Peter Liem - All Comments

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Dan. Bailey. — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 08:08:13 GMT

I'd also like to say thanks to Peter for taking the time to write this article.

I just have one question. Are there any tricks of the trade to understand the Champagne's style just by reading the bottle? Other than grape varietals, of course.

In reference to style you said "that champagne is more diverse today than ever." "The choices the producer makes in both viticulture and vinification, by blending, and the amount of time spent on the lees before disgorgement are just a few of the factors that influence the final wine, and obviously these vary tremendously from one producer to another". Yet, and this is me writing again, some producers make many different styles while using the same grape varietals to the blend. For example, Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne. At a resent trade tasting I had the privilege of tasting a vertical of Taittinger's fine vintage champagnes. Some had dominate flavors of Granny Smith Apple with lemon zest and almond notes. Others you could tell spent some significant time on their lees for the aromas and flavors of brioche and vanilla were delightful. Same varietals, same producer, no notation on the bottle as to the style the producers had in mind. If I didn't get this opportunity to taste these verticals I would not of known Taittinger had varying styles without doing research on the internet.

I know this is the case with pretty much all varietals. Cabernet comes in many different styles but you don't know which one you are going to get until you open the bottle. Thats one of the jobs I love as a sommelier. I can take a guest to a bottle of wine that meets the style that I discovered he or she likes. I learned cabernet styles by sheer memorization and tasting, tasting, tasting. Is this the same case with champagne or is there a quicker way to discover each producers style without breaking my bank account...?

Thanks.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Dan. Bailey. — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 03:44:03 GMT

I am a big fan of champagne for all cuisines. Thank you for this informative article. I learned quite a bit. For some reason I never really considered how each Champagne commune could reflect a different expression of styles. I understand terroirs influence with still wine but for some reason neglected to study Champagne terroir.

In December I went to a trade tasting event featuring over 50 champagnes from about 30 houses. It was a great opportunity to compare all styles of champagne side by side. But I left that day with one troubling question that I have yet to find an answer. Some of the brut champagnes at the tasting had rich flavors of Granny Smith apples, lemon and lime zests, some slightly floral, medium plus acid - most of these were Chardonnay led, if not 100%. Other champagnes were black and red fruit dominate - black currants, black raspberries, strawberries - these were Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier led. But what about the champagnes that were creamy, with notes of toasted brioche and baking spices, slightly floral, and the fruits were difficult to even extract. This is a style of wine that I love. I understand that style is determined by producer based upon viticulture and vinification techniques. The time spent on the lees before disgorgement creates the creamy, brioche style. BUT as a consumer, nothing on the bottle would tell me what style a particular bottle of champagne will be. I would have to purchase each champagne and memorize the producers style. Or go online and refer to the tasting notes. Am I wrong? The varietals in the blend will determine the fruit profiles. I now know that the region or commune plays a part in the wines complexity and finesse. Some houses, Bruno Paillard is a great example, produce both styles of champagne yet don't describe them on the bottle in any way. His non vintage Brut Premier Cuvee was one of my favorites for the day, with rich, creamy brioche, just the right amount of red fruit, great balance, and a surprisingly long finish. While his 1999 vintage cuvee, with nearly the same blend of varietals was dramatically different, fruit driven, secondaries of honey and honeysuckle.

Are there any shortcuts or trade secrets to help me understand the style of a particular bottle of champagne ? Do I need to memorize each producers style?

From what I could tell, this article, nor the Guild's Champagne compendium and study guides, does not touch upon this topic. Any advice?

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

yuki saito — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:06:01 GMT

Great article and update!

I was intrigued by your statement of

"there has been a considerable shift in attitudes toward the vineyards in the past couple of decades, resulting in radically new styles of wine."

and wanted more of the explanation of this "considerable shift in attitudes toward the vineyards" very much...

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Shayn Bjornholm — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:12:17 GMT

Peter, this post makes me rue that damned volcano all the more...what a time it would have been to travel the hills and valleys of Champagne alongside!

Question: which producers or Cuvees do you know of in France that we just don't see here in the U.S.? To search for either over there or through friends over there... Not thinking of you, btw!

Oh, and I know you dig P-Town, but you gots to head slightly north the next time you come the PNW way...

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:10:05 GMT

I agree with Geoff. Wines that are too rich tend to overpower oysters or clams, and while there are some exceptions, I usually find the flavors of pinot to clash with shellfish. A light, youthful and chalky blanc de blancs would be ideal.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:32:18 GMT

For my taste, I would say a lean style blanc de blancs with a low dosage and not very much autolysis .

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:32:51 GMT

Fantastic information Peter!! Very helpfull. Do you have any recomendation for a style of Champage that pairs better than others with oysters? Clams? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:45:55 GMT

Matt, that's a complex issue that deserves a separate post. But the short answer is that I think some champagnes do benefit from decanting. It's sort of like using large glasses—young champagnes that are extremely vinous, concentrated and ripe tend to benefit, particularly if they've been vinified in wood. If I were to order a bottle of Selosse at a restaurant, for example, I would likely ask that it be decanted.

