*Facts*

Enjoyed on: March 26, 2021

Grapes: 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Meunier

Dosage: 9-10 grams/L

*Wild conjecture*

Color: Winter Morning. One of the most inviting colors I’ve seen, reminding me of mist rising off snow. Or kind of a subtle pear color.

Nose: At first, a sharp horseradish shock goes up through your sinuses. Then notes of lemon meringue pie, and softer fruit--applesauce. Slightly acrid on the nose but not bothersome.

Taste: Lots of bitterness, including bushels of grapefruit and a few guavas. But we also get toasty, bready notes. Light caramel flavors balance the whole thing. The finish brings tropical fruit and even toasted coconut.

Sometimes, fruit comparisons are ways for us to nail down the different permutations of bitter/sour/tangy/sweet that we taste in a new champagne. It feels reassuring to find a fruit in nature that matches your experience: “Ah, I get it now!” Then, you try a bottle that defies comparison to any fruit you’ve tasted, and it’s disconcerting, and you have to remember that all these flavors come from grapes, time, and human ingenuity.

At $30, this is at the lower-cost end of the champagne spectrum and a go-to everyday champagne for us.