Posted on

Racing Into A Glass Of Happy

Henri Champliau 
Petrone
Blanc de Blancs
Brut
Chardonnay (mainly), Colombard, Ugni Blanc
Mercurey, Burgundy, France
Founder & winemaker: Alexandre Graffard

Shining light yellow with bouncing bubbles. Lovely scents start popping out of pears, apples, a  green melonish vibe that turns into rising dough & then becomes or rather alongside a toasty brioche, and lemon/lime/Valencia orange spritz/zest. Such a crisp & elegant sip with lemon/lime, all sorts of pears & apples, and a smidge of sorrel. It’s just lively, bright and HAPPY. 🍾

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Delicious and rounds out everything…really surprising.

Alexandre Graffard caught the wine bug pretty early in life, or as he said, he was “initiated as a private sommelier as soon as I was 7 years old”. Following in his grandfather’s spirit, he also established his own vineyards and named the family winery after him (Henri Champliau) who sounds like quite an interesting man. He had a great love for Burgundy, fabulous food & wine, his vines, and horses. His first Thoroughbred filly, “Wild Miss” was quite the racer winning the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp-Paris, and was mother to the colt Petrone. This horse turned out to be a chip off the old racing block, and was sold to the actor Eddie Constantine. What better way to honor & remember this noble creature that was “one of the best horses of his generation in 1968 in France and the USA” than naming this fine Brut after him. 🏇

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #brut #sparklingwine #bubbly  #Burgundy #France #winebow #HenriChampliau #docwinebar #docwineshop

Posted on

Lingering Over The Last Glass

Domaine de La Taille aux Loups (Jacky et J.P. Blot)
Brut Tradition
100% Chenin Blanc
Certified organic, indigenous yeasts, no sugar, hand harvested
Montlouis-sur-Loire, France
Jean-Phillipe Blot

Golden shine with fine bubbles. Sniff and up floats a little croissant or toasty pastry, a zesty bit of lime, lemon cream pie, as it grows there’s also an apple blossom or 2, apple/pear baked, and a scratch of tangelo zest. Sipping…it’s tickling & tingling on my tongue with all of the scents, a crisp & bright clean mineral/stainless elegance, lemon & lime keep dancing but more than just zest with a smidge of kumquat, and on the very back a bit of poached pear or actually maybe quince…yeah, it’s quince. It’s a glass of pure celebration.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Just don’t

Many years ago Jean-Phillipe joined his father in winemaking at the age of 16, and now he is at the helm after his father’s passing in 2023. I never had an opportunity to meet him but through this bottle I think I have a glimpse into his dream. Found out that earlier in his life he was a paratrooper, and thanks to his brother was turned on to wine which led to being a wine broker and then his curiosity and passion led him to become a winemaker. In the late 80s, he picked up 8 ha in Montlouis-sur-Loire (Domaine de La Taille aux Loups) and focused not on Vouvray but Chenin Blanc. There were ups and downs but his resilience and determination paid off. He became an acclaimed winemaker, one of the finest in Loire, and a champion of Chenin Blanc. As brilliant of a wine figure he was, there are so many words people use to describe him in tribute..he’s generous, friendly, welcoming, so very kind, wanting to share his knowledge & joy of tastings, and he was so loved by so many. I’m down to my last glass, savouring it and raising it as a salute to Jacky & also J.P. as he carries on the traditions. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #brut #sparklingwine #bubbly  #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #organic #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #loirevalley #cheninblanc  #skurnikwines #domainedelatailleauxloups #docwinebar #docwineshop

Posted on

🎶Won’t You Be My Neighbor🎶

Noël Bazin
L’Unanime
Blanc des Blancs
100% Chardonnay
375 ml
Villers-Marmery, Champagne-Ardenne, France
Noël and Magali Bazin and their son Hugo

Light straw gold with active fine bubbles. Floating up are scents of a french bakery like croissants, brioche & even fresh baked baguettes, butter cream frosting, baked pears & that Poire Williams smell, apricots, apples fresh & baked, and a teeny squeeze of lemon way in the back. Slowly sipping and it’s so crisp. There’s a lemon/lime sparkle along with a touch of Lemonhead candy, as time goes by there’s the apples & pears waving from far away but they keep venturing closer, the before mentioned bakery goodness, a lick of limestone, and a shake of salt. So delicious!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: really really good!

The Bazins sound like the type of people you’d love to have as neighbors. On their importer’s site (Vom Boden) they’re described as incredibly nice & kind, normal, devoted to spending a lot of time in their vineyard, and probably not of the hipster bent with a record collection and tattoos. Well, my view of that changed when I clicked on their IG and boom, there’s tat pics but they adorn the next generation…Hugo. Take a look for yourself, and you’ll see a man totally into the vines & all the hard work and passion that Noël & Magali have for their 3 ha (25 plots) and also their beloved champagne. Bet he’d make a great neighbor too because who wouldn’t want fabulous bottled bubbly just steps away. 🥂

wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #bubbly #winetime #France #champagne #vomboden #noelbazin #NoëlBazin #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vomboden @grappedebazin @vinewinenyc