By: AJ McClellan
Last week we had an old friend of Graileys in – Patrick Piuze. Not only did we taste his great lineup of Chablis but we also had in Pierre Paillards wines who is related to one of my favorite Champagnes, Bruno Paillard.
We started the night off with Pierre Paillards two great NV Champagnes. First was the NV Pierre Paillard Brute, this wine was crisp and zesty with lemon pith, lime zest, and a yellow pear finish. The minerality was out of this world with loads of chalk that dries your mouth and leaves you with a fresh fruity finish. The NV Pierre Paillard Rose was next which had just as much fruit but more red strawberries and light cherry. The minerality if anything was more intense with crushed chalk and limestone.
After the Delightful Champagnes of Pierre Paillard we moved onto the wines of Val de Mer, one of the labels produced by Patrick Piuze. The first two wines were Sparklers from Burgundy. First was a non-dosage Val de Mer Brut the wine was bone dry and excellent for the price point. After we went to the Val de Mer Rose with light cherry pie and a very aggressive effervescence. Next we went to the 2010 Val de Mer Chablis with its bold body and razor sharp acidity this wine went perfect with the horse radish grilled cheese sandwiches that were served as an appetizer. The Val de Mer Chablis led nicely into the 2011 Val de Mer Vaillons 1er Chablis which I might add was one of my favorite of the tasting. The Vaillons was crisp but balanced with great fruit and laser like minerality. I especially enjoyed the white floral component of this wine.
Finally we got to the Patrick Piuze wines. The first was a 2012 Terroir d’Ecouverte 1er Chablis this Chablis was bigger and bolder than the Val de Mer wines showing peach and pear notes. The Terroir d’Ecouverte lead into the 2012 Patrick Piuze Butteaux 1er Chablis which was probably my favorite of the two. I loved the power behind the wine with the creamy finish that it delivered.
After all of this we get a surprise visit from the 2004 Pierre Paillard vintage Champagne! This bottle was out of this world showing ripe citrus and tropical fruits of pineapple and green apple. This was one of the best tastings we have done this year and was an amazing amount of fun. We will always be looking forward to seeing Patrick and his friends in again!!