We had a suitably effervescent hoot at our penultimate Spectator Winemakers’ Lunch of the year in the boardroom last week, hosted by Baptiste Marchal of Brimoncourt Champagne. Every bottle was drained and huge fun was had.
Founded by former naval officer, paratrooper, lawyer, entrepreneur and art dealer Alexandre Cornot in 2008, Brimoncourt Champagne is based in a former printing factory in Aÿ (with such august neighbours as Bollinger, Gosset and Deutz), where the Spectator Wine Club has been entertained several times during our bibulous tours of Champagne.
Alexandre and his effortlessly stylish équipe certainly know how to throw a party, rolling out le tapis rouge and laying on top-notch grub and limitless fizz before inviting us to take turns in lopping off the tops of sealed bottles with a Napoleonic cavalry sword. The current champion is cool-eyed Carolyn Bellion, the Annie Oakley of sabrage.
Brimoncourt’s champagnes might not be widely known but, gosh, they’re gloriously tasty, eye-catchingly chic and extremely well priced, and I’d be failing in my duty if I didn’t bring them to the attention of the wider Spectator readership. Get stuck in!
The Brimoncourt Brut Régence NV (1) is the maison’s calling card, a beautifully judged blend of 80 per cent Chardonnay and 20 per cent Pinot Noir aged for four years on the lees. We served this at our recent Spectator winter weekend at Swinton Park in the Yorkshire Dales to oohs and aahs of delight. A couple of orders were taken on the spot and, in one case, doubled after dinner. Fresh, lively and lemony, it shows hints of toasty, honeyed brioche and white stone fruit and is marked by the finest, most elegant of mousses. Why spend more on the big names or slum it with supermarket slop when you can have this beauty? £36.13 down from £42.50. Magnum (2) £80.75 down from £95; jeroboam (3) (in wooden box) £272 down from £320.
The Brimoncourt Brut Rosé NV (4), a seductive salmon pink, is a blend of 40 per cent Pinot Noir, 35 per cent Chardonnay and 25 per cent Pinot Meunier. It’s so engaging with wild strawberry notes on the nose and a long creamy finish. The dosage of eight grams per litre is beautifully judged and, although lusciously flavoursome, it finishes perfectly dry. £40.80 down from £48.
The Brimoncourt Blanc de Blancs NV (5) is drawn from half a dozen 1er and Grand Cru vineyards in the Côtes des Blancs and is a class act for sure. With hints of brioche, toast and confit citrus, there’s also plenty of Brimoncourt’s signature freshness and, with six years’ bottle age behind it, weight and character too. £45.90 down from £54. Magnum (6) £102 down from £120.
I’m not usually a fan of the driest champagnes, finding them too acidic, especially at 11 a.m., but the Brimoncourt Extra Brut Grand Cru NV (7) is spot on. A blend of 80 per cent Pinot Noir and 20 per cent Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards only, aged for six years in the bottle, it has a crucial dosage of 2gpl, giving it just the lift it needs without buggering up glorious freshness of the fruit. £51 down from £60.
Finally, the grin-inducingly gorgeous 2009 Brimoncourt Millésime (8), the only vintage the maison has ever released and even better now than when I first encountered it a year or so ago. A 70 per cent Chardonnay and 30 per cent Pinot Noir blend, it’s a fabulous wine, full of peaches, baked apple, honey, almonds and goodness knows what else. This is what fine vintage champagne is all about and will knock your socks off as it did mine. £144.50 down from £170.
Our two mixed packs are discounted by 20 per cent, with the Discovery Pack containing two bottle each of wines 1, 5 and 7 and the Prestige Pack containing two bottles each of wines 5, 7 and 8. Any reader buying 18 bottles or more will receive a free magnum of Brimoncourt Brut Régence NV. Order before 23 December and you will be entered into a draw to win a Jeroboam of Brimoncourt Brut Régence NV. Order by 17 December for Christmas delivery. Delivery is free to UK mainland.
Order online today or download an order form.
To find out more about our Winemaker Lunches, Masterclasses and Wine Tours, visit spectator.co.uk/tastings.
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