Humble. “Remember gentlemen,” Winston Churchill once told his cabinet, “it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne.” Though no one may yet have matched Churchill’s enthusiasm for the stuff, Champagne continues to grow in popularity each year. Last summer we added our very first grower Champagne producer, and have since struggled mightily to keep it in stock.
Pascal Bardoux is a fifth generation Champagne maker just west of Reims, who resembles a professor more than a winemaker. His quiet, thoughtful approach to his wines is a stark departure from the glossy brochures and polished tasting rooms common in Champagne. But Bardoux’s humble style belies the extraordinary complexity and elegance of his wines.
Three new Champagnes will be featured in Part One of our Fall Futures campaign, due out next Sunday. But we thought we’d open up the bidding early on some Bardoux, already a favorite winemaker among our readers after only a year.
Elegance. Bardoux’s Brut Traditionnel is his non-vintage cuvée, and an excellent entree to the collection. A blend of 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this has the complexity and depth to match the finest bottles from Burgundy or Bordeaux. This year’s Traditionnel contains wine mostly from 2012, and we found it even better than last year’s. The nose shows plum and lemon and buttered biscuits; the mouth is dry, elegant, and smooth, with notes of apple and toast.
We can’t recommend this wine highly enough. For those new to Champagne, this wine will convert you with ease, and at around $32/bot it won’t blow your budget. For those with a more Churchillian perspective on bubbles, this is as delicious and complex as any non-vintage grower Champagne we’ve had, and it’s impossible to match for value.
Bardoux’s other two wines will appear in next Sunday’s September Futures. We’ll accept orders for this one on a first come first served basis, beginning today.
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BARDOUX Champagne Brut Traditionnel NV
Ansonia Retail: $576
Futures price: $385/case ($32.08/bot)
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AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF CASE
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or call Tom: (617) 249-3657
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Terms of sale. Ansonia Wines MA sells wine to individual consumers who are 21 or more years of age, for personal consumption and not for resale. All sales are completed and title passes to purchasers in Massachusetts. Ansonia Wines MA arranges for shipping on behalf of its customers upon request and where applicable laws permit.
