It's just about a year since lockdown in Syracuse and we are feeling, along with everyone else, the bone-deep burnout of "coping." This year, we've also had time to become pretty accustomed to our usual champagne, confident in our preferences. Say we started drinking it in earnest last February. By now we know the dosages and blends we like (big fans of brut natures here). We recognize our favorite houses by the label when we catch a glimpse of them on Netflix. [Call My Agent recently switched from Lanson to Piper-Heidsieck.] And so, a little variety in our glasses is just as refreshing as anything that breaks up the COVID monotony.

Duc de Romet recreates the experience of apple juice in champagne form. It was much sweeter than what we usually drink, probably a result of the whopping 10-gram dosage. This champagne is an interesting blanc de noirs blend: 75% Pinot Meunier and 25% Pinot Noir. We've had champagnes that use a majority of Meunier in the blends, even 100%, and our impression has been that Meunier is an earthy, funky grape that can taste almost mushroomy. But, when done right, Meunier can produce some wonderful wines. We've tasted extra-brut Meuniers that were truer to the grape's expression. Meunier is considered to add base and structure to champagne blends.

Duc de Romet surprised us because the earthiness we were used to was lacking. It reminded us more of fermented apples. Its smell is strong, pungent, and aggressive. It comes off almost smelling like a spirit and borders on a harsher chemical smell.

To the eye, Duc de Romet looks kind of like apple juice, consistent with its flavor. The color was a dark, concentrated yellow.

On the palate, it comes off as sweet and heavy. Consistent with the evidence of our noses and eyes, the taste is dominated by apples--but not in a fresh, fruit-forward way. Instead, the concentration of rich flavor reminds us of jellies and candied fruit, caramels, glazes, syrup. Apple jam, but deeply caramelized like the one I once made with a Tinder date, circa 2018, and left too long on the flame. On a second tasting (i.e., post-nachos) we noticed some more tangy and citrusy notes. Made us think of green jolly ranchers (J loves these and chain-smoked them through the bar exam, so it's not a snub). At some point, we even got hints of candied bacon.

We've only seen Meunier in small amounts, a third-wheel to the Pinot Noir/Chardonnay combo. Only recently have we noticed champagne houses, especially grower-producers, experiment with it in larger quantities, exploring its true potential.

It's great to see a champagne made with 3/4th Meunier, but our impression here is that the high dosage masked some of its character. It was a little too aggressive on the nose and too sweet for our tastes. Next time, we'll try to make sure that our Meuniers stay on the dryer side.

So, while we didn't fall in love with it, we valued the experience of drinking something different and pushing our taste buds. The shop owner who sold it to us in Cazenovia, NY was a sweet woman with a poodle and a charming store on main street. We would happily stop in and support her store again the next time we're in the eastern burbs.