Tag Archives: Champagne

The Vincast with Curly Haslam-Coates aka Vintage Tasmania

Though it was working in hospitality in Yorkshire that first introduced her to wine, working for Majestic Wine gave Curly Haslam-Coates more opportunity to explore. It was also here she began her wine education in WSET, something she has continued to put great value in, as she has been one of the most important wine educators based in Tasmania. Her love of the Apple Isle and sparkling wine has recently seen her join the team at The Wine Front.

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Curly Haslam-Coates

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The Vincast with Marie Doyard from Champagne Andre Jacquart

When Marie Doyard says that “Champagne is running through her blood”, she’s not kidding. Not only was she born in Reims and raised in the region, but her great-grandfather Maurice Doyard was one of the founders of the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Champagne (C.I.V.C.) during World War II. Her parents brought the Jacquart and Doyard estates together – all based in the Côte des Blancs – and when she took over in 2004 she had some dynamic ideas of how to take Champagne Andre Jacquart into the new millennium. On a recent visit to Melbourne I was able to find out more about her journey and about grower-champagne.

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Marie Doyard from Champagne Andre Jacquart

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The Vincast with Ned Goodwin MW

Growing up in Sydney Ned Goodwin was really into skateboarding, surfing and listening to the band Kiss. Little did he know that an exchange year in Japan at the age of 15 would combine with a global journey in hospitality to him working for a large restaurant group and becoming the first Master of Wine in Japan. On this episode he joined me to talk about his journey, his influences, his love of authentic Australian wine and his recent role as Brand Ambassador for Champagne Charles Heidsieck.

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Ned Goodwin MW

Ned Goodwin MW

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The Vincast with Tyson Stelzer

Tyson Stelzer should be a name familiar to any wine lover in Australia, as he is one of the most prolific and celebrated wine communicators in the country. A visit to the Barossa Valley in 1998 started him on a trajectory of wine enthusiasm, which he explored both online and in print. Throughout his wine career he has been associated with a number of passions; an affinity with screw-cap closures on red wines; the great Australian blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz; and more recently a close relationship with Champagne. He joined me on this episode to talk about his journey and some of his current projects.

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Tyson Stelzer

Tyson Stelzer

 

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The Intrepid Wino drank things in 2014

Last year was a particularly good year for drinking for me, I have to admit it. Thanks to all the fantastic people I met and venues I discovered, who all work with some beautiful products, I got to both taste and drink (sometimes a bit too much) some amazing stuff. Some of these wines were tasted at events or trade tastings, some at my favourite bars & restaurants, and a few were tasted at wineries I visited (which was too rare in 2014). You’ll notice that many of these wines are Italian which very much reflects where I was at this year working for an importer of Italian wines, and also visiting Italy in June.

Let me know what you think, and tell me in the comments what were your highlight wines for 2014.

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2014 was a momentous year as it was the first time I tasted Claret!

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The Vincast with Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

Peter Scudamore-Smith was Australia’s second ever Master of Wine, the most illustrious title and qualification one can receive in the wine industry. He has led a fascinating life of wine, and he joined me on the first episode of 2015 to discuss his origins in wine, working in both Australian and European wine markets, and how his love of Italy and France has led him to take tours there as part of his business Uncorked and Cultivated.

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Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

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Laurent-Perrier – 20/01/2012

Ultra Brut
Zero dosage, very zippy bright fresh citrus. Lovely and crisp yet soft and creamy, approachable bright clean pure fruit, chardonnay component very strong.

Millesime 2002
Toastier richer depth, still very clean and precise, harmony of acid and lees.

Grand Siecle
Quite toasty and yeasty, interesting blend of three vintages, perhaps lost its way a little bit.

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle

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Larmandier-Bernier – 20/01/2012

Rosé de Saignée
Quite dark for a champagne rosé, and aromatically has similar dark berry characters coupled with subtle cheesy game aromas. It floats nicely between freshness and complexity, making it a versatile aperitif or food wine.

Tradition 1er Cru
A blend of 10% pinot noir and 90% chardonnay, and with full malo has lovely creamy sweet yoghurt lees autolysis character. It has delicious fresh cumquat citrus fruit flavours, but also a nice slightly savoury baked filo pastry element.

Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru
More creaminess in the citrus fruit, and almost non-alcoholic apple cider sweetness.

Terre de Vertus 2007 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs
With no dosage liqueur there was very chalky green apple fruitiness on the nose, with a hint of salted cashews underneath. On the palate there was much fuller texture and depth than the NV wines, the apple picking up some custard elements.

Vielle de Cramant Grand Cru 2006
This became more vanilla and caramel, introducing more pear and orange fruit to the mix.

Grand Cru
Had serious complexity and length on it, hinting at its matchability with food.

Terre de Vertus 1997
Disgorged the previous day, and although the colour had barely changed the nose and palate was evolving into a much more tertiary area; hints of marmalade, mushrooms, roasted nuts and vintage cheddar.

Larmandier-Bernier tasting

Larmandier-Bernier tasting

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Billecart-Salmon – 19/01/2012

2011 Charly-sur-Marne Pinot Meunier
Aromatic grassy kiwi lime elderberry, light fresh mid-palate, bright acids.

2011 Ay Pinot Noir
Slightly savoury cherry stalks, contained but broad and expressive, passion fruit zing and zest.

2011 Mesnil-sur-Oger Chardonnay
Apple lime nashi grapefruit, great lines through the palate.

Extra Brut
Toasty for a Brut Nature, dried herbs and honey, great drive across the palate but not straight down the middle, nice spicy berry notes, savoury sweetness.

Brut Reserve
Honeyed richness, lees doesn’t get in the way.

Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
Exceptionally well-integrated acids, freshness and drive, rich citrus creaminess.

Brut Sous Bois
Smells like white burgundy, crunchy and really complex. Amazing wine with food.

Vintage 2004
Rich creamy light caramel, apple & pear custard, subtle toast and sesame, broad with rolling soft berry and mandarin.

Brut Blanc de Blancs 1999
Struck-match Chablis style, reductive dried citrus peel, full yet racy acids, big citrus fruit sweetness, powerful expression but subtle and complex.

Nicolas Francois 2000
Soft subtle sweet butternut pumpkin, light soft full rich and subtle, young yet complex, toasty smoked artichokes, fruit-forward at the moment.

Billecart-Salmon tasting

Billecart-Salmon tasting

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Pol Roger – 19/01/2012

Pure
Non-dose brut style. It is astoundingly crisp and fresh, the chardonnay is prominent, as freshness is the focus, pure in name and nature.

Rich
A dosage of 35g/L of sugar added, making it a demi-sec style. This gives it a more creamy and toasty aroma, with a distinct marzipan and glazed cherry character.

Pol Roger Reserve 2002
A wine with amazing integration of acid, fruit and yeasty complexity, finesse and elegance beyond comparison. The wine appears to explode like a firework from the middle of the palate. It is both approachable and yet subtle and complex, but having only recently been disgorged and dosed needs more time in bottle before release.

If this wine is so good now, it is not hard to imagine how good the 2002 Sir Winston Churchill will be. Very generously I was given a bottle of the current vintage, the 1999, to enjoy at a later time with food, along with a bottle of the 2004 Reserve Rose (also not yet released). Slightly encumbered I thanked my wonderful house and hurried to my final appointment for the day.

Pol Roger range

Pol Roger range

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