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Ultimate Champagne
Monday 30 March - Friday 3 April 2009
The Reserve Collection
We have been visiting the Champagne region with our champagne loving clients 15 times a year since 1987, so we can truly claim to know much about the region and have a very genuine personal passion for the wines. On this special tour we stay at a small manor house hotel belonging to one of the small Champagne producers that we have long been admirers of. We will take this over for our exclusive use for this VIP tour and then from here we have a series of our dream Champagne visits and tastings. We travel to the region by ½rst class Eurostar to Lille and on from here by road (the fastest connection to the region). On arrival we visit Philipponnat, whose single vineyard cuvée de prestige, Clos des Goisses is a truly superb wine; we start the trip in style as their guests for dinner after a visit to the Clos. On our ½rst morning together the wine guide will present a range of Prestige Champagnes for you to taste. These might include the likes of Veuve Clicquots La Grande Dame; Taittingers Comtes de Champagne; Salon; Cattiers Clos du Moulin and Laurent Perriers Grand Siècle. We then walk to the other
end of the village to visit traditionalists Bollinger, where we learn about the importance of barrels in their vini½cation process. We are privileged to have been invited to stay for lunch. There is time to recuperate with perhaps a stroll round the Aÿ Grand Cru vineyards to regain your appetite before dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant. Next day is in Reims, and here we have an appointment with Louis Roederer where we have the rare opportunity to taste base wines. This will greatly assist in our understanding of how a champagne progresses from a still wine, to the worlds most festive of wines. Our next rendez-vous is lunch at the illustrious house of Krug who are great traditionalists, using small barrels in their vini½cation process. Krug make magni½cent complex champagnes that are superb accompaniments to food. Billecart-Salmon craft exquisite vintages, make one of the best of all rosés and an outperforming non vintage. At Jacquesson we see how M. Chiquets restless pursuit of quality continues to evolve ever more excellent cuvées. Our ½nal evening is as guests for dinner at Champagne Pol Roger at 44, Avenue de
Bollinger
Champagne; according to Sir Winston Churchill The worlds most drinkable address . The last morning will be no anti-climax as we have a special visit to the Abbey of Hautvillers where the great Dom Perignon was cellar master. This is followed by a vertical tasting of Moët & Chandons Dom Perignon. Theres time for a brief shop and lunch in Reims, before our train back to London
Provisional Outline Itinerary
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Meet St Pancras at 10.00 for Eurostar to Lille. Coach to Aÿ. Dinner. 3* manor house hotel. Prestige tasting. Lunch at Bollinger. Dinner. Louis Roederer. Lunch at Krug. Light supper. Visit Billecart & Jacquesson. Dine at Pol Roger. Dom Perignon tasting. Arrive St Pancras19.30
The Tour description is provisional, though the date is con½rmed. To be priority booked onto the tour and to receive further details which will be available by March 2008, please call or email.
Clos le Mesnil
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