A Stroke of Serendipity – Discovering Champagne Louis Brochet Brut 1er Cru in London

A year ago, I spent almost a week in London with college friends. Although we gather regularly, a dream trip across the pond to see world renowned monuments, museums, parks, restaurants and shops along with side trips to the British countryside became a reality. One afternoon, I meandered around the Chelsea neighborhood where our hotel, Number 16, was situated. As I walked, I considered how the Reece Mews had looked one hundred years ago, thought about the location of hip and trendy bohemian stores of the 1960s and wished I had known where writers George Eliot and Henry James had called home.

As a stroke of serendipity, I stumbled upon Handford Wines, an intriguing shop with a vast variety of wines from around the world. It’s also one of the best independent merchants in London, if not the United Kingdom. The proprietor and I engaged in a fascinating conversation about all things wine, he opened a few selections from France and Italy, we tasted and compared thoughts. I was mesmerized as he explained the stories behind the wines and his experiences with many of the producers in the region. Truth be told, I didn’t want to leave this wine shop.

Naturally, I purchased a few wines to bring home, one being Champagne Louis Brochet Brut 1er Cru, an exceptional example of grower Champagne. My new friend, also a Master of Wine, explained that Handford Wines was the only in the United Kingdom to have this wine in inventory, due to his personal relationship with the grower.

This month the #Winophiles social media group who love French wine with plenty of “joie de vivre” have focused on their unexpected finds in Champagne. Led by Gwendolyn Alley of Wine Predator, each of us has chosen a topic. For links to all articles, please see below.

Champagne

The region of Champagne was winner of Wine Enthusiast’s Region of the Year Award in 2018. Located about 90 miles northeast of Paris, hillside homes and underground cellars dot the landscape in the four main growing regions: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, and Côte des Bar.  These regions are in the northernmost zone for vine cultivation and continental and oceanic influences abound. Often, debilitating winter frosts, vast amount of sunshine in the summer, cool temperatures, and consistent rainfall are elements that affect each harvest. Wine grapes cultivated in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and the iconic sparkling wines of Champagne are produced using méthode traditonelle, whereby the second fermentation is in the bottle.

I encourage you to discover more at the official Champagne website by clicking here.

Champagne Louis Brochet Brut 1er Cru

Managed by the same family for four generations, the sister and brother team of Hélène and Louis Brochet preside over Domaine Louis Brochet, a classified 1er Cru 13-hectare vineyard situated at the foot of Montagne de Reims in the village of Ecueil, consisting of 50 parcels of vines. This strategy allows them to produce a wide range of champagnes: Extra Brut, Brut, Rosé, White, Noir and Vintage. This winegrower/producer champagne house is “committed to producing champagnes of the highest quality.” For more about Domaine de Champagne Louis Brochet, click here.   

The blend in the Champagne Louis Brochet Brut 1er Cru (29 euros at Handford Wines) is predominantly Pinot Noir with 15% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier. This non-vintage cuvée glimmered gold in the glass and its delicate mousse was a joy to see. On the nose, a dash of red fruit and brioche were delightful and the full-bodied palate offered notes of bright citrus and a soft, lengthy finish. Elegant and ever-so French, each sip reminded me of my serendipitous discovery in London and how much I appreciate beautiful Champagne.

Cheers! ~ Cindy

For more Grape Experiences delivered directly to you, click here.

You love Champagne, too? Enjoy the following articles from my #Winophiles colleagues.

• From Martin: “Champagne Drappier’s Blanc de Quatre Blancs; A Taste of Champagne’s White Heirloom Grape Varieties” at Enofylz Wine Blog 
• From Cam: “Pour un Pique-Nique Sur le Patio: Roasted Citrus Tart + Jacquart Brut Mosaique” on Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• From Nicole: “A Super Fancy Pants Grilled Cheese Pairing: Salmon Caviar Croque-Monsieur with Charles Dufour Bulles de Comptoir 6 La Benjamine 2.0 Champagne” on SommsTable.com
• From Robin: “Champagne & BBQ, Chartogne-Taillet meets Rollin’ Smoke” at Crushed Grape Chronicles 
• From Terry: “Champagne and Sticky Asian Chicken Thighs: Whoa!” on Our Good Life Www.terristeffes.com
• From Jeff: “The Polar Opposite of House Style at Champagne Coessens” on Food Wine Click!
• From Katrina: “Seven is a Charm with Laherte Freres Les 7 Champagne” on The Corkscrew Concierge
• From Susannah: “Falling In Love with Champagne: My First Visit to a Wine region” on avvinare
• From Gwendolyn: “Two Days of Unexpected Pleasures in Champagne: Day One” and “Day Two” on Wine Predator