What up Bubbly Lovers? Codey here...
Guess what? Filaine Champagne is back.
As
you might remember: I offered this Champagne in April and it sold out
in a heartbeat. Well, the re-stock has finally arrived and the bubbles
are as glorious as ever. Around Ancona's we've begun to call it "The
Halley's Comet Champagne".
In
April Mitch and I took a field trip to visit the cellars of ten of the
finest micro-producers in Champagne (work doesn't suck). All of the
wines were stellar, but one wine really spoke to us:
Filaine (Fabrice Gass) NV Brut 1er Cru Damery Cuvèe Speciale Champagne
Fabrice
Gass is a winemaking genius and impeccable farmer. This guy grows all
his own grapes, the way it should be done. He is also a fanatical,
chain-smoking eccentric who only makes a few hundred cases a year. Which is probably just enough to support his own conspicuous Champagne consumption.
Fabrice
actually bottles a modest portion of his wine in magnums. Although,
right now, mostly just for personal imbibition. According to Fabrice, "a
magnum is the perfect amount of Champagne for two people: so long as
one isn't drinking!"
That said, the wine is terrific. There
is certainly $100+ worth of juice in this bottle. Although it's hard to
compare an ant to an elephant--this wine is no doubt on the level of
something like Dom Perignon or Roederer Cristal. And spoiler alert: it's much less money.
Quite limited: if you would like some, please email asap with how many bottles you would like, and which store you would prefer to pick it up in.
'Come quickly, I'm tasting stars.'
Codey Foster, Wine Director
Standard Retail: $54.99/bottle
Email Special: $46.00/bottle
6 bottles or more price: $40.50/bottle
Limit 12 bottles per person
Tanzer Notes: Bright
yellow-gold. High-pitched citrus pith, quince and yellow rose scents
are complemented by notes of toasty lees and chalky minerals. Shows
very good depth and energy on the palate, offering bitter pear skin and
blood orange flavors and a hint of tarragon. The floral quality comes
back strong on the clinging finish, which shows excellent clarity and
mineral bite. (45% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay and 20% pinot meunier)
Foster Notes: So
damn good. The Cuvee Speciale is the perfect continuum of decadence,
power, minerality, and breathtaking vinosity. This is soulful and
seamless juice that is undoubtedly the outcome of nearly perfect and
conscientious farming. Flavors of concentrated lime, meyer lemon, mint,
and freshly baked French baguette are laced with outspoken earth tones.
This is flinty/chalky/smokey juice--but in the most delicate way
possible. Bone dry. Pure distilled wine swag.
The man.
Fabrice
calls magnums, "Petite Magnums". And he's always headed down to the
cellar for just one more--but not before lighting up.
The barrel room. The whole thing. That's it.
The cellar. (Fabrice isn't keen on dusting)
Fine Print:
Orders due: Tomorrow, Saturday the 19th. Arrives in our store next week, before Christmas.
Shipping available but extra (Shipping may not reach you by Christmas, but possibly by New Years)
