The SOMM Journal

June / July 2017

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{ SOMMjournal.com }  117 A Refined Champagne for the Best Tables PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAMPAGNE COLLET Tasting Notes by Anthony Dias Blue Champagne Collet NV Brut Art Déco, France Smooth, fresh nose; crisp, ripe and juicy with refresh- ing acidity and lovely balance. 92 Champagne Collet 2006 Brut Collection Privée, France Lush, ripe and juicy; fresh and racy with keen balance yet opulent fruit. 92 Champagne Collet NV Brut Esprit Couture, France Rich, deep with elegance and great finesse; intense and luscious with a long, lovely finish. 94 EMINENTLY SUITED TO GREAT CUISINE, CHAMPAGNE COLLET PLANS ITS EXPANSION IN THE U.S. MARKET CHAMPAGNE COLLET'S HISTORY has its seeds in the famous révolte champenoise of April, 1911—a violent grower protest that resulted in new laws to counter fraudulent Champagne production and to assure the authenticity of the region's wines. Ten years later, in 1921, activist grower-producers founded the Coopérative Générale des Vignerons de la Champagne (COGEVI), the first ever cooperative in Champagne. With marketing savvy worthy of Don Draper, the early COGEVI direc - tors immediately realized the importance of establishing a recognizable brand name for their wines, and Champagne Collet was born. Less than a decade after its founding, Collet had become a highly regarded, award-winning label. Although Collet has been in the U.S. mar- ket since 2010, it has flown somewhat under the radar. Now things are changing on that front. As part of a renewed internationalization strategy, Champagne Collet established a partnership earlier this year with a new importer for the U.S. market, Old Bridge Cellars. The leading sales, mar- keting and import company, based in Napa, plans to expand the Collet brand nationally. "Champagne Collet is a well-suited addition to our portfolio," says Rob Buono, President of Old Bridge Cellars, "and will continue to expand our offerings within premier wine regions of Europe and grow- ing categories within the U.S. marketplace." Due to an exclusive agree- ment, Champagne Collet is the first Champagne—and will be the only Champagne—in the Old Bridge Cellars book. The Collet NV Brut Art Déco (SRP $45) is the best-known Champagne of the lineup and will lead as the flagship for the brand as Collet continues to pursue U.S. growth. The Collet NV Brut Rosé and Collet Blanc de Blancs (SRP $50) form the core of the brand's portfolio. The Collet Brut Vintage Collection Privée (SRP $70) and Collet Esprit Couture (SRP $100) are prestige offerings. –David Gadd The Champagne Collet Art Déco is the brand's flagship. Champagne Collet, producer of wines for the gourmet table, is also the creator of the annual Prix du Livre de Chef (Cookbook by a Chef Prize). Illustrious winners include: 2013: Nicolas Stamm of Michelin two-star La Fourchette des Ducs in Obernai (Alsace) 2014: Régis Marcon of Michelin three-star Régis & Jacques Marcon in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid (south central France) 2015: Eric Guérin of Michelin one-star La Mare aux Oiseaux in Saint-Joachim (Brittany) 2016: Frédéric Doucet of Michelin one-star Restaurant Frédéric Doucet in Charolles (Bourgogne) Collet is also the partner of the Académie Culinaire de France worldwide and of Gault & Millau. Champagne Collet: Star of the World of Cuisine PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAMPAGNE COLLET

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