Champagne J L Vergnon Conversation Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV 750ml
Proudly imported and distributed in NZ by The Village Winery:
Champagne Jean-Louis Vergnon is a 'Membre de l'Association des Artisans du Champagne' & served at many excellent, & Michelin starred restaurants.
Core vineyards are in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Chardonnay
Also prime holdings in Avize, Oger, Vertus and Villeneuve
Old vines - average is 40 years
Harvests ripe grapes, eliminates the need to chaptalise
Uses lower dosage
Intense and tensile wines
Try serving at 12C in a wide glass
Patience in further post release cellaring (3 yrs +) will reward greatly
Grower Champagne despite the NM designation due to the buying in of GC Pinot Noir for the Rosemotion
Winemaker Notes: CONVERSATION
100% Grand Cru Chardonnay
Growths: Mesnil/Oger, Oger, Avize
Blend: Base of one vintage wine with 20% of reserve wine
Wine making: Stainless steel tanks, dosage is 5g/l & 35,000 bottles made.
Ageing: Over 3 years on lees.
"The greenish gold of the wine gives clue of evolution. The bubbles are thin and numerous go fast to the surface. A discreet ring of foam appears on the rim. The general introduction is fresh and vivid.
The first nose is particularly representative of the Blanc de Blancs. Aromas of Fresh butter, biscuit, grapefruit, and white flowers come first. Then, richer notes such as toffee, resin appear.
After few minutes of breathing, the character turns more exotic (pineapple, passion-fruit) and riper. (Hot butter).
It has a more complex and seducing nose, gifted with nice potential.
The mouth attack is vivid and neat gently driven by the dosage. Then, the nice acidity of the blend, sapid and pure gives a straight and slender wine. The vinosity and the low dosage build enough volume. From the middle mouth the sensation turns chalky and the fizz can felt more accurately. The texture is thus firmer up to the end.
The aromatic persistence is interesting and is twinned with very racy salty and chalky hints.
Few notes of tobacco complete the general perception when the acidity punctuates the tasting.
This is a racy wine with an excellent texture. The aromatic complexity is combined with undeniable qualities of balance. Already superb, this wine will slowly improve in the two next years.
Served in wide flute-glass, this cuvee will not only open up at the aperitif but also go with a grilled fish or some deep-sea-oysters."
Reviews:
93 Points - James Suckling; 26 Jul, 2019 – "This has light and bright aromas of fresh white peaches and lemons with a swathe of pastry, too. The palate is very fine and unfurls layers of peach, lemon and, finally, almond-pastry flavors. Drink now. Disgorged February 2019."
"Christophe Constant has brought this classy Mesnil producer back on to the scene after a few years of uninteresting efforts. No malolactic fermentation for the vintage wine, which comes from forty-year-old vines. Confidence is a very pure and young wine strongly influenced by minerals and with an intense village character. There is no element of flirtatiousness in it. Instead one can calmly lean back and await the effects of storage in the far distant future. (House) Upgraded to 4 stars." - Richard Juhlin, Champagne Guide
"Christophe Constant has put a highly personal stamp on this domaine, creating wines of intense expression and vivid personality. His champagnes are always racy and tense, characterized by their prominent malic acidities, yet they're rarely aggressive, achieving a carefully judged and finely tuned harmony. This is one of the top estates in the Cote des Blancs today." - Peter Liem, Champagneguide.net
92/100 - Antonio Galloni vinous.com
"Vergnon's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Conversation Grand Cru is creamy, ample and super-expressive. Citrus confit, pastry, spice and pear show a slightly richer side of Chardonnay than most of the wines in this range, much of that coming from the 5 grams of dosage. Wonderfully open-knit and inviting, the Conversation is a terrific introduction to these wines, as it is easy to enjoy and less imposing than some of the more important cuvées. This release is based on 2014, with 20% reserve wines, mostly Mesnil, with 10% Oger and Avize. Dosage is 5 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 17, 2017."
Author - Antonio Galloni, Drinking Window 2019 - 2027, Reviewed Dec 2019
