The Day I Met the Queen

Seems to be the silly season - in that I'm getting invited to lots of fab wine tastings since the onset of spring.



Having written a bit about wine for about 7 years, ergo sum, I seem to have become a wine writer.

This time it was a tasting of the best of Louis Roederer Champagne - from the Rheims region in France. The tasting was hosted by the charming, diminutive and dapper Damien Motte, export manager. Venue and food pairing was by Mollies Hotel - a charming and diminutive B&B in St. Mary's Bay, Auckland.





Damien: Bonjour


Me: Bonjour..... er, ... ca va?


Damien: (enthusiastically in reply - a whole sentence in French of which I understood not un mot)


Me: Gaaaahhhh ... um ..Oui!!


So much for freestyling 5th form French in public.


Yennyhoo - the wines. All pretty fab.


Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier NV (non vintage - ie blend of different vintages and ready for drinking on release) $NZ100.00
A blend of 70% 2005 vintage plus oak-aged Reserve wine. Pinot Meuniere, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir. Aged 3 1/2 years prior to release. Clean flavoured, appley and crisp with light toast flavours.

Louis Roederer Champagne Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) Vintage 2002 $NZ135.00
Only 15 to 20 thousand bottles produced each year. Crisp, clean citrus flavours with creamy yeast lees influence.

Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Vintage 2003 $NZ144.00
Fuller bodied than the Blanc de Blancs - bigger palate weight, with crisp green apple and a tangy yeast finish.

Louis Roederer Champagne Rose Vintage 2002 $NZ135.00
Salmon pink colour, 70% Pinot Noir/30% Chardonnay. Yeasty and full, with a hint of sweet ripeness.

Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne Vintage 2002 $NZ405.00
Aged 5-6 years before release. Rounded, rich with brioche flavours. Only Premier Cru fruit was used.

Historical note: On the request of Czar Alexander II Cristal was created for his exclusive use. To set his personal sparkler apart from that of the average Czar, he demanded that the bottle be clear crystal glass and that it have a flat bottom. Vladimir Illich Lenin unfortunately put the kibosh on forward orders from the Palace with his Bolshevik uprising in the early 20th Century. Happily for Louis Roederer, other fabulously rich people were keen to buy his fab fizz.

I do recall an elderly lady fresh off her cruise ship saying, "I love Champagne! But of course I can only drink Cristal." Something about her her blue/white perfect teeth, immaculate clothes and the huge rock on her finger made me believe her.

Finally ...
Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne Rose Vintage 2000 $NZ885.00
Gorgeous wine - toasty, and rich with toffee and almonds and seamlessly integrated flavours of aged wine.

For info on my Auckland New Zealand Fine Wine & Food Tours see here.