Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/759555
december 2016 / the tasting panel / 55 The 19th-century wine lover was as fond, and perhaps even fonder, of sparkling wine than those who visit the winery today. In unearthing the win- ery's history as a "Champagne" cellar, Boisset embarked on a four-year proj- ect and an unprecedented gesture—the creation of a new Champagne brand awarded to the winery as Buena Vista La Victoire Champagne. "The Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) granted the creation of the brand based on Buena Vista's provenance as the first com- mercial producer of sparkling wine on the West Coast," said Boisset when he presented the distinct La Victoire bottle taken from a 17th-century mold. In blending La Victoire, which is produced in Reims, France, Boisset and his Buena Vista winemaking team, led by Maloney, sought out Premier Cru Pinot Noir vineyards in Montagne de Reims and looked to the Grand Cru vineyards of Mesnil-sur-Oger and Chouilly to source Chardonnay. With aromas of brioche and lightly-roasted nuts, the Pinot Noir–dominant blend is 30 percent Chardonnay with a mark- edly low 8.7 g/l dosage. "We learned that the Count's eldest son, Arpad, studied the production of méthode champenoise at the House of Venoges in Épernay for two years," said Boisset. "After his return to the winery, Buena Vista produced a popular sparkling wine which was sold in 1861 under the name Eclipse." With an initial production of just 5,000 bottles, La Victoire will be priced at $50, with reserve Cuvées offered at the winery for $75 and $85. With the arrival of La Victoire, the estate's first floor Bubble Lounge, an Art Deco and Christian Louboutin–inspired interior themed in winter white, will be pouring flights of bespoke Champagne in addition to several of the delicious Bourgogne crémants that Boisset created under the JCB label. BESPOKE CHAMPAGNE Estate wine being racked in to custom oak cuvées for matura- tion prior to bottling. The Art Deco and Louboutin-inspired Bubble Lounge provides the perfect backdrop for experiencing Boisset's besoke Champagne, Buena Vista La Victoire Champagne.