China Bubbles: Champagnes of Distinction

The LVMH group, the luxury goods conglomerate that includes Moët & Chandon, recently announced that it will make sparkling wine in Ningxia via the traditional Champagne method.

China’s climates are certainly better suited to growing grapes for sparkling wine production than for the production of the ubiquitous – and usually underripe – gan hong (dry red). However, outside the club scene, Champagne is not that popular here; its high acidity often challenges Chinese palates. One wonders how dry, therefore, Moët’s Ningxia sparkling wine will be.

Various Champagnes are cur rently available in Beijing. To qualify for the name, of course, these must originate from the Champagne AC region of France. Non-vintage wines must be aged for 15 months “on their lees” (dead yeast), to intensify flavor. Vintage Champagnes must be aged for three years before release, again picking up biscuity and nutty flavours from contact with yeast.

Thanks to marketing and brand ing, all Champagne is expensive. However, quality is variable, espe cially among the “Grandes Marques,” or “big brands.” Sometimes, “grower Champagnes” from small producers can provide better quality. Knowing your producers really helps.

This month’s selections are all from reliable Champagne producers. All are non-vintage wines designed to indicate a “house style.”

ONE TO QUAFF
NV Champagne Drappier Carte d’Or Brut
RMB 298 (DT Asia)
Available at Le Cabernet (from July 15)
Drappier’s style is drier than most. This wine, based on Pinot Noir, has lovely lemon citrus, perfume, nutty aromas, a gentle mousse and consid erable length. Great value!

ONE TO DRINK
NV Champagne Pol Roger Brut Reserve
RMB 740 (Summergate)
Available at My Humble House, Nobu
Always consistent, this is a third each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Dry, but not lean, this Champagne has attractive lemon and slight red fruits with complex savory flavors, a delicate mousse and impressive length.

ONE TO SAVOR
NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Brut Tradition
RMB 886 (Globus)
Available at Maison Boulud, Grill 79
Egly-Ouriet is a “grower producer” with a great reputation. Based mainly on Pinot Noir, this wine is in tensely perfumed with lemon citrus, biscuits, a hint of red fruit, a refined mousse and great length.

Edward Ragg is co-founder, with Fongyee Walker, of Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting, China’s leading independent wine consultancy and education service (www.longfengwines.com). They write for the world’s wine magazines and several publications in China.