Blog posts tagged with 'pinot noir'

Tasting Note: Vincent Dauvissat Irancy 2010 & 2015 General Impression: When no one on our team has tasted the wine on the tasting table, you know it's something truly niche. The Vincent Dauvissat Irancy 2010 and 2015 vintages exemplify this exclusivity. Origin: Irancy is situated southwest of Chablis and has been recognized as an appellation since 1998. The wines primarily consist of Pinot Noir, with up to 10% César allowed in the blend. Appearance: This wine displays a robust crimson hue, deepening towards dark red, enriched with vibrant highlights. Nose: The bouquet is bursting with a medley of fruit aromas, including blackcurrant, Morello cherry, raspberry, and blackberry. There are also occasional floral (violet), licorice, and pepper notes, which intriguingly draw comparisons to the Oude Kriek from 3 Fonteinen. Palate: On the palate, the tannins melt into a firm yet velvety structure. The wine's acidity is balanced perfectly, ensuring excellent aging potential. Character: Irancy wines often start off reticent, keeping their true character concealed. However, the 2010 and 2015 vintages are exceptions, revealing their noble qualities more readily. Similar to a great Nebbiolo, their initial resistance softens with time, allowing the wine's complexities to unfold. They present a rustic yet clean profile, highlighting a unique array of noble characteristics specific to this terroir. Overall: Patience rewards the drinker with this wine, as its rustic charm and noble complexities develop beautifully over time. The Vincent Dauvissat Irancy 2010 and 2015 are excellent examples of the unique elegance and depth this appellation has to offer.

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

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.