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Stephanie’s Wine Society

My top wine tips and reviews! WSET Diploma, Cava Educator & Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne Chevalier!
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About me: I fell in love with wine after living and working in France and then in Australia! I have now worked in the UK wine industry for over 15 years hosting many wine tasting events, wine dinners and wine training courses. Plus I have achieved the prestigious WSET Diploma in wine qualification! Join me as I share my knowledge and passion of the best wines from across the globe �

10/12/2024

Champagne on repeat! 🍾🍾
With the Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles Extra Brut 2020!

⭐️This is something a bit different as it’s a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Blanc!!!! It’s not that common to find Pinot Blanc in a Champagne blend, even if it’s one of the permitted varieties!

⭐️Pierre Gerbais are based in Celles-Sur-Ource in the Cote des Bar and started in 1930 and now run by the 8th generation and one of the most important Pinot Blanc growers in Champagne with 4ha.

⭐️This champagne is all from the 2020 vintages with the primary and malolactic fermentation in tanks and then 30 months lees ageing and 2g/l dosage.

⭐️Initial light and delicate aromas of florals and soft lemon, but then more powerful notes of plum, cherry, peach and vanilla come forward. A fresh and lemony balanced acidity with a lovely texture on the finish! A very nice champagne and great to try one with a high proportion of Pinot Blanc!

Cheers! 🥂

05/12/2024

Pressoria - A multi sensory Champagne experience! 🍾

⭐️Pressoria is based in Ay, Champagne an old Pommery press house! It’s a multi sensory Champagne experience and I’ve been lucky enough to visit it twice this year!

⭐️Covering everything from how the Paris Basin was formed, loads of details about the grapes and vines and lots of cool videos about the region and how Champagne is made. It’s really interactive with a scent smelling experience and my favourite the trippy bubble room!

⭐️And at the end you get to sample 2 Champagnes from smaller grower producers outside on a large terrace overlooking some grand cru Pinot Noir vines! A great place and well worth the visit when you are in Champagne!

Cheers! 🥂

20/11/2024

Forgive me……🍷
For I have Zinned!!!

Happy Zinfandel Day!! 🍇

⭐️Zinfandel is a signature variety of California. It’s widely grown here along with Puglia in Italy. California has considerable plantings of old vine Zinfandel with some over 100 years old!

⭐️Zinfandel, or also known as Primitivo actually comes from Croatia and it was bought to America at some point during the 1800s. In the 1990s we learnt that Zinfandel was genetically identical to the Croatian grape Tribidrag!! And Zinfandel grapes tend to be a bit bigger and have more compact bunches compared to Primitivo grown in Italy!

⭐️Zinfandel can accumulate sugars quite easily during ripening and tends to produce wines with high alcohol! Along with jammy fruity notes, spice and a smokiness! Notable regions for Zinfandel in California include Lodi, Sonoma and Napa valleys. And the best match to Zinfandel is with smoky and spiced foods!

⭐️This Cycles Gladiator Zinfandel comes from Lodi and is very fruity with aromas of cherry, raspberry, plum and blackcurrant jam, with a touch of sweet spice and smoke. Textured velvety tannins a delicious more fruity style of Zinfandel but still with a high ABV of 14%!!

Cheers! 🍷

.wines.uk.india .uk

14/11/2024

In a world full of wine, always be a premier cru!!!

With the La Chablisienne Vaillons Chablis Premier Cru!

⭐️Chablis = one permitted grape variety, Chardonnay across 4 different quality levels:
Petit Chablis 20.5%,
Chablis 65%,
Premier Cru 13%
Grand Cru 1.5%!

⭐️There are 40 different premier cru plots or climats within Chablis. But there are 17 climats are the most recognisable including Vaillons that overlooks the actual town on Chablis on the Serein river, planted on the famous Kimmeridgian marine based limestone soils.

⭐️And contrary to popular belief that all Chablis is unoaked, well that’s untrue and generally premier cru and grand cru quality level Chablis will have seen some oak influence during fermentation or ageing.

