January 10, 2010

Born at the right time to grow up and be labeled a “boomer”, I heard from relatives about the WW2 battles fought in the Valley of the Marne- (northeastern France just below Belgium and touching Luxembourg). These battles of liberation took place in December of 44 and January of 45 and were made more difficult because the weather was extremely cold with lots of snow. ha Earlier, in the 1800s the Czar’s soldiers stayed in this region as they prepared for meeting Napoleon at Waterloo and while there developed a thirst for the local wine.  In BC times, Champagne was a major trade crossroad disputed between Celts and Danubians.  Julius Caesar arrived and the Roman occupation brought peace and prosperity.   In 451 Attila the Hun threatened the region and the Romans joined with the Franks and Visigoths to defeat him at CHAMPS. 

As I grew older I learned that the grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) used in Champagne not only had to be grown in this zone but also had to be converted to wine in the same appellation to be called CHAMPAGNE.  Champagne is a region of national forests and fertile valleys and it is in these valleys that the vineyards are planted.  In 1927, they were delineated into controlled zones called “Appellation D’Origine Controlee” (AOCs) where lands suitable for the grapes were defined and other harvesting rules were set. 

Champagne evokes thoughts of celebration, romance and special occasions.  This wine has become synonymous with good times, new years, good cheer and moments in life that are to be remembered.  Because of its allure I had long wanted to visit the area but it was always out of reach.  Last June, a chance arose; we had an invitation to attend a wedding in Como Italy.  The lowest cost flight landed in Luxembourg.  Why not combine the two, northern Italy and the Marne Valley on this trip?   Why not indeed!  

As is so typical in France the Romans originally planted these vineyards and they have been thriving for centuries. Reims is where the kings of France were crowned from 896-1825 but it was way back in 496 that the first king of France was anointed with wine from the Champagne region.  In those days Reims, was considered the center of the Champagne region and many still consider it to be, as it is home to many of the major champagne houses. It is a large industrial city (we got lost trying to get around it) and is located on the northern end of the region.  We opted to stay in Epernay, a smaller city on the Marne in the center of the three major growing sub appellations: namely, Vallee de la Marne (Pinot Meunier); just north Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir); just south Cotes de Blancs (Chardonnay).  There is a fourth AOC named Cotes de Bar, located near Toyes outside of the Marne Vallee. 

We arrived on market day (each town in France has a day when the main street is closed and traveling merchants set up tents or caravan’s to market directly to the people).  Fortunately our hotel street was open and we could immediately drop bags off, find a car park and walk the market.  Always amazing to see the scope of materials available at these markets aside from the traditional cheese, bread, air-dried hams and sausages, deli, fruit, vegetables and clothing we have come to expect.  My interests point me towards the sections where used mechanical equipment such as pumps, tools, fans, plows, mechanical wine presses etc are available and for Carol spices, plants, cosmetics and ceramics.  Bargaining is a must.  

Next morning we were off to visit the house of “Franck Bonville” in the picturesque village of Aveze, in the Cote des Blanc’s appellation of CHAMPAGNE, about 20 minutes drive south of Epernay.  The major grape in the Cotes des Blancs is Chardonnay and is the bases of any champagne labeled Blanc de Blancs.  If you note a “Blanc de Noir” on the label of your champagne it indicates reds were used but for good champagne some white is typically blended with the reds in making the cuvee and no “blanc de” will be on the label. The chalky soil coupled with the short growing season (equivalent latitude located just south of Winnipeg and little ocean effect to moderate extremes) produces a high acid wine that is a perfect base for champagne.  Franck started his vineyard right after WW2 and his grandson, our host, Oliver Bonville and his assistant, Isabel Destouches, carry on the tradition of grower/producer that is increasing (now about 5,000 HOUSES ) , a term that covers the grower/producers” but more than 19,000 growers “vignerons” only exist).  Grower Champagne produces all the classic champagne stuff, the beautiful bubbles, the golden color, the mouth watering acidity, good yeastiness and a long finish.  But they have something more: individuality. You can determine from the label if it is grower produced on the front label lower left usually in the smallest print with be printed RM. 

 This HOUSE, because it is a family operation, continues to focus on maintaining the quality of the grapes produced on the 50 acres of vines they own.  These are the grapes they use for their house wine and the grapes produced are all of the Grand Cru level (only 17 villages currently qualify for this the highest level) and what they can not use in their bottlings is eagerly sought by the major houses.  We toured the vineyard walking the north to south running rows and noting the healthy canopy growth resulting from a wet June. Bonville follows the same process as with all HOUSES in Champagne: harvesting the grapes and fermenting them to make a dry white wine for Bonville while other areas harvest red and make dry reds (with skins removed to keep juice white) and some typical reds. 

