Our second Champagne tour has started and we kicked off once again in the centre of Reims at the restaurant Le Condorcet.
We received a wonderfully warm welcome as we headed upstairs to their private dining space. As you might expect we commenced with some Champagne as we tucked into an excellent three course dinner. A cold starter of plaice with leeks and a sauce was much more delicious than it sounds and was followed by a super pork belly dish and a rhubarb creation that was sublime.
The first full day of the tour took us first to the appropriately named Grand Cru village of Bouzy and the historic estate of Andre Clouet. Founded in 1741 it is one of the earliest Champagne houses and is still family run – with the charismatic Jean-Francois Clouet in charge. We were met by Victorien and Erin who hosted the first part of the tour which took in the old cellar, 1965 Citroen DX and the walled vineyard – only 0.25 hectare and only magnums of vintage Champagne are made from the plot. A venture into their winery was followed by the start of the tasting.
Clouet only own 8 hectares of vineyards but also operate as a negociant and thus produce about 600,000 bottles a year and yet retain a really personal ambience.
A super selection of wines was tasted with their Brut Reserve NV, Dream Vintage 2015 and Un Jour de 1911 making up the lineup.
From Clouet, it was a 25 minute hop to Épernay – the second famous town after Reims and we took in the beautiful Avenue de Champagne with so many of the well known Champagne Houses lining the streets.
Our lunch stop was La Grillade Gourmande – a fabulous family owned restaurant in the centre of town. With an open fire, friendly and efficient service, we enjoyed a delicious lunch. A broccoli cream amuse bouche, followed by a chestnut soup, perfectly cooked chicken with boulangère potatoes and a scrummy Rhum Baba. All washed down with magnums of Castelnau Champagne and 100% Pinot Noir Bouzy rouge.
Our day was not over as we headed over to the Grand Cru village of Louvois and another family owned estate – Guy de Chassey. Currently run by Ingrid De Chassey, they have 7 hectares of vines and currently make about about 35,000 bottles a year. We were hosted by Helène and Theo.
Helène took the group by storm with a dynamic summary of the family history, details of Champagne production and the overall philosophy of the estate.
We covered lots of useful detail before heading into the tasting room for a tasting of Champagnes and cheese. Four wines, four cheeses – Comte, Tomme de Savoie, Chaource and Munster. It was a lively end to the afternoon!
