This past weekend, we were fortunate to secure a seat at 3660 on the Rise for an extraordinary Champagne tasting featuring the house of Drappier. For those not familiar with the house of Drappier, they are now on their 8th generation and while a lot of Champagne houses have similiar lineage, not all houses pay the same attention to detail like Drappier. From employing the saignee method for their Rose production (most houses simply add still red wine to "color" their Rose), to producing the initial still wine like you would see in Burgundy to extended aging on the lees, the 7th and 8th generation proprietors still create Champagne with exacting detail. And you can tell as soon as you sample their Champagne.
The evening started with the NV Carte Blanche
The menu for the evening looked like this:
Ahi Tartar
Tobiko Caviar & Ikura Garni
N.V. Drappier Brut Nature
Prime Rib Dumpling
(for those with shellfish allergies)
Pan Seared Scallop
Truffle Scented Cauliflower Puree, Champagne Butter Sauce
N.V. Drappier Carte d'Or
Slow Roasted Sesame Crusted Salmon
Citrus Nage
N.V. Drappier Brut Nature Rose, 2000 Drappier Millesime Exception
Braised Short Ribs
Mushroom Jus
N.V. Drappier Rose, 1995 Drappier Carte d'Or
(Magnum)
Assorted Cheeses with Baguettes
N.V. Drappier Demi-Sec
The food was as good as what I've come to expect from Chef Russell Siu and the Champagnes... Monsieur Drappier even mentioned that he "smuggled" in some 2006 Grand Sendree which you see above that was exquisite - very approachable even though it was only 9 years old! And as an added bonus, importer William Gladstone said that he approached the Drappier family to purchase all that they would sell due to the favorable euro to dollar ratio... such great pricing that the NV Carte Blanche was only $1 more than Kirkland Champagne... of course the pricing was only good for the evening and because supplies are limited, I'm not sure what I'll get until Marvin Chang tallies the request next month... But without a doubt, it was THE BEST Champagne tasting I've attended this year!!!
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