Champagne de Venoge

I have never liked Champagne much—it is light, expansive, uninteresting and, ultimately, unsatisfying. It is more of a ritual than a drink, more pretension than enjoyment. This year’s Playhouse Vancouver International Wine Festival, however, provided a tasting where I got to try dozens of Champagne in one setting. While most of them are exactly how I remember and expected of them, one I had never drank provided a great pleasant surprise. I do not suppose most Champagne lovers would like the wines from the house of de Venoge. They make their Champagnes with a lot of Pinot Noir and give their wines a depth of flavour and terroir that set them apart from all other Champagnes. They feel ancient, grand and challenging, very much the anti-Champagne. They remind me of the original nobles (connected to the land) and not the latter days nobles (airheads in the courts). I can sit down with them, drink with them and have fun with them. I cannot do that with most other Champagnes. Finally there are Champagnes that I like and for that I must thank the festival and Mr. Gilles de la Bassetière for making and bringing them.