Friday Night Bubbles

NV Cedric Bouchard Blanc de Noir Inflorescence, about $55, Polaner Selections. This great bottle of wine was a present for my birthday in November from the BrooklynLady. Not sure why we waited so long to open it, not sure why we opened it on Friday. I'm so glad we did - we both loved it. I don't think that a celebration is necessarily required in order to open a bottle of top quality Champagne. It becomes the celebration, sharing it with someone you love.

Bouchard is an infant of a Champagne house, created in 2000 and located in the Côte des Bar, the southern part of Champagne where the climate resembles that of Burgundy, and where Pinot Noir is the most common grape. Bouchard farms organically, uses only natural yeasts, carefully controls yields by debudding, and adds little sugar in the dosage. He does not mix vintages in his wines, although they are called non-vintage wines presumably because they don not age for the required 3 years before release. He is focused on making the highest quality wine possible and in creating a clear expression of terroir.

Bouchard makes two wines that I've seen in New York. Roses de Jeanne is a Blanc de Noirs made entirely from Pinot Noir grapes from a vineyard called Les Ursules (something to do with bears?). This wine is made in tiny quantities - only 300 cases in last year's release. I know Chambers Street got some of it, but it's now long gone. Inflorescence is also made in small quantities, about 740 cases in this release. It's also a Blanc de Noirs made from 100% Pinot Noir, in this case from a vineyard called Val Vilaine. Although Chambers Street is sold out, there are a few bottles still at Astor Wines. If you're a fan of Blanc de Noirs, this is a versy special bottle, and by the time the end of the year holidays roll around it might be even better. Not that you'd need to wait until then. Any day can be a celebration...

The nose on this wine is so deep and rich with brioche, red fruits, and orange blossoms that it's almost intoxicating just to smell. The nose gained complexity over the evening too, filling out. Spreads out and coats the palate with a silky soft but very powerful feeling, with drippy red fruit, acacia honey, and a slightly spicy undertone. This is a wine you can really feel in your mouth, it stimulates the inside of the cheeks, the back of the throat, everything buzzes. After swallowing the sweet red fruit aromas linger for quite a while. This was a very special treat, and one that I hope to drink again.