As we had just tasted R’s last bottle of ’02 vintage Gratien I thought it a good idea to taste the Wine Society’s own label NV champagne. This has been made by Alfred Gratien since 1906. A 113 year trading relationship is long by any standard. How did it measure up to its more illustrious sibling?
The method of vinification is the same i.e. fermentation in oak and ageing in old Chablis oak barrels plus the maintaining of high acidity levels by preventing malo-lactic fermentation. This helps the wine age. What is different is the blend – the vintage has 70% Chardonnay, 21% Pinot Noir and 9% Pinot Meunier grapes. The non-vintage WS wine has a higher proportion of red grapes whilst the Chardonnay plays less of an important role. In addition, the cellar ageing is longer for the vintage than the three years for the own label.
The difference is apparent in the smell and taste. The WS wine’s nose is more of orchard fruits that have aged, like a cooked/bruised apple. The WS taste is certainly not as refined as the ’02, probably the result of less Chardonnay, that central core of fresh acidity not as well focussed. The red grapes’ (PN & PM) contribution make it more appealing at a younger age – it’s still a good champagne and considerably cheaper than the ’02.
It certainly seems that price and a good drinking experience are directly linked, in this champagne house at least.
[Richard: we’ve tried this champagne on several – even many – occasions but it’s never been blogged. One challenge was to identify the blend which seems to be a closely guarded secret, perhaps because it varies from time to time. A magnum under the same label is listed as blend of 45% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot Noir and 27% Pinot Meunier so I think Geoff is right about the relative lack of chardonnay. This is a very reliable drink and reasonably priced – at least at Christmas. However I don’t think it is worth the current asking price £33.]
Talk the Cork 