2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
The village of Bouzy and Champagne Paul Bara are practically synonymous: this historic house boasts over 170 years of history, throughout which generation after generation of Bara has crafted celebrated Champagnes from the village's south-facing slopes. Bouzy's vineyards enjoy Grand Cru status thanks to an exposure that favors excellent ripeness and chalky soils that provide stimulating freshness, in addition to housing the deep, cool cellars essential to aging Champagne. Pinot Noir reigns, and the Bara house style is honest to its exceptional terroir. The Brut Réserve features the rich, ripe fruit we come to expect from Bouzy–seductive, mouth-filling, dry and focused; a class act all around.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | NV |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Bouzy |
Country: | France |
Region: | Champagne |
Producer: | Paul Bara |
Winemaker: | The Bara Family and Christian Forget |
Vineyard: | 35 years average, 11 ha total |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Ages in bottle for 3 years before release |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12% |
Paul Bara France | Champagne | Bouzy
Paul Bara France | Champagne | Bouzy
Paul Bara France | Champagne
Paul Bara France | Champagne | Bouzy
Paul Bara France | Champagne
Paul Bara France | Champagne | Champagne Grand Cru
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.”
Paul Bara France | Champagne | Bouzy
Veuve Fourny & Fils France | Champagne | Vertus
Paul Bara France | Champagne
Veuve Fourny & Fils France | Champagne | Vertus
Veuve Fourny & Fils France | Champagne | Vertus
Veuve Fourny & Fils France | Champagne | Vertus
Paul Bara France | Champagne | Bouzy
J. Lassalle France | Champagne | Chigny-Les-Roses
J. Lassalle France | Champagne | Chigny-Les-Roses
J. Lassalle France | Champagne | Chigny-Les-Roses
Veuve Fourny et Fils France | Champagne
J. Lassalle France | Champagne | Chigny-Les-Roses
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
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