A Family Affair

In the world of food and drink, there are certain products whose secrets are in general not taught to the public, but passed down within families. In Germany and Belgium, brewmasters hold their formulas and mixtures as family secrets. All over the world, "secret" spice blends and sauce recipes enhance food and drink in small areas. Even among the wide-open barbecue culture in the United States, there are "rub" recipes that have been handed down for decades.

But perhaps nowhere else is the impact of family felt more than in the world of champagne. The mixture of botany and alchemy that produces that glass of fizzy fermented grape juice you swill down on New Year's Eve is so complex that you would have the same chance of stumbling on a family's recipe as you would of finding a four-carat diamond in a playground sandbox.

In the world of Champagne, just as in any society, there exist the stodgy "old guard" and the mavericks. Chief among these mavericks is Laurent-Perrier, founded in 1812 and acquired in 1939 by the Nonancourt family, led by Bernard de Nonancourt.

On a recent morning, I piled myself into the Family Truckster and pointed the nose down the interstate to Atlanta for a breakfast and tasting with the Laurent-Perrier team. Normally, I avoid wine tastings like the plague, as I've found frequently that the sort of folks they attract tend to be insanely well-versed in wine ... and I'm not. I know what I like, and I know the basics about winemaking and grape growing, but if you put a gun to my head and forced me to tell you if a glass of red wine came from France, Italy, California or Cleveland, I'd tell you to pull the trigger.

However, one thing caught my eye in the invitation: Alexandra de Nonancourt, Bernard's daughter, would be there. That's somewhat equivalent to finding out one of the Gallo kids is showing up at your local wine tasting. If the boss' daughter was willing to make the cross-pond trip to shepherd her family's vintages, the least I could do was roll out of bed at 3:30 a.m. and put on my one suit.

The tasting took place at The Lobby at Twelve, an exquisite restaurant on the ground floor of the Twelve condos at Atlanta's new Atlantic Station development. Chef Nick Oltarsh has put together a staff that turns out cuisine of the type that is making the Southeast one of the new culinary hot spots. Atlanta fancies itself a fairly cultured town, and Oltarsh's place is poised to top the culinary heap there.

Have I mentioned lately how unappreciated I feel? None of you understand how difficult it is to drive to luxury restaurants and eat things like scrambled eggs garnished with creme frâiche and caviar, cheese blintzes and fresh-cut pineapple. You see how I suffer for you? In any case, after that repast, my fellow tasters and I retired to the tasting room, where we sampled four of Laurent-Perrier's products while learning the history of the company and how the "re-imagining" of the company's image came to be. Not being the most wine-savvy of folks, I did at least remember to hold my Champagne flutes by the stem so as not to mark myself as the neophyte of the gang.

The new image for Laurent-Perrier was created with the help of world-renowned photographer Jean-Baptiste Huynh, who created an image for each variety centered on natural images. For instance, the ads for Laurent-Perrier's Brut L-P feature a tulip with a ribbon bearing the company's name entwined in the petals. The image breaks one of the old rules of advertising by hiding the company name, but it does so in such a way that the viewer is drawn into the picture. One of my fellow tasters declared that the image reminded her of a young woman wearing a pearl necklace with a V-cut gown. I wouldn't know about any of that, as I am pure of thought, word and deed at all times, but the picture is definitely eye-catching.

And now, to the wines themselves.

Let me begin by saying that if you, like me, have rarely ventured outside the below-$20 price range for your Champagne, you are missing a truly incredible experience. For your next special occasion, like Tuesday, try one of the bottles from the more-expensive range at your local liquor store. While most of us don't have the budget to keep a cabinet full on hand, one bottle of, say, Grand Siè or Cuvé Rosé Brut will be an experience you won't soon forget.

First up was the Brut L-P, which the company's literature refers to as the "standardbearer" for the house style. It did not disappoint, dancing on my tongue and, as it warmed, giving off citrus notes that lingered. This is the sort of Champagne you would enjoy to start off an evening, with light hors d'ouevres or by itself.

Then came what was, for me, the masterpiece of the collection, the Grand Si&$232;cle. The name comes from a conversation between Bernard de Nonancourt and Charles de Gaulle, and refers to the 17th century, commonly regarded as the apex of French power and culture. Befitting such a grandiose name, the flavor of the Champagne is truly incredible, with hints of honey and almond that expand and change as the wine warms in the glass. This is not something to be quaffed quickly in a toast, but to be slowly enjoyed, preferably with some good cheese while settled in a comfy chair.

The Cuvée Rosé Brut was the one down note of the tasting, for me. Granted, my palate is not a highly trained one, but I found it to be a bit too strong. To me, Champagne flavors should blossom slowly, rather than grabbing your taste buds at first sip. However, if you like your tipple with strong notes of berries and an overall rather aggressive presentation, this would be your choice.

Finally, the variety with the best story of the bunch hit our flutes: the Grand Siècle Alexandra Rosé. This was a surprise wedding gift for Alexandra de Nonancourt from her father, Bernard. At the wedding reception, Alexandra was waiting for the speech from her father, always an important moment in the proceedings, when her attention was drawn to the bottles of Champagne on the tables. The flavors of this most exquisite creation served as all the "speech" needed.

What a wedding gift, and what a Champagne. While my favorite is still the Grand Siècle, the Alexandra is a very, very close second. I can imagine enjoying it with a roast duck, preferably with a cherry sauce to complement the Champagne.

I hope this gets you interested, and inspires you to perhaps do a little exploring of your own. You'll likely discover some new tastes, and at the very least you'll have a great excuse to gather your friends for a good time.

Got a question? Comment? Topic you'd like to see covered? Drop me a line, anytime!