Printemps 5 - Les Mains du Terroir | Epicurwine
A final set of finds from this year's Printemps des Champagnes
Welcome, bubbleheads. It has been an intense week, with Champagne judging for the Decanter World Wine Awards, launches and plenty of tasting and interviewing. After the public-service Printemps coverage is done, it’s back to normal for this Substack, too (plus getting on with the audio versions of posts for paid subscribers).
Two final salons here, one pretty sizeable (Les Mains du Terroir) and one pretty tiny (Epicurwine).
Les Mains du Terroir
A long-established group with some familiar, high-quality names. I didn’t taste absolutely everything, but caught up with a few producers I wanted to hit. So:
Paul Déthune, Ambonnay. These are fairly visible wines, but I’d never quite managed to get a grip on them. They made a lot of sense on the day though, with more intensity and persistence of fruit than I remember in the past; the Extra Brut in base 2019 was peppery, broad and creamy, full of fine Pinot, whilst the Blanc de Blancs was lined in plush oak with powerful, but true Chardonnay (a little rarer to find in Ambonnay). Nothing out of line here.
Hugues Godmé, Verzenay. Energy, balance and serious fruit here - this is a top independent producer. So good, in fact, that I booked in a visit as soon as I got home. Not the most easy-going style, but real quality right from the entry level upwards (including a 2011 Chardonnay Les Alouettes).
Richard Desvignes, Lacourte Godbillon
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