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2005 Brut 1er Cru “Cuvée Spéciale”
J. LassalleA few things in life guarantee instant happiness. A chilled glass filled with a brilliant golden liquid—tiny, yet forceful bubbles emerging with a promise of pleasure—always does the trick for me. Perfectly crafted Champagne. Created, surely, for gods, but inherited by mortals by some fortunate mistake.
French law states that vintage Champagne must be aged for a minimum of four years before it can be sold. The Lassalle vintage Cuvée Spéciale ages for at least seven, until it is ready.
Fortunately for us, the 2005 Cuvée Spéciale, my new favorite, has been released and is available in the shop. A blend of equal parts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it’s a serious Champagne with great depth and intensity. The palate is exquisite with notes of ripe fruit, rich toast, a touch of nuttiness, and citrusy freshness.
Instant happiness? Guaranteed.
—Katya Karagadayeva
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | 2005 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Chigny-Les-Roses |
Country: | France |
Region: | Champagne |
Producer: | J. Lassalle |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged minimum 7 years on the lees before disgorgement |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12% |
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About The Producer
J. Lassalle
About The Region
Champagne
True Champagne must not only sparkle, but also must come from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and be made using méthode champenoise—a process that involves prolonged aging of the wine as well as a bottle fermentation used to add the sparkle to the finished product. Though wine has been made in this region since at least the 5th century, Champagne as we now know is a relatively new creation. It wasn’t until the 19th century that sparkling wine production took hold on a large scale in much part due to improvements in the strength of glass for bottles and the embrace of French nobility of the sparkling wines of the region.
Only three grape varieties may be used to make Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The chalk-heavy soils not only provide complexity and texture to the finished wine, but also act as a natural humidifier thus keeping the vine’s roots warm during colder months of the year. There are grand cru and premier cru designated vineyard areas but unlike Burgundy, there are few lieu-dit vineyards (though in recent years there has been a greater interest in producing vineyard specific Champagnes).
Kermit’s first foray into the region came in 1981 when he began importing the wines of J. Lassalle and Paul Bara—two producers whose wines we still import. In the mid 2000s, Kermit began importing the wines of Veuve Fourny et Fils.
Of Champagne, Kermit says, “You might be surprised to learn that I don’t like a goût de terroir to dominate the taste of Champagnes. If it dominates, you lose finesse. I want some, obviously—but only enough to keep things interesting.”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171