Sparkling by the Glass
Producer: Ponson
Cuvée: ‘Coulommes La Montagne’ Premier Cru
Grapes: A blend of mainly Pinot Meunier, plus Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Region: Champagne
Dryness Level: Brut
Vintage: Non-Vintage (NV)
For five generations the Ponson family has been working vines and producing wine in the Montagne des Reims, primarily in the Petite Montagne sub-appellation, one of Champagne’s largest homes of Pinot Meunier plantings. The domaine is currently under the lead of Maxime Ponson along with his younger brother, Camille.
The brothers farm about 13.5 hectares of vines spread out between seven different Premier Cru communes across the Montagne-des-Reims, exclusively in the Petite Montagne sub-appellation located just south-west of Reims.
The soils of the Petite Montagne are primarily chalky subsoils with a unique mix of clay, limestone and sandy topsoils making it ideal territory for Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. A large majority of the vineyard’s plots lie in the mid-slope and have a nice balanced mix of sand & chalk.
The climate can be continental, much like New York, but it also experiences some oceanic influences which bring steady rainfall. With the potential for frost during the winter, and mildew from rainfall, growing healthy grapes suitable for wine has always been a challenge in this region.
In the bottle: A base wine of 2018, from Premier Cru vineyards. Like many naturally minded winemakers, Maxime and Camille adopt the mindset of doing as little as possible to the wines. This means that the wines are never tinkered with, no synthetics or additives are used in the processes in the cellar.
Notes: Lovely red fruit, with good weight and mineral presence along with the vigorous acidity that is a hallmark of these wines. A terrific wine especially for the price. Champagne is usually highly versatile, but this wine is particularly enjoyable with saumon fumé, anchoiade tartine, dauphinois...
Glass $28, Bottle $120
Producer: Clotilde Davenne
Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé
Dryness Level: Extra But
Vintage: Non-Vintage
Clotilde Davenne, who comes from a cattle farming family, began her wine career as chief oenologist for the well-known Chablis producer Jean-Marc Brocard. After working with Brocard for 16 years, she eventually began assembling her own domaine, one small parcel at a time, bottling her first vintage in 2005. Today her domaine is comprised of vines in Chablis, Cote d’Auxerre, St. Bris, and Petit Chablis. Her vines in Chablis are as old as 50 years, as are her pinot noir vines in Irancy. But perhaps Clotilde’s most prized parcel is 3.5 ha of nearly 100 year old sauvignon blanc vines in St. Bris. She makes a mere 200 cases a year of this complex, intensely concentrated wine.
Along with the wonderful range of wines Clotilde bottles from her estate holdings, she has access to fruit from prémier and grand cru vineyards in Chablis grown by vignerons who work to her exacting specification. Clotilde works as naturally as possible, without the use of chemicals, and almost all of her production is harvested by hand. In the cellar all the wines undergo malolactic fermentation, a conscious decision by Clotilde as she feels it brings greater complexity to the wines.
In the bottle: 100% Pinot Noir from Saint-Bris. Goes through the saignée method after 2 days of skin maceration - hence this beautiful rose color. Fermented with natural yeasts at controlled temperature in stainless steel. Wine is disgorged after 18 months sur lees, with zero added dosage.
Notes: Precise, lean, minerally, with notes of tart red fruits like cranberries and unripened strawberries. Full of texture and brightness which awaken the senses. Perfect aperitif wine, pair with fromages, mousse de foie.
Glass $19, Bottle $21
Producer: Albert Mann
Grapes: Pinot Blanc (70%), Auxerrois (15%), Riesling (15%)
Region: Alsace
Sub-Region: Haut-Rhin
Cuvée: Crémant d’Alsace
Dryness Level: Extra Brut
Vintage: 2021
Alsace is located in eastern France, right by the border of Germany along the Rhine River. To the north near Strasbourg (its capital city) is the Bas-Rhin, and to the south by the slopes of the Vosges is the Haut-Rhin. It is a unique region which used to be part of Germany; there still exist plenty of Germanic traces across their culture and dialect.
Domaine Albert Mann is run by Jacky and Maurice Barthelmé, who farm biodynamically on grand cru sites including Kientzheim, Furstentum, and Schlossberg. The Vosges Mountains to the west of the region create a rainshadow effect, blocking cold weather and allowing ample sunshine.
In the bottle: This is a blend of two different vineyard sites, using Riesling, Auxerrois, and Pinot Blanc. Vines average up to 30 years. Crémant is a term used to describe sparkling wines produced outside of the Champagne region but made in the same traditional method.
Notes: White flowers, crisp apple, stone-fruit. The mouth is harmonious; fruity flavors such as peach burst the taste buds. The structure is ample and racy with an impression of freshness and vivacity on the finish. This sparkling wine is very versatile for pairing, and a delight to sip on its own.
Glass $21, Bottle $92