Christmas is Champagne - Part1

I am back in Perth celebrating Christmas with family and friends.  Perth is almost always hot on Christmas Day – this year it is 42 degrees Celsius – and there is no better wine to drink at this time of year than a nice crisp Champagne.  I visited one of my friends who is a fellow wine geek (one of the German wines tasting group mentioned in previous posts) and a champagne afficionado, and she had this wine ready to go along with a fabulous charcuterie board.

Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV

The first impression of this wine, both on the nose and the palate, was that a large amount of lees work had been done and brioche was the dominant flavour for the first few seconds.  After the initial lees hit, the wine started to unfurl.  Lemon came through along with green apple, red apple and a whiff of orange blossom.

This wine was crisp and dry.  The mouthfeel was not puckering and instead was nicely rounded.  Combined with a touch of texture on the back palate it gave the wine more depth.  This wine displayed complexity and good flavour concentration.

Cheese and charcuterie was the perfect match for this champagne.  What a fabulous way to celebrate good friendship, food and wine.

Rating: Bloody Delish      AUD 90 (but prices vary wildly)