Comments on: Wine of the Week: Pinot Meunier Champagne! http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/ Recipes, Cooking and Wine Recommendations Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:57:41 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Leah Greenstein http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-5480 Leah Greenstein Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:39:51 +0000 http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/#comment-5480 Thanks for your feedback, Jacki. I took your comment to the Champagne buyer where I work (K&L Wine Merchants) and here's what he said: All of the big houses claim that Meunier won’t age- yet one of Champagnes most famously cellar worthy houses- Krug, uses a good dollop (they won’t confess to how much) in their vintages. I have had Rene Collard Champagnes from 1969, 1964, 1961 and even 1953 that are over 90% Meunier and still very fresh and young. Jose Michel (father of Bruno Michel) also makes examples that show well at over 40 years old. There are many other examples of small producers in the western valley of the Marne making age worthy Meunier based Champagne. The big problem for Meunier is a self fulfilling prophecy: The big houses claim that it is second rate, no doubt because it is indigenous rather than nobly Burgundian (not a mutation of Pinot Noir as once thought) and pay growers less money for it. The growers respond by only planting Meunier to sites where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have no chance of succeeding- flatter, higher frost prone sites- certainly not there best land. Meunier will often throw quite a big crop, and since premiums are rarely paid for quality (unlike Chard and PN) they let it go crazy. When the big houses receive this already less than perfect fruit, they throw it in stainless steel, put it through malolactic to soften its already short acidity and then they say “Meunier can’t age.” Of course their Meunier can’t! It is very different for a grower who is making his own wine. He will decide what to plant based on what will make the best wine from the land that he has, not fetch the best price for the grapes. The answer to this question almost always includes more Meunier. When grown on a good site, pruned properly and vinified carefully (most of the best examples I have tasted have been without malo in wood), I believe it is as capable of greatness and longevity as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. The good bottles are in stock to prove it: 2000 Bruno Michel Cuvee Clement Blanc de Noir Brut: 100% Meunier and perhaps our youngest tasting vintage Champagne. 1990, 1985 and 1985 Rose from Rene Collard: Still going strong… Perhaps even young yet! Gary Thanks for your feedback, Jacki. I took your comment to the Champagne buyer where I work (K&L Wine Merchants) and here’s what he said:

All of the big houses claim that Meunier won’t age- yet one of Champagnes most famously cellar worthy houses- Krug, uses a good dollop (they won’t confess to how much) in their vintages. I have had Rene Collard Champagnes from 1969, 1964, 1961 and even 1953 that are over 90% Meunier and still very fresh and young. Jose Michel (father of Bruno Michel) also makes examples that show well at over 40 years old. There are many other examples of small producers in the western valley of the Marne making age worthy Meunier based Champagne.

The big problem for Meunier is a self fulfilling prophecy: The big houses claim that it is second rate, no doubt because it is indigenous rather than nobly Burgundian (not a mutation of Pinot Noir as once thought) and pay growers less money for it. The growers respond by only planting Meunier to sites where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have no chance of succeeding- flatter, higher frost prone sites- certainly not there best land. Meunier will often throw quite a big crop, and since premiums are rarely paid for quality (unlike Chard and PN) they let it go crazy. When the big houses receive this already less than perfect fruit, they throw it in stainless steel, put it through malolactic to soften its already short acidity and then they say “Meunier can’t age.” Of course their Meunier can’t!

It is very different for a grower who is making his own wine. He will decide what to plant based on what will make the best wine from the land that he has, not fetch the best price for the grapes. The answer to this question almost always includes more Meunier. When grown on a good site, pruned properly and vinified carefully (most of the best examples I have tasted have been without malo in wood), I believe it is as capable of greatness and longevity as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. The good bottles are in stock to prove it:

2000 Bruno Michel Cuvee Clement Blanc de Noir Brut: 100% Meunier and perhaps our youngest tasting vintage Champagne.

1990, 1985 and 1985 Rose from Rene Collard: Still going strong… Perhaps even young yet!

Gary

]]> By: jacki http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-5459 jacki Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:50:29 +0000 http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/#comment-5459 i'm working on a paper about pinot meunier. every other website i've consulted has said that it has less aging potential. just so you know..... i’m working on a paper about pinot meunier. every other website i’ve consulted has said that it has less aging potential. just so you know…..

]]> By: Leah Greenstein http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-4490 Leah Greenstein Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:32:49 +0000 http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/#comment-4490 Let me know if you need some recommendations! K&L, where I work, has a number of affordable grower/producer Champagnes that won't break the bank. And they ship. Let me know if you need some recommendations! K&L, where I work, has a number of affordable grower/producer Champagnes that won’t break the bank. And they ship.

]]> By: susan http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-4484 susan Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:01:48 +0000 http://www.spicysaltysweet.com/2009/03/16/wine-of-the-week-pinot-meunier-champagne/#comment-4484 i love champagne but i rarely drink it since it's expensive. i am really interested to try this pinot meunier champagne though! sounds delicious and i want to try more smaller producers. i love champagne but i rarely drink it since it’s expensive. i am really interested to try this pinot meunier champagne though! sounds delicious and i want to try more smaller producers.

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