Jean Milan Symphorine Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut 2005
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Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 Brut Symphorine explodes on to the palate with waves of ripe varietal Chardonnay fruit, smoke and crushed rocks. This is an incredibly pure, deep, imposing wine with tons of power and breadth, yet it never comes across as heavy. The aromas and flavors build with authority to the striking finish. Power and precision…it’s all there in this gorgeous Champagne.
Oger received its rightful Grand cru status in 1984, when that last, vital percentage point arrived. The village, which stands almost entirely upon Belimnite chalk, is often forgotten among its more famous neighbours. The difference between Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is mostly due to Oger’s much younger vines, but the wines have a classic Chardonnay character. The best grapes come from the same long stretch of southeasterly slopes as Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The village surely hides a whole chest of treasures among its growers and is therefore well worth investigating first hand. Henry Milan is one of few clever, visionary growers in Oger.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’