Blog posts tagged with 'champagne'

Celebrating Milestones at Belgium Wine Watchers Today marks a special occasion at Belgium Wine Watchers. We're celebrating Danny, our senior purchaser, who has been with us for 18 years. This milestone is one that deserves a proper celebration, and what better way to toast to Danny's contributions than with a glass of Philipponnat 'Clos des Goisses' 2011? Tasting Notes: Philipponnat 'Clos des Goisses' 2011 Details: 100% Pinot Noir Disgorged: March 2020 Dosage: 4.5 g/L This exquisite Champagne boasts an elegant and pure nose that freely offers up its softly yeasty aromas of apple, quinine, and ripe citrus elements, particularly Meyer lemon. The richness of this relatively full-bodied Champagne is evident in its beautifully textured flavors, supported by a decidedly pliant mousse. The finish is complex and surprisingly long, revealing the wine's generous proportions. This vintage of Clos des Goisses is already drinking exceptionally well, although it promises to age beautifully. While I would be inclined to enjoy it now, those who prefer the very toasty, yeasty character that aged Champagne often develops will find this a perfect candidate for extended cellaring. In short, the Champagne is fantastic. But even more fantastic is having Danny as part of our team for 18 years. At Belgium Wine Watchers, we pride ourselves on being more than just a company—here, everyone is (big cliché but true) family. Here's to many more tastings, celebrations, and years together at Belgium Wine Watchers. Cheers! Tasted by Glenn Cambré for Belgium Wine Watchers

How to Enjoy Drinking Your Champagne 
A few tips to get you started 1. Start selecting your favorite Producer   Belgium Wine Watchers
 can assist and support you in choosing your bottle of Champagne. We offer many top Champagne producers. 
A few names: Dom perignon - Cristal Roederer - Gosset - Dom Ruinart - Selosse - Lanson - Nicolas Feuillatte - Taittinger - Veuve Clicquot ... check our website for more information. 
2. Opening the Bottle When opening the bottle of your Champagne there are a few things you should do. First, take some safety measures. After you loosen the cage, place one hand over the cork, to prevent it from accidentally popping off. 3. Serve it Chilled The Champagne should be served chilled. It should be stored in the refrigerator. However, most people make a mistake of chilling it too much. The flavors of the wine will be locked out when you chill it too much. The best way to chill it is to place it in a bucket of ice and add about a third of the water. Let the bottle of Champagne stay in the bucket for approximately 20 minutes. 4. Drink and Eat You can enjoy drinking your Champagne while you are eating. It can be a dinner, lunch or with a dessert. 5. Sniff It You should smell your Champagne before sipping it. Smelling the wine will help in enhancing the taste of the Champagne. You will enjoy more as you can feel both the taste and the pleasant smell. 

6. CHEERS

Dom Pérignon is the most famous champagne in the world, beloved for its exceptional flavors and aromas. The history of this champagne is as intriguing as its reputation. For instance, it is rumored that during the royal wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, 99 bottles of the 1961 vintage - the bride's birth year - were served to the guests. But what makes Dom Pérignon so unique? The Namesake of Dom Pérignon Don’t be mistaken: Dom Pérignon is not a champagne house. It’s a brand of vintage champagne introduced by Moët & Chandon in the 1920s as its top cuvée. The first Dom Pérignon champagne was produced in 1921 and launched in 1936. They named the champagne after Dom Pierre Pérignon, a 17th-century monk. He was not the inventor of champagne but was a pioneer in winemaking techniques. Dom Pierre Pérignon was born in 1638 in the Champagne region of France, where his family owned a few vineyards. He worked as cellar master at the Benedictine abbey in Hautvillers, and thanks to his hard work, the abbey doubled its vineyard size. Dom Pierre Pérignon believed that hard work brought a monk closer to God, which ignited his dream of creating “the best wine in the world.” It is in this former monastery where the champagne Dom Pérignon is made today. The Home of Dom Pérignon The house of Moët & Chandon is located in the heart of the Champagne region and has vineyards in Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Sézanne, and Aube. Altogether the house owns 1,150 hectares, of which 50% are Grand Crus and 25% Premier Crus vineyards. Dom Pérignon is produced in Hautvillers, located in the south of the Montagne de Reims. Its terroir is predominantly rich chalk soil with limestone, which keeps the vines naturally watered all year round. The moderately steep terrain creates an ideal vineyard combining good drainage and optimum sun exposure. The Thrill of Dom Pérignon Dom Pérignon is always an assemblage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, playing with contrasts and complementary elements. Each vintage has its own composition: sometimes the blend has perfectly equal proportions, other times up to 60% Chardonnay or 60% Pinot Noir. A Dom Pérignon Rosé is completely Pinot Noir-based and often more expensive than the ‘standard’ Dom Pérignon. “Our commitment to vintages is absolute. Dom Pérignon is reinvented with every vintage, daring to take risks. That is the cost of revealing the wine’s extra ‘soul’, even if it means not declaring a vintage.” - from the Manifesto of Dom Pérignon All the grapes used need to be harvested in the same year. Each vintage has to express the character of the year and the character of Dom Pérignon. Hot and dry harvest seasons produce aromas of spicy and nutty flavors, while wet harvest seasons result in floral bouquets with hints of vanilla, honey, and almond. Dom Pérignon is made only in exceptional vintage years. Per decade, they will make no more than six vintages. Everything needs to be perfect, and the champagne must be able to age more than 20 years. The Plenitudes of Dom Pérignon Each vintage of Dom Pérignon has three plenitudes or ‘windows of opportunity’. The first one comes between 7 to 8 years, the second arrives between 12 and 15 years and is indicated with “P2”, for example, “P2 - 2000”. The third window is around 30 years. “We are strong believers in the virtue of yeast maturation – we think it dramatically contributes to the singularity of Dom Pérignon.” - cellar master Richard Geoffroy The champagnes don’t develop in a linear way but rather in plateaus creating different windows of expressions. The different releases of one vintage give people the chance to taste the different expressions of the same vintage. Make sure you store your Dom Pérignon champagnes in a cool and humid cellar so they can age as intended. Prestigious but Never a Grand Cru Only certain vineyards in the Champagne region are classified as Grand Cru. To qualify a champagne as Grand Cru, it must only be made with grapes from these vineyards. Although Dom Pérignon is made with grapes from Grand Cru vineyards, each blend also includes grapes from the original plot in the Abbey of Hautvillers, which is classified as Premier Cru. Discover our current collection of Dom Pérignon champagnes and have a taste of one of the world’s best champagnes.

