On Wednesday, January 28th, Lynn and I went to a Champagne tasting at the Whitehouse Crawford Restaurant in Walla Walla. The focus was on grower-produced Champagnes. In fact, only one major house, Bollinger, was represented in the line up. The tasting was conducted by Jenna Bicknell, the restaurant's general manager. White wine glasses were used, rather than the usual flutes. The larger bowls enabled more bouquet to come forth. All the wines were impressive and this tasting presented a great opportunity to discover a wide range of Champagne styles. Here are my tasting notes, together with notes provided by the restaurant. All were non-vintage except the Bollinger Grand Année.

Champagne Pierre Peters Brut Grand Cru, Blanc de Blanc, Les Mesnil-sur-Oger - A grower Champagne of 100% Chardonnay. Uses sustainable vineyard practices. Brilliant gold colored with fine bubbles, this showed seductive aromas of white flowers and toast. The flavors wre crisp and precises, with a touch of creaminess counterpointing the lemon zest on the slightly nutted dry finish. 19/20 points.

Champagne Agrapart & Fils Brut, "Les Sept Crus" - This seven crus blend was composed of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, 50% from the 2006 and 50% from the 2007 vintages, aged in neutral oak barrels. It combined 70% Grand Cru and 30% Premier Cru grapes. It showed a light gold color and fine bubbles, with almost ethereal aromas of white flowers and white incense. The flavors were elegant and precise, laser-like, with a touch of spice and distinct minerality (chalk, flint, granite) followed by an elegant dry (9 g/L dosage). 19/20 points.

Champagne Vilmart & Cie Brut "Grand Cellier" Premier Cru, Rilly La Montagne - This was 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir from "Les Hautes Greves" and "Les Basses Greves." No malolactic fermentation, and the wine was aged in large oak casks. It showed a brilliant pale gold color and fine bubbles, and intriguing aromas of grapefruit peel, wisteria and light spice. The flavors were very crisp, zesty and appley (from the malic acids), with admixtures of lees and minerals, followedby a long, dry, zingy finish. 19/20 points.

Champagne Jean Vesselle, Extra Brut Cuvée, Bouzy - This was composed of 80% Pinot, Noir, 20% Chardonnay, with a minimum of 2-3 years aging, and no dosage. From organic vineyards, all Grand Cru. It displayed a brilliant pale gold color, a frothy mousse, and lovely aromatics of cherry blossoms, orange peel and star anise, and white incense. The flavors were vibrant, resonating with grape extracts, lees and stony minerals. The back picked up poire William liqueur and recurring orange peel, followed by a bone dry finish. 19+/20 points.

Champagne Boizel Brut Blanc de Noirs, Epernay - This was 100% Pinot Noir from Mareuil sur Ay, Cumierès, Mailly and les Riceys, 30% reserve wines and aging three years on the lees. This showed a orange-tinted gold color and frothy bubbles, with intoxicating aromas of wild strawberries, orange peel, bark, cardamom and oriental spices. The finely wrought mixed fruit flavors danced on the palate. On the back, notes of liqueurs and recurring orange peel emerged, along with a lingering dry slighly nutted finish. An exemplary rendition of 100% Pinot Noir. 19.5/20 points.

Champagne De Sousa, Brut Tradition, Avize - Composed of several vintages, 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier, this displayed a medium gold color, a frothy mousse, and a fresh, ethereal nose of white flowers, white toast, lavender and white incense. The flavors were bright and crisp, with a bit of richness from the Pinot Noir, and a touch of grape skin from the Pinot Meunier. This came on as a traditionally styled Champagne with a true Brut finish. 19/20 points.

Champagne Gaston Chiquet Brut Tradition, Dizy - This was a blend of 40% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay, and 25% Pinot Noir, from the 2010 vintage, with 8% each of 2009 and 2008, all Premier and Grand Cru grapes from Dizy, Hautviller and Mareuil-sur-Ay. It exhibited a medium gold color and fine bubbles, along with seductive aromas of pear, peach, strawberry, orange peel, pear blossoms and acacia flowers. The intermingling of red and white fruits were reflected in the medium full-bodied palate, along with notes of toasted nuts, cream (from full malolactic) and a lingering leesy (aged sur latte for 26 months) dry finish. Unoaked, the integrated components spoke for the wine. This was my - and Lynn's - favorite of the tasting. 19.5 points.

2002 Champagne Bollinger "Grande Année" Brut, Ay - This was the only major house Champagne in the tasting and the only vintage one. It was composed of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 75% Grand Cru and 25% Premier Cru., fermented in old oak and aged on the lees for a minimum of five years. It showed a medium gold color and had fine bubbles and a distinctive nose of pain grilée, butternut, and musk-scented incense. The flavors showed a precise combination of crispness and creaminess, finishing with touches of lemon, herbs and toasty oak on the true Brut finish. 19.5/20 points.

A mystery sparkling wine was also poured, midway through the line up. It showed a gold color and fine bubbles, with a floral nose of apple, cherry and peach blossoms. The flavors were vigorous and showed more limestone than mineral, with a long, dry finish. It turned out to be Domaine Huet Vouvray Petilliant from the Loire Valley. The limestone is what set it apart from the Champagnes. 18.5+/20 points.

At $20 per person, this tasting was a bargain, offering as it did, an opportunity to sample a wide variety of fine Champages. Thanks to Jenna for putting this together. We'll be at the Chateauneuf du Pape tasting next week for sure.