FFW 2021 Wine Catalogue

CHAMPAGNE

MEET THE GROWER Esterlin

Esterlin is a family champagne house, and we approve verymuch of “family” so it is a pleasure to have as our “house champagne”, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do! In 1948, three families combined to grow and make champagne themselves, rather than sell the grapes on to winemakers. They beganwith 23 hectares, have kept investing, and now have 105 hectares. Their Brut Eclat is made from Chardonnay, and equal parts Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. There’s 52 different villages and terroirs covered by Esterlin’s vineyard holdings. Mostly each vineyard has its own press, so the quality of the grapes and juice is assured, as they are pressed immediately after picking. The range of different terroirs across Champagne allows the blender and head winemaker, Laurent Etienne, tomake a consistent and quite rich house style in terms of colour and fruit profile. They have a large warehouse holding 3.5million bottles, each wrapped up to protect it fromnatural light. Temperature remains constant at 12 degrees all year. For their non-vintage blend, they can then choose froma large range of wines held over many years tomake their house style. The secondary vinification occurs after blending. It undergoes 36-monthminimumbottle ageing – high for a NV – and then a further 6months in bottle after secondary fermentation. This creates a very balanced style with great fruit and slightly nutty profile, simply delicious!

JS 91 POINTS

BRUT ECLAT, NV ESTERLIN NON-VINTAGE DRINK2020+

6x75 £117.85

I tasted it recently and drained the glass embarrassingly quickly; it is really excellent,

exceptionally finemousse and dangerously drinkable – the blend is 50%Chardonnay, and 50% Pinots Noir andMeunier, it is superbly fresh, with notes of white flower andmineral, the Chardonnay singing. Good looking bottle too!

CLASSIC GRAPE VARIETALS Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier

FAVOURITE PRODUCERS Pol Roger, Dom Perignon, Taittinger, Krug and Veuve Clicquot

AREA UNDER VINE 34,300ha

SOIL TYPE Kimmeridgian limestone

75

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