Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/11486
CHAMPAGNE Maison with a Modern Mindset CHAMPAGNE NICOLAS FEUILLATTE by Meridith May / photos by Tiffany Rose H ow does an upstart brand fit into the sophisticated world of champagne? That was the question that Pascal Boyé asked himself ten years ago when he joined the House of Nicolas Feuillatte, a relatively recent name in this hundreds-of-years- old category. Boyé, Director of Sales for Feuillatte, made a special visit to Los Angeles in April with Jean- Pierre Vincent, the first and only Chief Winemaker for the 30-year- old brand. Five Nicolas Feuillatte rosé champagnes were presented for tasting, each with a personality of its own. When THE TASTING PANEL asked Vincent about the Feuillatte house style, he responded, “Since 1986, I try to do what I like, so I guess you can call Feuillatte ‘the Jean-Pierre style.’” Interpreted, the Nicolas Feuillatte style indicates a combination of two traits: a champagne that’s easy to drink and easy to understand. “We respect nature and fruit,” Vincent says as the first glass of the salmon-hued Nicolas Feuillatte NV Brut Rosé Champagne (60% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay) threads its red fruit and floral notes across my palate, tickling with raspberry- and-rose delicacy. Jean-Pierre Vincent, Chief Winemaker for Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. 32 / the tasting panel / june 2010