Fine wines from the youngest champagne house in France

Wine Story branch in Shangri-La Plaza Mall

Wine Story recently held a workshop at its Shangri-La Plaza outlet. The event, “Tour de Bordeaux: From Vine to Wine,” treated guests to an exclusive wine tasting with Thomas Percillier of Thiénot Group Asia Pacific. Attendees learned more about the qualities of fine wine, and were introduced to two new product lines from the Thiénot Group.

The first wine presented was the 2007 Cuvée Alain Thienot, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, one of the banner champagnes of the Thiénot Group.

“We’re the youngest champagne House in France,” Percillier said. “We’re relatively small, compared to the other champagne producers, but because of our size, we’re able to produce good quality craft champagnes. We’re very excited to introduce them to the Filipino market.”

Percillier also explained to the guests how champagne is strictly regulated in France. “Only wine that comes from the Champagne region can call themselves ‘champagnes.’ The sparkling wine producers there also follow strict rules in vineyard practices, pressing regimes, and secondary fermentation techniques (for the carbonation process).”

Apart from the champagnes, also featured was a 2012 Belgrave, a red wine from the storied Bordeaux region of France. The complex bouquet of the wine has hints of dark fruit aromas like blackberry and cassis (a syrupy liqueur made of black currants), plus notes of wood, mint, and subtle notes of mocha.

The 2012 Le Boscq, on the other hand, also from Bordeaux was a rich red wine with notes of ripe fruits and licorice.

The 2005 La Vigne Aux Gamins produced very fine bubbles—“a sign of the quality of our craft champagne,” Percillier said.

The fine bubbles lent a creamy, fizzy taste and sensation to the drink. The light, amber-colored champagne also had a fruity flavor, with hints of white flower aromas. –CONTRIBUTED