One of life’s great pleasures is hearing from an old friend you haven’t seen or maybe even thought about in a while. A “got-a-minute?” turns into a half hour or more of the best kind of camaraderie. Sometimes wines are old friends and sometimes we wander a way from them in the same way that people wander apart for a time. Getting together again almost makes the separation worth while. Such is my experience with Laurent Perrier Brut NV; it has been awhile, maybe six months or more since I had had any and this encounter was a pure pleasure.
LAURENT PERRIER Brut, Champagne, NV ($41.69)
A blend of about 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier with primary fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before Champenization and en triage (on the yeast) aging for 48 months. Sensory: Straw in color and fully sparkling; dry, medium-bodied with fresh acidity. Lovely, classy, elegant, but still rich enough Champagne. Plenty of fresh flavors with good development. Mostly citrus (from the high proportion of Chardonnay) fruit with enough toast and mineral. Classic. Delicious. For me, this falls squarely in the aperitif or “with-oysters” range of the Champagne spectrum. BS: 93+.
CHAMPAGNE QUOTE:
“No government could survive without Champagne. Champagne in the throats of our diplomatic people is like oil in the wheels of an engine” – Joseph Dargent (chosen because I am in Washington DC this morning)
PLEASE check the EVENTS PAGE for the annual 2011 CRU CLASSÉ BORDEAUX TASTING on January 21st at the Crystal Ballroom at the Rice.
