Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Tradition" Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne

This earthy, lightly savory 100% Pinot Meunier is everything that I love about the varietal. Rich, yellow fruits (pear and apple), a hint of mushroom and baked caramel. The difference between this one and other producers is that it has a clean finish with a nice hint of minerality and chalk. There are also clean citrus flavors, as well. For those of you who love Blanc de Noirs, this is a must. For those of you unfamiliar with the varietal, this is your chance to try an excellent one that is very reasonably priced. I buy magnums of it, myself.

I've found that Champagnes made with Meunier is so incredibly food friendly, there's a little bit of savoriness in the mid-palate that just makes it match a little bit better than other Champagnes for me. This is no exception. There's a lovely leesy toast on this, kind of like a toasted baguette, accompanying soft floral red notes, like raspberry flowers and strawberry buds, accompanied by a little honeysuckle. The palate is strikingly delicious, crisp green apple doused with lemon and a little bit of chalk, umami notes and then moving into a soft and pretty floral finish, with apple blossoms and orange flowers playing about. This is absolutely fantastic and extremely well priced. This shouldn't last, so make sure to get what you can now.