Virginie T. the vision of Grande Dame Taittinger in Champagne

If your granny is Catherine de Suarez d’Aulan, previous owner of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, while your grandpa Claude Taittinger led the emblazoned home of the exact same name for 46 years, possibly you have no option however to end up being a chef de cavern.

THE OPTIONS OF THE GRANDE DAME TAITTINGER

Who understands if this would have occurred to the thirty-year-old Ferdinand Pougatch-Taittinger, chef de cavern of Virginie T., as a boy, if he had actually not had the complete trust of his mom Virginie, the Grande Dame Taittinger, who after having actually worked along with her daddy Claude for 21 years, chose to start a brand-new experience. In 2006 Virginie Taittinger established the Virginie T. Champagne maison, rather of choosing a “great retreat” which would definitely have actually enabled her to sleep comfortably, without the concerns of those who have the duty, consisting of financial, of the assistance of all the households who focus on the cellar. Not animated by a simple entrepreneurial spirit, Virginie merely wished to communicate what she had actually found out both from her household and from the extended household of Champagne and from that Montagne of Reims of which she feels she is her child.

” Champagne– states Virginie Taittinger– has a long history that is bied far from generation to generation, it requires time to finest reveal itself, to learn more about it, to get in tune with it. In addition, champagne wine making has actually altered, it is no longer what it was when I dealt with my daddy, there is a requirement for a various viewpoint, that of youth, and likewise for this factor I have actually delegated it to my child Ferdinand, who has actually been along with me given that 2015 in the business, the duty of chef de cavern”

THE VISION OF CHAMPAGNE VIRGINIE T.

Virignie and Ferdinand have the aspiration however above all the will to develop a lot more attractive cuvées for the brand-new generations of customers thirsty for modernity, which is why the objective is to establish champagne with a modern design and imprint efficient in leaving indication today as tomorrow.

Not prêt-à-porter champagne as one frequently encounters, however a real haute couture maison, more special than unusual assemblies that begin with a really clear option: leaving the ideal maturation time for all the labels in the variety, extended aging, constantly taking note of the vintage and not producing all the vintages. A champagne that does not have simply one soul however has several ones, each with its own ingenious and unexpected character that is well matched to modern tastes.

A rather specific vision of the chef de cavern and a benefit to be maintained, as Ferdinand Pougatch-Taittinger himself states. “We are not required, as takes place to the huge homes, to produce the exact same champagne every year– he states– For instance, our blanc de blancs is really fragile, subtle, a champagne that does not like to scream however whispers its message with fantastic consistency. improvement. And if in some vintages this does not occur it suggests that the vintage might be more congenial for a blanc de noirs. This is why our production is really variable, usually it stands at 80 thousand bottles, however it can take place that it is just 30 thousand, and even go beyond 100 thousand, however constantly staying faithful to our workmanship”.

THE ART OF THE CUVÉE

Today Champagne Virginie T. can rely on an extension of 10 hectares, of which 4 are owned and 6 are handled through household contracts. For production, just the very best grapes from the vineyards (85% of which are categorized as grand cru and premier cru) in the town of Verzy are picked. We prefer classy and effective blends of pinot noir from the Ay and Verzenay areas, in addition to chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, developing blends that offer each cuvée a huge fragrant expression. Even if there are just 6 recommendations, thanks to the different vinification of each single microplot and the proficiency of the blends, which alter every year, today there are 24 entirely various champagnes in the cellar. For all the labels there are at least 5 years left on the yeasts, even for the sans année, for that reason a lot longer durations than the non-vintage classics, real status cuvées to desire be the very best.

