De Meric "Grande Reserve Sous Bois" Brut Champagne

The De Meric Grand Reserve Sous Bois Brut reminds me of why I drink Champagne. This is not a wine to sip solo. This is a big, muscular wine to enjoy with friends over a great meal. Huge, dark Pinot Noir fruit, augmented by the partial oak aging, defines this wine. Try it with roast pork with morel mushrooms, or, for an unusual treat, with freshly popped gourmet popcorn lightly tossed with sea salt & white truffle oil.

From the De Meric website: “There are numerous modern techniques used in champagne today – and we ignore them all.” I love this statement! De Meric continues to use traditional, time-consuming Champagne methods such as a vertical press and remuage by hand. It is vinified 50/50 in neutral oak barrels and stainless steel to balance out richness and freshness. The blend consists of approximately 80% pinot noir, 15% chardonnay, 5% pinot meunier…all a combination of 1er and Grand Cru vineyard fruit. Put all these components together and you have one serious Champagne. The nose is very traditional with aromas of fresh biscuits, lightly buttered wheat toast, and crisp Washington apples. The palate is powerful, rich, and creamy yet maintains an elegant, crisp style with subtle flavors of apple and cherry skins rounded out with a toasty finish. Love, love, love this Champagne!!

A very complex bubbly that is primarily (80%) Pinot Noir. It has complex, golden apple fruit and a lightly toasty quality that is offset nicely by the acidity on the finish. The best of all worlds with this one! Elegant and well-structured. Fine by itself but, also excellent with whitefish, scallops or roasted chicken. Very versatile.

I love this bottle of bubbles! De Meric has always been in my top picks as one of the best Champagnes that we carry here at K&L. I even had the great fortune to dine with Dan, the former owner, before his recent passing. It was an experience I will always remember. This Champagne has a wonderful nose of toast and cream from the time this wine spends in wood. In the mouth, this bubbly continues to impress with a wonderful array of dark berry, brioche and spice. It has a long finish that keeps you enjoying this Champagne long after you have emptied the bottle. A top pick for anybody looking for a wonderful bottle of Champagne at a great price!

Clean berry fruits and a bit of challah bread dough on the nose lead to a very fruit-driven palate. Very Pinot Noir. Length, purity and acidity are all nicely balanced.

The first word I wrote when I tried this champagne was beautiful. After reviewing my notes I want to add value. At $34.99 you will feel lucky when you taste what's in the bottle. On the nose fruit and brioche aromas mingle. Within the elegant texture lies a combination of both zesty and ripe fruit with more toasty flavors. What I enjoyed most, thougha was the lingering finish. This phantom memory makes me wish I had a glass right now. After researching De Meric I am even more of a fan. Sous Bois (“under wood”) refers to the use of oak barrels for 50% of the base wine with the other 50% in stainless. The blend comes from all premier cru and grand cru vineyards, giving a cru rating (the echelle des cru) of 97%. Champagne doesn’t need a special occasion, so open it on a Sunday afternoon and enjoy.