⭐️So why spend more of Chablis premier cru to a Chablis?
Regular Chablis aspects are a lot more mixed and can be planted on north facing slopes and Petit Chablis is exclusively planted on younger Portlandian soils! Premier cru Chablis are planted on only Kimmeridgian soils that impart a flinty and mineral note. Plus they are on south and southeast facing slops which gives the maximum sun exposure leading to riper fruit!
Premier cru grapes need to be picked at a higher minimum potential ABV and the yields are smaller than regular Chablis leading to more depth of flavour, aromatics, complexity with more longevity and ageing capabilities. You can age a Chablis Premier cru for up to 10 years!

⭐️The La Chablisienne Vaillons Premier Cru comes from the Vaillons premier cru overlooking Chablis on the left bank of the Serein river. Vines are 25 years old and the wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged for 12 months in a mix of tanks and barrels. With floral notes, lemon, juicy apricot fruits, vanilla, almond and a delicate mineral note. A richer style of Chablis but with a pure and crisp finish. Amazing!

Cheers! 🥂

12/11/2024

Vintage vibes and champagne sips 🥂
With the Bruno Paillard Assemblage 2012 champagne!

⭐️The 2012 vintage was a challenging one! It started off fairly cold with frost, hail and disease before it turned around with conditions massively improving in August with a heatwave! It was a small yielding crop but with exceptional high sugar / high acid grapes. Pinot Noir and Meunier were the better performers and a vintage was declared widely by a number of producers!

⭐️Including Bruno Paillard who produced this really good vintage champagne! It’s a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from their 8 preferred crus. 20% was vinified in small old barrels, they like to use a mixture of both stainless steel and barrels here. They always allow Malolactic fermentation and 8 years of ageing on a cork! The dosage is 4.5g/l so an extra brut and this is the house style always extra brut dosaged champagnes. Just under 26,000 bottles were produced and this one was disgorged in November 2020 and Bruno Paillard were the 1st house to do this, starting all the way back in 1983!

⭐️Very fine bubbles, with aromas of red apple peel, lemon zest, red cherry and dried peach. With Honey, ginger shortbread and brioche notes. This is a very well balanced champagne with a lovely freshness and lemony citrus backbone. A very well made delicate and beautiful vintage 2012 champagne!

Cheers! 🥂

07/11/2024

You had me at Merlot! 🍇

It’s Merlot day today, here’s some interesting facts for you all!

⭐️Merlot is the 2nd most planted grape in the world! And Merlot (merlau) means ‘little blackbird’ in an old French dialect.

⭐️It originates from Bordeaux and is a crossing of Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes that was 1st mentioned in 1783!

⭐️Merlot loves to be grown on ferrous clay soils, it’s an early ripener, adapts to cool and warmer climates and blends particularly well with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese!

⭐️Famous Merlot regions include:
Bordeaux (St Emilion, Pomerol & Fronsac)
California (Sonama & Napa)
Washington State (Columbia Valley)
Italy (Veneto & Tuscany)
Chile
Spain and China also have significant plantings

What does it taste like ❓

⭐️Merlot is known to have a velvety & smooth texture and that’s all down to its tannin structure. Merlot has thinner skins and less seeds compared with Cabernet Sauvignon that it’s related to. So that means less tannin extraction and the tannin molecules are different so Cabernet, they are smaller and a differing shape to Cabernet, so we end up with a less astringent wine!Other typical aromas include: black cherry, plum, chocolate, herbs, cedar, clove and vanilla!

Cheers! 🍷

05/11/2024

Chasing dreams and champagne streams!!

With Champagne Laherte Freres Ultratradtion Extra Brut! 🍾

⭐️Champagne Laherte Freres are based in the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay and are a 7th generation producer since 1889!! They now farm 11 ha with a vineyards in the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay, Vallee de la Marne and Cote de Blancs sub regions with a focus on making pure, sincere and authentic champagnes.

⭐️The majority of champagnes produced here 80% are fermented and aged in barrels, along with the expression of terroir and a minimal dosage are factors in their house style.

