Wine was straw yellow. Love the nose. Started off slightly nutty with some yeast, toasted with a bit of oak then finished off earthy and rustic. Moderate acidity (5.5/10) that was balanced throughout. Great bubbles, and the acidity grips and hangs throughout the palate. Moderate body with some kiwis, pears and green apples kind of like Granny Smith apples. Slightly tangy with some rustic and earthy notes. Well integrated and balanced. Very smooth with a lingering moderate plus finish. and the moderate plus dry finish. Great bottle of champagne. We need to look at more grower champagnes in the future.

We started off the weekend with a great vintage bottle of champagne brought over by on of our friends. Bertrand-Delespierre is known as a "Recoltant Manipulant", this means they are a Grower Champagne. What exactly is a Grower Champagne?

Grower Champagne means that they make champagne exclusively from their own vineyards/estate. A few big differences between Grower Champagne and mass produced champagne is that it is generally of higher quality and very distinctive in expressing their terroir. The 2006 vintage is made of vines averaging 25 years old and this vintage is comprised of equal parts Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The wines made by Bertrand-Delespierre are only made from the first pressing of a traditional Champagne press. Matured for at least three years on the lees before disgorgement.

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