” Times have actually altered compared to when I dealt with my daddy– continues Virginie– the environment has actually altered, however likewise the terroirs from which we produce are rather various, and all this has actually enabled me and Ferdinand to develop cuvées that are various from the common, likewise presenting a brut nature variation that we had actually never ever produced. When it concerns assembling our red wines, our imaginative procedure has no limitations, each people has its own character, its own taste, a various character, however the vision prevails, possibly just on malolactic do we believe in a different way. Our design, in spite of remaining in action with the times, stays loyal to our worths: it’s everything about enjoyable”

TASTING NOTES

Champagne Virginie T. Brut

Very first label introduced on the marketplace, a mix of 15 various crus from the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs and the Vallée de la Marne, consisting of 11 categorized as Grand and Premier Crus. 70% pinot noir, 20% chardonnay, 10% pinot meunier. Vinification of the base white wine for 6 months in steel tanks with malolactic fermentation. This cuvée invested 8 years on the lees. Intense golden yellow to the eye, it has the most “champenois” effect of the whole production, with some progressing notes and a minerality that remembers memories of pastry making. The pinot noir offers it fantastic structure. It gets in directly, vertical, the taste buds is soft and enveloping, the malolactic exists however does not make the sip lose dexterity. It is long and yummy.

Champagne Virginie T. Additional Brut Blanc de Noirs 2015

Pinot noir (66%) and pinot meunier (34%) grown on the milky soils of the Town grand cru de Verzenay on the Montagne de Reims. A minimum of half of the mass goes through malolactic fermentation. It is a minimal edition cuvée of fantastic skill, beauty and depth. An additional brut dosed with just 4 grams/litre which does not go through malolactic fermentation, with fantastic freshness, depth and an in some cases unexpected minerality, amongst the very best expressions of blanc de noirs of 2015 in the land of Champagne.

Champagne Virginie T. Additional Brut Blanc de Blancs

Pure Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims dosed in additional brut, where 2 grand cru vineyards stick out, Cramant and Mailly. A minimum of 6 years left on the yeasts, unusual due to its restricted production and a great amount of reserve red wines from the 2014 and 2015 vintages. It opens on scents of lemon and white flowers, the tips of toasted hazelnut offer a touch of skill and intricacy to odor. On the taste buds it is fresh and with mineral tips of chalk, and a determination that remembers the beauty of a fantastic Burgundy.

Champagne Virginie T. Brut Nature Vintage 2009

70% pinot noir from Verzeny, 20% chardonnay and 10% pinot meunier. A distinct champagne due to the fact that it is difficult to duplicate. Child of an intricate vintage, total malolactic fermentation. It took 12 years on the lees to tame a champagne that was still so scratchy, alive and vibrant. Delicious nose, subtle notes of hazelnut combine with memories of newly baked pastries and the sweet butteriness of a brioche. A vortex of freshness on the taste buds. Its dynamic character does not lose consistency and balance. The really classy bubbles tickle the taste buds, bring that iodized and a little citrusy path that remarkably extends a sip of unlimited grace.

Champagne Virginie T. Rosé Brut

The grapes– 55% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir, 10% pinot meunier– originated from Bouzy. A rosé that is handled in the vineyard as if a fantastic, really thick and focused red white wine were to be vinified, compromising majority of the possible harvest. Part vinified in wood barrels for 6 months, in addition to a more timeless stainless-steel fermentation of both the staying pinot and the chardonnay. No malolactic fermentation on red white wine, 100% malolactic fermentation for white wine in steel. Over 6 years of aging are needed to reach that balance in between maturity, structure and freshness so looked for by Ferdinand Pougatch. A fantastic bubble that on the nose exposes tips of spice and morello cherries, while on the taste buds fragile memories of strawberries return in a really unified surface.

Champagne Virginie T. Brut Grand Cuvée V2 6 years

In this champagne the vision of time of Virginie Taittinger and her child Ferdinand is revealed to the optimal power. A distinct aging procedure of its kind for a champagne that very first ages on the lees for 6 years and, after disgorgement, waits another 6 years (specifically “6 years” on the label) in the cellar to reach the maturity needed to totally reveal its complicated fragrant capacity. Pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay class 2008, with the combination of 15% of reserve red wines from 2007. On the nose, fresh scents of red fruit, flower subtleties and a light note of bread crust open. In the mouth, the creaminess, taste and consistency mix elegantly, while the consistent and refined effervescence highlights the skill of the glass.