Florence opening the Cuvée Origine

We receive several invitations to travel to Washington DC for a wine tasting. This week we were invited by the APVSA (the Association for the Promotion of Wine and Spirits in America) to taste wine predominately from France. I have a soft spot for champagne, in part because we visited the Champagne region twice and I enjoy the bubbly. Our first stop was Champagne Bauchet where we met Florence Bauchet Labelle who is the director of the champagne estate.

Florence was passionate and as bubbly about her products as the champagne in the glass. She mentioned that her grandmother made champagne as well as her parents. She wanted to follow in the family footsteps and do her part to continue the family business. Smiling, she added, “I also love champagne.”

The champagne estate began in 1920 when Félicien Bauchet harvested his first champagne grapes. Through the decades, the family continued to grow grapes and make the sparkling wine. Today the 1920 one-hectare vineyard has grown to 34 hectares (84 acres) spread out over seven areas. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in various vineyards located in Côte des Blancs, the Montagne de Reims and in the Côte des Bar. We discovered the meaning of the logo for the champagnes. It is a combination of the B from Bauchet and a heart. The heart represents the love the family has for each other, the love they have for the land and their love of champagne.

Three champagnes were tasted. The Cuvée Origine was crafted from a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. The grapes were sourced from the family vineyards in Côte des Blancs, the Montagne de Reims and in the Côte des Bar. The champagne had a dosage of 8 g/l of sugar and aged for 24 months prior to disgorgement. The light yellow color wine had multiple streams of tiny bubbles. Apple and pear along with a nutty presence were observed on the aroma and taste. The finish was crisp and refreshing.

The second champagne tasted was the Cuvée Signature – Premier Cru. This champagne was blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Grapes were sourced from the family’s Premier Cru vineyards in Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. This champagne also had a light yellow color and there were multiple columns of tiny bubbles. The wine had 8 g/l of sugar and aged for 36 months prior to disgorgement. This elegant champagne offered apple notes and had a crisp finish that was pleasant and refreshing.

Our third champagne tasted was the Cuvée Séduction, a rosé. The wine was a blend of 75% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. The salmon color was achieved by adding 15% red wine to the blend. Grapes were sourced from the family vineyards in Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. This wine was just a hint sweeter than the first two with 10 g/l of residual sugar. The wine was aged for 24 months prior to disgorgement. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles rose to the surface. The champagne offered apple notes with strawberry hints. It had a crisp finish.

I asked Florence about collecting placas, the metal caps protecting the cork from the wire. She gave me a set of Champagne Bauchet placas for my collection. Both Kathy and I were delighted in the champagnes from this family and hope they find a distributor in our area.

We were impressed at the number of producers that had the owners or staff from the winery pouring the wines. The APVSA did a nice job placing front line people to relay there passion for their portfolio of wines.

Cheers,
Terry