I realize that this blog is turning towards two categories: Natural Wine & Champagne.
I am eager passionate about both things, but from starting this blog some 4½ years ago my preferences has narrowed. At the same time I started this blog, I also sourced my wines from maybe 10 domestic wine importers – even had wine sent from Germany, France and Italy. Today I use mainly one importer and have 2-3 others that I also like.
Looking forward, I face an obstacle of going around in circles with this blog and not being able to present you with something “new”. Will it be boring just to read about an “old wine” in a new vintage? I have to think about this and maybe change the concept of this blog – turning away from tasting notes to another template?
Meanwhile…let’s have a look at a classic: A Champagne – yet something which is almost new from one of my absolutely favorite producers.
2004 Cédric Bouchard “Inflorescence La Parcelle”
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Almost, means – that I have in fact tasted it before in another vintage (2003) and written a small notice, when I visited Cédric in April-2011. Until vintage 2004, the wine has been made from a close friend of the family. From ‘04 Cédric makes the wine himself. It’s also the first time the Champagne is available here in Denmark. Since the first release of La Parcelle, the 1999 vintage, the Champagne has been sold exclusively in Japan and later in US. Slowly the wine has become more accessible around the world, but like always with the Champagnes of Cédric Bouchard, the wines are produced in microscopically numbers.
Before I opened it, I couldn’t help to think how it would compare vs the standard Inflorescence and Les Ursules, which are both crafted from Pinot Noir and Champagnes I know very well.
The similarities are again a Champagne with staggering level of purity. It’s a clean cut diamond, which sparkles with clarifying sensorial sweet fruit, black cherries, currant perfumes and wrapped in Cédric’s always sleek corset where delicacy are brought to a sensational level. The trademark of his Champagnes are breeds capturing their own dimension and La Parcelle is no exception.
Where it takes on it’s own agenda – especially compared vs Les Ursules are more yellow fruits, flowers and ginger. The structure is also different – feeling even silkier. I don’t always believe in what is best – but you could say Les Ursules are somewhat deeper, more structure, compact and complex.
Having said that – I absolutely adored it, especially how it orchestrated the tonality between Pinot, yellow fruits and this lovely subtle ginger appeal. This I have not seen before from Cédric Bouchard and in fact it pairs even better with food than Les Ursules because of this.
This blog might face some challenges, but when Champagne is this good – why on earth should I keep searching for alternatives just to present something new and shiny?
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4 comments:
Actually, I must say that I enjoy your blog more now that it has become more narrowly focused. I am myself going through a similar phase with regards to buying and drinking: After having once sampled widely in order educate myself, I now mainly buy wine that I believe will give genuine pleasure rather than just "an interesting experience" or another notch on the belt.
I hope that you will keep going, there are far to few blogs out there that like yours doesn't give in to pretensions of objectiveness but rather gives the reader a real feeling of the writers taste and preferences.
I really hope that you will carry on blogging about your personal wine experiences. I am indeed an eager reader of your posts and your thoughts helped me a lot in developing some ideas on wine and especially Champagne. Similar to Bjorn, I like your objective approach - you manage to write about something you love without becoming a "fanboy" which I absolutely appreciate.
Write about what interests you and the subject isn't too narrow.
@ Bjørn, Polskifiat and TWG
Thank you all for sharing your encouraging comments – makes me very happy.
I will indeed keep on going – I can’t really stop. Yet there are times, were I think about how much time I have spent on this blog – especially from a tasting were I have to focus both on wines, food, socialising, photography and not to forget the post-production of the images.
I have just bought all of Alexandre Jouveraux 2010 releases, which I am drinking right now – I hope to share them with you in near future – including his new red and rosé.
Best from,
Thomas
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