Our Wines
Champagne & Touraine
Champagne Jacques Picard, Berru, Montagne de Reims:
José Lievens and his wife Corinne live in Berru, a village in the top corner of the Montagne de Reims, east and slightly north of Reims. They own 17 hectares of vineyard, predominantly Chardonnay, and in addition look after some neighbouring vines in the village for Pol Roger. Vines were abundantly planted here before the First War, but this was a front-line village, and holdings declined sharply after then. Until 40 years ago they looked to be dying out. The renaissance was begun by Roger Picard and continued by his son Jacques, who was Corinne's father. Champagne Jacques Picard is still the only Propriétaire-Récoltant in the village, though others farm grapes over a total surface area of 80 ha.
Unusually for the Montagne de Reims, Chardonnay makes up 85% of the blend, and only a very partial malolactic fermentation is employed. The remaining 15% of the two Pinots comes from two Premier Cru villages in the Vallée de la Marne: Avenay Val d'Or and Monbré where the family purchased vineyards in recent years. The wine stays long on the lees and the overall result is a wine with structure, citrusy notes and a delightful freshness from the Chardonnay, but with a mealy richness from the two pinots. The current blend is half made of 2006 vintage and, interestingly and unusually, the rest is from a solera system of reserve wine, which dates back to 2000. After bottling the wine spends three years before dégorgement. The quality and texture of the mousse is exceptionally fine and creamy.
In addition we have a Rosé, still essentially a Chardonnay blend, with 12 % matured red wine. We also buy a little of a third exceptional white wine "Art de Vigne". This is a single vintage wine made almost every year from 60% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier. The wine ferments in 350 litre barrels, again with no "malo" but with a little batonnage until December. Clearly a totally different, more oxidative style, with gentle vanillin, creamy notes, but with abundant fruit and citrus notes too.
| Guide Retail Price per case of 6 (£) | ||||
| White | ||||
| JPRESNVB | Champagne Brut Réserve | NV | 158.20 | |
| JPRESNVM | Champagne Brut Réserve Magnum | NV | Magnum | 336.80 |
| JPADV03B | Art de Vigne | 2003 | 280.70 | |
| Rosé | ||||
| JPROSNVB | Champagne Rosé | NV | 176.90 |
Les Demoiselles, Touraine :
This is the third vintage of our specially produced Sauvignon de Touraine which we have blended ourselves with the help of our friend Henri Chapon, who returned to France after twenty years in England. The 2008 received a great response from press and trade, and sold through well, and we have repeated the exercise in 2009 and now 2010. This is a great value wine; crisp acidity and good grassy green sauvignon notes on the nose, and bone dry on the palate. We've worked very hard to keep the price competitive and blend it with the assistance of Jean-Francois Merieau in Montrichard.
| Guide Retail Price per case of 6 (£) | ||||
| White | ||||
| LIDEM10B | Les Demoiselles, Sauvignon de Touraine | 2010 | 61.00 |