Bottle-Age Your Champagne
I try to buy my champagne in advance. By that, I mean that what I drink now is the previous batch I bought several months ago. I do that so that the wines garner more bottle-age. The result is a less acidic, more rounded wine with fruit that is more expressive and evolved. Champagnes that have great concentration and intensity (see below) benefit considerably from being left to bottle-age six, 12, 18 and more months (if you can wait that long). Even blanc de blancs and lighter bubblies turn out much more enjoyable when their rush of freshness becomes more mellow and tamed.
Champagne G.H.MUMM Grand Cru Brut Selection
The chardonnay and pinot noir come from five grand crus. These are Verzenay, Bouzy, Aÿ, Cramant and Avize. Didier Mariotti has been Chef de Caves at Mumm since 2006 and is one of Champagne’s finest and more under the radar winemakers. This non-vintage cuvée is a testament to his considerable skills. Biscuity, nutty, creamy, intense and very persistent. Time in a bottle. Seriously great Champagne. I had bottle-age this for some 12 months.