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750ml - 1 Bottle
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The NV (2009) Extra Brut L’Apotre emerges from a parcel of sixty- year-old vines on clay-rich soils in Trepail....
750ml - 1 Bottle
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$308.18
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Winery
David Leclapart
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Champagne Blend
There are few areas in the world with a reputation quite as famous and respected as that of Champagne in France, and almost every wine region on earth has imitated or has been influenced by the careful process mastered by the wineries of Champagne. However, it is in the grape varietals which thrive in this region where the secrets to the Champagne's success can be found – the acidic, flavorful Chardonnay grapes meeting the characterful Pinot Noir varietal, and coming together to produce something wonderful in the bottle. There are actually seven varietals allowed by French wine law for the production of Champagne wines, all of which are used by wineries to accentuate each others finest points and maintain the reputation of this very special region, the home to some extremely high quality grapes.
Region: Champagne
There are very few wine regions in the world quite as famous as Champagne, and the sparkling white wines which are produced there are drank and enjoyed all over the globe as a result of their excellent quality, distinctive features and their association with grandeur and celebration. Wineries have been operating in the cool, damp north-easterly region of Champagne for hundreds of years, and over time have mastered the art of making the most of the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Petit Meunier grape varietals which grow there across the rolling hillsides and kept in the region's unique 'Champagne caves'. Most commonly, these three varietals are blended together to produce the sparkling white wine, but the popularity of single variety Champagne wines are on the increase.
Country: France
France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.