What makes champagne taste good? There are so many criterias on which the taste of champagnes can be evaluated – aroma, palate notes, mouth feel, effervescence etc. It can certainly get quite complex. But you don’t have to bother with that because with the award-winning champagne house that we are about to introduce, you’ll get champagnes that are nothing short of impeccable quality and taste.
Because the owner believes that the story of a wine starts with the soil and the fruit, the latter being hand-picked at just the right moment. Surely, since excellence is ensured from even the most fundamental stages, you can imagine how delectable the end product is.
La Maison Penet can be defined by their 400 years of history of dedicated viticulture and exceptional winemaking. It is located in the middle of a beautiful village in the North-eastern part of France called Verzy.
Currently, Alexandre Penet, together with his wife Martine, manage a 6-hectare estate on an exceptional Grand Cru vineyard*. Though the house was founded in 1967, Alexandre's ancestors were already cultivating the vineyard in the region as early as the 17th century.
*Fun Fact: Grand Cru refers to the quality of a particular vineyard and the terroir (environmental conditions) in which the grapes grow. It is the highest and most well-respected wine classification.
The family adopts a very calculated and not to mention, sustainable cultivation approach that is adapted according to the different kinds of soil.
Notably, there is no use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides.
Their vinification process is curated to ensure the preservation of fruitiness and freshness – with the long ageing process involving as few interventions as possible in order to preserve the integrity and the qualitative potential of the wine.
The APERTUS team was particularly thrilled by La Maison Penet due to our shared principles. The small family-owned house’s intricate production process is well monitored and regulated. In the end, you get artisan champagne of the highest quality, that couldn’t be further from mass-produced ones.
APERTUS works similarly, with a small number of staff scattered across major cities, who excel in their services through their meticulous detail-oriented approach when curating your itineraries, ensuring that we fulfill your unique needs. In both of our cases, our size is our strength.
La Maison Penet champagnes have complex and profound flavours. Each batch has its own distinct character. Alexandre has a very clear strategy when making his champagnes to achieve these characteristics.
In fact, some of his ideas are novel and unusual for the Champagne region. Considering his single-vineyard champagnes, it is unusual in Champagne to highlight a specific terroir. Typically, several plots from various villages are blended together.
Let us share with you the highlights of 3 of the different kinds of champagnes that they produce, as described by Robert Parker, the renowned wine critic.
2011 Penet-Chardonnet Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Champs Saint-Martin
Variety: Pinot Noir
Aromas of smoky pear, warm biscuits, clear honey and spices
Medium to full-bodied
2009 Penet-Chardonnet Grand Cru Millésime Coline & Candice
Variety: Proprietary Blend: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Exhibits an attractive bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit and orange rind framed by overtones of vanillin and creamy oak lactones, due to its contact with wood
Medium to full-bodied
2009 Penet-Chardonnet Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Fervins
Variety: Proprietary Blend: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Rich aromas of candied peel, warm biscuits, honeycomb and spices.
Medium to full-bodied
The APERTUS team is definitely aware how many of you are wine connoisseurs and wine lovers. Apart from just adding La Maison Penet’s champagnes to your wine cellar at home, why not just personally visit their vaulted cellars and vineyards and learn first-hand where it all starts? They provide;
Guided tours in French and English
Champagne tasting
Food & Champagne discovery pairings
Introduction to wine assembly
Harvest Visits
Learn how to perfectly pair your wine with selections of cheeses and meat. Explore their beautiful vineyards and immerse yourself in the magical art of winemaking. Simply contact the APERTUS team and ask for a personal visit to the champagne house when you go to France and we’ll do all the talking behind-the-scenes. And upon request for all flights departing from France until November, we can also arrange for your preferred La Maison Penet champagne bottles to be served on board during your trip.
