Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/457084
● Sean Van Straatum, Sommelier at L'Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. ● Michael Ploetz, F&B Director, The Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills. ● Henry Marquis, Wine Director, Superba Snack Bar, Venice, CA. ● Dirk Smits, SW Regional Manager for Maisons, Marques & Domaines with Ocean Prime/Beverly Hills Wine Director/Asst GM Jonathan Mitchell. ● Hoang Nguyen (Connie & Ted's/Hollywood), Roberto Loppi (Scarpetta, Beverly Hills) and Tarita Noronha (Hakkasan, Beverly Hills). THE BRUT TRUTH A sampling of tasting notes from industry wine buyers "Clean and crisp with pure lemon notes, white flowers and buttered brioche." —Catherine Morel, Wine Director, Bourbon Steak "Detailed, showy, stark and clean with notes of stone and linen." —Michael Ploetz, Peninsula Hotel "Subtle and a clean palate cleanser: I could drink this all day; a stylistic classic." —Henry Marquis, Superba Snack Bar "Vibrant acidity, intense aromatics (hazelnut, lemon, white flowers) and a long finish." —Jonathan Mitchell, Ocean Prime "The label is a winner; it's actually influencing my purchase, and the Champagne itself is flawless." —Lance Barbakow, The Sunset Marquis Hotel "Delicate white flowers and zesty Honeycrisp apples on the nose lead to bright, racy acidity that finishes absolutely dry on the palate." —Sean Van Straatum, L'Ermitage Hotel "The lack of dosage in the Nature makes the Pinot Meunier a player in rounding out the wine. I would pair this Champagne with our fried clams with bellies, which is slightly earthy. The dish itself is very rustic; it's basically the every part of the edible clam, something you would eat with your hands. Now you match this with a singular harvested Champagne, and you elevate the clam shack to the clam château." —Hoang Nguyen, Connie & Ted's The new wine is 90% Pinot (20% Meunier) and 10% Chardonnay. Fifty percent was aged in large casks, which imparted some roundness and spice to the wine. Ripe fruit saves it from being too lean, though this sparkler demands food, thanks to its snapping acidity. SRP $80. Choosing a "Fruit Day" in a Solar Year September 7, 2006 was deemed a "fruit day" in the biodynamic calendar (2006 was deemed a warm "solar year") and that was the ordained date for the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay selected for Brut Nature's 2006 vintage to be harvested—all at one time. This practice is unique because while the fruit for each varietal ripens at different times, separate harvesting was not an option for these biodynamically farmed grapes. The grapes were also pressed—together—to encourage spontaneous fermentation. Starck was consulted about the packaging design, but wanting more involvement, insisted on being included in the winemaking consultation, as well. His sparse label with a playful scrawled text reflects both his personal "less is more" philosophy and what's in the bottle: a clean sparkling wine that borders on the austere. "I am not a company of packaging," said Starck, who displays a greater flamboyance than the Champagne packaging he designed. "People expect creativity out of me. But Roederer—like me—is like a Rolls Royce." PHOTOS: ADAM JAMES { SOMMjournal.com } 41