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NV Champagne Extra Brut 1er Cru “Platine”

Nicolas Maillart
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There is pure, carnal pleasure in a big bite of succulent, crispy-skinned chicken washed down with a swig of elegant and luxurious Champagne. In my mind, this is one of the wine world’s most satisfying sensorial combinations, right up there alongside beloved classics like Chablis with oysters and cru Beaujolais beside holiday turkey.
     My grandmother is from Oklahoma, and it was tradition in her house to make southern fried chicken on Sundays for the whole extended family, a convivial weekly gathering of simple festivity and delicious, home-cooked food. I love the spirit of this concept, and I’ve recently begun recreating the Sunday chicken tradition once a month, giving it my own effervescent twist with a delectable Champagne pairing.
     Last month, I whipped up Chef Chris Lee’s Roasted Buttermilk Chicken—simple, infallible, and utterly delicious; find the recipe below—and popped the cork on a bottle of Nicolas Maillart’s “Platine.” I hesitate to quote a certain fast food colonel, but this superb combination was unequivocally finger lickin‘ good. Maillart is a brand new addition to our Champagne portfolio, and he’s crafting wines of incredible depth and lusciousness. If you’ve yet to experience them, you are in for a real treat with this premier cru: citrus blossom aromatics give way to buttery brioche on the palate, followed by stony and refreshing acidity enveloped in a fine, velvety mousse. This is Champagne made for the hedonist’s table.

Roasted Buttermilk Chicken
by Chef Christopher Lee
from the October 2013 Adventures Club bulletin

One 3½–4-pound chicken
2 tablespoons sea salt
3 cups buttermilk

Rub chicken with ½ tablespoon sea salt and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Add remaining salt to buttermilk and stir to dissolve. Place chicken in a tall container, add buttermilk, and cover. (Use a marinating bag if you like.) Chill overnight. Next day, remove chicken from buttermilk and discard buttermilk. Truss chicken and place on a roasting rack. Roast in a 425º F oven for 20–25 minutes, until skin begins to brown. Turn rack 180 degrees and reduce heat to 390º F. Roast for 55–60 minutes more, until skin is well browned and bird tests 160º F deep in the thigh. Rest for 15 minutes before serving on a warm platter. 

Madison H. Brown

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Technical Information
Wine Type: sparkling
Vintage: NV
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 54% Pinot Noir, 26% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Producer: Nicolas Maillart
Winemaker: Nicolas Maillart
Soil: Clay, Limestone
Aging: Aged for 10 months in 228L oak barrels or 3000L foudre
Farming: Haute Valeur Environnementale (certified)
Alcohol: 12.5%

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About The Region

Champagne

map of 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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Terroirs

Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.

Inspiring Thirst, page 312

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