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Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng Presents Champagne in All its Facets
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cyn-et-vin news | "all about champagne" This issue explores champagne's third grape: Pinot Meunier.
About cyn-et-vin: The correct pronounciation is "sin-nay-van" & stands for "Cynthia and wine" in French.
You may know that champagne is comprised of one or a combination of all of these grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. You're no doubt familiar with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir individually as still wines,
but have you ever wondered about Pinot Meunier, the lesser-known third blending varietal? It is uncommon to come by a still Pinot Meunier
wine - a true côteaux champenois or one from outside the Champagne region - but I recently tasted one from Carneros, California.
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| VOLUME 2 - THE THIRD GRAPE |
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Photo: Benoît Tarlant of Champagne Tarlant 2009
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Pinot Meunier gets it name (meunier means "miller" in French) from the flour-like dust on the underside of its leaves. |
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A big believer in experimenting with pairings, I had the 07 Chandon Pinot Meunier with Turkish cuisine (which I adore). It worked! Loved the brightness of the Meunier with the smokiness of hummus and roasted eggplant.
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2007 Chandon Pinot Meunier
Composition: 100% Pinot Meunier
Style: Blancs de noirs
Winemaking notes: 10 months in oak (73% aged French; 27% aged American; 18% new French)
Tasting notes: Very spicy and all about red fruits--cherry, current, raspberry
Where to Buy:
Chelsea Wine Vault, 75 9th Avenue (15th & 16th Sts.)
New York, New York 10011, (212) 462-4244
chelseawinevault.com and chandon.com
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There are a handful of 100% Pinot Meunier champagnes around, as well.
Two fine examples are Egly-Ouriet's Brut 1er Cru NV 'Les Vignes de
Vrigny' and Tarlant's 'La Vigne d'Or' Blanc de Meunier. And locally,
Long Island's Pindar winery produces a Meunier sparkler called Cuvée
Rare.
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And on that note, I'm off to enjoy my Meunier,
Cyn
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info@cynetvin.com | 212-228-1691 | Twitter: @cynetvin © 2009, cyn-et-vin. All rights reserved.
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