Inside Wine Club Miami's Annual Champagne Tasting
One small grower takes on Champagne's biggest names and wins 'Wine of the Night'. Who is it?
Every year, Wine Club Miami kicks off the summer with the Annual Champagne Tasting in June. It’s pure mayhem when we give member Jesus Cabarcos the reigns to take this longtime favorite tasting to the next level, and he did not disappoint with some of these gems. Jesus and his wife, Pamela, another Champagne lover (yes, a match made in heav - I mean Reims), also hosted the tasted at their beautiful home in Miami Beach on Friday, June 7th, 2024.
For background, our club does not meet during July and August, giving us a brief respite from downing vintage Bordeaux and Grand Cru Chablis out of oyster shells. It’s a time for us to go back to our training grounds and prepare for a jam-packed fall filled with epic tastings at Miami’s top restaurants.
Did we do the sendoff right? You be the judge.
Who would’ve thought the first wine would be the winner? As we trickled in, Jesus poured David Leclapart L’Aphrodisiaque 2012, a wine that is defined as ‘capable of arousing sexual desire’. From the hamlet of Trepail in the Montagne de Reims, David has long specialized in Chardonnay-based wines and practices biodynamic farming. The four words he uses to describe his project is Purity, Energy Pleasure and Ecology (80/20 Chardonnay/Pinot).
The wine was dialed up on complexity, dissolving into an awkward Burgundy as the bubbles whispered away. It impressed everyone for its peculiar flavor and long finish. We compared it side-by-side with the Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Françoise Nicolas 2006 which was full-bodied and voluminous wine with good concentration and beautiful gingerbread aromas (60/40 Pinot/Chardonnay).
A fan favorite came next: Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Oger ‘Special Club’ 2015. This wine was a dramatic dance that left everyone waiting for the next scene to start. It is a cuvée of wines from grand cru villages with vines dating to 1911 and 1913! A linear beam of citrus, pear and white flower took the stage and bursted with palate-enveloping fruit. A wine that kickstarts conversation and sharpens the mind.
Jesus continued with another favorite and close second place finisher: Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2007. Serious business. This wine is the Taittinger’s most exclusive cuvée, and it makes sense. It’s a Blanc de Blancs (aka a ‘white from whites’, or 100% Chardonnay) made from grand cru grapes in the Côte de Blancs region of Champagne. It was microscopic when it comes to flavor, bringing each piece of the longtime puzzle released in 1952. Not a lot of Champagnes declared ‘07, but Taittinger doesn’t lie. This stuff is baller and easy to please.
It wouldn’t be a Champagne tasting without the big boys. That’s why we pay dues! The last two wines were Dom Perignon 2006 and Louis Roederer Cristal 2012. Surprisingly, these were not favorites among the Club. One immediately feels the need to compare the two, but a good quote came out of the conversation:
“It’s like driving a Porsche vs. Ferrari. Both are incredible cars but not the same. You can’t compare different styles.”
In the end, these two wines were vastly different. Some even thought the Dom Perignon had a flaw because it increasingly tasted ‘off’ and a bit funky. The actor forgot his lines on this stage, and the Cristal took an easy win in this side-by-side, showing an all-encompassing view of the best of Champagne. It’s purity, flavor, development in the glass (it was also decanted 1 hour +) and impenetrable ball of fruit stayed integrated to the end. A true warrior of a wine.
This night would not have been possible without the amazing food pairings that went along with the Champagnes. From homemade Cacio e Pepe to warm pan de queso to flavorful olive oil and bread, and finally, fried chicken, it was a full circle tasting that filled us with joy and unforgettable memories. Thank you to Pamela and Geraldine Mayorga for making it happen.
We’ll be back at the table come August! Until then, keep drinking good wine and follow us on Instagram at @WineClubMiami for updates.
🥂
All for champagne!!!! WC