Friday Night Bubbles

NV Domaine Parigot & Richard Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs, $20, Becky Wasserman Selections. This is a blend of mostly Chardonnay and some Aligoté made in Savigny-lès-Beaune by a producer that makes only Crémant, highly unusual for a Burgundy producer. Parigot & Richard make a range of sparkling wines, including L'Or de Parigot, a rosé with edible gold flakes floating in it. Is that tacky? Can we take this producer's other wines seriously knowing that they put gold flakes in one of their wines? I wish I had a definitive answer for you, but I do not.

I feel confused by this Blanc de Blancs, and confused about the producer in general. I knew nothing of the producer when I purchased the bottle. I bought it based solely on the fact that Becky Wasserman selected it. We drank the wine as an aperitif and then with a simple dish of pan-fried pork chops with mustard greens, carrots, and brussels sprouts. It was fine, certainly not bad, but nothing special. The aromas are bit yeasty and there is no soil or mineral character on the nose at all - just yeasty fruit. It is ripe enough, but not at all complex,and there is not enough acidity to make the wine feel energetic. But it tastes fine, not too sweet, inoffensive. And with about a half hour open, I realized that it actually tastes like still Chardonnay from Savigny-lès-Beaune, which is a good thing - it tastes good. Except the bubbles add nothing to the experience. I think this wine would be better as a still wine.

Okay, no more negative comments about the wine. I found it not to be memorable, that's it. But it does bother me that there is no way to tell the composition of the wine - how much Aligoté is in there anyway? What is the base year? When was it disgorged? The website tells you nothing, neither does Wasserman's site, neither does the importer. This is what the producer's website has to say about this wine:

The harmonious marriage of the two white grape varieties in Burgundy, Chardonnay and Aligoté, give this crémant its uniqueness and nobility. The Chardonnay, by far the majority, supplies it with all the traits of its character. The Aligoté gives it the gift of vivacity. Its robe, wheat-like in color, evokes freshness and delicateness. Its bewitching aromas are completed by enjoyable fruity notes. Well balanced, this cremant's vitality and youthfulness will know how to seduce the palate of amateur connoisseurs of cremant Blanc de Blancs.

Read that three times and see if you can help falling asleep. Anyway, this is perfectly decent wine from a producer that may or may not be the Perrier-Jouët of Burgundy. Sorry if I sound bitter, but I feel duped. Becky Wasserman selected this?!? With all due respect, and I have nothing but respect for Becky Wasserman, what am I missing here?