Wine Blogging Wednesday - Champagne (another hubby guest post)

This is our very first posting for Wine Blogging Wednesday. This fascinating, collaborative effort is the brainchild of Lenn at Lenndevours. Sam over at becks & posh chose this month's theme of Champagne... REAL Champagne, none of that sparkling wine from somewhere else that people inadvertently call "Champagne."



We chose to taste/drink/post about the Gatinois Tradition Brut GC NV, Aÿ - Amber in color, very rich, massive nose of honeyed banana and other gentle fruits, terribly complex tastes of mighty mature Pinot Noir (the wine is 90% PN & 10% Chard) and strawberries. We liked it a lot. It was intended to go with a steak and heirloom tomato salad, but we got a last minute phone call from our cousins and, having already opened it, brought it down to the local Irish pub, where we enjoyed it with a cheeseburger and BBQ baby back ribs... and, of course, great company! The combination of bubbles and acidity cut right through the grease on our plates and palates. (I've long believed that sparkling wine, not necessarily from Champagne, is among the perfect accompaniments to this kind of food - especially BBQ.)




Pierre Cheval-Gatinois is the 11th generation is his family to be working the land in the Grand Cru Champagne village of Aÿ. He is a Proprietor/Recolant (grower), meaning that he has total control over the land from which his wines are made. Gatinois sells half their grapes to Bollinger (one of the great houses, also producing very rich wines) and keeps the other (hopefully better) half for themselves. Though this may be their most basic offering, it is by no means a basic wine.