Then to the winery.  Both winery and vineyards are in the small village of Aveze and vines come right up to the walls of the town. The most recent capital investment in this winery has been the retirement of the hydraulic water presses which have been replaced with pneumatic bladders to assist in making the crush gentler, very important to avoid in crushing the seeds which would affect the taste. In an effort to improve overall quality, makers now are permitted by the AOC to make only two pressings from each lot of grapes.  In January of each year they blend the wine made from their three separate vineyards and wine held back from previous years to obtain the “HOUSE” taste style (the Assemblage) to make the cuvee.  At other producers the Cuvee can be made from 40 different wines to achieve the HOUSE taste style; then sugar, yeast and wine is added (Liqueur de Tirage) to the bottle and the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle stored in cool limestone caves under the winery. The amount added will determine the number of bubbles present in the final wine which typically amount to about 20 million. Every one of those bubbles alters the taste, scent, and fluid dynamics of the sparkling wine. A scientist would describe Champagne as a hydro-alcoholic solution supersaturated with carbon dioxide molecules and laced with amino acids, proteins, and lipids. The microscopic and molecular behavior of carbonation makes the champagne tingle in the nose and tap-dances on the tongue. The unique process that makes champagne Champagne is this secondary fermentation which can take from 10 days to three months depending on the coolness of the cave. The longer the wine sits with the products of fermentation the more improved the taste.  When fermentation is complete and the wine has been in the bottle for at least three years, the bottles are transferred to slanted boards (pupitres) or at Bonville gyropallettes (another recent capital investment) which are utilized to encourage the secondary fermentation’s solid residue to travel to the neck of the bottle where it can be removed (Degorgement). 

Madam Pommery discovered that those Czarist Russians waiting to battle Napoleon liked a sweeter wine and she is credited with the entire science of adding sugar at fixed levels.  Now it is standard, sugar is added (“Dosage”) and the amount added determines whether the wine is Bruit or Demi, or Sec or (the final sweetness) and finally the special large cork/wire harness is installed to produce the bottle we see. The entire process described is called the “The METHODE TRADITIONNELLE”, where secondary fermentation in the bottle is required to obtain that special interaction between the dead yeast cells and the wine that make CHAMPAGNE unique affecting both taste and sparkle. Vintage champagne comes from a great grape year, that year is on the label of the bottle and all the wine in the bottle is made from that vintage. It must be aged for at least five years in the bottle before being released.  A normal (non vintage or NV) champagne comes from the cuvee as a blend of up to seven years of wines without a vintage year on the label.  Bonville’s Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs) (NV) champagne posses a biscuit like creaminess with complex aromas of hazelnuts or walnuts.   We tasted several but my favorite is the Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut with exotic ripe fruit and lots of floral notes on the palate minus the typical “yeastiness” that is typical in the champagnes from many of the major houses non grower producers (NM mark on the label small print).

 Bonville bid us a kind adieu after giving us two bottles of his Grand Cru Prestige Bruit (Prestige is a house label given to the wine produced from the best grapes and is considered by the producer to be his best product). There is no regulation covering this designation and can be made at the discretion of the grower.

We decided to sample it for lunch and in Epernay we went to a boulangerie, charcuterie and patisserie before they closed at 1 pm sharp to buy the bread, meats, cheeses and most important, the cakes, required. We purchased all the makings in time, iced the champagne and headed for the banks of the Marne for a great picnic.   We spread the blanket in the village of Mardeuil where a small park on the banks of the Marne beckoned.   No ants, no mosquitoes and thus a great lunch, pate, etc. and the wonderful Bonville Champagne.  From the banks, we observed the river tourists who had rented a boat to motor the Marne going up river towards Chalons. 

Champagne goes with all foods and thus our picnic was great. But some purists recommend NV to be limited to toasts, and vintage coupled with food. After lunch, a short drive up the mountain passing the vineyards of Moet & Chandon to Hautvillers and the Abby d’Hautvillers where Dom Perignon sometime in his life span (1638-1715) sorted out the best way to capture the uniqueness of Champagne, to make it in a consistent way (blending) and storing it in bottles thick enough to withstand the internal pressure (secondary fermentation) and to sealing it well (corks and wire).

 Hautvillers is a lovely hill top village, looking down vineyards lining the Marne and with Epernay in sight. Both the Abby (rehabilitated by Moet & Chandon) and the quaint be-flowered village are well worth a visit. They have a few inns and many champagne houses, all very welcoming, that make it a town well worth visiting. If there is a next time, I would like to stay there.  The late afternoon sun gave us a chance to get to the castle and gardens at Boursault down the Marne about 8 miles.  The appellation here is the “Valley of the Marne” and the fields were full of red grapes-predominately Pinot Meunier.   Back to the Place de the Republic for some liquid refreshment while the ladies freshened up at the hotel.  

 In 2007 some 339 million bottles of champagne were sold worldwide with the UK and USA representing about 40% of total sales.  Due to the recession and strength of the Euro sales have dropped to about 270 million bottles in 2009 leaving about 1.2 billion unsold bottles in the cellars. Houses had to purchase 9,700 kg/acre of grapes but to manage inventory will bottle only 8,000kg/acre letting the equivalent of 48 million bottles age in vats for 10 months hoping the demand revives. Under the pressure to move inventory Houses might be ready to make special deals that might permit champagne lovers to cash in. 

 We will continue this Champagne saga next quarter with a visit to Montage de Reims and the village of Bouzy where Pinot Noir is the major grape.   Until then, if you are looking for toast and less yeast please, try to sample the champagne of the smaller, less famous houses for the pure fruit and acidity of great champagne (RM on the label)    

Barsin's Bodega Wine Story Index

December 2007

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January 2009

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January 2010