WBW #25: A Sparkling Blogging Wednesday

The 25th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is all bubbly thanks to Sam at Becks and Posh, our host this month. She wanted us to taste a sparkling wine coming only from the Champagne region.

If you're a Champagne fan, I highly recommend the extensive K&L Wine Merchants Champagne selection. K&L Champagne Buyer Gary Westby direct-imports fantastic wines from small grower producers. Grower producers farm their own vineyard and make their own Champagne, therefore produce wines that have distinctive personalities, expressing the vineyard they come from and the unique style of the winemaker.

One of my favorite Champagnes from K&L is the Champagne Leclerc Briant Brut Premier Cru Clos des Champions, a single vineyard wine at an amazing price of $29.99. But today, I wanted to try something different that Gary had also recommended: a Blanc de Meuniers from Tarlant, a Champagne house owned by the Tarlant family since 1687.

The wine of Champagne is generally a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and is often the backbone of the blend. 26% of the vineyard is planted with Chardonnay, which brings finesse and elegance, and 35% with Pinot Meunier, which provides acidity and fruitiness.

The Champagne Tarlant Extra Brut Blanc de Meuniers Cuvée La Vigne d'Or is an unusual wine made entirely from Pinot Meunier. It comes from a single vineyard in Tarlant's home town of Oeuilly with vines averaging 51 years of age. The wine had a straw golden color and a yeasty nose showing apple cider flavors. On the palate, it was dry, vivacious, but also slightly creamy, leaving a distinctive pear à l'eau de vie aftertaste.

We enjoyed our Champagne with a Grilled Tuna Basquaise, a dish that calls for a light and fruity wine. This was a joyful and sparkling dinner, thanks Sam!

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