Trip to Loire Valley and Champagne - Day 6

Today we began our tasting journey in Champagne, the most famous sparkling wine region in the world. Meeting up with our local guide Christine, we departed first to Rilly la Montagne, but on the way dropping by an old cathedral which got a sarcophagus, the tomb of all the bishops of the era and also used to hold the holy oil used to anoint the kings when they were baptised in Notre Dame Cathedral.

After that we continued on our way, and about 30 minutes later arriving Vilmart & Cie, a champagne house that grows their own vines and one of the few adopting organic viticulture in the region. Established in 1890, it is still run by the Vilmart family, and we were greeted by Laurent Champs, the current owner, who took us for a tour around the house to understand how the wines were being made.

Unlike many others, all the wines are fermented in oak casks or foudres, without any stainless steel vats. No wonder that during the tasting afterwards, I found that the wines were more supple, with an additional layer of complexity. We have tasted five wines, including Grande Reserve, Grand Cellier, Coeur de Cuvee 2006, Cuvee Rubis and Ratafia, which is a fortified Pinot Noir. The wines were very good indeed and I bought the Coeur de Cuvee 2006 and Ratafia to bring back home.

Saying goodbye to Laurent, we went to see the different sub-regions of Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley, Cote des Blancs and Cote des Bar. Walking on the vineyards and seeing how the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were growing, we had a first-hand experience on the ripeness of the grapes, and also taking some photos of the windmill that belonged to GH Mumms.

Deciding to do some exercise before lunch, Christine brought us to have a walk in the forest, where she told us stories about how the devils distorted the form of some trees within the forest. Interestingly those trees were now 'protected' by fences to avoid people going near, were they really haunted?? Breathing in the ultra-fresh air really cleansed my mind and body, and I also managed to find a purple color fungi. Maybe eating that would help to make you live longer??

Proceeding on we arrived at the cradle of champagne - the village of Hautvillers and the Abbey where Dom Perignon resided. The legend of the monk was well known and I would not repeat here, but going inside and seeing the abbey was like a pilgrim to the champagne shrine. By then all of us were feeling thirsty and hungry, so we went to lunch at Au 36, a local diner also having a shop selling champagne from all around the region.

We had a tasting of three champagnes over lunch, each from the three grape varieties. It was really a good way to allow us to differentiate the characters of the three varietals and how it translated into the style of the wine. With a full stomach we then left Hautvillers and headed for Ecueil, to visit another grower Domaine Louis Brochet.

Getting a warm welcome from Alain Brochet, we were shown around the cellars, and Alain also showing how to use sulphur to sterilize a barrel. Unlike Vilmart that we visited in the morning, most of the vats are stainless steel, with only the special cuvee being aged in oak. Completing the tour we went back to his house, where in the tasting room (or living room?) Alain had laid down the old telephone sets collected by his father over the years.

In the really cozy and beautiful room we enjoyed a good conversation with Alain about his wines, tasting a total of four wines, including the Extra Brut, Brut Premier Cru, Millesime 2004 and Cuvee HBH 1996. All of us were blown away by the complexity of the HBH 1996 and without wonder all quickly asking Alain whether any was still available for sale. Fortunately they got a few bottles remaining and the price was also very good value. Another gem found in this visit!

Returning to Reims we went to House Taittinger for a private tour. This famous champagne house had been offering a collection of special bottles inviting famous artists to design the bottle, and Mr. Redont, the Taittinger ambassador, took us to the cellar underneath to look at how the wines were being stored, and also giving us a good background of the history of the house and its wines.

Going back to the big private tasting room, Mr. Redont opened two bottles for us to taste, including the Brut Reserve and the single vineyard Les Folies de la Marquetterie. Although we did not have the chance to taste the Comtes de Champagne, the experience on the scale and consistency of the wines really amazed us.

With a short break in the hotel we then finished the day with dinner at Brasserie les Halles, a nearby restaurant with a famous chef Edward Van den Wyngaert. The meals were wonderful and we all had a good time chatting, but at the same time having a hint of sadness as we were near the end of our journey.