And quickly, as with all things enjoyable, we have come to the seventh article in this series. This month, we consumed a mix of champagnes and still wines. Here is the run-down.
Its TGIFriday! Great champagnes and wines drunk in May
We co-hosted two events with watch maisons this month.
The first was with Speake Marin which was held in Atipico Room 15. I forgot to take photographs of the wines consumed. But for champagne, we had the Billecart Salmon Brut Le Réserve NV. And the red wine was Villa Matta, Amarone della Valpolicella 2022, Veneto. The grapes were 70% corvina veronese, 20% rondinella, 5% molinara, 5% others made with the appasimento method where the grapes are dried before pressing, making the wine very full-bodied and intense, with rich aromas of dried cherries, figs, and sweet spices. The palate is smooth yet powerful, with velvety tannins and a warm, lingering finish.
And the second was held with David Candaux at Keef the Beef Bungalow. I will cover all the wines we drank during these dinners.
But to kick off today’s review, a celebration among friends. One of our classmates at last year’s WSET Level 2 wine course scored a 93/100, and as the highest scorer in the class, he treated us to an afternoon of wines.
Ayala Brut Majeur
We kicked off the afternoon with champagne. Of course. And the champagne selected was the Ayala Brut Majeur. Ayala is one of the large champagne houses. The house is now owned by the Bollinger family, and this particular bottle is their signature, non-vintage champagne.
The blend is 55% Chardonnay, 350% Pinot Noir, and 15% Meunier, and dosage is 6g/L. The base vintage of 45% is from the 2021 harvest, with the rest being taken from their reserve wines which were harvested from 2016 to 2020. Disgorgement was August 2024, thus the wine has sat sur lees for at about 3 years. The maison is an NM, and the blend is from more than 70 different wines throughout the Champagne region.
The champagne presents in the glass as a light yellow/gold with abundant and fine mousse. On the palate, it is open and delicate with notes of citrus and white fruits. The balance of the acidity is quite rounded, with a touch of freshness and a long finish. I would describe the style as more oxidative than reductive, but it remains crisp and fresh.
Pascal Joliver Pouilly-Fumé 2022 Terres Blanches
We moved on next to the white wine. This is a Pouilly-Fumé from Maison Pascal Joliver. Sauvignon Blanc from terrior with 100% clay-limestone. “Terres Blanches” is the name given to the Kimmeridgian marls. Village of Boisgibault. This is the maison’s single-vineyard expression that showcases specific “white earth” terroir.
In the glass, the wine shows as a pale lemon. On the nose, it is complex, with a base of ripe golden apple and hints of melon and banana. The continues this story, with the wine presenting as a medium body but with vibrant and taut acidity. The finish has a creamy texture, but decays slowly into a saline, mineral driven sensation.
Famile Brunier Telegramme Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022
The Telegramme is the second wine of the famed Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. The wine is a 2022 vintage, and this specific year was marked by an extreme weather event—a tornado and hail on the La Crau plateau—which led the Brunier family to declassify a larger portion of their fruit into the Télégramme label rather than bottling their flagship “Vieux Télégraphe”.
The grapes are 80% Grenache, followed by roughly 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre, and 4% Cinsault, it is aged for 15 months in large oak foudres and bottled without filtration.
The wine is bright and cheerful ruby red on the glass, with a prominent nose which is expressive of black fruit, marshmallow and sweet spices. On the palatte, it is smooth with mellow tannins and a nice mouthfeel. Finish is long and very tasty.
Telmont Réserve Brut NV
This bottle was served at the Panerai event held at The Nanson. Telmont has an interesting ownership. The French spirits group, Rémy Cointreau, which is family owned, acquired a majority stake in 2020. The Lhôpital family, a fourth generation family member of the founding family remains a shareholder and Cellar Master and Head of Viticulture. The President of Maison Telmont is a former executive of Dom Pérignon and is also a shareholder. And in 2022, actor Leonardo DiCaprio acquired a minority stake in 2022 to help support the brand’s sustainable “In the Name of Mother Nature” initiatives.
This is one of the champagnes which always pleases me when it is served. The Réserve Brut is their base offering. The label is quite interesting as it provides all the information of the champagne right in front. Starting from the top left block, is the serial number for tracking provenance. On its right is the vendage. In this bottle, the base harvest is from 2020 (66%), with the rest from their reserve wines harvested from 2017 and earlier. Each year is specified with a specific percentage. Autres means others, and I assume these are from harvests older than 2015. Below the serial number is the disgorgement date, which is 2025, which means the wine spent some 5 years sur lees. The dosage is next, and is 3.4g/L, making it a Brut (or Extra Brut). The cépage is listed next as 40% Chardonnay, 29% Meunier and 31% Pinot Noir. The winemaking method is also listed on the label. And right at the bottom, the house manifesto is stated.
As the champagne is poured, I noted a beautiful lemon yellow colour. Very pale. On the nose, pear and toasted nuts were detected. And the palate confirms the malolactic fermentation with strong flavours of plum, nuts and a touch of brioche. The mousse is persistent and very fine. And long lasting.
Next, the David Candaux private dinner at Keef the Reef. If there is interest, please let me know, and I will do a short article describing the food. Which was steak. Of course.
