Pommery Grand Cru Royal Millesime 2009

Pommery Grand Cru Royal Millesime 2009Product Description: Pale gold with delicate golden hues, signs of elegance and maturity. Exceptional brilliance. Very fine effervescence. Remarkably elegant, the first nose is discreet and very fresh. The first notes are floral and sweet, reminiscent of honeysuckle and acacia flower. As the wine opens up, it reveals fruitier nuances of dried figs and also frangipane. The Pinot Noir asserts itself after a few seconds with aromas of violet and

Product Description:
Pale gold with delicate golden hues, signs of elegance and maturity. Exceptional brilliance. Very fine effervescence. Remarkably elegant, the first nose is discreet and very fresh. The first notes are floral and sweet, reminiscent of honeysuckle and acacia flower. As the wine opens up, it reveals fruitier nuances of dried figs and also frangipane. The Pinot Noir asserts itself after a few seconds with aromas of violet and blueberry. Very straight and exceptionally mineral, the structure of the wine is velvety, reminiscent of Champagne chalk. The balance is perfect. Notes of lime blossom and flaked almonds mingle with the fig aromas detected on the nose. A sign of great maturity after more than twelve years of ageing in the cellars, hints of toasted bread add complexity to this cuvee. The finish is a perfect balance between tension and gourmandize through a dash of pink grapefruit.

It was a must for Pommery not to miss out on one of the greatest vintages of champagne. 2009 is a worth vintage indeed. After a difficult summer, nature succeeded in aligning its stars and allowed us to have an exceptional harvest. Sourced exclusively from grands crus, with exceptional ageing potential, slowly brought to maturity in the freshness of our 18 kilometres of galleries, it is necessary to wait to taste a Pommery vintage at its optimum: the precise moment when all the components are in harmony and when maturity, freshness and complexity come together. The moment is now for the 2009 vintage.

Maker: 
In 1858, Madame Pommery took over as head of Pommery & Greno after the death of her husband. She based the expansion of her House on the creation of wines unlike any others, with one constant demand: quality pushed to the extreme. In matters of taste she was ahead of her time. It was she who created Pommery Nature in 1874, the first brut champagne to meet with commercial success, thereby breaking with the tradition of very sweet wine. A woman in a man’s world, she imprinted her personality on her champagnes. 

Vineyard:
Champagne Pommery is made of grapes from the 300 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards on the Montagne de Reims and the Côtes de Blancs. The harvested grapes undergo fermentation in the winery’s vat - which is situated right behind the Pommery cellars. After fermentation, the different wines are blended by the cellar master, Clement Pierloto, to give Champagne the signature Pommery aroma and flavour. Pommery cellars are one of the finest in Reims where their Champagne bottles mature at 10 degree Celsius. The chalk in the cellars retain humidity during summers and heat during winters. 

Today Pommery aims to make its vineyard sustainable. In fact, the winery is transforming into an eco-friendly brand with the help of Thierry Gasco, the winery’s cellar master. Under his guidance, Pommery went on to become the first wine house to achieve an ISO 14001 environmental certificate in 1996. Moreover, Vranken Pommery Monopole has been awarded ‘Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne’ and ‘High Environmental Value’ since 2014. Vranken Pommery employs organic viticulture in all their vineyards in Camargue and Provence.

Tasting:

Nose - Floral, Acacia Flower, Dried Fig
Remarkably elegant, the first nose is discreet and very fresh. The first notes are floral and sweet, reminiscent of honeysuckle and acacia flower. As the wine opens up, it reveals fruitier nuances of dried figs and also frangipane. The Pinot Noir asserts itself after a few seconds with aromas of violet and blueberry.

Palate - Linear, Velvety, Flaked Almonds
Very straight and exceptionally mineral, the structure of the wine is velvety, reminiscent of Champagne chalk. The balance is perfect. Notes of lime blossom and flaked almonds mingle with the fig aromas detected on the nose. A sign of great maturity after more than twelve years of ageing in the cellars, hints of toasted bread add complexity to this cuvee.

Finish - Tension, Balanced, Pink Grapefruit
The finish is a perfect balance between tension and gourmandize through a dash of pink grapefruit.

Review:
Brilliant golden yellow. Delicate, multi-layered bouquet of fresh apple tart, acacia blossom and a hint of summer herbs, lemon curd and dried fig. Taut, mineral-influenced palate with lively mousse and depth of extract, very densely woven structure with a polished acid mantle. Full-bodied, invigorating finish of tobacco savouriness and lemon confit. Wonderfully mature - Falstaff

The Finer Details
Style - Champagne
Varietal - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Country - France
Region - Champagne
Vintage - 2009
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12.5%