After several years away, we finally managed to catch Pascal Bardoux in his house in Champagne this spring. It was our final visit of the final day of a whirlwind trip, and with nothing else to do but drive to Paris we enjoyed a relaxed, fascinating tasting at Pascal’s charming, unkempt kitchen table. After a period of communication only through email, we had forgotten what a talker he is – thoughtful and articulate, somewhere between absentminded professor and soft spoken sage. It only took 20 minutes for his giant French-English dictionary to emerge from the back room for a precise tasting note translation he wasn’t sure we’d fully grasped. (The word was “whortleberry,” and he was right, we hadn’t.)
His wines are as terrific as ever, and we’re pleased to offer two new cuvées along with two old favorites. Bardoux is in Montagne de Reims, the region of Champagne stretching west of the ancient city of Reims. Blending is the norm here, and Pascal’s cuvées are all a mix of the region’s three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. He farms all his vines himself, and makes tiny batches of extraordinary and well priced Champagne – everything from vineyard to disgorging is done in house and by hand.
The most interesting moment of our visit (and perhaps the whole trip) was his demonstration of dosage. Pascal grabbed a bottle of his new “Reserve 2012” cuvée (see three paragraphs below), disgorged it by hand removing the lees (see gif nearby), and let us taste. The wine was quietly delicious, with notes of almonds and dry apple. But then he took the same bottle, added a few drops of simple syrup from his kitchen cupboard, and poured us two new glasses. The difference between the two was astonishing – the dosage woke the wine up, adding not a hint of sweetness but accentuating an array of flavors hidden in the bottle. Suddenly the same wine showed ripe pears, toasty brioche, candied orange and more. Many writers compare adding dosage to salting food properly – done correctly, you don’t taste salt, just more of what’s already there. As you can imagine Pascal takes this detail (as all others) very seriously – for us it reinforced his place in our minds as a master of his craft.
Now to the wines – first, our favorite: the Brut Traditionnel NV. With a Futures price around $40/bot, this continues to be among the best value wines we source from anywhere. It’s a blend of 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. This wine has the complexity and depth to match the finest bottles from Burgundy or Bordeaux. The nose shows plum, chalk, lime zest, and buttered biscuits; the mouth is dry, elegant, and smooth, with notes of apple and toast. Serve this with anything or nothing, for a special occasion or an ordinary Thursday afternoon.
Next, after several years off (and many requests), we’re excited to re-introduce Bardoux’s Champagne Brut Rosé NV. The wine is two thirds Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, and one third Chardonnay. The two dark grapes give gorgeous dry fruit (and color), and the Chardonnay adds freshness and length. This cuvée sits on the lees for three years before disgorgement; he makes only 150 cases each year. There’s a lovely savory element to the wine, which matches the added texture beautifully. Look for notes of strawberries, crème brûlée, roses, and apple pie.
Pascal’s newest cuvée is called “Reserve 2012,” and is the one he used to demonstrate dosage. This is essentially the Brut Traditionnel cuvée, but left on the lees for an extra half-decade; the base cuvée comes from the 2012 vintage. Champagne, you’ll remember, undergoes two fermentations – a first in tanks (like any other wine), and then a second in bottle under bottlecap. During the second fermentation, the yeast in the bottle consumes the remaining sugar, releasing CO2 and producing the sparkle. After the second fermentation is complete, the winemaker may choose to disgorge (remove yeast and insert a cork) promptly, or hold for longer “on the lees.” The extra time on the lees has transformed the wine into something extraordinary, far closer to his vintage champagne than the more humble Traditionnel. Both are terrific, but if you’ve got a taste for toast in your bubbles, we recommend this one.
Finally, a real treat – Pascal keeps magnums of his vintage wines in reserve, and opened a few for us in April. We loved them all, but particularly enjoyed the 2004 Millesimé. Now 18 years on from harvest, this wine is old enough to vote (no word on its political preferences), but it’s remarkably youthful. We recently enjoyed one of the last magnums of our 2002 from Bardoux, which was mature and delicious but not the least bit tired. The 2004 vintage produced wines with a bit more structure, and these recently disgorged magnums have the capacity for plenty of additional cellaring. The blend is 20% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, and 50% Chardonnay, with an 8g/L dosage. The nose is terrific, with woodsy, savory notes alongside the pear fruit. In the mouth is chalky and fine, with an astonishing level of vibrancy for its age. Look for notes of rhubarb, cooked apples and raspberry across a beautifully textured palate. You may need a crowd to justify opening one of these, but you won’t need to work hard to finish it.
BARDOUX
(case prices)
Champagne Brut Traditionnel NV: $495
Champagne Brut Rosé NV: $595
Champagne Brut Reserve 2012 NV: $625
Champagne Millesimé 2004 (6x 1.5L): $750
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We expect these wines in December 2022.
If you have any trouble submitting the new order form, you can always email us your order. Or give us a call with questions: 617-249-3657, or tom@ansoniawines.com
The deadline to place orders for this issue is: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18.
Questions? Need advice? Call us: (617) 249-3657.
OPTIONS FOR GETTING YOUR ORDERS
Pick-up in Massachusetts. We store our inventory in a basement in Newton (437 Newtonville Ave), and open it up to the public on Saturday afternoons. Futures customers can pick up their orders here during Saturday open hours, or by appointment.
Pick-up in Pennsylvania. Many of those who aren’t near Boston will choose to collect their wine in Sharon Hill, PA. For such people, we offer pickup at a new storage location for a month after arrival.
Shipping elsewhere. In most states we can arrange for shipping at an additional cost that varies by location ($3.50 per bottle to the addresses west of Chicago; $2.50 per bottle east of Chicago). If shipping interests you, let us know the state and we will figure out if it can be done.