The November tasting offered a unique opportunity to compare two very different styles of Champagne. On one side, Champagne Colin wines, from a family winery in Côte des Blancs, which works exclusively with its own Chardonnay grapes and builds on the pure expression of the chalky Vertus Premier Cru terroir. On the other side, Champagne Vincent d’Astrée, a collective project of 176 grower families from Pierry, where Pinot Meunier dominates and the wine style is softer, fruitier, and more approachable.
The main grape varieties in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Champagne is produced exclusively by the secondary fermentation method in the bottle. This production method creates fine effervescence and a natural complexity that develops during aging on lees. The soil of Champagne is rich in chalk, which makes the wines mineral, fresh, and long-lived.
We started the tasting with a series of wines from Vincent d’Astrée, which brought a softer and fruitier style, typical of Pinot Meunier and the Pierry terroir. The wines were harmonious, balanced, and very pleasant on the palate, which beautifully set the pace for the entire evening.
The second part brought a significant contrast with Champagnes from Champagne Colin. The wines from Vertus Premier Cru were more structured, with firm minerality, energy, and purity characteristic of Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. At the end of the evening, we also tasted the Rosé de Saignée from Vincent d’Astrée, which added lightness, freshness, and beautifully rounded off the contrast between the two winemaking approaches.
List of tasted wines:
- Brut – Champagne Vincent d’Astrée
- Extra Brut – Champagne Vincent d’Astrée
- Blanc de Blancs 2015 – Champagne Vincent d’Astrée
- Blanc de Noirs 2015 – Champagne Vincent d’Astrée
- Vinothèque 2006 – Champagne Vincent d’Astrée
- Blanche de Castille – Champagne Colin
- Parallèle – Champagne Colin
- La Croix Saint-Ladre 2017 – Champagne Colin
- Les Prôles & Chétivins 2012 – Champagne Colin
- Rose de Saignée – Champagne Vincent d’Astrée
If we had to choose one wine that captivated the entire room, it was definitely Les Prôles & Chétivins 2012 from Champagne Colin. A cuvée from two historical micro-parcels, vineyards over 60 years old, with ten years of aging on lees. A wine with unprecedented depth, a bready character, and elegance. Closely following was the single-parcel La Croix Saint-Ladre 2017, also from Champagne Colin, with distinct minerality and a long, perfectly clean taste.
If you were unable to attend the tasting, we would be happy to help you choose the right Champagne for your style and occasion. Finally, we would like to invite you to the last tasting of this year, which will take place on November 27th and will be dedicated to one of the most prestigious areas of Burgundy – Gevrey-Chambertin.