Bubbles or not, I love a wine that can sing with a falsetto voice. For years, I’ve been drawn back to this bottle of wine from Bertrand Delespierre for that very reason: the high notes of its citrusy vibrato complemented by an orchestra of tertiary characteristics, which are carried in perpetuity by those racy little bubbles. It is my standard champagne thanks to its presence on Annette’s wine list in my neighborhood.
At home, I recently opened a bottle to initiate Thanksgiving proceedings, and once again, that sensation of citrus made me happy. Bertrand Delespierre is a small grower-producer situated in the Montagne de Reims. Their vineyards are mostly in the Premier Cru of Chamery, riding hill atop the hills where they can foster this incredible sense of acidity that I love so much. With “Enfant de la Montagne” (Child of the Mountain, in French) the wine’s cuvée draws that citric sense with 60% from the last vintage (in this case, the 2018 vintage), while depth and nuance comes from 40% older reserve wines.
Always symphonic and quenching, this is a wine that gets the job done time and time again.
NV Bertrand Delespierre “Enfant de la Montagne” à Chamery Premier Cru Champagne Extra Brut
Champagne AOC (Champagne )
Grapes: Chardonnay (40%), Pinot Noir (35%), Pinot Meunier (25%)
Alcohol: 12%
Opinion: ★★★★ 3/4 (out of five)
Food-friendliness: Impeccable
Value: As Expected
A beginner might like … partnering this wine with the wildest of food pairings. Champagne is always impeccable for its food-friendliness, even more so with this wine because of that wonderful core of acidity. There’s good reason I opened it on Thanksgiving.
A wine obsessive might like … a taste of Chamery, a lauded Premier Cru village with north- and northeast-facing slopes on sandy soil with good drainage, which promotes and fosters a zippiness in the resulting wines.
Note: This wine was purchased with funds raised from our subscriptions. Thank you.
