3 days Ago
Terrific sparkling wine is produced across the globe, especially right here in California . But it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that we are in the midst of a golden era for Champagne. A movement that began a few decades ago, when droves of small grape farmers stopped selling their precious bounty to the big brands and started making the wine themselves, has reached a crescendo, with more ultra-high-quality, site-specific and responsibly farmed wine being produced now than ever before.
This deviates somewhat from the traditional Champagne model of blending grapes, vintages and vineyards to produce a consistent “house” style that may be reliable but lacks the intrigue and artistry of this newer movement. Importer Paul Wasserman says, “It is a very energetic time for Champagne, which is exploding with new talent. .
.. The new generation is free to explore all manners of winemaking, including adding little or no sulfur, using ambient yeast for fermentation, oxidative aging and more.
” Sommelier Courtney Kaplan has made an impressive commitment to, and investment in, this new wave of boutique Champagne at her Arts District bistro Camélia. “It feels like the conversation has shifted when we talk about Champagne with guests in the restaurant. It has been more about Champagne as a wine with bubbles, and how it will pair with their food, just like we would talk about any other type of wine.
As opposed to it being for the first toast before moving into some ‘real’ wine.” Aficionados have begun feverishly hunting the best of this new bunch, turning some of the rarer offerings into virtual unicorns. Importer Keven Clancy represents several such “cult” producers.
“People don’t want what they can actually have. You would be shocked. The quantity that we get is like 60 or 120 bottles.
We have a lot of good customers that we have to say no to because there really is just that little,” he says. Tempting as it would be to mention those names here, we have chosen instead to feature wines that, while limited in production, might conceivably be found on a retail shelf or wine list near you. Laherte Freres Ultradition Extra Brut It would be hard to find a better example of serious Champagne at a more affordable price than this blend of Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
While bracing and mineral, the austerity is buffered by ample notes of peach and pear, facilitated by a small “dosage” of sugar and the use of some wood barrels for fermentation. Aurélien Laherte took over the family domaine in 2005, and his biodynamic and organic practices are a prime example of the progressive work being done by this new generation of hands-on winemakers. At Domaine LA and Psychic Wines in L.
A., Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa and Stanley’s Wet Goods in Culver City, about $56. Champagne Marguet Yuman This crowd-pleasing barrel-fermented Chardonnay is a richer, more seductive wine than the Laherte despite the fact that no sugar is added.
Bottled under lower pressure, this drinks like a great white Burgundy that also happens to sparkle. A mouthful of lightly toasted almonds, brioche and baked apples. Marguet takes a very natural approach, working biodynamically, treating the vineyards with herbal preparations, adding no sulfur and using two draft horses for plowing.
Available at Melody and Silver Lake Wine in L.A. and Buvons Natural Wine Bar & Shop in Long Beach, about $90.
Champagne Tarlant Brut Zero This is a wonderful counterpoint to the opulence of the Marguet above. Clancy describes Brut Zero as “electric, exciting and stimulating. It bites and draws you in.
” This almost Chablis-like laser beam is made from equal doses of the big three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. As the name implies, no “dosage” (sugar) is added. Depth is provided by the use of barrels for fermentation, the addition of older base wines and holding the wines back longer before release.
Tarlant was one of the first to swear off selling grapes to the big-name houses in the early 20th century, becoming an independent producer and setting the table for the movement we see today. At the Wine House and Vinovore in L.A.
, Domaine LA, Silver Lake Wine and Buvons, about $80. Champagne Pierre Gerbais “La Loge” Gerbais is located in the southernmost point of Champagne known as the Aube (or Côte des Bar), which has emerged as a hotbed for this new wave of winemaking. Many of the producers here look just south to Burgundy for inspiration.
For this bottling, Aurélien Gerbais used 80-year-old Pinot Blanc vines, a grape rarely found in Champagne, which yields a different sort of Blanc de Blancs than Chardonnay would. Kaplan, who features the wine at Camélia, describes it as “walking a tightrope of balance with zippy acidity and crunchy, saline minerality. A little bit of brioche-y richness but incredibly precise and focused.
” Gerbais blends a “base” vintage with a “solera” of reserve wine going back to 2011 for this unique bottling. At Helen’s in Brentwood and Lou Wine Shop in L.A.
, about $110. Famille Moussé Eugène Rosé Brut This family has been growing grapes since 1750. Here, the “other” red grape in Champagne, Pinot Meunier, plays the starring role, supported by a smaller percentage of Pinot Noir.
Meunier holds its acidity in warmer temperatures and is less susceptible to frost, which is becoming a greater threat to grape growers. The village of Cuisles has a high content of the clay illite in its soil. Used in cosmetics, it gives Meunier unique vibrancy and texture.
The wine is composed of a perpetual “assemblage” (or blend) of wines going back to the 2003 vintage. The addition of some still (not sparkling) Pinot Meunier gives the wine deep color and a savory, vinous quality, showing loads of sour cherry and rose petals. Moussé is a very eco-conscious producer, utilizing solar panels, well water, geothermal energy, an electric tractor and animal integration.
It even produces its own natural sulfur to avoid the use of petroleum-based sulfur. Available at the Wine House, Hi-Time Wine Cellars and Mission Liquor in South Pasadena, about $72..
