“I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive…”
— Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
My five-year-old loves princess stories, unicorn tales, and bright pink and purple books.
I quietly hope for Seuss.
We have two copies of Green Eggs and Ham.
One is worn, now making its way through its fourth child.
She will often resist it at first.
Then the familiar words pull her in.
Before she quite realizes it, we’ve made our way through the book.
The Quiet Detail
I didn’t grow up reading Seuss.
My childhood books in Kenya leaned British.
Poetry wasn’t a particular interest then, or for much of my adult life.
Music was.
Depeche Mode. Pet Shop Boys.
Later, outside Washington, D.C., NYC hip-hop filtered down I-95.
Black Sheep. Biggie. Black Star.
Put on “The Choice Is Yours” and I’m already anticipating the next phrase.
With “Definition,” I love the simple beat, the dancehall feel in the introduction, the way the voices move through it.
I loved dancehall then too.
The beat stays steady.
The phrasing moves.
Years later, the words are still there.
I know where the rhyme is going.
I still enjoy getting there.
Before I open a Blanc de Blancs, I’m already anticipating the first sip.
White grapes. Here, Chardonnay.
Flowers. Citrus. Apple.
Acidity, mineral, chalk.
Something high-toned and crunchy that leaves my palate feeling clean.
Clarity is the word I keep coming back to.
Gimonnet has been a thread through this affection. The ’96 Fleuron remains a reference point.
So does Taittinger’s Comtes.
And Salon, of course.
They haven’t all tasted alike.
A song I know by heart gives me the performance I remember.
The next bottle has more room to surprise me.
Éphémère 022 did.
I had expected the acidity to lead.
It didn’t.
At bedtime, I change the voices.
Stretch a word.
Sometimes I start rapping or singing.
This can be annoying, apparently.
Often, she ends up doing it too.
Bottle of the Week
Éphémère 022 Les Brousses Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru
Structure
Frédéric Savart × Drémont Père & Fils
100% Chardonnay
2015 harvest
Single parcel: Les Brousses, organically farmed, old vines
Origin: Pierry Premier Cru
Extra Brut
This bottle feels ready now.
With better bottles of Champagne, especially vintage wines, it isn’t always easy to catch one when it feels ready to give what you hoped for.
The 2015 did.
Ripe and open.
The fruit has room. Stone, mineral character, and bitterness keep it composed.
It doesn’t lean on especially sharp acidity.
I bought three.
What to Notice
Ripe fruit.
Stone.
A little bitterness.
Follow what stays after the sip.
Where to Find It
I paid $74 at Last Bubbles for the 2015.
The 2018 is also listed by select retailers. Check Wine-Searcher for current pricing and availability, and confirm the vintage before ordering.
A Short Detour
Chardonnay. A particular place.
Éphémère began with Frédéric Savart and friends looking for exceptional vineyard sites that deserved more attention.
The project works through small, numbered releases, adapting the winemaking to the site and cuvée. More on Éphémère.
For 022, Chardonnay from Les Brousses in Pierry.
Blanc de Blancs is what I return to.
I’ve had four or five Éphémère bottlings over the years.
Each has given me something different to enjoy.
If you see one, I’d grab it.
As I write this, I’m already looking forward to opening another of the 022s I bought.
Perhaps I should have bought six.
Until the next bottle,
Manj
P.S. What song or book do you know by heart and still come back to?
Instagram: @le_dosage | Notes on wine, taste, and attention