I am not a “Champagne specialist”. For me, an event like Champagne Experience, where it is possible to come into contact with 700 labels and 140 producers, and moreover together with the friends of Vinodabere.it,.
A space organized by areas, with Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs and Côte des Bar, plus an area dedicated to the “Classic Maisons”.
A great day of tastings and insights. Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the three well-known protagonists, but how are they used in the production of Champagne? And what “contribution” can each of them bring to Champagne? These were the three questions that pushed me to go to Champagne Experience.
Let’s be clear, when I want to “understand” a wine or a grape variety, I buy bottles. Something that becomes decidedly more complicated when it comes to Champagne given the costs, which, even though it is now possible to find récoltant-manipulant producers who sell at fairly sustainable prices, becomes much more complex in the case of the most prestigious maisons.
But let’s go back to the three grape varieties. For someone like me who approached this event both to tell about it and to deepen knowledge about Champagne, I can say that my perception after about a hundred tastings suggests that Pinot Meunier is the one that gives Champagne freshness. Pinot Noir has the task of giving power, while Chardonnay brings softness – I would almost say smoothness – to Champagne.
Chardonnay gives elegance and softness, Pinot Noir gives power, Meunier gives freshness and fruity and vegetal notes.
At the moment of tasting, each producer presents the wine by stating the percentages of the three grape varieties and the sugar dosage. I must confess that I prefer Pas Dosé, those tastings that enter the mouth in a sharp and direct way. However, according to my “expert friends”, this is rather a trend of the moment and not exactly characteristic of the most prestigious Champagnes.
The fact is that I actually found many tastings with low dosage, and that my preference certainly went to those Champagnes in which Pinot Meunier was the protagonist.
As a final consideration, I must necessarily dwell on the success of this event. Seeing a crowded fair and full tasting tables, for an event whose entrance ticket certainly cannot be defined as inexpensive, can only lead me to congratulate the organizers.
www.champagneexperience.it