Odyesée 319 Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc
First off, the champagne for the evening. This is a rather special bottle. The Odysssée 319 is a project started by Olivier Bonville (of the Franck Bonville estate) and his son-in-law Ferdinand Ruelle. The project’s ambitious goal is to eventually create a cuvée from each of the 319 villages in the Champagne region. This is the base of their project, made from Chardonnay from their own estates in Grand Cru village of Avize. The journey (odyssée in French), starts with three base wines to act as the foundation for the journey. This bottle of Blanc de Blancs is the first, with support from a Millésieme 2017 (2017 vintage) and a Rosé. Then in 2020 they released the Avize Le Lavant (sunrise) as Jour 1 (day 1 of the journey) and Avize Le Couchant (sunset) as Jour 2. Both are vintages of 2020. Subsequently, as Jour 3 is 100% Pinot Noir from Belval-sous-Châtillon in the Vallée de la Marne. Jour 4 moves to Mareuil-sur-Aÿ terroir with a blend of two Pinot Noir parcels and one Chardonnay parcel. Jour 5 heads to Chamery with the 2022 vintage, and Jour 6 to the village of Landeville with the 2023 vintage. Interesting concept, and as there are 319 villages to go through, this is a very long term project.
Our bottle was the Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc from Avize. This is 100% Chardonnay, and was a blend of harvests from 2020 and 2021. Disgorgement was August 2023 and the dosage was 4.2g/L.
Two years sur lees gives the champagne maturity and finesse, which are typical characteristics of the Côte des Blancs. On the glass, it is a pale golden yellow with tiny but persistent mousse. The nose are light citrus notes with pitted fruits showing through the brioche bready base. On the palette, it is very well balanced. Fresh, with a mild acidity which comforts rather than attacks the palette. Lovely champagnes, and easy to drink The finish is rather long.
Albert Bichot Côte de Nuits-Villages 2020
I picked this wine from the list at Keef because I had made an acquaintance with Christophé Bichot, one of the two brothers who currently run the family maison. Christophé is a watch collector with some interesting watches. The maison is headquartered in Beaune, but has property plots from all over the Côte de Nuits region. Many are Grand Cru plots, but this wine is from their more approachable range and is a village wine. The grapes for this appellation come from villages located in the northern and southern parts of the Côte de Nuits, essentially from plots in Brochon (near Gevrey-Chambertin) and Corgoloin-Comblanchien (near Nuits-Saint-Georges).
The cepage is, of course 100% Pinot Noir, as are all Burgundy reds. The wine presents as a beautiful, bright ruby red in the glass. On the nose, it features red and black fruits with a hint of smoke. On the palette, it shows well integrated tannins which remain soft and velvety. Beautiful wine which went very well with the thick cut bacon and chargrilled T-Bone steak.
Then the restaurant ran out of the wine, and we settled for some Spanish.
Finca Martelo Rioja Reserva 2019
This is a highly acclaimed, single-vineyard red wine from Rioja Alavesa, Spain, crafted by Torre de Oña (part of La Rioja Alta). The cepage is 95% Tempranillo, with the remaining 5% a traditional field blend of Mazuelo, Garnacha, and Viura. This is a typical blend for Rioja.
The wine presents itself as a deep ruby on the glass. The nose is nicely perfumed with fresh fruits, mainly cherries and dark berries. A hint of spice underlines the aroma. On the palette, it is medium bodied, very vibrant, with astringent tannins. While still considered to be well integrated with the moderate acidity, it is less velvety compared to the Albert Bichot above, and in a side by side comparison the Rioja feels much more aggressive. Finish is very long and refreshing.
Paul Aegerter Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Réserve Personnelle 2019
Next is a red Burgundy crafted from 100% Pinot Noir with Premier Cru status in Beaune. The wine is made by Paul Aegerter, and is the 2019 vintage. This wine won the Tower Club Wine & Whisky Awards of 2023 held in Singapore for “Best Old World Red Wine”.
From the Les Grèves Premier Cru plot in Beaune which at 31 hectares is the argest Premier Cru climat in Beaune. It owes its name to the soil made up of friable rocks and sand. The 2019 vintage can probably be cellared for another 5 or 8 years before peaking, though is just about ready to drink.
I drank this bottle at home, thus the GabrielGlass used. It presents as an intense garnet with light ruby reflections. Quite beautiful. The nose is a concentrated aroma of ripe red and black fruits, with a hint of spice. On the palette, the tannins are still quite powerful, but the wine envelopes the mouth quickly. The finish is long, and spicy.
Chavost Blanc Assemblage
And finally we return to Chavost. But instead of a 100% Menieur in last month’s list, this one is their entry level Blanc Assemblage. This is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Meniuer. The Chavost wines are all sulphide free, and the house practice a very clean viticulture. The champagnes are made with organic grapes with zero additives. No clarification, no dosage with spontaneous fermentation using with indigenous yeasts, undergoing full malolactic fermentation.
This bottle was disgorged in October 2025. On the glass, the champagne shows a fine stream of mousse which disappears rather quickly. The nose is beautiful and pleasant yet powerful on green apples, then lactic and buttery notes. On the palette, it is less aggressive than the Blanc de Menieur, but still remains quite vinous with good structure with the chalky and acidic profile matched with creamy brioche. This is easier to drink then the Menieur, as it is better balanced.
Concluding thoughts
And there we go. May’s toll of champagnes and wines I consumed. Have you tried any of these? What are your tasting notes if you have. And what would you recommend I try next.
