 Pommery is only one of the Champagne labels owned by Reims-based Vranken-Pommery Monopole Group which is engaged in the distribution and sale of a range of champagnes including Oporto Rozes, Pommery, Demoiselle, Charles Lafitte Champagne, and Heidsieck & Co Monopole.
The company was founded by Paul-François Vranken in 1976. It was known as Vranken Monopole S.A. till 2003 and is reportedly the second largest producer of Champagne.
Two of its labels are imported into India. Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Blue Top Champagne was added to the portfolio of Sula last year whereas Pommery has been the flagship champagne import of Brindco for many years.
Both labels are a part of the 'Grande Marques' of Champagne, a term used unofficially to refer to supposedly but not necessarily, the best champagne houses. The other popular Grande Marques include Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Canard-Duchene (importer FineWinesnMore), Dom Pérignon ( imported by LVMH), Krug, Laurent-Perrier (imported by Global Tax Free) Moet et Chandon (LVMH) G H Mumm, Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger (Sonarys) Piper Heidsieck, Louis Roederer (Brindco), Taittinger (Prestige) and Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin (LVMH).
The light styled Pommery
As Alexis Colin, the visiting Asia-Pacific Sales Manager for Vranken Pommery Monopole sat down to explain to small, select audience at a corner of the Ricks Bar at Hotel Taj Mahal on Wednesday, the credit for creating the present style of the champagne house goes to Madame Jeanne Alexandrine Louise Pommery who jolted the champagne world in 1874 by creating the Brut Nature, the dry champagne for the first time.
Back then, the champagnes used to have sugar to the tune of 50 gms/ liter or more and were fit for desserts only. But she wanted to create a light, dry and vibrant style and she persisted till she created the current house style.
Pommery Brut, the signature creation from those days is made using equal parts of the three champagne grapes, namely Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and the white Chardonnay. The sugar content is 11 gms/liter, well within the currently defined range of 0-15 gms/liter of residual sugar. The aromas are subtle but clean and elegant. The wine has a citrus and peachy flavour with vivaciousness in the mouth, that is very pleasant and the taste lingers on. What is striking is the lightness and the crispy freshness of the bubbles and a perfect 12.5% alcohol.. It is certainly a better value than many of the equivalent brands selling in the market.
The next bubbly popped was the Springtime Brute Rosé. The rather light pink colour, lighter than even the Salmon pink gave the impression of subtleness through the colour too. The great springtime bubbly was as refreshing and fruity as the Brut, with the strawberries bursting on the palate. A hint of pomegranate made this fresh bubbly a treat for the eyes and the palate- very clean and crisp wine with a decent end. One could perhaps go through a multi-course Indian or Chinese meal with a chilled bottle in tow.
The big spoiler of course, was the Cuvée Louise, signifying purity and crescendo in a soft and pleasant symphony. Madame Pommery must have been a very elegant lady, light on her feet, with a yearning for perfection. It was very harmonious wine that took you through a garden full of flowers. The extreme refinement was perhaps also due to the grapes used only from the grand crus classes vineyards, the slightly heavier body being due to the Pinot Noir from Aÿ-incidentally there is no pinot Meunier in this wine.
 Cuvée Louise is truly a wealthy connoisseur’s wine which at four times the price (in Europe) of Pommery Brut may still be well worth it. If you spot it in the flights of many airlines it is served in, don’t forget to binge on it.
The best place to have the Pommery Brut- a Champagne with personality but not the attitude, is at the Sunday Brunch of several 5-star hotels like Hotel Taj Mahal, Taj palace or Eros Intercontinental, where for Rs.2500 or less you may drink as much as your liver can allow (your palate will continue to ask for more due to the light and crispy style)- oysters and caviar and the rest of the delicacies served in various buffets are just condiments.
If the busy-bodies in the Ministry of Health of the government of India are actively watching the trends in the UK and France, pretty soon the unlimited drinks offer would be banned. Till then, enjoy a bottle every Sunday and cheers (you can always order it at Rs.3500-Rs.5500 a bottle) in any of the restaurant they sell it at)!
Subhash Arora |