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More wines available from Charles Ellner
750ml
Bottle:
$28.00
$32.00
This lively Champagne is bright and balanced, with spicy mineral and graphite accents underscoring the poached pear,...
750ml
Bottle:
$37.90
Lightly floral on the nose, with the creamy mousse carrying a pretty mix of juicy white cherry and pear fruit, notes...
375ml
Bottle:
$23.95
This elegant rose offers a fine, creamy bead and a subtle streak of smoky mineral underscoring flavors of dried...
750ml
Bottle:
$46.50
This elegant rose offers a fine, creamy bead and a subtle streak of smoky mineral underscoring flavors of dried...
More Details
Winery
Charles Ellner
Vintage: 2009
Despite less than ideal climatic conditions, featuring storms which threatened an otherwise perfect year, most parts of California had an excellent year for viticulture. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs were picked at optimum ripeness, and Californian white wine was just about as good as it could be. Surprises and overcoming difficulties summed up much of the United States' wine industry in 2009, and many of the results from Oregon, Washington State and all over California speak for themselves, with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon grapes having developed healthy, thick skins and thus plenty of character and distinction. Elsewhere in the New World, South Africa had a very good year in 2009, and wineries across the cape of the African continent are proclaiming it a truly great vintage.
In most of Europe, fine weather and punctual ripening periods produced some excellent wines, with many of the best coming out of France's Bordeaux and the surrounding regions. Merlot had an exceptionally good year in France, and wineries are proclaiming that the 2009 Merlot harvest was one of the best in living memory. Indeed, across most of France, ripening was relatively even, and red wine grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and others were reportedly highly characterful, with plenty of the required tannin levels with which to make high quality wines. Italy, too, had a very good 2009. Piedmont reported extremely favorable conditions throughout 2009, and their signature Nebbiolo grapes were more or less perfect when harvested, having benefited from the slight drop in temperature at the end of their ripening period. Veneto, too, had an enviable year, producing superb Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay wines in 2009.
Varietal: Champagne Blend
The careful blending of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietal grapes has long been the secret to the success of the famous sparkling wines of the Champagne region. The wines of this region have gone down in history as the finest example of France's sparkling produce, and the methods of processing the grapes in this region have been imitated in almost every wine producing country in the world. There are actually seven different grape varietals allowed to be included in a Champagne sparkling wine, although grape varietals such as Pinot Blanc, Arbanne and Pinot Gris are used less and less commonly in its production. Whilst the Chardonnay varietal grapes offer their distinctive biscuit flavor and wonderful astringency, it is the Pinot Noir grapes (most commonly used for producing beautifully light red wines) which give the Champagne wines their length and backbone.
Region: Champagne
The region of Champagne in the north-easterly part of France has, for hundreds of years, been known for the production of high quality, elegant and characterful sparkling white wines. Champagne wines continue to dominate the market for sparkling wines, and are the envy of many countries, with plenty of producers attempting to emulate their unique practices. The chalky, mineral-rich soils of this high altitude region are ideal for growing the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Petit Meunier varietal grapevines which cover the region and are usually blended together in the production of Champagne wine. The climate of Champagne is far cooler than other famous wine regions in France, but the wineries which are found all over the area have generations of expertise, and have no problems in producing vast quantities of their famous produce for the world market.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.