⭐️The Ultratradtion Extra Brut is a blend of 60% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir with 40% reserve wines that have been aged in barrels on the lees, with partial MLF and 4.5 g/l dosage. All grapes have come from vines around 30 years old in the Vallee de la Marne and Coteaux Sud d’Epernay and disgorgement is done by hand!!

⭐️Quite a peachy champagne with notes of fresh to canned peaches! Aromas of red apple, florals, lemon cheesecake and a bitter orange note. Silky and smooth, with texture and fruitiness but balanced out with a zingy refreshing acidity. A very good champagne and I’ll definitely be trying more from this producer!!

Cheers! 🥂

02/11/2024

Garda DOC Pinot Grigio Special!

⭐️Ok I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a massive Italian Pinot Grigio fan, I think it’s too bald and mass produced. However I’ve since changed my mind after tasting some Italian Pinot Grigio from the Garda DOC!

⭐️The Garda DOC was only approved in 2016 and covers the area around lake Garda in the north of Italy. It’s a predominately hilly area with white, sparkling, rose and red styles made. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and the 2nd largest and one of the deepest lakes in Europe. The lake moderates the climate here with cooling breezes and it allows grapes to fully ripen from increased sun exposure from the lakes surface. This provides a unique environment that produces a soft fresh, fruity and mineral style of Pinot Grigio.

⭐️All 3 of these wines have been aged on their lees creating more richer and textural styles of Pinot Grigio. General aromas on all 3 wines included florals, pear, lemon, grapefruit and herbal notes. All with a fresh and crisp finish. If you like Pinot Grigio then I’d seek out a Garda Pinot Grigio for a wine with more complexity and texture than one from neighbouring Veneto!

Cheers! 🥂

24/10/2024

Chardonnay in Champagne! 💛

⭐️Welcome to the final part my mini series into the 3 main grape varieties of Champagne. Today is the turn of looking at the role of Chardonnay in champagne, before celebrating Champagne day tomorrow Friday 25th October!

⭐️Chardonnay was first mentioned in the region in 1851 and gained popularity in the region throughout the 20th century. Chardonnay now represents 31% of total vineyard plantings.

⭐️The main regions you’ll find Chardonnay grown in Champagne are the Cote des Blancs, this region is primarily planted with Chardonnay on the most chalkiest soils in the region! Other regions include the Cote de Sezanne, some villages in the Montagne de Reims (Trepail and Villers-Marmery) and Montgueux near Troyes!

⭐️Chardonnay adds the vibrancy and elegance to Champagne, along with freshness and minerality. You’ll also find citrus, apple and tropical fruits. Florals, especially white flowers and acacia. Along with other aromas of caramel, ginger, brioche and it can be come very toasty with time.

⭐️The Nicolas Feuillatte 2018 Blanc de Blancs is a 100% Chardonnay champagne! With grapes coming from the premier crus of Cuis and Grauves in the Cote de Blancs. Along with Chardonnay from the Cote de Sezanne, Vallee de la Marne and the Montagne de Reims! A lovely Blanc de Blancs champagne with a very floral nose, pear, apricot and pink grapefruit aromas. With a buttery pastry note, a fresh and mineral finish! Delish!

Cheers! 🥂

Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte

23/10/2024

Meunier in Champagne! 🍇

⭐️With Champagne day fast approaching, this Friday 26th October! I’ve been taking a look at the role of each of the 3 main grape varieties in Champagne and today is all about Meunier!

⭐️Now known as Meunier, it’s now dropped the Pinot part! With 31% of the total vineyard plantings, you’ll mainly find Meunier grown in the Vallee de la Marne. It’s cooler here and can have harsh spring frosts which Meunier is less susceptible to frost damage than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay!! Meunier also ripens quicker, around 8 days before other grapes, meaning that Meunier is a mutation of Pinot Noir but grows and ripens quite easily compared to the other permitted grape varieties in Champagne!

