During the last Vinitaly in Verona a Master-class on Belle Epoque champagne from the Maison Perrier Jouet was held, directed by the Chef de Cave Séverine Freson and by Dr. Leo Damiani, director of the bubbles sector of Marchesi Antinori, importer of these champagnes in Italy.
This was followed by a tasting of the latest vintages of Matarocchio, Ampio, Nibbio, Ceretta and Arso wines, all top wines produced by Marchesi Antinori s.p.a..
The evening culminated with a dinner for 120 guests, with four-handed cooking with chefs Pierre Gagnaire and Giancarlo Perbellini, everything took place in Verona at the Winter Garden Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Let’s return to the Masterclass to talk about climate change because this is the crucial point of agriculture and specifically of the grape harvests, the climatic trend.
Depending on the ripeness of the grapes, the harvests can be brought forward or delayed compared to the standards of the past.
As far as the Maison Perrier Jouet is concerned, there are harvests that took place in August such as 2011 and 2007 (warm vintages), others in September such as 2008 and 2014 and in October such as 2013. Let’s analyze the individual vintages.
Vintage 2011 (August).
After a cold and snowy November, the winter was rather dry and freezing. April and May had temperatures much above average. The summer was cold and rainy.
In autumn, but after the harvest, the weather became beautiful again.
The harvest was very fast, the base musts had a very classic composition. The richness in sugars was relatively low, as was the PH. The 2011 had a rather sufficient structure and a generous freshness which helped it to prolong its gustatory persistence.
Vintage 2007 (August).
The winter was excessively mild and very rainy. In spring, the month of April was summery with temperatures similar to those of July. In summer there were heavy rains and the average temperature was 17.7°c. The good weather returned on August 25th and there were ideal conditions for the harvest.
It was a good quality harvest even if the sugar residues were very varied. Medium malic acid, high total acidity and low PH.
Autumnal nose with aromas of earth, fern and boiled chestnut with dried wild fennel.
Vintage 2008 (September).
Mild, rainy winter, without significant frosts. In spring there were frequent frosts but before budding. The summer did not have a wealth of sunshine and temperatures were cool.
Autumn was dry and cool.
The harvest brought excellent grapes to the cellar with good residual sugar, significant total acidity, medium tartaric acid, high malic acid and a rather low pH.
Aromas among others of incense, brioche bread and flint. Fine champagne, delicate, complex and elegant.
Vintage 2014 (September).
Mild, rainy winter without real frosts. The spring was dry and sunny, with a water deficit for 3 months. The summer was hot and humid while the autumn was humid and relatively warm.
The musts were rich in notes of white flowers, white fruit and citrus.
It is a pleasant champagne with a rich flavor, minerality and freshness on the palate.
Vintage 2013 (October harvest).
The winter was cold, even reaching -16.5°c on 3/16. Spring was cool and rainy until June. The summer was hot and dry with sometimes violent thunderstorms. Autumn was rainy.
The musts were rich with an intense presence of fruit and an important freshness. Champagne rich both on the nose and on the taste of citrus fruits, pear, honey, iodine and ginger.
Fine, elegant and more structured wine of 2008. Finesse and power are its characteristics.
What are the remedies in hot years to maintain freshness in wines? The aim is to develop a method of biological, physical and microbiological functioning of the vineyard ecosystem. Séverine said that the plant is at the center of living things and is a carbon store. A biomass coverage must be implemented: winter rye and faba bean (the latter is a vegetable protein source, rich in minerals, vitamins and numerous bioactive compounds). A flowering cover must also be implemented: sainfoin, alfalfa and Alexandrian clover.
Let’s now come to the tasting notes of the champagnes tasted:
AUGUST HARVEST
PERRIER JOUET
BELLE EPOQUE, vintage 2011
It has a shiny golden yellow appearance, with fairly fine and then fine and quite numerous bubbles.
Aromatic incisiveness made of intense aromas of flint, blond leather, rose, peony, brioche, pastry, honey, sweet from the outside of the sugared almond, toasted bread to finish with whispers of green pepper.
On the palate it is savory and mineral with a sufficient medium body plus. The freshness is generous and completely covers the alcoholic mass. Its taste persistence is long, because during the latter the body loses a bit of consistency and it is the freshness that helps to prolong it temporally. Finish of chestnut honey with a slight vegetal hint.
(93/100)
AUGUST HARVEST
PERRIER JOUET
BELLE EPOQUE, vintage 2007
Shiny golden yellow coat. The bubbles are fine and quite numerous.
Smell open to aromas of fern, ballotta (boiled chestnut with dried wild fennel), blond leather, flint, lemon, earth, iodine, peony, sweets from the outside of the dragee to finish with slight hints of green pepper. When tasted, it has fine bubbles and is savory, mineral with a medium body that is not excessive but a little more than that of the 2011, even if it does not have the freshness of the 2011. A well-balanced, savory and citrusy wine.
Its taste persistence is long with a lemon finish.
(93/100)
SEPTEMBER HARVEST
PERRIER JOUET
BELLE EPOQUE, vintage 2008
It shines golden yellow and the bubbles are fine and quite numerous.
It gives a sense of intense flint and chestnut honey followed by incense, toasted salted almonds, peanuts, vanilla, brioche bread, blond leather, finishing with a whisper of green pepper.
Wine with medium body but less than that of 2013. The freshness and minerality completely cover the alcoholic mass.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long with a chestnut honey finish.
(96/100)
SEPTEMBER HARVEST
PERRIER JOUET
BELLE EPOQUE, vintage 2014
It shines light golden yellow with quite fine and quite numerous bubbles.
Olfactory range made of scents of blond leather, chalk, boiled chestnut with dried wild fennel, linden, hawthorn, coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk), rhubarb root, honey, finishing with puffs of incense.
When tasted in the mouth you can feel a fine and present bubble. Flavors of lemon, flint and pear. Savory and well-balanced wine with freshness and minerality that dominate the alcoholic mass.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long.
(94/100)
OCTOBER HARVEST
PERRIER JOUET
BELLE EPOQUE, vintage 2013
Golden yellow color with fine and quite numerous bubbles.
From the glass rise aromas of Kaiser pear, pear juice, yellow grapefruit, intense ginger, blond leather, wildflower honey, iodine, flint, mandarin, ending with whispers of lime.
On the palate the bubbles are fine, pleasant and persuasive. The body is medium, more than usual, a savory, mineral wine with a flavor of pear juice and grapefruit peel.
Alcohol-freshness axis in perfect harmony, with the latter clearly prevailing over the former!
Its intense aromatic persistence is long with a finish of chestnut honey and lime.
(98/100)
This was followed by this particular four-handed dinner with a menu created by chefs Pierre Gagnaire, Ambassador of Perrier-Jouet champagne and Giancarlo Perbellini.
There were six courses, each chef created three courses to which the following wines were paired in order:
– Cervaro della Sala, 2018 vintage, which was in splendid shape.- Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2004, in formato Magnum, perfettamente equilibrato e con struttura presente ( al contrario del suo predecessore 2002), che è stato servito con due portate.
– Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 2012, piacevolissimo, fine ed elegante.
– Tignanello vintage 2020 extremely pleasant to drink because it is fine, elegant and well balanced.
– Muffato della Sala 2019 vintage, well made as always, with sweetness and generous freshness.
At the end of the evening we were all satisfied and grateful for having been able to participate in this unique and exceptional event.
Marchesi Antinori spa in general and Leo Damiani in particular are unique when they organize events.
