Champagne houses

Question 1

Ayala**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 1

Ayala

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. Owned since 2005 by Bollinger
3. Zero-dosage and brut nature, light and youthful is the style of Ayala
4. Company founded in 1860 - was a “Grande Marque”
5. Perle d’Ayala vintaged 80/20 Chardonnay/P. Noir, Perle d’Ayala Nature vintaged 80/20 Chardonnay/P. Noir
6. Got it’s name from a Clolombian diplomat who married french and received the domaine as a wedding gift.

Question 2

Bollinger**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 2

Bollinger**

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. Holding company Sociéte´Jaques Bollinger
3. Rich, oak fermented Pinot Noir dominated champagnes with slightly oxidiative notes
4. Founded 1829 by Jaques Bollinger, Admiral de Villermont and Paul-Joseph Renaudin
5. • La Grand Année, vintaged, 60/40 P. Noir Chardonnay
   • R.D. same as “La Grand Année” with more time on yeast.
   • V.V. Francaises Blanc de Noirs, vintaged, 100% P. Noir
6. Lily Bollinger ran the company for 30 years, successfully. And in a time of inox vessels and stainless steel during the 60/70’s she kept true to the domaines view of Bollinger and use of oak both in maturing and fermenting their wines.

Question 3

Pol Roger**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 3

Pol Roger**

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. Family owned
3. A house which blend to perfection, a sum of different sites better then the raw material itself. Most famous owned plantings are in Cramant. Still do “hand-riddling” and thet keep a cooler temp by 0,5-1,5°c in their cellar for slower maturation and second fermentation.
4. Founded 1849 by Pol Roger
5. • Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, Pinot Noir dominated, vintaged, blend not known. first released in 1984 as a tribute cuvée for Sir Winston Churchill whom had ongoing relationship with the Pol-Roger house since 1908, when he drank the 1895 vintage.
6. The year of Churchill’s death 1965 Pol-Roger commissioned their brut cuvée “white foil” with a black border showing it’s sorrow.

Maurice Pol-Roger never abandon Épernay during the german occupation of the area in WWI, instead he stayed and refused the threats on his life and fellow citizens. He was voted so mayor so many times he 1935 turned the post down only to be commemorated with a life-time honorary mayor of Épernay.

Question 4

Louis Roederer**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 4

Louis Roederer**

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. Family owned
3. Balance, stunning mousse, biscuity and creaminess
4. Founded 1760 under the name Dubios Père et fils, turned Louis Roederer 1833 when Louis Roederer himself took over after his uncle.
5. Cristal - 55% P. Noir, Chardonnay 45%, vintaged. No MLF, made only from domaine vineyards. High dosage 10-11g, needed to balance a very high acidity. Typical for it’s purity, bright fruit and creamy palate. Never to be drunk at release, needs a few years minimum.
6. Cristal was first made sweet and made exclusively for the Tsar of Russia 1876. After the Russian Revolution 1917 the partnership fell apart and almost the champagne house itself. Released Cristal just years after Dom Pérignon who became the first prestige cuvées together late 1920’s.

Question 5

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 5

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin**

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. Group ownership LVMH
3. Balanced, polished and perfectly built, slightly higher dosage then common but always countered by acidity. A champagne house whom’s N.V. need atleast 2-3 years before showing it’s true color. from 2008 and forward oak-foudres were introduced - to boost the texture and creaminess of Veuve Clicqout Ponsardin.
4. Founded 1772 by Philippe Clicqout Muiron, passed to 1866 to Edouard Werlé. Around 1934 the house passes to group LVMH.
5. La Grande Dame - P. Noir 60%, Chardonnay 40%, vintaged
6. Madame Ponsardin, wife of Francois Clicqout ran the business between 1805 (Francois death) to 1866 into power and fame, making it a “Grande Marque” second to none.

Question 6

Dom Pérignon**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 6

Dom Pérignon**
1. “not a house per say, a prestige cuvée or series of prestige cuvées”

2. Owned by Moet & Chandon and part of LVMH
3. Reductive in it’s style, elegant, smooth and minerals are the hallmarks. Also that it ages well but also can be drunk young.
4. First bottles of Dom Pérignon were maid 1921, however the frist vintages were “transvasaged” into the correct Dom Pérignon Bottle. Moet & Chandon first acquired the brandname Dom Pérignon in 1927 as a gift from the Mercier family thew marriage.
5. Dom Pérignon is but only a top/prestige cuvée made exclusively from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from 8 grand cru sights and 1 premier cru sight.
6. Moet & Chandon were the first to create something so exclusive and hard-to-get on the Champagne market. And they created it in a time of economical despair in Europe, during the “Great depression”. Cristal made from Louis Roederer dates back further but wasn’t on the open market as early as D. Pérignon was, Cristal was on the market first 1945 compared to 1921. The home village of the Abbey of Dom Pérignon, Hautvillers is the only accepted premier cru for production of Dom Pérignon.

