France is the largest wine producing country in the world. The history of French wine traces back to Roman times. French wine is controlled by the AOC system, Appellation d'Origine Controlee. This system guides as to what grapes are allowed to be grown in each region. The system was created using hundreds of years of growing history and the use of terroir. Terrior is a French wine term that encapsulates all the variables that apply to a wine's tastes…such as soil, climate, and the area the grape is grown.
France is home to many grapes that have now been cloned throughout the world. Not only have France's grapes been replicated, but so have their wine making styles. Even though they are the strongest player in the wine producing world, they now have competition from the new world wine producing countries.
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Roland Champion Champagne Cuvee Aramis Brut is made from 70% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay.
Very nice effervescence, fine bubbles - A nose spawn with notes of mature fruits such as quince and yellow fruits jelly. Aromas of biscuits and honey at the end of the palate, which remains supple, well structured, and with a beautiful length.
Black grapes from Verneuil and Vandière in the Marne Valley, argilo-limestone soil. Chardonnay grapes from Chouilly, “Grand Cru” from the famous “Côtes des blancs”, limestone soil and subsoil.
Review:
"Brilliant pale yellow straw color. Lively, complex aromas of honeyed biscuit, buttery praline, and poached Asian pear with a supple, lively, effervescent, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and an elegant, long creme brulee, white balsamic reduced lemon, spiced nuts and tangerines, and grassy earth and minerals finish with well-integrated, fine tannins. A layered and vibrant champagne with cascading waves of fresh and mature flavors."
- Beverage Testing Institute (November 19th 2012), 95 pts
100% Chardonnay (this grape ages very well) and is produced from the free run juice only. The grapes used result from parcels that have the best maturity.
This Champagne, with its delicate brioche-like notes, shows a flawless balance. Very nice vintage. It matches magnificently with foie gras!
Roland Champion Champagne Le Mont Aigu Chardonnay Brut Nature is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Grand Cru Chouilly from a single parcel called "Montaigu".
Aged in Oak barrels for 10 months on the fine lees and then, aged "sur lattes" for 3 years.
Brut Nature : no liqueur d'expedition (zero dosage)
This 100% oaked chardonnay will be perfect with salmon cooked in a parchment paper "en papillote", as well as roasted bone marrow.
Roland Champion Champagne Non Vintage Brut Rose Carat (magnum) is made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir
The Champagne rose shows an orange salmon color coming from the red wine base. The pinot meunier brings red fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry with hints of spices. The palate is juicy and harmonious with good depth and minerality. A delicate balance between Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
It is a blend of 93% White juice (made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir) and 7% Pinot Noir red wine. The grapes used to produce the Coteaux Champenois red wine are coming from their vineyards near the Village of Verneuil.
Review:
"Eye of the partridge color. With a bouquet that evokes leesy hints of red cherry and berry with a touch of stone fruit, this is a finely sculpted wine, beautifully balanced with rich flavors of cherry, shortbread,and a hint of honeyed apricot. A rosé Champagne that’s complex and dry with good palate depth and length. A blend of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Pinot Meunier; 7-85% of the juice is red wine (Pinot Noir) from 2013 vintage of Coteaux Champenois Rouge from the village of Verneuil. 3+ years on the lees." - I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 92 pts
"A delicate, subtle Champagne, delivering aromatic notes of mulling spices and yeast that accent the flavors of kirsch, bread dough, candied lemon zest and rose petal. This is finely tuned, with lively acidity and a minerally finish. 330 cases made. –AN"
- Wine Spectator , 91 pts
"Bright orange. Aromas of blood orange, dried rose, allspice and minerals, with a subtle note of anise. Juicy and precise, with very good depth to its spicy red berry and citrus pith flavors. Finishes smooth and long, with excellent clarity and lingering spiciness."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar , 91 pts
"Champion is a small grower in Chouilly, in the Cotes des Blancs, an area known for fantastic chardonnay. This rosé — of which he makes only about 330 cases — includes 10 percent red wines (pinot noir, pinot meunier) to give it a pale, salmonlike color and a beguiling palate of cranberries, strawberries and currants. Wow. And yum."
- Washington Post, ***
This plot was the first plot that Roland Champion family grandparents, Roland & Jacqueline bought together, just after their wedding, their first common property, not derived from their family heritage!
Roland Champion Champagne Partelaine Chardonnay Brut Nature is a sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay.
On the nose, this Champagne reveals subtle aromas of white chocolate, tonka bean and a beautiful minerality.
On the palate, it is very fine, with a beautiful vivacity, citrus notes and saline finish, reminiscent of the limestone terroir of Chouilly.
Pairs well with white fish, seafood and matured cheeses.
The Special Club concept started in 1971. A dozen wine growers from some old families of Champagne had an idea to familiarize people with the originality of the “Champagne de Vigneron” (Champagne of wine grower), thanks to prestigious vintages.
In the beginning, they created an association called the “Club des Viticulteurs Champenois” and chose a bottle with a special shape, created exclusively for them & used only by then. In 1988, they changed the bottle and the label. In 1999, the Club changed its name to “Club Trésor of Champagne.”
The Club Trésors comprises 28 artisan wine makers, selected from the finest areas of the Champagne region, each one recognized for the quality of their work. The Club Trésors is the only organization in Champagne to select its members according to a set of unrelenting quality standards:
Roland Champion's Special Club selection has rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
There are afternoons with indigo skies when we approach one of the oldest plots of the estate. Our stroll from the winery follows a line of cypress trees to the corner of a path. This angle gives its name to our most exceptional vineyard.
El Picón is the great symbol and the most profound reality. The sum of enigmas in a beautiful, pure fruit. The wine of silence and intimate joy, an eternal taste in which generations, labours and nature’s favors culminate.
Grapes from the plot of El Picón, one of the oldest at the Pago de los Capellanes estate in Pedrosa de Duero.
22 months in 225-litre, extra-fine grain French oak barrels dried over 60 months.
Pago de los Capellanes Finca El Picón is a mature red wine with intense aromas of red and black fruit from the forest accompanied by deep balsamic notes and spicy touches provided by aging. In the mouth it is meaty, deep and very balanced. A medium to full-bodied wine with vibrant acidity and fine, velvety tannins. The finish is long and very persistent.
1.6 hectares of clay loam soil with surface gravel. Very poor fertility and very low vineyard yields.
Argot Indigo Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
The color of exaltation, opulence and elusiveness. The Indigo pigment has held sway over the heads and hearts of humans for centuries. Each vintage we honor this legacy by creating a Syrah which captures the might, richness and intrigue of the ‘Indigo’ legend. Profound, captivating and endlessly intriguing. Delicious.
Review:
The single-varietal 2021 Indigo Syrah is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of plum preserves, fruitcake, and licorice jump from the glass, with nuances of rose oil, cardamom, and cumin seed. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and plush, with bright acidity to balance and a long spicy finish.
-Wine Palate 96 Points