Another find from the Monopolys special-order selection; Champagne Drappier Brut Nature NV ticks all (most of) the boxes for me. It is a 100% Pinot Noir, Zero dosage (no added sugar) and goes in the wonderful price range of under 300kr bottles. All the characteristics for a good Friday champagne.
Reading up on the producer really sparked up my interest. The House of Drappier has a rich history. It was founded over 200 years ago in 1808 in the city of Urville. They grow not only classic grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier, but also rare varieties such as Petit Meslier, Blanc Vrai and the extremely rare Arbane. You might recall Arbane from my review on Oliver Horiot, who also uses the classic grapes in combination with Arbane and Pinot Blac for his Ancient Variety Champagne 5 Sens. The cellars where Drappier store the wine are among the oldest and most extensive in Europe and also were the only cellars that weren’t damaged during the two world wars or the fires that raced through the area in the 1950s. Drappier also specializes in using very low amounts of sulfur in their production. 0,002% as opposed to 5% used by various other champagne houses. After all this information, Drappier is definitely bookmarked for a visit next summer (hope they take visitors).
The Brut Nature NV comes with a stylish, classic label. It felt nice and festive when opening the bottle. The nose and taste are definitely classic champagne toasty with a hint of sweetness. And I don’t mean sugary sweetness, more like sweetness from fresh fruit. There is also a taste of apple and yeast and an interesting residual bitterness. The price of this wine was “only” 259 SEK at the Monopoly. All in all it is not a surprising wine, but I am very happy with the quality/cost ratio.
I have actually found it challenging to give wines only one rating. Many of the wines that I have tried are nothing earth shattering, but I am then torn when I take into account the price. I appreciate a price tag that is affordable but also recognize that some of the better wines can be “a bit” more expensive. It’s not only about brands and marketing (*vague smile*). I am beginning to understand why the 1-100 points system is needed. So, starting from this review, I will start rating the quality of the wine and then value for money separately. For example, as a wine, the Drappier deserves a 3.5. When the price is taken into account the score goes up to 4 stars. So my rating looks something like this: 3.5/4.
The Winecurious 