Question 7

Moet & Chandon**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 7

Moet & Chandon**

1. Négociant.Manipulant
2. LVMH
3. Easy approachable and “bland” in some case - made for masses, always undergo MLF for reduces sharpness and easier drinking. N.V. best drunk after 12-18 months after realease where it actually quickly develops toasty aromas.
4. Founded 1743 by Claude Moët
5. • Grand Vintage Collection - same as Grand Vintage but longer ageing, Chardonnay 51%, P. Noir 26%, P. Meunier 23%, varies on the vintage for the “Collection”

• Grand Vintage Collection Rosé - same as Grand vintage Rosé but longer ageing, P. Noir 51%, Chardonnay 28%, P. Meunier 21%, varies on the vintage for the “Collection Rosé”
  6. Champagnes volume leader in production of over 30 million bottles annually.

Question 8

Krug**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 8

Krug**

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. Group ownership LVMH
3. Not really a house style but a very specific style in all it’s cuvées. Typical however for the House of Krug is it begins it’s range with their prestige cuvée “Grande Cuvée”. Grand Cuvée is made using at least a libarary of 150 or more base wines ranging from 20-25 different villages. All Grande Cuvée is vinified in old/weathered french oak 205l Barriques.
4. 1843. (Johann-Josef Krug) later named Joseph Krug married in 1841 Emma Anne Jaunay - then part of the Jacquesson family but broke out and moved to Reims in 1842 and then a year later started Krug et Cie.
5. • Grande cuvée - P. Noir 40-45%, Chardonnay 30-35%, P. Meunier 10-20%. 35-50% reserve wine used, at least 6 or over 10 different vintages always. Ages beautiful even better then the Vintage over time comparing complexity.

• Clos du Mesnil - 100% Chardonnay, 1,87ha, situated in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, walled vineyard site. Bought the site and replanted 1971, frist produced 1979.
• 1982 great vintage - huge compact flavour
• 1988 great vintage - fresh fruit, vanilla, complexity and balance
• 1998 - apparently one of the best ever

-Clos d'Ambonnay - P. Noir 100%, 0,687ha, walled vineyard formerly named "Le Chàteau". First released on market 2007. A single vineyard vintage champagne that suits Krug's oaky style of muscular champagne. 
three vintages so far;
*1995
*1996
*1998 - best so far

6. Youngest Krug champagnes spend around 5-7 years on lees, with a mandatory 6 months post-disgorgement ageing as well. Rapid fermentations and no MLF except for reserve wines seems to be a key to The Krug style.

Question 9

LVMH**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 9

LVMH**
1. 
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Question 10

Taittinger**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 10

Taittinger**

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. Group ownership also owns Domaine Carneros
3. Light, elegant fruit and crispness rather than complexity
4. Originally 1743 by Jacques Fourneaux, making it the third oldest Champagne house. Bought 1932 by Pierre Taittinger - changed hand 2005 to Starwood capital and back again 2006 to the Taittinger family, now runned by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger.
5. Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, 100% chardonnay, vintaged, made up of 6-7 places. almost all grand cru and almost all Côte de Blancs. 50% of the grapes some from none family owned vineyards under long term contracts. Always MLF - 5% matured in relatively new oak. Best vintages can handle 30 years of ageing.
   * **1988
   * **1995
   * **1996
   * **2000
   * **2002
   * **2004
6. Brut millésime is a very good value option - can handle ageing up to 12 years.

Question 11

Deutz**
Trade structure?
Owned by whom?
House style?
Started when?
Top cuvées?
Other information?

Answer 11

Deutz**

1. Négociant-Manipulant
2. owned by the Roederer family
3. Flavour-packed and character full - but shows it’s best when vintaged rather then N.V. cuvées. Also a house who are famous for it’s rosé.
4. Founded by William Deutz and Pierre-Hubert Geldermann. Bought 1993 by Roederer.

5.

• Amour de Deutz - Chardonnay 100%, vintaged
• Cuvée William Deutz Rosé - P. Noir 80%, Chardonnay 20%, vintaged, one of the best rosé champagnes on the market.

6. Nothing iv’e learned so far.