One the Greatest Champagnes I Have Ever Had

One of the things I love about dealing with  very old European wineries and cultures in general is the preservation of tradition. Now, don't get me wrong not all traditions are good, not all are bad either, but some have become less prevalent due to various reasons and sometimes traditions are tweaked with advances in climate, technology and the such. When I visited Isabelle Benoit of Perseval-Farge this last month she could hardly contain her excitement as she had a very special new cuvee that she wanted me to taste. Boy did it not disappoint. It is super rare and when I say rare, this is the first ever time at Fass Selections I will debut a unicorn wine. This might be one of the unicorniest  wines ever. Please indulge me.

For people who just want to see the price of today's and skip the time the wine is the debut vintage of the NV Persevel Farge Brut Nature "Les Goulats" for $89.99 each on a 3-Pack. But please, indulge me. It's Friday night. This wine is an ode to the very distant past in Champagne. We are all familiar with the three main grapes in Champagne of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. But did you know there are scant hectares of some grapes that are out of fashion now but used to be big components of Champagne blends many years ago. Way before Champagne was popular and what it is today. Today's wine is a blend of 67% Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromenteau with the rest being Chardonnay. The wine is one the greatest Champagnes I have ever had and brings me back to fond memories of a similar Aubry bottling they made many years ago for a special anniversary the winery was celebrating  and also the brilliant "Lea Jardins etc" from Benoit Lahaye that uses all 7 designated Champagne varietals.  I just had a bottle of the 2010 in March of last year of the Lahaye around a week before I visited Isabelle at Perseval Farge and was blown away by it and was super exited to learn about the new Cuvée at Perseval-Farge. I've had both and I think the Perseval Farge is better.

Obscure Grape #1: Arbanne
Arbanne is a white grape variety that was historically planted in the Aube. That's around 2 hours
south of Champagne proper. There is less than one hectare planted in all of France. It doesn't get rarer than this grape. It is famously low yielding with an average of 15 hl/ha. It produces tiny grapes. Arbanne also has intense forceful acid in the best sense of the word. Petit Meslier, which is a close relative of Chardonnay (it's a cross between Gouais Blanc which is the mother of Chardonnay and Savagnin), is decidedly lean and green (think Sauvignon Blanc) and also happens to have huge acidity.

Obscure Grape #2: Petit Meslier
Petit Meslier works very well in warm vintages but can be overwhelming in cooler vintages. There are around 20-30 hectares planted in a France.

Obscure Grape #3: Fromenteau
Fromenteau is a sister grape to Pinot Gris or Pinot Beurot. This is a big fruity grape as compared to the high acid Petit Meslier and Arbanne. Big body and richness to it. It is maybe the earliest ripening grape in Champagne.

And Now, The Wine
Now, how does the wine taste? It is as compelling a bottle of Champagne that has ever passed through Fass Selections. This is a fantastically interesting  and insanely delicious wine of unlimited complexity and I didn't really know which grape was contributing to what until further research enlightened me.

The aromas are just stunning. Pistachio, green apple, citrus, rhubarb, sandalwood and so much more as it opened. It is ultra, ultra pure, like L'eclapart/Selosse level. You also have super compelling yeasty Chardonnay minerality. It's so good. I wrote down rare aromas. Best way to describe them. But oh so compelling. You've never smelled anything like this and as soon as you do you're like, "where have you been all my life baby?"

The palate is an enormous mouthful of fruit, mineral and savory that is so refined and balanced. As many Perseval Farge fans know, the refinement of the top cuvees, "Jean-Baptiste" and "La Pucelle" is unmatched but the "Les Goulats" manages to up the ante. And it's made from freaky grapes. There is an initial attack of citrus, pear, apple, rhubarb, incensey sandalwood, smoke, spice and more. It is so wonderfully flavorful and unique. Like having uni for the first time and falling in love with it. It's so juicy yet so serious with major acidic spine. The structure on this wine is incredible. It's statuesque. Poised. The finish is so pure, juicy and long it just pulls you in for another sip. I mean insanely long and has a rollercoaster feel as it finishes and begins a few timed before it really finishes. The level of purity is a step above Jean-Baptitse and La Pucelle and that's splitting hairs but this is a level above. I had a bottle with my family 6 weeks ago and everyone was speechless... we talk a lot. There is such freshness and purity juxtaposed with some of the most fascinating flavors ever in a sparkling wine from Champagne. This is utterly compelling in every way.  There is very little of this wine I most likely will be the only one to sell this. Maybe fewer than 150 cases and she already has a massive following in France.

Today I am also thrilled to offer the Perseval-Farge NV "Terres de Sables" 1er Cru Brut for as little as $47.99 each a 3-pack. It is such a shame that this is the mere 2nd wine as it is a unreal wine that deserves it's own offer. That is an absolute insane screaming mimi of a value for a Champagne this good. I drank it at my hotel in Beaune in January and also revisited it last night for this offer. It needs air, as all Perseval-Farge wines demand, but once it aired out it shows why it is the wild child of the Perseval-Farge lineup. I think 40 minutes gets you there. It is so so good once it gets there. It needs more air than Les Goulats and it's half the price. I know, it's weird but that's the way it works around here. It is ultra refined and has the most exotic fruit of the Perseval Farge lineup. After much air and even after 24 hours a wild fruit component starts to express itself. Guava and pineapple that is just mindblowing with all the yeast and minerals. Great contrast. It is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir and 11% Pinot Meunièr 

The nose is minerals upon minerals, but so clean with some smoke, even hickory smoke fading in and out, brioche. It eventually gets to that point where it's so airy and you can tell it's now top flight Champagne. Refined wild child. The palate is very intense and very sappy and has great complexity but it really starts to sing 24 hours later. There is elegance and finesse and also power. The true truck-driver in a tutu. It was very good on night one but on day two it was a transcendant wine. It is a wine that introduces you to the beautiful purity, precision, minerality, finesse and intense sap of the Perseval Farge style. After 24 hours it becomes so huge, so intense and so chewy it cannot be believed.  Really concentrated and really powerful with unreal thrust and intensity. It is amazing what this wine is at $49.99. I think this will age wonderfully for at least 10-12 years. The structure, sap and length of the finish and how amazing it is on day 2 suggests a long life.

NV (2013) Perseval-Farge "Les Goulats" Brut Nature - $91.99
($269.97 3-pack)

NV Perseval-Farge Terres des Sables Brut - $49.99 ($191.96 4-pack)