Waris-Hubert Avize Grand Cru Brut 2009
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2009 Waris-Hubert Grand Cru Champagne exemplifies some of the rarest qualities and nuances that have made this region so famous in the world of wine. Stéphanie and Olivier Waris— the fourth generation of this family of winegrowers installed in Avize—have thankfully continued the family tradition of artisan production. This Champagne is delicate from start to finish. The wine exhibits a steady, refined mousse and flavors of green apples and slate. The fresh and scintillating finish makes this a perfect choice for a couple dozen raw oysters on the half shell. (Tasted: August 29, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
The Champagne Waris-Hubert vineyard encompasses the villages of Avize, Oger, Cramant, Chouilly and Aÿ, all classified "Grand Cru", along with the communes of Grauves, Bisseuil and Sézanne, terroirs of character. Each plot is separately vinified in stainless steel vats, so as to get the best out of the flavors of the Côte des Blancs, the Sézannais and the Vallée de l’Ardre.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’