Champagne AR Lenoble: Anne Malassagne interview as household enterprise passes 100yrs – Wine weblog UK

When Armand-Raphaël Graser began producing Champagne underneath his new model AR Lenoble 101 years in the past (Lenoble being a tribute to the noble wines of Champagne), there would have been a way of reduction because the 1918 influenza pandemic was simply receding into the rearview.

Who would have conceived again then that the centenary yr could be mired by the same disaster? 

The phrases Champagne and the good-times go hand in hand for many people. In darker instances corresponding to these the place conferences and celebrations have been cancelled, maybe we’d affiliate champagne with an antidote to what we see within the information and round us.

As a small homage, I’m happy right here to current a Q&A with Anne Malassagne, who runs the home together with her twin brother, Antoine. Anne brings into focus the achievements of the previous, in addition to insights into the manufacturing of a number of cuvées, and naturally future challenges corresponding to tackling local weather change.

With out additional ado:

Nick Breeze (NB): Throughout your time steering a contemporary Champagne Home with a century of heritage, what has been your most memorable second once you sensed the pleasure in what you had been attaining?

Anne Malassagne (AM): After I took over from my father, I used to be 28 years outdated, and I didn’t know a lot about Champagne. The problem was monumental, particularly because the wine world was very men-dominated and gave little credit score to ladies, particularly who was younger and had no winemaking expertise.

After 27 years of labor and dedication to high quality and custom, we achieved the centennial. On this event, we launched some distinctive outdated vintages elaborated by my ancestors. These bottles are far more than beautiful Champagnes; they’re the soul of the home. I launched them final yr with a number of emotion excited about the women and men who contributed to construct AR Lenoble for a century.

NB: Just a few years in the past you donated bottles of A R Lenoble’s Rosé Terroirs for a fundraiser we organised in London. We had implausible suggestions from our 100 attendees who tasted six completely different Champagnes paired with six meals dishes.

Your rosé was paired with scallop wrapped in smoked salmon which was a giant hit and actually emphasised that this was a wine with big gastronomic potential. Not all glowing rosé has this high quality. What’s it about this explicit cuvée that offers it the gastronomic high quality I’m speaking about?

AM: It was a pleasure to assist this occasion, and I’m delighted to listen to that the attendees loved the tasting and pairing. AR Lenoble Rosé Terroirs is a novel mix of minimal 90% of Chardonnay from Chouilly Grand Cru and a most 10% of Pinot Noir from Bisseuil, a terroir categorized 1er Cru on the Montagne de Reims. This distinctive mix with a excessive proportion of Chardonnay requires lengthy ageing to let the Pinot Noir develop all its pink fruits flavours and let the Chardonnay design its buttery, creamy character. This lengthy ageing offers the gastronomic high quality you’re speaking about.

We’ve got simply launched the newest version of our Rosé Terroirs “magazine 14” which base classic is 2014. To that, we added practically 45% of reserve wines aged in magnums for at least 4 years. This distinctive and prolonged manufacturing course of makes this Champagne much more fruity and gastronomic however nonetheless very clear and recent. Rosé Terroirs “magazine 14” is a beautiful wine very well-balanced and best for pairing with duck, spicy meals or cheese (like scamorza).

NB: One other cuvée of yours I tremendously admire is the Cuvée Nature Dosage Zero. I’m not at all times a fan of zero dosage glowing wines however yours actually does have a wonderful stability. How do you obtain this?

AM: Upon my arrival on the property, I wrote the roadmap after I took over from my father in 1993. I imagined the proper Champagne I wished to supply: a fruity and highly effective wine of Champagne, with a straight, clear and recent end. A Champagne with a robust character and its persona. This Champagne could be the expression of Chouilly Grand Cru and Bisseuil Premier Cru, the well-known terroirs the place our vineyards are situated.

I began engaged on the dosage, contemplating that this little amount of wine and sugar can change a wine’s expression. 

On the similar time, I began altering the way in which we had been cultivating the vines. My goal was to scale back the yields to enhance the standard of the grapes. Might I take an instance to make clear: if you wish to prepare dinner and eat a fruity and yummy apricot tart, you’ll select the sound and ripe apricots. Then, you don’t want so as to add any sugar. It’s the similar as with Champagne. If you wish to scale back the dosage, you must enhance the standard of the grapes after which let the wine age a very long time on the lees. 

The standard of the grapes AND lengthy ageing on the lees clarify the fruit and the generosity of our Brut Nature -Dosage Zéro “magazine 16”.

NB: You’ve gotten despatched me a bottle of your centenary Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2012. We’re going to drink this very quickly. Are you able to whet our appetites by giving us a glimpse of what we are able to count on and a steered gastronomic pairing?

AM: 2012 is an outstanding classic with distinctive ageing potential. It’s a scrumptious Champagne to drink now, however I’d suggest to let it age for one more 5 to 10 years. It’s a classic equivalent to 2002 or 2008, with lengthy ageing potential. This Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is a really delicate expression of the terroirs of Chouilly Grand Cru. The mouth is creamy and floral with an extended end. It’s a Champagne to drink as an aperitif and pair with a grilled fish with caramelized endives with oranges, roast langoustines with citrus sauce, a 28-month-parmesan risotto or a Cheddar.

NB: It seems like we’re at a degree in historical past the place nothing could be the identical once more. From public well being and environmental to financial modifications that now we have been anticipating appear to be speeding to satisfy us.

Are you able to speak in regards to the important challenges that you simply anticipate going through within the subsequent decade or two as a champagne producer and the way you’re planning to deal with them?

AS: We should tackle completely different challenges sooner or later: international warming is one among them, water sources and alter in demand are actually probably the most severe ones. At AR Lenoble we really feel involved with these matters, and we think about them as very thrilling. 

Concerning international warming, we’re engaged on new grape varieties extra heat-resistant. We’ve got additionally elevated the proportion of reserve wines aged in magnums to maintain them recent. It’s fascinating to remind that reserve wines are purported to deliver the complexity to the mix whereas the final harvest will refresh it. However, with local weather change, it could occur that the final harvest might be hotter than the earlier ones. On this unprecedented scenario, the reserve wines should refresh it! The query of the freshness of the reserve wine will change into a difficulty shortly. At AR Lenoble we’re ready to tackle this problem.

Water might be one other problem to face. For 25 years we’re dedicated to environmental pleasant viticulture, and our vineyards had been awarded HVE 3 in 2012.  This award takes the query of water under consideration and considers how you utilize water. At AR Lenoble now we have at all times felt involved about water sources.

Change in demand can be a subject to think about. Our purchasers are extra demanding since he’s higher knowledgeable. They purchase extra for the values of the product they purchase than for the product itself. They get pleasure from discovering new merchandise with an actual story and robust values. AR Lenoble matches this demand. It’s certainly a family-owned home which stays 100% unbiased for 100 years. The “Carnet des 100 vendanges”, written on the event of the centennial, traces the journey of 4 generations and pays tribute to the women and men who’ve adopted in one another’s footsteps, every of them accompanied by sturdy values which were defended with dedication and dedication.

NB: And at last… I open a bottle of Champagne A R Lenoble in 2121… what do you think about is in my glass?

AM: Every glass of Champagne makes you dream and luxuriate in life. In every glass of Champagne, you discover emotion, pleasure, laugher and happiness. That is what I think about in your glass, and I hope that it’s what you will notice in it. I want you an exquisite time sharing a bottle of Champagne AR Lenoble.

Be taught extra about AR Lenoble: https://champagne-arlenoble.com/en/