⭐️Meunier adds fruity notes such as peach, apricot, yellow fruits and red berries to champagnes. Floral notes of rose and violet, along with vanilla, honey, nuts and smoky aromas to the blend. It generally produces a richer style of champagne with a silky, supple and sumptuous mouthfeel to the champagne!!

⭐️I’ve become a massive fan of Meunier champagnes and this Champagne Demiere Es’Sens is a 100% Meunier champagne from the Vallee de la Marne. Full of fruity peachy and apricot notes, a delicate floral nose, and lovely silky finish! A fantastic Meunier champagne made by a grower producer whom specialise in predominantly Meunier champagne!

Check back tomorrow to find out all about Chardonnays role in Champagne! 💛

Cheers! 🥂

22/10/2024

Pinot Noir in Champagne! 🍇

⭐️In the run up to Champagne Day, that’s this Friday on October 25th!!! I’m taking a look at the role of each of the 3 main grape varieties in Champagne. Today I am starting with the most planted grape variety in Champagne with 38% of the total plantings, which is of course Pinot Noir!

⭐️Pinot Noir has been the most planted variety in Champagne since 1860! And arrived into the region sometime in the 1500s. It favours clay-limestone soils, so you’ll find the majority of Pinot Noir plantings in the Montagne de Reims and the Cote des Bar sub regions.

⭐️Pinot Noir adds body, structure, intensity and red/dark fruits to a champagne. Common aromas you’ll find include red/dark fruits - strawberry, cherry and blueberry, florals, spice-cinnamon, hazelnut, coffee and smoky notes!

⭐️The Nicolas Feuillatte Grand Cru Millesime 2012 Blanc de Noirs is a 100% Pinot Noir champagne with all grapes coming from Grand Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims - Verzy, Verzenay, Ay, Bouzy and Ambonnay. It’s definitely showing typical Pinot Noir notes with red cherry, strawberry and rose aromas. Full bodied and complex with a delicate ginger note, dried red fruits, hazelnut and to***co aromas!

Check back tomorrow for all about the role of Meunier in Champagne! 🍇

Cheers! 🥂

Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte

20/10/2024

Give me the Gosset Champagne!!!! 🍾

⭐️Did you know that Gosset are the oldest wine house in Champagne? They started producing red wines in Ay in 1584! Although they didn’t begin to make champagnes until the 18th century. And they’ve still use the same unique bottle shape since 1760!

⭐️The Gosset style is all about preserving natural fruit freshness with pure minerality. They famously block malolactic fermentation, mainly use grand and premier cru grapes with an extended ageing period. The Gosset Grand Reserve Brut NV shows the house style perfectly and is a blend of 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 10% Meunier with 15% Reserve wines, with grapes from grand cru villages of Ay, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Villers-Marmery. 4 years lees ageing, no MLF and 8g/l dosage.

⭐️A very clean and precise champagne with a very floral nose. Lemon drizzle cake, tart green apple with honey and toast notes. A fresh citrussy acidity with a chalky texture on the finish! A very good and well made champagne!

Cheers! 🥂

Champagne Gosset

18/10/2024

When 2 become 1 🍾🍾

What’s better than 2 bottles of champagne?
A magnum of course!! And there’s a host of reasons why you should buy magnums (150cl) over standard bottles (75cl)

⭐️I don’t like sharing a standard bottle of champagne, but I am happy to share a magnum! It’s the perfect size if there’s 2 or more of you and you’ll get to impress your guests!

⭐️Magnums are aged for much longer than standard bottles, and there’s a reason why producers need to do this. On magnum bottles there’s a smaller neck to bottle volume ratio, meaning less contact with oxygen which gives a slower evolution and ageing in the bottle. This allows the champagne to develop more complex aromas! And these Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs champagne demonstrate this, all roughly bought around the same time with the standard bottles having 5 years ageing and the magnum 10 years ageing! Definitely more value in the magnum!!!!

⭐️The autolysis process is also slower in a magnum, as there is more glass surface, this gives a greater contact between the wine and lees inside of the bottle giving more complex and rounded champagnes!

