17 December 2017
On the nose aroma of pastry, baked apple and almond. The palate is fresh and tastes green apple and pear. Citrus element accompany the foamy texture.
This is a pleasant and balanced wine that sell for a bit less than 40 CHF.
Pommery Brut Royal is made up of three grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay (about 1/3 each), and is a blend of 40 crus from the Champagne region.
Ironically, I find the art of blending needed to produce a good champagne very similar to the new world winemaker’s predominance over terroir, heavily criticised by the French.
Pretty much all entry level champagnes produced by the well established Maisons share similar characteristics.
I chose Pommery as an example because the Maison’s caves in Reims are among the most impressive that I visited and because Veuve Louise Pommery was one of the primary actors in improving the quality of Champagne and in promoting it worldwide.
No other sparkling wine is as much associated with luxury, celebration, and romance (mainly thanks to very good marketing). This certainly deserve a premium in price even for the most basic Champagnes, but I personally tend to prefer a Crémant d’Alsace, which is made with a similar process, but sells at 1/3 or less the price.
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Type: Sparkling
Vintage: N/A
Producer: Pommery
Price Range: High (30-50 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment: 3/5