Caillez-Lemaire NV Rose
– “a first-class Champagne experience at an alt-sparkler price” (CW)
– “70% Pinot Meunier and 30% Pinot Noir” (CW)
– “gives it slightly wilder aromas than a Pinot Noir dominated blend” (CW)
– “citric element appears on the nose. Maybe clementines” (CW)
– “minerality appears on the nose and palate” (CW)
– “the palate immediately delivered tiny wild red berry intensity” (CW)
– “An hour in, some confectionary flavors are showing up” (CW)
– “rhubarb and wild berry pie” (CW)
– “really balanced” (CW)
– “wild Meunier minerality” (CW)
– “pure, high-toned, citric, and so concentrated.” (CW)
– “Just a great experience” (CW)
– “an unadulterated pleasure to drink” (CW)
– “The combination of concentration and balance is completely unheard of at this price point” (CW)
A Friendship Reestablished
Chris is a long time friend of mine, mind you, with a major gap in communications. We went to Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade together and then he left the school. When I opened Fass Selections he signed up to the list with an email that had his last name in it and it was instantly recognizable. He said he’d been reading my blog about German wines for years and he was obsessed with wine. A kindred spirit. We reconnected and now have frequent dinners and phone conversations about wine. He has a whip smart palate and is as picky as me albeit in slightly different ways. He loves German Riesling but he has been recently been drinking a ton of Caillez-Lemaire Rose Champagne. He recognized early on the greatness of the Caillez-Lemaire Champagnes and has become a huge buyer of those wines and now he’s writing an offer.
The circle is complete.
Below are Chris’ words.
Champagne can be one of the most thrilling wines to drink. It can also be one of the most frustrating to buy, particularly if you’re looking for “Tuesday night Champagne.” In the local wine shop, even $50 usually gets you a pretty mediocre bottle. Alt sparklers have lower price points, but those wines never seem to replicate the thrill you get from a good bottle of Champagne.
This list is probably familiar with one of Lyle’s great Champagne producers, Caillez-Lemaire. They make three excellent vintage wines: the opulent Cuvee Jadis, the supremely elegant Chardonnay de la Valle, and the tense and electric Pur Meunier. These are all serious wines at roughly $60 a pop that you could bring to a high-end tasting without embarrassing yourself. I have been happily cellaring and drinking these wines for many years. But I recently learned that I have been sleeping on a fourth Caillez-Lemaire wine, the NV Rose ($44.99 on a 4-pack and $42.99 on a 12 Bottle Case).
Half of the grapes in the current bottling come from the 2020 harvest, with the other half drawn from a perpetual reserve that includes all previous vintages. Unlike most rose Champagnes, the wine is made by mixing already-fermenting red wine with the white grape musts. It’s 70% Pinot Meunier and 30% Pinot Noir, which gives it slightly wilder aromas than a Pinot Noir dominated blend.
The other night, my wife and I drank a bottle over dinner. When we popped the cork, the aromas were reticent, but the palate immediately delivered tiny wild red berry intensity. Yeah baby, that’s the Meunier talking. In a short time, minerality appears on the nose and palate. This has electric acidity all the way through the finish, the kind that bounces all over the inside of your mouth, but it’s not enamel-stripping like some Champagnes can be.
An hour in, some confectionary flavors are showing up—this tastes like rhubarb and wild berry pie. Getting more viscous and concentrated as it opens, but really balanced. Some more wild Meunier minerality is showing up now.
After 90 minutes, a citric element appears on the nose. Maybe clementines? The acids and flavor concentration are peaking. After 2 hours, a super-savory bullion-like thing appears on both the nose and the palate. This is pure, high-toned, citric, and so concentrated. Just a great experience.
This wine is an unadulterated pleasure to drink. The combination of concentration and balance is completely unheard of at this price point. Great stuff at a joke of a price.
So what is this wine missing compared to the other Caillez-Lemaire wines? Perhaps it’s 10% less precise. And it peaked after two hours, so it’s probably not suitable for long aging. But if you want to have a first-class Champagne experience at an alt-sparkler price, drink this with glorious abandon on Tuesday nights over the next five years.
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 with your order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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A Word about Fass Selections and Social Media
I am big into certain social media and I want people to take pictures of the wines they have received or will receive and tag me in them and share their thoughts. I a am on Instagram. Please tag me there. I also am on Delectable which I love a lot. It is Iphone/Ipad only, but it’s like Instagram meets Facebook for wine. Tag me there and find me there as well. I want to know if you liked the wine, were not moved by the wine, hated the wine or the wine gave you a religious experience. I want to know it all. Feedback is key and I will answer all feedback e-mails as quickly as I can.
For all billing and invoicing inquiries please contact Nick at accounts@fassselections.com or 646-498-6078