Assemblage “Invitation au voyage”

Match that delicacy with food that shows a similar quality – Lobster and oysters are classic. I tried it with super-fresh fillets of sea trout, oven-baked and garnished with lemon, parsley and almonds – an ideal combination. As an aside, I used large red wine glasses for this wine rather than traditional Champagne flutes, which helped an appreciation of the aromas and flavours opening up in the glass.

After a crisp and windy winter with alternating spells of rain and snow, the spring and early summer started out rather moodily with thunder and hail storms. Luckily, the old saying ‘August makes the must’ came true again as the warm weather and dry heat returned, allowing for exceptional maturity, while spring showers preserved the water reserve preventing hydric stress. The harvest started early with the Oger and Mesnil Chardonnay on 10th September and carried on for 10 days as Mailly Pinot were picked last. The acidity is in line with the last 10 vintage campaigns with a greater maturity.

This vintage has been maturing for seven years on lees, developing complex notes of sweet spices and candied fruits, enhanced by a persistent vivacity. Like the rest of our wines, the 2009 Assemblage is an extra brut with very low dosage of 5 grams/ litre. The wine was disgorged in September 2017 after which it convalesced another 18 months before being released.

The “Assemblage” 2009 vintage, was made exclusively from first pressings – the purest – of grapes sourced from 10 of the best terroirs in the heart of Champagne. An equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, of which 20% was barrel fermented.

BRUNO PAILLARD Champagne is an independent family-run house. Its exceptional vineyards are located in the heart of the Champagne region. The wines have a highly personal style characterized by stringent quality control at every stage of the process. Our viticulture is slow and sustainable the BRUNO PAILLARD house uses only the first pressing of Chardonnay Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir and each cru is produced separately in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks. Not only this but reserve wines are blended to make an extra brut “dosage” and wines are aged two to four times longer than the minimum required by the appellation. The house was the first to indicate the date of disgorgement on its bottles so that our clients can choose when to taste BRUNO PAILLARD champagne. The Premiere Cuvée Rosé Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru N.P.U. “Nec Plus Ultra” and our collection of old vintages are available at independent wine merchants and are served at the world’s best restaurants.