Why is the banner for this page a picture of asparagus? Well, because
this page is about Champalou Vouvray and nothing tastes quite so good
with a pat of butter and a glass of these white wines. It's something
about Chenin Blanc -- the way it pairs with this celebrated edible
lily -- they play a mutual bittersweet, fresh song. And since Veritas
is your Michigan wine distributor, and since Michigan asparagus is
world famous, why not remind you to eat asparagus? Maybe it will make
you a little bit thirsty.
Just as the sands surrounding Muskegon
are the ideal terroir for asparagus, the clay and siliceous
soils of the 21 hectare Champalou domaine are ideal terroir
for Chenin Blanc So that's all they grow.
We recently had the privilege of welcoming Catherine Champalou to
Michigan to present her latest releases. See the video at the bottom
of this page. Some of these are available now. The others can be requested
by contacting either your sales representative or Veritas.
NV Brut (SRP $24)
Fines bulles (fine bubbles) are achieved with patience as this
Champagne-method Brut is aged in the Champalou cellars for many months
before release. Floral and green apple character testify to the Chenin
base while punctuated chalk mineral notes merge with delicate lees
aromas. One Veritas client stocks this as the go-to option for pairing
with fresh green vegetables, fishy tapas or sharply flavored antipasti.
You won't find a Cava or Prosecco with anything like the savory mineral
persistence found in this wine.
2007 Sec Tendre (SRP $19)
This represents the art of the harvest -- choosing just the moment
when acidity and sugars meet in a balanced equilibrium to allow for
an effectively dry table wine. It is fermented in stainless steel.
The aromas and flavors suggest orange blossoms, lime and chalky minerality.
Any seafood restaurant would do well to offer at least one hand made
Vouvray -- ideally by the glass. Champalou Vouvray is coherent with
tropical fruit chutneys and salsas, and with spicy Caribbean, Mexican
or south Asian food.
2007 La Cuvée des Fondraux (SRP $21)
This wine is not currently in stock. It can be requested by contacting
your sales representative or Veritas.
This grows in a special limestone terroir and is vinified in old oak
casks. The stern mineral substance responds to this soft embrace with
oxygen by revealing luscious pear, honey and apple nuances. 25 g/l
residual sugar provides more in the way of texture than perceptible
sweetness, hidden as it is by the crisp acids that are characteristic
of the 2007 vintage. This wine demands richer foods to match its voluptuous
depth -- mussels, buttery paella, broiled sea bass, pasta vongole,
asparagus tart, pork rillettes, foie gras, Peking duck or smoky
corn chowder.
2003 Cuvée Moelleuse (SRP $40)
This wine is not currently in stock. It can be requested by contacting
your sales representative or Veritas.
This dessert wine comes from 30 year old vines. Grapes were selected
by hand for botrytis
during mid-October. One effect of this is severe yield restriction.
After pressing and racking, fermentation in oak casks (220-500 liters)
lasted for more than four months. It was bottled in May of 2004. The
wine now is remarkable -- gold in color and gradually developing a
rounded and rich texture. The bouquet begs for comparisons to honey
and ripe pit fruits like apricots and white peaches while the palate
is kept organized with vibrant fresh acidity and mineral character.
Please enjoy the video starring Catherine Champalou below. Or click
on the viewer to go to Youtube were you have the option of watching
it in "high quality." Look for the link below the viewer
there.