⭐️I’d choose a magnum any day over 2 standard bottles of champagne!!! And the Champagne Palmer Blanc de Blancs magnum was way better than the standard bottles!

Cheers! 🥂

Champagne Palmer & Co

15/10/2024

To my Champagne friends in the North of England!🥂

⭐️The Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne l’Angleterre du Nord are holding their Autumn Gala dinner at Manchester Hall on Friday 22nd November at 7.30pm.

⭐️We have some fantastic Champagnes for the event including: Palmer & Co, Gardet, Chapuy, De Venoge, Pol Roger and more!!!

⭐️Tickets are £170 for a 4 course dinner matched up to some incredible Champagnes!

⭐️DM me if you are interested in coming!

Cheers! 🥂

Odc Champagne North Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne

12/10/2024

Life needs more sunny days and Chardonnay! 💛

⭐️The Valdivieso Chardonnay made by Valdivieso whom actually started out the 1st Chilean and South American sparkling wine producer in 1879! They have been producing premium still wines since the 80s from all across Chile and are the most awarded Chilean wine producer!

⭐️This Chardonnay is from the Curico region, 200km south of Santiago and the oldest wine growing region in Chile! Here you’ll find a number of grapes grown, including some really good Chardonnay! This wine has been aged for 3 months on its lees in stainless steel and 20% has been fermented in oak.

⭐️A rich and vibrant Chardonnay, with pineapple, lemon, and green apple aromas. Soft creamy vanilla and mineral notes, balanced by a refreshing and crisp finish! A lovely well made Chilean Chardonnay!

Cheers! 🥂

11/10/2024

Chasing dreams and champagne streams! 🍾🫧

With the Domaine La Borderie Douce Folie Extra Brut Rose Champagne!

⭐️Champagne Domaine La Borderie have only been making champagnes under their own label since 2013! Before that they sold all their grapes to larger producers! They are now run by a brother / sister duo and grow grapes on an 11.5 hectare estate in Bar-Sur-Seine in the Cote des Bar.

⭐️The ethos today is all about reflecting the identity of each indivual plot or terroir and being a very sustainable producer with both the ‘Sustainble Viticulture in Champagne’ and ‘High Value Environmental’ certifications achieved.

⭐️The Douce Folie Extra Brut Rose cuvee is a single vintage and single plot, 100% Pinot Noir grown on 50 year old vines! It’s from the 2015 vintage, made in the saignee method and fermented in stainless steel with MLF, 3 years lees ageing, 2.5g/l dosage, disgorged in July 2019 and only 4000 bottles produced!

⭐️Only made in the best vintages, it’s a deep and full rose with floral notes of rose and very fruity notes of raspberry and black cherry, a creamy and slightly chalky finish with a touch of sweet spice. An amazingly good rose champagne and I’ll be definitely trying out other cuvées from this producer!!!

Cheers and happy weekend! 🥂

08/10/2024

Releasing the inner fizz 🍾

With the Champagne Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne 🥂

⭐️Champagne Chartogne-Taillet are a grower producer based in Merfy which is on the slopes of the Massif de Saint Thierry just north of Reims. So one of the most norther points within the Champagne region!

⭐️Vines have been planted here since Roman times and then continued by Benedictine monks of the nearby Abbey. And Chartogne-Taillet can trace their families involvement in growing grapes all back all the way to 1490!

⭐️The Sainte Anne Cuvee is a blend from 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir and Meunier (majority Pinot Noir and % depends on the vintage). The grapes all come from a selection of Merfy plots that have sandy / limestones soils in this part of Champagne.

⭐️Base vintage is 2021 50% and with 50% of reserve wines that are 2-5 years old and some barrel aged. It’s unfiltered with 16 months lees ageing and 2.5g/l dosage making it extra-brut in style!

⭐️A very dry champagne with a lovely geranium floral note, apple pie, peach pastry and lime aromas. There is quite a textural green apple peel feel on the palate. A slight earthy and nutty aroma, with a very fresh and slightly saline finish! Quite an interesting and delicious champagne!

Cheers! 🥂

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