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| Jean-Hervé Chiquet |
Jean-Hervé joked at lunch that they made champagne for their two best customers: him and his brother! Joking aside, this underscored the passion they both demonstrate in crafting only the best products, not compromised by any regulations. In 2000, they decided to replace the non-vintage champagne concept which would require a consistent style year after year, with a champagne that showed best the vintage's individual character, complemented by some reserve wine (now usually from the previous year). This gave rise to the first of the series of numbered cuvée. Cuvée 728 was thus named, as it was the 728th wine that was made by the house in the centenary, and was based on the opulence of the 2000 vintage. Cuvée 729 was much more challenging, being based on the 2001 vintage, but cuvée 730, based on the exceptional 2002 vintage, was definitely one of their finest signatures.
We started lunch with the Cuvée 736, based on the 2008 vintage, with 55% Chardonnay, 19% Pinot Noir and 18% Meunier. Dosage was very low at 1.5g/litre. Disgorged in March 2013. This was linear and elegant, with notes of apple, pear, toast, hint of almond, and a mineral-laden palate. The palate had an understated roundness, to balance the vibrancy of the vintage. Finish was clean and crisp. I think the best is still to come with this cuvée...so hold onto a few bottles to see how they continue to evolve over the next 10+ years!
The Cuvée 737 was based on the more sumptuous 2009 vintage. Ripe pear, marzipan and honey filled the bouquet and palate. Mouthfilling and gourmand in texture. The blend here was 43% Chardonnay, 17% Pinot Noir and 30% Meunier. Dosage was 3.5 g/litre. This bottle was disgorged in July 2013.
When asked about the higher dosage for 737, Jean-Hervé said that their philosophy was that the dosage was not used to mask any shortcomings or enhance the vintage. It was to complement the style and character of the style. Before the addition of the liqueur de dosage, they would taste with different levels of dosage to determine the best one for that vintage.
He had brought us two very special cuvées from his cellar. A late disgorged 1989 Avize Grand Cru (disgorged in 1998), based on 100% Chardonnay from a blend of 3 lieux-dits, La Fosse, Nemery and Champ Gain. This tasted extremely youthful and lively. There was still a beautiful and most elegant poise and finesse, an admirable precision, yet rich in intensity and flavours, vibrant with freshness, with hardly any sign of maturity. A long finish, almost saline. A very fine expression of the terroir and the vintage, which many of us agreed at lunch that it had begun to show better than the much-admired 1990 vintage which had started to show its age in some bottles. I would score this 19/20.
The Mémoire du 20ème Siècle was a project that they made for the millennium. It was based on the 1996 Non-Vintage champagne, with reserve wines from 1994 and 1995, and a concoction of liqueurs de dosage from 20 vintages, ranging from 1915 to 1990. This bottle was disgorged in January 1999. The nose was ripe and rich, with candied pear, yoghurt, praline and a note of caramel crunch. The richness was deftly balanced by just the right amount of acidity. Jean-Hervé agreed that the liqueurs de dosage definitely played a larger role (than normal) in defining the style of this wine. This was bold and characterful, and not a shy wine against the Southeast Asian style beef brisket curry with roti canai!
The second tasting at China Tang was a dinner with Marie-Odile de Chassey and her daughter Ingrid. Ingrid represents the 7th generation producing Guy de Chassey champagnes. They own 9.5 hectares of all Grand Cru vineyards, planted with 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay and produce around 60,000 bottles every year. One-third of their vineyard holdings are in Bouzy....a highly-prized Pinot Noir terroir. They are based in Louvois, in the Montagne de Reims. They practise la lutte raisonné in their viticulture, and their wines do not receive any malolactic fermentation. Ingrid started working alongside her mother in 2003 and her first vintage was 2004.
The Mémoire du 20ème Siècle was a project that they made for the millennium. It was based on the 1996 Non-Vintage champagne, with reserve wines from 1994 and 1995, and a concoction of liqueurs de dosage from 20 vintages, ranging from 1915 to 1990. This bottle was disgorged in January 1999. The nose was ripe and rich, with candied pear, yoghurt, praline and a note of caramel crunch. The richness was deftly balanced by just the right amount of acidity. Jean-Hervé agreed that the liqueurs de dosage definitely played a larger role (than normal) in defining the style of this wine. This was bold and characterful, and not a shy wine against the Southeast Asian style beef brisket curry with roti canai!
