With summer almost upon us, we’re all looking forward to those warm and sometimes hot, sunny days when we can relax in the garden under the shade with our friends or relatives, clutching a nice chilled glass of wine in our hands, idyllic. Champagne is seen by many as a drink to have at special times, but why restrict ourselves to just those occasional moments? Champagne is an ideal wine to drink and share with your partner or introduce to your guests at any time. If we needed to be celebrating something to open a bottle of bubbly we’d rarely drink Champagne and that would be a shame. If the sun’s out and you’re relaxing having a pleasant afternoon, that’s reason enough in my book. We recently tasted two Champagnes from the Pommery stables and very good summer drinks they are too.
The Pommery Blanc de Blancs is a very pale yellow/straw coloured Champagne that is made from 100% Chardonnay grape. In the glass it has a good but not excessive stream of bubbles. As you lift it to your nose it has a fresh mineral like bouquet and there are some feint yellow fruit notes in the background. This is a full flavoured round and robust Champagne. As you drink and let it fill your mouth with its good soft bubbles you get good sharp acidic citrus flavours, lemon up front, but there are lime and grapefruit notes there too. It’s undoubtedly a lovely, vibrant mouthful that leaves you with grapefruit in its length. As the Pommery Blanc de Blancs’ temperature rises in the glass the flavours develop and it achieves more character, yellow fruits, in particular apricot become dominant on the palate, fairly typical of the Chardonnay grape. This is a great wine to drink on its own but would easily support fish and other light dishes or canapés.
The Pommery Blanc de Blancs can be found at Harrods and House of Fraser, as well as from Justerini & Brooks via their website, www.justerinis.com at about £40.
The Pommery Rosé Apanage is a pale pink with a slight orange rusty hue to it. There’s a nice delicate stream of bubbles to it and as you breathe in its aroma you get notes of wild strawberry, redcurrant and other soft summer berries. As you drink, the bubbles foam beautifully filling the mouth with tangy sharp redcurrant, slightly under ripe strawberry, and a hint of raspberry, there’s also a touch of green apple and some minerality. This is a lovely acidic Champagne with lively flavours. It has good length on the palate, leaving you with acidic green apple and redcurrant in its finish. This is another great summer drink either on its own or paired, like the Blanc de Blancs, with fish, white meat and salad dishes or canapés.
The Pommery Rosé Apanage is presented in an attractive gift box and is available from Harrods, Jeroboams and Justerini & Brooks (via their website) at around £47 per bottle.
So, this summer, why not splash out on some Champagne, and spoil yourselves on the occasional relaxed weekend afternoon in the garden, it shouldn’t just be for celebrations.
For more information about Pommery Champagnes go to www.pommery.com