Today’s 2010 is a showstopper—an exceptional Champagne from one of my favorite vintages in the last decade. It also got me thinking. One word I see a lot in Champagne descriptions is “vinosity.” At first blush, I’m incredulous: Yes, of course Champagne has vinosity—it’s wine! On the other hand, I understand what they’re going for when they use that word: Some Champagnes, especially blanc de blancs styles, are racy and mineral to the point where the fruit component—the part that reminds you it was made from grapes—is muted.
I’ve come to think of Champagnes with vinosity as those which offer more of an aromatic, palate-coating, ‘still’ wine experience, where the sparkle is incidental to the overall texture and flavor. This is the appeal of today’s vintage-dated Blanc de Blancs from Champagne Colin, an excellent grower-producer smack in the heart of Champagne’s Côte des Blancs. Based in Vertus and sourcing today’s cuvée from vineyards in the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Oiry, brothers Richard and Romain Colin remind you that you’re not just drinking ‘sparkling wine’ here—you’re drinking great Chardonnay grown on limestone, just as it is in Burgundy. It’s vinous, yes, loaded with fruit character along with the chiseled-from-rock minerality that defines Champagne. In short, it’s an opulent Grand Cru wine and should be enjoyed accordingly!
The Colins point out that their 10-hectare estate, and their life in wine, was handed down to them by their grandmothers, Geneviève Prieur and Marie Louise Radet, both of whom had inherited vineyards. Geneviève’s great-grandfather, Constant Piéton, was growing grapes and making wine in Champagne as far back as 1829, so the family’s roots run deep: Their current vineyard holdings are dominated by Chardonnay in the Côte de Blancs villages of Vertus, Bergères-les-Vertus and Cuis (Premier Cru), as well as the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Oiry. They grow a small amount of Pinot Noir and Meunier in the village of Sézanne (southwest of Vertus) and further afield in the Marne Valley, but Chardonnay—vintage-dated Blanc de Blancs in particular—is their calling card.
When Champagne-makers “declare” a vintage—as opposed to blending wines from multiple vintages—they are making a statement about the quality of that vintage. At first blush, the uneven weather of 2010 in Champagne might not seem to be something to crow about, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find vintage reports like the one in the Wine Spectator, which noted that “the success story of 2010 is clearly Chardonnay.” The Colins are blessed with old vines (average age: 35 years) in Cramant and Oily, and the Cramant component in particular is likely responsible for the depth of fruit concentration and creaminess displayed in this wine—although the latter is surely influenced by a whopping five years of lees aging in bottle before disgorgement. The dosage (sugar addition) was 8 grams/liter, adding to the seductive texture without masking the character of the perfectly ripe Chardonnay fruit.
In the glass, Colin’s 2010 shines a bright yellow-gold, with aromas of green apple, pear, peach, citrus pith, cream, brioche dough, dried white flowers, and a pile of crushed rocks. It has the creaminess you’d expect from such long lees aging, but also a very full-fruited personality and a strong, balancing mineral component. It’s a powerful, palate-coating style of blanc de blancs, the kind I’m most inclined to avoid serving in flutes: Put this in all-purpose whites or even large Burgundy stems and let the temperature come up past 50 degrees and you’ll get a great idea of what “vinosity” means. It has plenty of backbone and heft for continued aging, but whenever you choose to pop the cork, enjoy it alongside everything from cheesy gougères to a juicy roast chicken. Check out the delicious scallop recipe attached to give this wine the royal treatment it deserves. Enjoy!
