Champagne is the perfect celebratory drink, but do you really require a true celebration to enjoy a bottle? I recently popped open a bottle of Jean Philippe Moulin Champagne Brut on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
This Champagne is crafted by the same winemaker who made Ruinart, Mumm and Baron de Rothschild, but it’s actually affordable for normal folks like us. It’s an absolute bargain at under $30 per bottle.
Since this Champagne was made using the same connections, prestigious appellation controlee grapes, and the classic techniques behind some of the world’s most famous labels (this wine spent six years aging on the lees), what’s inside once you pop the cork is a refined, delicious, cascade of tiny little bubbles. There’s a ton of fizz that’s complemented by a very tart and crisp finish that’s punctuated with fresh apple and toasted pastry flavors. On the nose, there’s plenty of floral notes (think orange blossom) and a refreshing hint of lemon.
Grapes used in this Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Tastes great on its own but if you’re looking to pair with food, try with a mild, soft cheese, shellfish, or pork.
This wine was tasted courtesy of Naked Wines, a fantastic little startup company that works like a crowd funding campaign for great wine. The company boasts that it can “get you better wines for less money, and still get the winemaker a great deal,” and there’s plenty of truth to that claim.
Consumers sign up as an “Angel” and invest $40 a month into their nakedwines.com piggy bank (which they are free to spend however they choose). Angels get even greater discounts on all wine purchased and quite frankly, the prices are already a bargain. We’ve tried a dozen wines from this company and all were of a much higher quality than their price would suggest.
This piggy bank money is used by the company to invest in talented, independent winemakers who want to focus on making a solid product without all the hassles of big name marketing. The small winemakers get to make the exact wine they want without all the added costs, essentially eliminating the high dollar middleman and passing the savings (and the fruits of their labor) onto real wine fans.
The service is a wine club, but they’ll never send out wine you haven’t ordered (that means no Pinot if you prefer Champagne), and they include free delivery if you spend $100 or more, which is an easy task for any wine lover.
It’s important to note that none of us here at The Grape Geeks have actually signed up for this service (yet), but we have met some of the folks behind the business and they’re awesome wine geeks just like us.
The company sponsored a closing night dinner at the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa and poured over two dozen different wines on offer (the success rate with my palate hovered in the 75% range, which is pretty exceptional). They’ve also generously sent us several bottles to sample and review, and my thoughts are published on our website.
If you’re interested in learning more about Naked Wines, mosey on over to their website at NakedWines.com.
The Grape Geeks 