Aperitif wines
The Moustillant is naturally sparkling and completely unfiltered and natural so you have a wealth of Chenin fruit and refreshing acidity to get the taste buds talking.
£25.00BRUT ROSE (NV) - DSGROSNV
De Saint Gall, Avize
Variety; Chardonnay Pinot Noir
12% ABV
Appellation Champagne Controllee
Quite an orange onion skin rose colour. Floral, marmalade crushed fruit on the nose carried through on to palate. A bit of structure underneath - firm and serious style rather than a fruit bomb. A gentle sweet fruit touch to the finish - showing some crisp meatier pinot character.
£10.01'FLUTE ENCHANTEE' NV - VGUFLTNV
Vignobles Guillaume, Franche Comte
Variety; Chardonnay Pinot Noir
12.5% ABV
'Flute Enchantee' translates to 'Magic Flute', it is made with Champagne grape varieties and in the same way as Champagne. It even tastes like Champagne. Yet the price, is definitley not Champagne. It really is very fresh with a pretty citus fruits and a mineral fresh finish.
£14.63'LA DILETTANTE' MOUSTILLANT NATUREL (2009) - BRTFIZ09
Domaine Catherine & Pierre Breton, Vouvray
Variety; Chenin Blanc
ABV: 12%
Appellation Vouvray Controllee
This is slightly off dry and with a gentle variating fizz, perfect as an aperitif.
Moustillant- The wine ferments only once in bottle.
Champagne-Ferments twice, once to make a still wine (so not in bottle) then more yeast is added to still wine and it ferments again (in bottle) closely monitored and controlled.
Explanation of what happens to Moustillant:
Yeast feed off of the sugar in the fruit, turn the sugar to alcohol and as a bi-product of this process called alcoholic fermentation, CO2 is released and when it has nowhere to go, as it trapped in the bottle it goes into the wine thus creating a fizz in the wine.
Because the yeasts are wild (naturally occurring rather than out of a packet) every bottle is different and will ferment in a different way. The more naturally occurring yeasts there are the drier the wine (as more sugar has turned to alcohol) and the more fizzy it will be (as there will be more CO2 to go back into the bottle).
Conversely, if there are less wild yeasts the wine will be slightly sweeter and less fizzy for the same reasons as above.
This is part of the beauty of the wine, it is natural, unpredictable and everyone is unique. I think it should be celebrated for this...!
Click here to find out more about Domaine Catherine & Pierre Breton
£26.70ST JOHN -1ER CRU BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS (NV) - STJCMPNV Sold Out, Back Soon!
De St Gall, Avize
Variety; Chardonnay
12.5% ABV
Appellation Champagne Controllee
This is a delicious champagne and one I could drink for any occasion.
It is rich silky with a soft persistant mousse.
The chardonnay really sings, it is weighty enough to put with food having a breezy mid palate minerality to cleanse after scallops, langoustine, a good Brie de Mieux....
£32.39CUVEE DE MOINES BRUT (2000) - BESMON00
Besserat de Belefon, Epernay
Variety; Chardonnay Pinot Meunier Pinot Noir
LAST FEW BOTTLES REMAINING
12.5% ABV
Appellation Champagne Controllee
£33.42CUVEE DES MOINES BLANC DE BLANC (NV) - BESBDBNV
Besserat de Bellefon, Epernay
Variety; Chardonnay
12.5% ABV
Appellation Champagne Controllee
£67.09'ORPALE' GRAND CRU BLANCS DE BLANCS (1996) - DSGORP96
De Saint Gall, Avize
Variety; Chardonnay
12.5% ABV
Appellation Champagne Controllee
From Grand Cru sites in Avize, Oger & Mesnil sur Oger.
This is a steal..I cannot find any 1996's (one of the best vintages for decades for Chardonnay) at this price. It is not so well known so does not command a price but should...It will age very well is an excellent wine to give as a present to a champagne lover.
When I judged at a trade Champagne tasting last year (Imbibe Ice awards) this came up top trumps when tasted blind alongside the big boys.
I think it is the best value Grand cru vintage Blanc de Blancs about at the moment and if you don't agree, I'll give you your money back.