No wine is more suitable for a celebration than an exclusive champagne. The tradition of drinking champagne during special occasions dates back to 1789 when royal courts richly poured champagne. Today, we love to pop a bottle as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve or when celebrating a birthday or an important professional achievement. We have selected four Champagne Houses that are respected worldwide for their history, vision, and high-quality champagne: Krug, Louis Roederer, Bollinger, and the relatively young house of Jacques Selosse. It is always our pleasure when we can add one of their champagnes to our collection. The House of Krug The History of Krug The house of Krug was founded in 1843 by Joseph Krug, a visionary who broke with convention to pursue his dream. He worked at Jacquesson, the leading Champagne House of that time, for almost twenty years and even became a partner. At age 42, when most men in his position would be close to retiring, he decided to create a great champagne year after year, regardless of variations in climate. For three years, he and wine merchant Hippolyte de Vivès worked in secret, testing new blends. In 1843, he founded the House of Krug & Compagnie. Joseph Krug was convinced that terroir was crucial and that tasting wines separately plot by plot was essential to make the right selection. To combat climate variations, he began to build a reserve of wines, each made from a separate plot to preserve its unique character. This way, he could compose the perfect mix each year, regardless of the weather or harvest conditions. His passion and methodology have been passed down through generations. The house of Krug is now run by the sixth generation, led by Olivier Krug, who keeps Joseph Krug's legacy alive. The Making of Krug Champagne The Champagne House is mainly based in Reims, the capital city of the Champagne region. They own 30% of their vineyards, while the rest of the grapes are sourced from long-term contract growers. They use Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes in their champagne. The individual selection of each plot is pressed and stored separately in wooden casks, smaller than tanks. They remain in the casks for several weeks before being moved to small stainless-steel vats between December and January. Wines not used for that year’s assemblage are stored in the House’s library of 150 reserve wines, later used in a Krug Grand Cuvée or Krug Rosé. After bottling, the champagne is aged in the House’s cellars for years before being released onto the market. The house produces five champagnes: Krug Grand Cuvée, Krug Rosé, Krug Vintage, Krug Clos du Mesnil, and Krug Clos d’Ambonnay. A Closer Look at Krug Clos du Mesnil In 1971, Krug bought six hectares of vines around the renowned Chardonnay village of Mesnil-sur-Oger, including a walled vineyard of 1.85 acres in the heart of the village. This plot enjoys a microclimate that gives the grapes their unique character. This inspired the family to devote - for the first time - a champagne to a single plot. Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979 was the first in line and was presented in 1986. Krug Clos du Mesnil is made from Chardonnay grapes only and from one single year. The champagne is kept in the House’s wine cellars for over a decade before being launched onto the market. The House of Louis Roederer The History of Louis Roederer Louis Roederer inherited the Champagne House in 1833 and decided he wanted to master every stage of wine creation. He bought some Grand Cru vineyards, which was unusual as other Champagne Houses bought their grapes. Louis Roederer believed that the combination of soil, passion for tradition, and vision made a champagne truly great. In 1870, they began to export their champagne to the United States and Russia. Today, the Louis Roederer House is an independent, family-owned company. The house and Louis Roederer’s vision are in the good hands of the seventh generation, led by Frédéric Rouzaud. The Making of Louis Roederer Champagne The Champagne House owns 240 hectares with 410 parcels in three classic Champagne districts: the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne, and the Côte des Blancs. Only one-third of the grapes are bought from long-term contract growers. They use Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes in their champagne. The house is also the largest biodynamic estate in the Champagne region. The grapes are collected in buckets and pressed in Louis Roederer’s own press-houses. Afterwards, the musts are stored in small stainless steel tanks or oak vats for fermentation, preserving the character of each plot up to the blending stage. During winter, they taste the wines and