Description
Some particularly hardcore Champagne enthusiasts may be inclined to seek out bottles of “Coteaux Champenois” from certain producers whenever they can find them. For those wondering, Coteaux Champenois is still wine, most often of Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, made in a burgundian style but in the Champagne region. Because of course still wine is not what Champagne is known for, few producers bother making them, and even fewer make their way over here to our North American markets; yet they can be found with a bit of persistence. What we have never seen, however, is a Coteaux Champenois from Champagne’s third major grape: Pinot Meunier.
Though this doesn’t come from Champagne, the premise of a still red wine made from Pinot Meunier is always intriguing no matter its provenance. Vineland Estates Winery, located in the Twenty Mile Bench VQA of Ontario, planted clone 458 of Pinot Meunier in 1997. According to the proprietor, had they known beforehand how much toil and effort it would take to keep these vines happy and alive, they would never have bothered with the endeavour; and we are so grateful for their ignorance. So, for those hardcore Champagne enthusiasts (or anyone else who is curious after reading all this), we can’t stress enough that this is worth your time. Expect great concentration of bing cherries, raspberries, and cassis, with warm accents of baking spice.
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