VINE and BUBBLE Podcast

I’ve long considered Pierre Gimonnet et Fils champagnes tothe be the reference point for high quality blanc de blancs in the Champagne region. Their racy, pure and mineral style reflects the highest levels of finesse and freshness that is emblematic of chardonnay grapes grown on thewhite chalky slopes of the Côte des Blancs. Didier Gimonnet and his brother Olivier, are at the helm ofthe family’s domaine. These days they are accompanied by the involvement of their respective children. Didier is one of Champagne’s great winegrowers and makerswho is also – and  uncommonly - a good communicator.I sat down with him recently to talk about his philosophy and passion for making some of the finest blanc de blancs in Champagne.

For champagne lovers, there are few Houses with the electriccharge and extraordinary finesse of Lanson, which performs best with age. Known for blocking malolactic fermentation and extended lees aging, Lanson creates wines of extreme longevity and possesses a huge cache of the region’s oldest champagnes. After a monumental program involving a quality check andstocktake of their museum wines, the Maison has launched a unique program called ‘Lanson Private Collection’ where investors will be allocated a private cellar with storage for up to 300 bottles and personally monitored by their chef de caves, Hervé Dantan.  After experiencing the special launch dinner in Reims, whereI had the chance to taste some extraordinary champagnes going back to 1921, I sat down with Hervé Dantan for this interview.

The Pouillon family are privy to some fantastic terroir in Champagne’s Grande Vallée. Rich and textured, whilst paradoxically elegant and enthrallingly vibrant, R. Pouillon champagnes are stunning interpretations of terroir, especially through the eyes of pinot noir, and elaborated with a sensitive hand. Today we are going to meet the man behind their making. Fabrice Pouillon makes exceptional champagnes. He seemsto possess a superpower, managing to achieve a necessary balance between power and delicacy, which sometimes eludes others with a heavy hand, especially those who rely on barrels for vinification. It was my pleasure to interview Fabrice recently inChampagne.

The Geoffroy family name is historically connected to thevillage of Cumières, in the Vallée de la Marne, where the family has been winegrowing since the 17th century. Today, Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy represents the fifth generation, overseeing 14 hectares of vineyards. In the 1970s, Jean-Baptiste’s father, René, made the audacious decision to use most of their grapes for their own production, under the label Champagne René Geoffroy, instead of supplyingthe big Houses. They produce fruit-forward, flavoursome and intenselymineral champagnes that somehow produce the verve required for massive aging potential, instead of just immediate drinking appeal, which is often the casefor wines coming from Cumières. Today, Jean-Baptiste is joined by his daughter Sasha, who isworking hand-in-glove with her father to perpetuate the legacy of the family into the future. It was my privilege to interview both of them in Champagne,recently.

There are few people who have forged a unique life as aprominent voice for Champagne like my next guest, Tyson Stelzer. Tyson is a multi-award winning wine writer, television hostand producer, author of 18 wine books, an international keynote speaker and wine show chairman and judge. His accolades are too many to list, but despite being based in Australia, he has never allowed the tyranny of distance to hold him back from travelling to Champagne many times a year as well as orchestrating events and presentations across the world. Tyson started out as a science teacher, working as the headof science at an independent school on the Gold Coast in Queensland. So how did a teacher become one of the world’s top Champagne identities? In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Tyson and ask him questions never previously asked and learn how some key decisions, ambition, and a lot of hard work created a unique pathway into Champagne.