rosé, and cuvée prestige wines in Montagne de Reims from chardonnay, meunier, and pinot noir.
" data-orig-size="500,667" title="Lutun" data-image-title="Lutun" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/lutun.jpg" style="width: 163px; height: 217px;" height="217" width="163" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/lutun.jpg?w=225" data-original-height="217" alt="Vincent Jourdan-Lutun of Champagne Lutun of Montagne de Reims, Champagne. | Image: L.M. Archer ©2016." data-original-width="163" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1458737649","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.013333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/lutun.jpg?w=500" /> Vincent Jourdan-Lutun of Champagne Lutun of Montagne de Reims, Champagne. | Image: L.M. Archer ©2016.
Champagne Julien Chopin, participant in Les Champagnes de Vignerons | Seattle 2016, is locatd in Epernay, and uses Meunier and Pinot Noir to produced their Brut, Premier Cru, Blanc de Noir, Extra-Brut, Brut Nature, and Blanc de Blanc premier sparkling wines.
" data-orig-size="500,500" title="JChopin" data-image-title="JChopin" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/jchopin.jpg" style="width: 217px; height: 217px;" height="217" width="217" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/jchopin.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="217" alt="Emmanuel Chopin of Champagne Julien Chopin in Vallée de la Marne, Image: L.M. Archer ©2016." data-original-width="217" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1458739916","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"64","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/jchopin.jpg?w=500" /> Emmanuel Chopin of Champagne Julien Chopin in Vallée de la Marne, Image: L.M. Archer ©2016.Welcome to binNotes | Red Thread™, your source for inspired stories about food, wine and travel.
By L.M. Archer, FWS | Bourgogne ML
Cut my veins, and I bleed Burgundy. But not this day. No. This day, they had me at bubbles. From Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne, to Côtes de Blancs and Côte des Bar, the recent Les Champagnes de Vignerons Seattle trade tasting offered an artful array of blended and vintage pinot noir, meunier, and chardonnay sparklers.
A neophyte to the fizz, I confess a quick conversion to acolyte. Do I feel disloyal? Yes. And yet…something about champagne offers a ‘textural’ experience unlike that of Burgundy, or any other wine. Champagne requires attention to the ethereal, from the size of the bubbles, to the explosion on the palate, to the pleasing after-glow. Am I getting too personal? Perhaps.
Perhaps. And yet…something about Champagne ignites the imagination. Instead of attempting to listen to the story of the vintage, the vineyard, and the village, as with Burgundy, Champagne instead requires one to use less of one’s intellect, and more of one’s senses. To allow the harmony of blends, or stunning solo notes of a single vintage to enervate one’s innards, and elevate one’s soul. Or maybe it’s just a quicker buzz.
Regardless, I’m in. Expect more on this magnificent burgeoning obsession in future posts. Cheers!
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