Damien Hugot "Hommage 1921" Extra Brut Champagne

We often drink this wine as the aperitif, and I love the golden color from the large oak cask fermentation, aged solera reserves and the contrast that color has to the freshness and life on the finish. The French bakery aromas in this champagne are framed by subtle candied nuts and stone fruit. The mid-palate of this wine has medium body, with great compact bubbles and a ton of vitality. The finish is the best part, dry, long and subtly spicy. This style of carefully grown and meticulously made wine, utilizing large oak foudres and solera style perpetual reserves almost always costs double the modest price of this Hommage. It is a must try for the champagne lover!

A perfect utility champagne for pairing with food or as an aperitif, this swiss army knife cuvée hits all the right notes. Impressively balanced for an Extra Brut, which often can be aggressively acid-driven, the Hommage 1921 delivers a bounty of fresh citrus fruits, roasted hazelnuts, fresh baked brioche and a kiss of vanilla bean. A masterclass in blending and an absolute bargain given the quality in the bottle.

This champagne is a real object lesson in the art of blending. There are many directions a winemaker can go to produce a unique and delicious wine. In the case of the Damien Hugot "Hommage 1921" Extra Brut Champagne, the radically opposite ways in which Hugot treats the Chardonnay vs. the Pinot Noir & Meunier brings out the best of his various terroirs in sud-Epernay. The Chardonnay's acidity is tempered with oak, while the Pinot Noir and Meunier are a perpetual solera-style field blend vinified in stainless steel, maintaining the purity and freshness of its fruit. Grower-producers have a very intimate relationship with their grapes from the vineyard to the bottle, Hugot's "Hommage" (to his grandfather, who planted their Meunier vines in 1921) is an example of the distinctive Champagne expressions they produce. I love it when I taste a champagne for the first time when I'm able to pair it with food. As an American, I will drink wine anywhere, anytime, for any reason, but I always remember what Gino, the greatest winery tour guide in human history, told us at Tuscany's Castello di Verrazano - "There is no wine without food and no food without wine." I whipped up a goat cheese and mushroom omelet to have with this bubbly and it was a knockout.

This has an incredible nose reminiscent of a rich Meursault with ripe citrus and granny smith apples, a touch of flinty smoke, and briny minerality. The richness is nicely balanced by lifting acidity and a robust fine bead. Perfect with food or as an aperitif.

Out of the glass, "Hommage 1921" leads with a bright & salted lemon timbre at the core of its nose, without coming off as austere or overtly sharp. Reduced bosc pear tones on the palate lead to gentle notes of holiday nuts by the fire and early mornings in a sleepy bakery - gentle brioche and warm croissants, this blanc de blanc is crisp, yet open enough to dive into further - a fantastic champagne for holiday cheers and summer sips!

This one was definitely a hit during our Champagne tasting of 26 November. Unlike a lot of Extra Brut wines, it is not teeth jarringly taut and overly acidic. It has a nose of white peach, poached pear and lightly roasted pine nuts. On the palate, there is an initial light kick of bright citrus, quickly followed by very creamy lemon meringue, juicy peach and vanilla pastry. Long finish that has minerals, spice and a light touch of sea salt. Just really delicious!

Damien Hugot's "Hommage 1921" is a beautiful champagne that balances a creamy texture with plenty of fresh citrus. The first sip is full of ripe mandarin and zippy lemon flavors on a background of fresh cream. The finish is delicately chalky with touches of vanilla, and goes on and on. This makes a great aperitif or toasting champagne, and a fantastic pairing with shellfish.

Another great Champagne from Damien Hugo! Full bodied yet fresh and vibrant with touch of toasted hazelnuts and fresh pastry with long finish and rich, citrus driven flavor on the palate. Beautifully balanced between all elements," Hommage 1921" will please a wide range of Champagne aficionados and will be perfect accompaniment to Thanksgiving celebration.