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| Guy de Chassey dinner at China Tang |
The second tasting at China Tang was a dinner with Marie-Odile de Chassey and her daughter Ingrid. Ingrid represents the 7th generation producing Guy de Chassey champagnes. They own 9.5 hectares of all Grand Cru vineyards, planted with 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay and produce around 60,000 bottles every year. One-third of their vineyard holdings are in Bouzy....a highly-prized Pinot Noir terroir. They are based in Louvois, in the Montagne de Reims. They practise la lutte raisonné in their viticulture, and their wines do not receive any malolactic fermentation. Ingrid started working alongside her mother in 2003 and her first vintage was 2004.
We started with the Non-Vintage Brut Cuvée de Buretel, with a production of 50,000 bottles. 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, with 30% reserve wine. The bottles we tried were based on the 2011 vintage. There was a lovely elegance in the fine structure.
Next was the Non-Vintage Brut Rosé, which received blending from Coteaux Champenois Bouzy Rouge. Blend was 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Loved the purity and intensity of the ripe fruit, cherry and raspberry, with just a touch of salinity on the finish. Well-defined and structured, with just enough substance on the palate, to give a roundness to the texture. A very admirable effort for a brut rosé! Highly recommended! And the pairing with roasted pigeon leg stuffed with preserved liver sausage was excellent!
Next was the Non-Vintage Brut Rosé, which received blending from Coteaux Champenois Bouzy Rouge. Blend was 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Loved the purity and intensity of the ripe fruit, cherry and raspberry, with just a touch of salinity on the finish. Well-defined and structured, with just enough substance on the palate, to give a roundness to the texture. A very admirable effort for a brut rosé! Highly recommended! And the pairing with roasted pigeon leg stuffed with preserved liver sausage was excellent!
Then we started with the vintage wines (Brut Millésime Grand Cru).....2004, 2002 and 1997. 2002 and 1997 were both made by Marie-Odile and 2004 was made by Ingrid. Both the 2004 and 2002 were blends of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir and both received 9g/litre of dosage. The 2004 showed intensity, harmony, well-balanced opulence but not missing the mineral crispness and clean long finish. I loved it! 17.5/20 On the palate, 2004 was a more gourmand wine than 2002, which despite the toasty and candied fruit character, belied much tension and freshness in the structure - it had the touch of a ballerina, gracefully lithe and firmly poised......2002 was a lower acidity year than 2004. 2002 would be the year with greater longevity, Marie-Odile and Ingrid both concurred. If I had the 2002 in my cellar, I would wait another 3 - 4 years before trying another bottle. It would drink well for a very long time! 18/20
Then we finished with 1997 vintage Grand Cru. Marie-Odile recalled this being a difficult year, with a lot of mildew and much sorting, hence extremely low yield. The wine had started to reveal some mature character of mushroom and savoury note, with brioche and quince nuances. Well balanced, rewarding the palate with an opulence and richness and complexity of character. A fine expression of the vintage! Definitely drinking very well now, but there is no hurry at all - it should drink well for another 8 - 10 years, with further evolution in the bottle! 17/20
So what of 2014? The early September saved the vintage, and they were able to harvest around mid September....which was not the case with 2013, which was not harvested till early October! Fingers crossed!
A superb dinner organised by the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne Chapitre in Hong Kong. Claudio, the Chapitre's Ambassadeur, did a great job with the menu....The first time I attended an OCC event....and I'm looking forward to the next, whenever I can make it!
So what of 2014? The early September saved the vintage, and they were able to harvest around mid September....which was not the case with 2013, which was not harvested till early October! Fingers crossed!
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| Claudio of the HK Chapitre of Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne, with Marie-Odile de Chassey and daughter Ingrid |
A superb dinner organised by the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne Chapitre in Hong Kong. Claudio, the Chapitre's Ambassadeur, did a great job with the menu....The first time I attended an OCC event....and I'm looking forward to the next, whenever I can make it!
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