N-ar trebui sa astepti vreun moment aniversar sau vreo sarbatoare ca sa deschizi o champagne. Desi, insasi faptul ca deschizi o sticla ce provine din celebra regiune franceza poate fi un prilej de bucurie. In orice caz, atunci cand te hotarasti ca a venit momentul sa-i sara dopul, trebuie sa ai langa tine o mana de prieteni dragi.
Acestea fiind spuse (scrise), sambata seara, alaturi de cativa prieteni am marcat trecerea a inca unui an din viata si am deschis “o sampanie” din Champagne: Alfred Gratien Cuvee Brut Classique. Bine racita (sub 5 grade C) am servit-o in pahare elegante de tip flute.
Culoare proaspata, fresh, galben-verzuie, cu multe bule mici si fine. In nas, se simt arome de fructe citrice (lime, lamaie) si o usoara nota vegetala. Gustul e puternic fructat, fiind dominat de o aciditate citrica, persistenta – crispy & zesty, cum ar spune englezii. In fine, e un spumant care mai degraba vrea sa stea la masa din restaurant decat la barul din club.
Fiind vorba de “o sampanie” din Champagne, ea se obtine avand la baza exclusiv vinuri din Chardonnay, Pinot Noir si Pinot Meunier, intreg procesul de obtinere fiind cunoscut sub numele de metoda traditionala sau metoda champenoise. O gasiti prezentata in detaliu pe wikipedia. Ca fapt divers, casa Alfred Gratien se mandreste ca pentru fermentatia alcoolica a mustului foloseste butoaie de stejar de 228 l (fiind printre putinele case din Champagne care pastreaza aceastra traditie). In plus, ceea ce mi s-a parut foarte interesant, e ca nu se recurge la fermentarea malolactica a vinurilor, in favoarea pastrarii prospetimii pentru o perioada mai lunga de timp. Ceea ce de altfel am si observat, mai ales in gust. Pe de alta parte folosirea fermentatiei malolactice ar fi adus in plus arome untoase imprimand gustului o textura cremoasa si o catifelare placuta.
In Carrefour, Alfred Gratien Cuvee Brut Classique costa 140 de lei. Dar s-ar putea sa-l gasiti si la oferta.
EN:
You shoudn’t have to wait for a special holiday or a birthday party to open a champagne. Although, the very fact that you open a bottle coming from the famous French region can be the occasion. However, when you decide it is time to pop the cork, you must have a few dear friends beside you.
That being said (written), on Saturday night along with some friends, we marked the passing of yet another year of our lifes and opened a Champagne Alfred Gratien Cuvee Brut Classique. Well chilled (below 5 degrees C) we had it served in stylish flute glasses.
Fresh color, yellow-green, with small fine bubbles. The nose is fruity with citrus aromas (lime, lemon) and a slight vegetal note. The taste is fruity, dominated by good acidity – crispy & zesty as the English would say. Finally, this is a sparkling wine that would rather like to sit at the table in the restaurant than at the club.
A Champagne it is obtained based on exclusive wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the whole process beign known as traditional method or champenoise method. You can found it presented in detail on wikipedia. For the record, Alfred Gratien house uses oak barrels of 228 l for the alcoholic fermentation (being one of the few Champagne houses that keep this tradition). In addition, what I found very interesting is that they don’t use malolactic fermentation in favor of preserving freshness for a longer period of time. On the other hand the use of malolactic fermentation would give an extra buttery flavors, also adding a creamy texture and a pleasant softness to the taste.
I’ve got the Champagne Alfred Gratien Cuvee Brut Classique from Carrefour at 140 lei (31 euros). But you might find it at a good discounted price.
