Drinking the Stars at Domaine Chandon

"Brothers, I am drinking the stars!" - Dom Perignon

You may know the story of how sparkling wine was discovered - by accident. Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk, was making ceremonial wine and the bottles started exploding, due to residual sugar left in the wine that re-fermented and gave off carbon dioxide, causing pressure in the bottles. He tasted it and proclaimed the above. He didn't totally understand it, and it wasn't until years later that the sparkling wine process was accepted, perfected, and demanded.

The rise of Champagne and the French Champagne houses have a very interesting history, and I'd encourage anyone interested in the subject to pick up The Widow Cliquot: The story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It. It details some of the history of the Champagne trade and how the methods in the winemaking process were tested and perfected.

If you know me at all by now, you know I love bubbly. I drink it whenever I can and I don't need a special occasion for it; sparkling wine makes any occasion special. A few weeks ago I visited Chandon in Napa, after meeting one of their winemakers at Pinot Days in June. Chandon is owned by Moet and Chandon, the French Champagne house/empire. I visited Moet and Chandon on a trip to France in 2007, and I visited Chandon Australia in 2009. So, after living in California for over a year it was high time I checked out the Chandon in my backyard. I always love touring these facilities and seeing their processes. Chandon uses huge tanks that could double as studio apartments in New York City. They produce a huge amount of sparkling wine. After a tour of the facility, I had a patio tasting of the entire portfolio. My favorite was the Brut Classic, their #1 seller. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it was delicate, creamy, citrusy and refreshing... a classic!

Next time I'll have to check out Etoile (which means 'star' in French), the Michelin star restaurant on the property.

Bottle Shock

Chateau Montelena is a 130 year old winery in Napa whose Chardonnay is famous for winning The Judgement of Paris - a blind wine tasting competition organized in 1976 by a British sommelier / wine merchant that pitted 6 California wines against 4 French counterparts. In the red category, in which California Cabernet Sauvignon competed against French Bordeaux, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet took the lead. In the white category, Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay was judged to be the best wine among the French Burgundy and other California Chardonnay. With an entirely French judging panel, the Paris Tasting of 1976 brought credibility and prestige to California wine. Chateau Montelena and the Judgement of Paris were the subject of the 2008 movie Bottle Shock, which depicts the competition and the drama associated with the 1973 Chardonnay. In the story, vintner Jim Barrett wants no part in the competition, but his son Bo secretly entered the wine. He later sees that the wine has turned brown in the bottles, and thinking it oxidized, he sends them to be dumped, but the samples have already been sent. Then, realizing the brown color is temporary and the wine has gone through "bottle shock," the bottles are saved, the wine wins the competition, and then everyone in France wants it but they can't get it (since it isn't French).  This story may or may not be true, but nonetheless, being the wine geek that I am, I found it very entertaining. Of course, there was a silly love story running through the plot as well that helped romanticize the whole thing.

So what is "bottle shock?" It's a condition characterized by disjointed or muted flavors, usually occurring shortly after bottling. I'm not sure there is definitive evidence of discoloration; this element may have been added to the movie for dramatic effect. Bottle shock can last a few weeks, as the wine needs some time to settle down from the bottling process and adjust to its new environment. It doesn't mean the wine is bad; it just tastes a bit confused. As a consumer, you would likely not experience bottle shock from a wine off the shelf at your local store, since most wines probably rest in the cellar for a bit before shipping. But, you might if you were tasting at a winery that had just bottled and needed to release the wine immediately to meet demand. Would you notice? I'm not sure I would, unless I had the same wine consistently from different bottles. A winemaker could detect it while tasting the wine throughout its life cycle.

Recently at Chateau Montelena, I recognized the building from the movie as soon as I saw it.  The Chardonnay is still made in the same style as it was in the 70s, and I found the 2009 to be very "Burgundian" in style. By this I mean subtle oak (only 10% new), steely acidity, crisp and clean. I love this style of Chardonnay, which is why I tend to prefer French Burgundy over new world Chardonnay, and I could see why the French judges were impressed with their style. The current vintage (2009) goes for $40 a bottle.

I don't usually get starstruck, but being at this winery, tasting the wine that essentially put California on the map, seeing those movie scenes in my head when I approached the building... I felt like I was among the stars (but not the actors).