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(Vol.2) A tour of wineries in the champagne towns of "Epernay" and "Aya"
Chef Matsumori's Travelogue in France (October 2019)
Chef Matsumori's from Reims
How is everyone doing?
This is the peak season for harvesting grapes for wine. We're enjoying clear blue skies and a refreshing breeze, making for very pleasant weather.
So, today I'd like to introduce you to Epernay, a town that any champagne connoisseur would want to visit at least once.
Like Reims, it is a city with many champagne domaines, and in particular, the "Avenue de Champagne" is lined with champagne domaines.
A domaine is a producer that handles everything from grape cultivation to bottling when making wine.
This domaine also offers cellar tours (reservations required) and wine tastings.
I tasted Boizel and Venoge.
We sampled both wines on a lovely terrace, and I realized that drinking them in the place where they are made really enhances the taste.
It's a small village surrounded by vineyards, but it's home to numerous Grand Cru vineyards (vineyards that produce particularly high-quality wines, mainly in the French wine classification system).
It was just before the grape harvest. The vineyards were beautifully maintained, and it was a truly moving experience to think that the champagne produced in this small town, blessed with abundant nature, is distributed all over the world.
Chef Matsumori's C'estbon
This time, instead of introducing a shop, I'd like to introduce Domaine Roger Pouillon, the Champagne producer that left the biggest impression on me.
Domaine Pouillon was established in 1947 in the prestigious village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ by Roger Pouillon. Currently, Fabrice Pouillon has been running the domaine since 1998.
The domaine owns a total of seven vineyards, including the Grand Cru Aÿ and the Premier Cru Epernay. The grape blend is 43% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 17% Pinot Meunier. They use organic farming methods and cultivate grapes of extremely high quality.
I had the opportunity to speak with them about many things, and their passion for champagne is immeasurable. As a fellow chef, I was deeply moved by their insatiable curiosity and dedication to their craft. Furthermore, Fabrice and his wife's personalities—their calm, cheerful, and incredibly kind demeanor—made me realize that this is precisely why they are able to produce such delicious champagne.
In France, it is shipped to famous Michelin three-star restaurants, and vintage bottles are said to be extremely difficult to obtain.
This time, I had the opportunity to sample various champagnes in Champagne, and perhaps because I was drinking them under the sky, in the air, temperature, and humidity of the region where they were made, every single one of them had an incredibly delicious taste, aroma, and finish.
However, this champagne leaves a distinct impression. Due to its long aging period in barrels, the elegant aroma of the barrel wafts through the nose with the first sip, followed by a well-balanced acidity and umami of grapes—it's truly "impressive." As you sip it slowly, little by little, the impression changes gradually, and I was almost sad to finish it.
Champagne from Aÿ is also available at Cotossière. Please give it a try.