Variety: Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay
Region: Champagne, France
Cost: $65 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes:Â The pink copper colour with a hint of raspberry when young evolves to to salmon while ageing. The fine bubbles are due to a strict selection of the best grapes, perfectly controlled temperature in the cellar and very long ageing. The initial aromas of red currant and red fruits evolve to morello cherry, wild strawberry, and violet while breathing in the glass. A touch of lemon denotes the discrete presence of Chardonnay. With age, aromas tend towards dark fruit like dark cherry, fig, and blackberry.
The palate reveals red fruit captured at their full freshness. The finish is bright and long.
My Review: So it took me a bit longer to get to this bottle than I had initially intended. Originally my wife and I were going to open this bottle on election night in celebration, but that night ended up needing whisky instead. Like, a lot of whiskey. Templeton Rye in case you were wondering.
When I did get to the bottle, however, I’m glad I saved it for being in a better mind set. While I don’t think that bubbles should be reserved for only celebrations – my wife and I often open up a bottle of sparkling wine because “Tuesday”, I do think they should be reserved for happy times, be that seeing old friends and family, or because you made it through Tuesday.
While we didn’t open the Bruno Paillard for any special occasion, we were in a somewhat happier place than when we had originally intended to open the bottle, and that’s worth celebrating if nothing else.
In the glass the wine was a nice salmon hue that I find appealing. On the nose I picked up wild strawberry and a hint of cherry and floral notes. In the mouth the bubbles were medium small, and I grabbed flavors of ripe strawberry and cherry with a perfect balance of dryness and juiciness that made the wine perfect for sipping on its own (which is what we did).
That being said, if I was to pair this with something, a cheese board with some bolder, funkier cheeses (some bleu cheese for sure) would be my go-to option for sipping on this with something to nibble on.
While the debate of price always comes up for me for any bottle over about $45-$50, given that this wine includes a blend of 25 vintages going back to 1985, I’m going to say it’s worth it. $65 isn’t too much to pay for a quality bottle of champagne to me, and this bottle definitely qualifies.
Editor’s Note: I received this bottle of wine as a free sample for review.
