Wine Blogging Wednesday No. 25

I can't quite remember how I found out about this - wasn't Spittoon - but you ought to know that there is such a thing as a Wine Blogging Wednesday, and that the current event is being managed by Sam Breach, whose blog gives a Brit's perspective on what's cooking in San Francisco and environs. You can find out more about the whole business here.
It was impossible to resist joining in with this one, especially since the smaller producers Ms Breach was hoping to discover are the people we have always worked with.

The bottle in question was José Pierlot's Grande Réserve, a mostly Pinot Meunier blend that we sell for €34.90 retail. M. Pierlot, whose vineyards are in the Vallée de la Marne, is our original supplier, the man who put the very first bubbles into Bubble Brothers.

Now despite my generous ahem staff discount, I don't be bringing the stuff home every night of the week. Remember folks, we in Ireland have to pay €4.05 duty on every bottle stoppered with a champagne cork. That's right, six times the EU average!

So it took a special occasion to merit the investment. Wine Blogging Wednesday, sorry to say, didn't even cross my mind at the time - I was looking for a way to cheer up a wedding anniversary spent at work, so I put a bottle in the 'fridge at lunchtime as something to look forward to that evening.

Two small children rather cramp yer style dinner-wise, especially when they regularly try to keep later hours than their parents. But, mark this, an Indian take-away eaten at half past ten at night and washed down with Monsieur P's champagne felt like real luxury - something of the dormitory feast about it.

I hadn't tried the Pierlot for a good while, and was surprised at just how juicily fruity it is. It's not ethereal, evanescent, bubbles-of-the-gods stuff. It's much more direct, with dried-fruit and raspberryish concentration on the nose and the palate. Smashing wine to drink, honest and reviving.

What's more, though two of us (both light drinkers) drank more or less the whole bottle, there were no morning-after-effects at all.

Notwithstanding the governmental robbery alluded to above, it's great value. I know, I know, I would say that. Try it if you don't (or do) believe me.

Technorati tags: Wine Blogging Wednesday, champagne, curry, Pinot Meunier, WBW