decide which ones to use immediately and which to put aside for future Brut Premier champagne. The house produces seven champagnes: the multi-vintages Brut Premier and Carte Blanche, the vintages Vintage, Rosé Vintage, and Blanc de Blanc Vintage, and the Cuvée de Prestige champagnes Cristal and Cristal Rosé. A Closer Look at Louis Roederer Cristal The first Louis Roederer Cristal was created in 1876 to satisfy Tsar Alexander II, who asked the house to reserve the best cuvée for him every year. The champagne was called Cristal because the bottle was made of transparent lead-crystal glass with a flat bottom. Louis Roederer Cristal is made of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir grapes. It is aged in the house’s cellars for 6 years and left there for a further eight months after disgorgement. This champagne can be conserved for over twenty years and still taste fresh and balanced. The House of Bollinger The History of Bollinger The story of Bollinger starts in 1829 when Athanase de Villermont, Joseph Bollinger, and Paul Renaudin founded Renaudin-Bollinger & Cie. Almost a decade later, Joseph Bollinger married Athanase’s daughter. Their sons, Joseph and Georges, later took over the company and extended its vineyards. In 1920, Georges’ son Jacques was only 24 years old when he inherited the company. Together with his cousins and wife, known as ‘Madame Jacques,’ he pulled the company through the difficult years of recession and the Second World War. For decades, the company was led by an inheritor of Joseph Bollinger. But in 2008, for the first time in history, the family appointed a chairman who was not a family member. Today, the house is led by Jérôme Philipon with the full support of the family. The Making of Bollinger Champagne The Champagne House owns 170 hectares, of which 85% are planted with Grand Cru and Premier Cru vines, spread over seven main vineyards. Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois, and Verzenay are planted with Pinot Noir, Cuis with Chardonnay, and Champvoisy with Pinot Meunier. The house Bollinger produces the majority of its grapes and has strict guidelines on how the vines should be managed. From the moment the harvest is over, they taste the different wines to understand the specific characters of each plot. Only the finest wines are vinified in old oak casks. The wines are aged in barrels, some of which are nearly 100 years old. When not in use, the barrels are filled, dried, and mended according to traditional methods. Wines not used for that year’s vintage are saved for Grand Crus and Premier Crus reserve wines. These wines are bottled in magnums and aged for five to fifteen years. Bollinger has more than 750,000 magnums, saved cru by cru, year by year. This reserve wine system is unique in Champagne and contributes to the style of the Special Cuvée. The house produces five champagnes: the multi-vintage Special Cuvée and the vintages Grande Année, R.D., Vieille Vignes Françaises, and Coteaux Champenois La Côte aux Enfants. The House of Jacques Selosse The History of Jacques Selosse The house of Jacques Selosse has the youngest history of the four Champagne Houses discussed in this blog. The company was founded in 1949 in Avize, at the heart of the Côte des Blancs area. When Jacques’ son Anselme Selosse took over the company in 1980, he decided to ban chemicals from the land and focus on biodynamic winemaking. This resulted in healthy soils and expressive tasting notes. He was also one of the first winemakers to apply the winemaking techniques of white Burgundy to Champagne, inspiring many young winegrowers. In 1994, Gault-Millau named him France’s best winemaker in every category. The Making of Jacques Selosse Champagne All the grapes used to produce their champagne are grown in vineyards owned by the house Jacques Selosse. They use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes and have plots in Avize, Cramant, Oger, Le Mesnil, Ay, Mareuil-sur-Ay, and Ambonnay. The vines are pruned rigorously to keep production low. All grapes are vinified separately in small Burgundian barrels brought in from Domaine Leflaive. After the harvest in June, the wines are fermented in oak barrels while most Champagne Houses use stainless steel tanks. The young wines are regularly stirred up to mix the yeast and sediment with the wine. A year later, the champagne is bottled and placed in the house’s cellars to age for a couple of years before being launched. The house produces six champagnes: Substance, Contraste, Millésime, Brut Initial, Version Originale, and Rosé. Discover our current collection of champagnes by Krug, Louis Roederer, Bollinger, and Jacques Selosse and surprise your guests with the most exclusive bubbles of all.