Graf, in the past 5 years, I have moved to wines with higher acid, crisper texture and palate impression and things that I do not perceive as sweet, or if you like, not in the balance I seek. I have not moved off that path at all and I expect it will continue. I also don’t like things with age, as many who we both know, will tell you. I admit that. I like the energy, the palate impression of younger wines, and I general find older wines boring, candidly. And with my fondness for champagne being really just the past 3-4 years, I don’t have any older wines, other than some aged Vilmart that you could argue isn’t that old (2004, 2006, etc).
My subject line had some exaggeration in it, as I wasn’t meaning I feel like some of us need to apologize. I just get aggravated when some in the hobby or critical community communicate broad strokes about styles of wine and those that like them, as if those voices have determined what truth is. I don’t like high dosage champagnes, generally. Do I like Vilmart? You bet, and a lot. I don’t care for Comtes anymore. But, I have found in a category that is generally EB or Nature that those wines usually appeal to me. Some I have not cared for but I have found consistent producers that I mentioned to be making stuff I like, and that is in this EB/Nature range.
That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t recognize the correlation between dosage and sweetness and (if you are averse to sweetness) avoid wines with higher dosage levels.
You could say the same thing about alcohol content (screw the alcohol content, it’s about the balance). I’m happy to drink any wine that actually tastes “balanced”, but I generally find that wines over about 14.5% abv are much more likely to NOT taste balanced (with the tendency varying somewhat based on varietal). While I might find an occasional Pinot Noir that clocks in at 15.0% alcohol that I find enjoyable, that doesn’t mean I should “screw the alcohol argument” and taste through hundreds of high-alcohol Pinot Noirs in search of balance. As a general matter, I won’t find much there…
Similarly, folks here are notice that as a general matter dosage levels over 7% are more likely to taste sweet. Nothing wrong with acknowledging that association/correlation (even while acknowledging that there may be exceptions and outliers).
Love no dose Champagne when made well. I had a bottle from Godme a month or 2 ago.
NV Hugues Godmé Champagne Premier Cru Brut 0- France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (6/18/2018)
Hugues and his Sister parted ways in 2015 and split up Champagne Godmé Pere et Fils in Verzenay. He was more interested in quality and style while she was more interested in making a profitable wine. Hugues is an exciting new wave producer using all of the methods employed by the finest grower/producers (biodynamic, natural yeast fermentation, no malo, low dosages, elevages in old wood, elevage sur lies, no fining or filtration, and parcellaires). This wine is 100% Chardonnay from Ville-Dommagne and Villers-Marmery. Zero dosage. Disgorged Nov. 2016. A friend purchased this wine for me in Epernay as a gift. I do not believe it is available in the US. Clear pale white color. Strong bead. Notes of chalk, citrus fruit and yeast. Very crisp and focused. Medium bodied with a clean finish. Very youthful. 92 points.
I often love low/no-dosage wines. It’s not a certainty for me, though I tend to find wines on the less-dry side of Brut less-compelling in general.
But the real reason I love them is that they (and the people making them) pushed the quality envelope of what Champagne can achieve in the vineyard and the bottle.
Based on what we sell, the drinking public likes the good ones, too in sparkling categories outside of Champagne as well.
Though they also love them some sweet-ish pet-nat!
This is so true. The producers we generally see making these wines truly care about vineyard management and how they craft their wines. They know that they have great dirt and they want to show it as opposed to just being about process(though that in of itself can be quite remarkable).
For me, the producers that pull these styles off are usually in warmer climats and normally use Pinot noir or meunier as the main grape. The Aube is a warmer region than the places in and around Reims, so they can get the grapes riper and be able to do some really cool stuff.
Personally, when Chardonnay from the more northern parts is done at zero or sub-4 dosage, it takes very special dirt for it not to be immensely steely and enamel stripping. But, if we compare against Meunier or Pinot Noir, those grapes seem to be able to handle it better. All of that is very much in a YMMV point, but those are some things I’ve noticed as I generally gravitate towards lower dosage champagnes
Cool beans, Frank! I asked those questions b/c I’ve found I prefer drier bubblies when young, but don’t mind the richer ones with age; I haven’t yet tried the leaner ones with age, so that jury’s still out …
and, for anyone else out there reading along, I’d be curious to hear others’ thoughts, too, on whether dosage level comes into play w/r/t ageing preferences.
No, no, no. Whether you like low or high dosage Champagne, it isn’t like brushing your teeth in a really, really good way… at least not if you are tasting a lot. While easier than tasting Vins Clairs, tasting a lot of Champagne is painful on the teeth and gums. It is a pain that I gladly take, but it takes a lot of de-sensitizing to even be able to brush my teeth after a couple days of heavy tasting.
This reminds me of the time my sister got called trendy for wearing a China Club T-shirt. She was in class at an unamed (to protect the stupid) Univeristy in Indiana during the late 80’s. The professor was illustrating how trends grow due to percevied status symbol of said trend. He pointed to my sister and said ‘see this student is wearing a T-shirt with the name of a trendy club in NYC…she probably thinks wearing the T-shirt makes her look cool and well travelled…having been clubbing in NYC’. He gave this as an example why branded clothing is popular. He went on to say that my sister had probably never been to the club, much less NYC.
My sister said nothng, because she did not have to. She was a native NY’er (Brooklyn) and gone to the China club on a date - two weeks after the club had opened (before it became trendy). Sometime during the evenning her date got her a T-shirt. She wears it for no particular reason as was the case that day. My sister is not a cloths horse nor given to wearing name brand clothing.
My long winded point is this: who cares what people assume? One should never apologize having good taste. If your tastes happened to coincide with the latest and greatest - so what? Yes there are people driven by the ‘cool factor’ but I doubt that describes anyone here So what if people roll there eyes when confronted with your love of low dose/zero dose well balanced wine. Let the haters hate, it leaves more good stuff for the rest of us to enjoy.
Frank - I can’t imagine anyone not being moved by your wonderful post/blog describing your trip to the Champagne region and the wines tasted. I certainly was inspired to try some new producers after reading it. I hope you continue to post those wonderful reviews…people like me need them. I tend stay in my bubble and not explore enough.
Hi, Frank, drinking this now. Opened last night, I like it better with a few less bubbles. Grayish gold, very fresh red berries and slightly pineapple(!) nose, satiny reddish and tart apple palate, bracing, juicy finish, really delicious, thanks again!
![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I asked those questions b/c I’ve found I prefer drier bubblies when young, but don’t mind the richer ones with age; I haven’t yet tried the leaner ones with age, so that jury’s still out …![[rofl.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7452fcd8e675af869f8da01174474a545b03944.gif "rofl"){kind=small}
![[swearing.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/8a0d3f3461d40641d294442fc2be78039bf94d19.gif "[swearing.gif]"){kind=small}
![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
Whether you like low or high dosage Champagne, it isn’t like brushing your teeth in a really, really good way… at least not if you are tasting a lot. While easier than tasting Vins Clairs, tasting a lot of Champagne is painful on the teeth and gums. It is a pain that I gladly take, but it takes a lot of de-sensitizing to even be able to brush my teeth after a couple days of heavy tasting.![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
So what if people roll there eyes when confronted with your love of low dose/zero dose well balanced wine. Let the haters hate, it leaves more good stuff for the rest of us to enjoy.