In 1874 Madame Pommery, alongside the first and second cellar masters of the Maison, Oliver Damas and Victor Lambert, crafted the first brut champagne. It was Madame Pommery's dream to create the perfect dry style of champagne. To celebrate the 150th milestone, Pommery has released two new cuvées – the Pommery Cuvée 150 Blanc de Blancs NV as a limited edition for this year and the Pommery Apanage Brut 1874, which has been released as a new interpretation of brut and will be available through fine wine stores and served across fine dining restaurants across the country, as the perfect accompaniment to a culinary experience.
The grapes for the Cuvée 150 Blanc de Blancs NV were sourced from across France, with chardonnay from Avize, Cramant, Oger, Chouilly, Dizy, Trépail, Villers, Verzy and Verzenay, and Clos Pompadour in Reims all used. It was then aged for over six years, at a constant 10 degrees beneath 30 metres of chalk. There are only 10,000 bottles of Cuvée 150 available across the globe, just 800 of which are landing in Australia. The Cuvée 150 is also the first-ever Pommery that has been bottled under clear glass, which signifies the purity of the release.
Honouring the legacy of Oliver Damas and Victor Lambert, Pommery's 10th cellar master Clement Pierlot has crafted the new Cuvée Apanage Brut 1874. The Apanage is a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, with the 2018 vintage forming the core of the blend, touches of the 2015 and 2012 vintage, before being completed with Pommery's perpetual reserve wines.
"Prior to 1874, champagne was sweet. It had a dosage of about 250 grams, and in 1874 it was Madame Pommery who decided to create a dry-style champagne," says Madame Vranken. And while Pommery's brut has the same recipe, the style has evolved. "Nothing has changed, but everything has changed. Now, it's not coming from just one blend of a year. It's a brut coming from a blend of three different vintages."
The Apanage celebrates 21st-century champagne making, alongside the intricate partnership between champagne and food. Guests can try the Apanage by the glass at selected fine dining venues around Australia, or purchase the brut through David Jones and Prince Wine Store.
For Madame Vranken, in Australia she's seen a shift toward consumers drinking a champagne rosé with dessert. "In Australia...you see more and more people having a champagne rosé with dessert. It's new to see that now in a restaurant you can have a glass of champagne as an aperitif and you can also have another one as a dessert..."
Looking forward, Pommery is getting ready to launch the next edition of its World Collection. The 2024 range pays tribute to Southeast Asia's batik art and, with this announcement, Madame Vranken is headed back to Paris to ensure the 2025 World Collection is on track. "You should always think about three or four years in advance." As for the theme? You'll have to wait and see.
Pommery Cuvée 150 Blanc de Blancs NV
The wine has a pale gold colour with light celadon hues. On the nose, this cuvée reveals extraordinary finesse. The first notes evoke toasted brioche, hawthorn blossom and lime blossom. As it opens, the wine becomes more complex, with citrus and spice aromas (makrut lime, candied ginger). The palate echoes the finesse detected on the nose with a delicate, silky texture. The supple flavour gives way to an intense tasting core in which tension, minerality and maturity respond in harmony. The finish has honey yet salty notes, perfectly balanced between the delicate bitterness of the chalk and the softness of a minimalist dosage. RRP $329.Suggested food pairing: Sashimi, citrus fruit or grilled scallops with ginger.
The limited-edition Pommery Cuvée 150 is available exclusively at Vintage Cellars while stock lasts.
Pommery Apanage Brut 1874
A pale yellow hue with golden highlights enchants the eye. The bubbles are fine and delicate. The first impression is of a bewitching bouquet of white flowers, with hawthorn and jasmine coming to the fore. This subtle harmony is supported by notes of ripe citrus fruits such as Sorrento lemon. These refreshing aromas gradually open up to more complex toasty flavours of acacia honey, marshmallow, and brioche. After a smooth, delicately buttery attack, this champagne reveals notes of white nectarines, balanced by elegant freshness and the natural minerality of the terroirs from which it is made. The heart of the tasting, with its velvety texture, expresses the richness of the flavours and the complexity of the layers in the blend. The finish is full-bodied and long-lasting, enhanced by notes of citrus zest which round off the panoply of flavours. RRP $165.Suggested food pairing: Fresh seafood.
Pommery Apanage Brut 1874 is available at selected fine dining venues across the country and via David Jones and Prince Wine Store.
For more information visit champagnepommery.com.
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