Once upon a time there was the king of beverages. This twenty-fourth and final advent tale takes us very close to Reims, the capital of the champagne king and its famous cathedral. In it were crowned the kings of France from the 1200s until Louis XVI. Our wine storyteller Thibault Lavergne crowns today the most majestic of elixirs, by making us discover all the inner workings. To do this, we had to take the beautiful path leading to the cru de la Montagne de Reims, located in the beautiful little village of Villedommange. We were able to meet the master winemaker Olivier Coulon. Praised by our Wine Wizard, they revealed the secrets that make up the coronation of a king.
Sexual confusion triumphs over the enemy
No overlord could claim to have never been threatened. The French people remain very familiar with this enemy in the crown. The troops of this cluster-writhing butterfly, called Cochylis, are rampant throughout the entire Champagne region. Eradicating them by using too many chemicals would have its share of negative consequences. This practice was therefore replaced by the establishment of sexual confusion by the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA). The areas affected by these repeated attacks will be saturated with female pheromones. In this way, it will become much more difficult for the males of the species to find the females to mate. The impact of this method on the environment is infinitely less than the usual technique of spraying insecticides. Having to be an example for his subjects, the king of beverages in his champagne region is exemplary in the application of this alternative technique. More than a third of the Champagne vineyards are nowadays “confused”.
Tree bark and bamboo shoots as a red carpet
Since the beginning of the adventure started by The Wine Story Club, the paths leading to the mountain of Reims have never ceased to be surveyed by our enchanter. The lands of the Coulon line extend over nearly three hectares. The beauty of these hills would leave us almost speechless. Each Coulon murmurs with the knights of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grape varieties since the 19th century, as required by the royal charter specific to this appellation of the king champagne. Our master winemaker Olivier Coulon works his vines very well. He doesn’t want to treat her too much. In this sense, tree bark and bamboo shoots will be strewn between its rows of vines. The grass cannot therefore invade the premises and the creation of a healing mucus will be able to take place. Real natural compost, the vine will be filled with it.
A very intimate production from a glorious dynasty
Contrary to the famous expression, our oenologist mage is a prophet in his sector of activity. Although he remains keen to promote his small producers, he does not deny the way in which the notoriety of what constitutes according to him the best known of the French brands is being pulled upwards thanks to his very big brands. Among these very large brands, one of the best known bears the very prestigious name of Krug. Its reputation is global, from an ancestral family house in the region, which now belongs to the LVMH group. The Coulon family business, producer of our twenty fourth Advent elixir, can be proud of having succeeded in acquiring the two hectares of land previously exploited in the village of Villedommange by these pillars of our wine heritage. Our feet therefore tread on a fabulous terroir, which only a generation ago belonged to the Krugs cuvée.
This mead with a very epicurean side
Our magician wine merchant tells us the reasons they pushed him to choose the Coulon family champagne. In reality, he reveals the ins and outs of his own tasting. “The advantage of this potion is that you will have a real freshness on the finish, but without too much acidity either” confides Thibault Lavergne very tenderly. He insists for the umpteenth time on this balance so dear to his heart. He tells us about a bubble that quenches all the most faithful amateurs. Small and shimmering, it would be like a caress. True incantation in favor of an exquisite shared moment, which was first and foremost approached by our brilliant winemaker as a very good wine is crowned champagne king of the Wine Story Club. The plebs having come for this crowning will succumb so willingly to a second glass of mead, because we must celebrate the founder of this all but private club, which will have illuminated our end of the year with all his wonderful wine stories. .
Know more dear readers, that by this status of faithful to our edition, you benefit from an exclusive 10% discount. So you can go looking for this wine for £ 26.55 a bottle, instead of the usual £ 29.50. To do this, all you have to do is contact the brand by email, especially not forgetting to mention that you are part of the circle of people who read us!
You can also benefit from this preferential discount rate on the entire wine list offered by The Wine Story Club !
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