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Jérôme Blin, “Les Caillasses” Brut Millésime 2008

Other, France 2008 (750mL)
$65.00
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Jérôme Blin, “Les Caillasses” Brut Millésime 2008

Located between the epicenter of Epernay and west-reaching Château-Thierry, this blockbuster vintage Champagne is vying with $100+ competition to become your favorite 2008 this year. It has the makings of a superstar without the price and, perhaps most impressive of all, only 960 bottles—not cases—were disgorged. We, of course, were only permitted a mere morsel of that total.
“Les Caillasses” was organically and biodynamically farmed from old, riverside vines and aged, extraordinarily, 8.5 years before disgorgement. It’s both broad and complex, vibrant and creamy, and will age far beyond another decade, right alongside any high-dollar prestige cuvées you have in your cellar. When factoring in the exorbitantly high price of vines in Champagne, Jérôme’s dedication to natural farming, and the incredibly long 8.5 years of aging for this bottle, $65 is a drop in the bucket—coming out to less than $8 per year. In my book, that far exceeds value, especially when this 2008 drinks right up there with any producer. With such microscopic quantities, we can only provide four per customer today, there really is that little available to us, so grab this beauty while you can—you won’t find it elsewhere! 
The Blin family has been involved in wine since the 1600s and they’ve long since held a presence in Vallée de la Marne. Here in Vincelles, Jérôme’s grandfather was instrumental in establishing the prominent Champagne co-operative H. Blin in 1947. Although he worked there for many years, Jérôme, equipped with five centuries of family expertise and a firm commitment to organics (and more recently, biodynamics), ventured out to create his very own Champagne label in the same bucolic village of Vincelles. His decision to branch out and craft his own “one-with-nature” Champagne has given the Vallée de la Marne yet another jolt of electricity.

Though most of his vineyards are planted to Meunier (the choice grape in the Marne), he also has small percentages of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. “Les Caillasses,” which is the limestone terroir that his mid-slope, 40-year-old vines grow on, is equal parts Chardonnay and Meunier. In all, Jérôme is responsible for just six hectares of vines on the slopes of Vincelles. He farms organically and has been an advocate for biodynamics; he has recently converted his entire domaine. In 2008, after a year of manual labor and plowing by horse, Jérôme hand harvested the crop and fermented the grapes in stainless steel vats. The wine was then bottled in April of 2009 and laid to rest in his cellars for eight and a half years! Now, with an additional year of bottle age post-disgorgement, its ‘drinkability’ is off the charts!

The tension, elegance, and slow-building power behind Jérôme Blin’s 2008 “Les Caillasses” is what makes it such a remarkable bottle of Champagne. So onto the wine itself: It shines a bright yellow with platinum reflections moving out to a clear rim and energetic, fine beads rush up to the surface. What’s first apparent on the nose is its youthfulness—it’s wonderfully energetic and vibrant, exploding with just cut yellow and red apples, Meyer lemon, white peach, melon, crushed stones, oyster shell, orchard fruit blossoms, fresh herbs, and a slight whiff of fresh cream. As mentioned, it is filled with tension and a sensational rush of acidity (thanks to the 2008 vintage) is tamed by the ‘brut’ dosage. You absolutely must drink one or two today, seeing as it’s already perfectly integrated, but also practice a bit of patience by making sure your last bottle at least sees the year 2025—because it will easily cellar for another decade. When consuming, pour in all-purpose white stems around 50-55 degrees and serve next to baked fish—cod or sole are great options—with a lemon cream sauce. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceVillage of Vincelles
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Organic & Biodynamic (Uncertified)
Blend
Chardonnay 50%, Meunier 50%
Alcohol
12.0
TEMP.
55
Glassware
All-Purpose White
Drinking
Now-2028
Pairing
Baked Fish w/ Lemon Cream Sauce

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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