Hello and bonjour!

I hope you are keeping well and you are enjoying your summer…

I still cannot get over the fact that we have been in Champagne for over a month already! Time flies when you are tasting champagne, meeting up with friends and seeing the sights.

Last week, we went for an ambling drive and took the dogs out with us.  I think we had intended to go to the local Citroën dealership in Dizy to ask about a burnt out rear lightbulb.  The sales staff were there but the mechanics were not in so we drove on.  Mackenzie suggested we go and explore so that is what we did…

After passing the signs for Hautvillers since landing in the Champagne region, we decided to make that our destination for the day.  Famous as the resting place of Benedictine monk, Dom Pérignon in Abbaye Saint-Pierre, Hautvillers is a 93% rated premier cru village that consists mostly of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

The village or commune is beautiful and, on the day we were there, it was quite crowded with tourists from Belgium.  We walked around and found a few GR (Grande Randonnée) hiking paths which led us into magical vineyards where the grapes had just started veraison – when the grape skins start to turn colour.

We followed our hunger pains and landed in the centre square at Cafe d’Hautvillers where I ordered a bottle of Champagne G. Tribaut (NM) Blanc de Noirs Brut and it was exactly what I wanted with a great, fruity flavour profile of strawberry, raspberry, and peach.  It flirted with consistent bubbles and had some good structure to it…yum.

After lunch, with Mackenzie leading the way, we headed up a road that led us to Abbaye Saint-Pierre.  Of course, I wanted to look inside but there was a wedding about to commence as the bride-to-be arrived.  I had to save my visit for another day.

Hautvillers is a very pretty village and one not to be missed if you happen across this part of the world.  I will return again and do a more formal tasting with Champagne G. Tribaut and the other local champagne houses.

Santé!

XO
C