However, in a perfect world, I would prefer to wait for the wine to develop on its own. Drinking at home, I would either open that same Selosse bottle further ahead of time or drink it more leisurely, and even at a restaurant I might order the Selosse upon arriving, pour a little around the table to give the bottle some air, and drink one or two other wines while waiting, if possible. It might be psychological, and I know that there are those who disagree with me, but I feel that decanting affects the overall texture and harmony of the wine, not just with champagne, but with other wines as well. When drinking a 50-year old Barolo, for example, I find that I'm increasingly preferring to stand the bottle up for several days, open it in the morning before dinner and leave it untouched, later carefully pouring it directly from the bottle rather than decanting it. Not that I get to do many head-to-head comparisons between decanted and un-decanted bottles, but I feel that leaving it undecanted and allowing it to open slowly results in purer flavors and a greater fineness of texture. But, like I said, it could be my imagination.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Admin User — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:00:58 GMT

Great blog. Peter, I'm curious about your thoughts on decanting Champagne.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:56:12 GMT

Thanks, Gary. If you do explore alternative formats with your list, I'd be interested in seeing what you come up with.

Christopher, the type of glass definitely influences the balance of dosage. Exactly how, though, is not always predictable. I tend to focus more on the overall balance of the wine, since sweetness is of course a major component, and a glass that pulls everything else together is inevitably going to balance the dosage well. But speaking specifically about the dosage, I had two interesting experiences this weekend. The first was with Varnier-Fannière's most recent release of Cuvée Origine ('04/'05), an extra brut blanc de blancs from Cramant and Avize dosed at 3 g/l. I tried it in five different glasses, and it showed the best in the Riedel Vintage Sommelier, which often happens (this is my favorite champagne glass in the world). It was curious, though, that putting it in a wider glass, such as the Darsonville, actually made the wine feel drier, which in this case wasn't necessarily a good thing. The next evening I was at dinner with Jean-Etienne Bonnaire, and he brought an unusual, non-dosé bottle of 1995 Bonnaire Blanc de Blancs. I first tasted it in an unremarkable, commercial-type flute, and the wine was clearly in need of dosage, feeling blunt, steely and compressed. Since there was also a white-wine glass on the table, I thought I'd try it. But if putting a champagne in a wider glass makes it feel drier, then this one should go from bad to worse, right? In fact, the balance of richness and acidity was much better in the white wine glass. I still thought the wine needed a few grams of dosage, but it was more harmonious and more pleasurable to drink from the wider glass. So I suppose the conclusion might be that there aren't really any rules, and that it's worthwhile to experiment as much as possible.

Laura, I think the most interesting blind tastings are those that are relatively restricted in theme but that also involve obvious contrasts. You could work within the vast matrix of Champagne in so many different ways, exploring various facets and themes that contribute to champagne's diverse character. One example might be to compare varieties, tasting different wines based on chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier to identify varietal character (and then throw in a bottle of Laherte's Les Clos!) A more advanced permutation of that would be to explore how a given variety is influenced by terroir: chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, the Montagne de Reims and Montgueux, for example, or pinot noir from the northern Montagne de Reims, the Grande Vallée and the Aube. You could compare champagnes that have been fermented or aged in wood (Vilmart, Jacquesson, Bollinger, Krug, etc.) with some that have been vinified entirely in tank. Or compare two different vintages, featuring a number of wines from each one.

Jack, your restaurant always makes me think of champagne, although that could just reflect my personal bias. It's so great that you're pushing champagne with food -- I think it functions rather similarly to Beaujolais, in fact, in its combination of delicacy, acidity, low alcohol and prominent minerality. Makes sense to me!

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Anonymous — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:55:24 GMT

As usual, a great a thoughtful article. I've been reading your work since besotted ramblings, and I just wanted to let you know how much I have appreciated and been influenced by your writing. For example, I've been pushing champagne as a "food wine" and have been pretty happy with the responses from my customers. They are often hesitant, but once they really get into their meals they always end up pleased with the pairing. One of my regulars even teases me that "Champagne is the new Cru Beaujolais" - my other hand-sell obsession.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Laura Maniec — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:18:54 GMT

This is a great article, thanks for contributing Peter. I want to organize a Blind Tasting of Champagnes in New York for some of us, sommeliers. What producers, styles and villages do you think are important to include.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Christopher John — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:54:44 GMT

Thanks Peter. really interesting stuff. In terms of glass selection, in addition to serving richer champagnes in more still-wine shaped glasses, I was wondering if it would possible to comment on your opinion of glass choice based on dosage levels. Thanks.

RE: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

gary sullivan — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:46:44 GMT

Thank you Peter,

I have always wanted to present Champagne in an alternative format on a wine list, but never quite sure how to go about it, this gives me a few ideas. I will definately give a little more thought to my next glass. Cheers.