Happy 2012!!
I have never really been very religious at all but sometimes I wonder…
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few bottles of the 2002 Paul Bara Special Club. I opened a bottle last night and spent some time with it and now I am revisiting it again. I am not sure that this qualifies as a genuine religious experience but I couldn’t help but reminisce on my Philosophy of Religion class in college. The moment I tasted this wine I was quite shocked at the quality of the wine and after decanting it I was deeply moved by how much it had changed for the better. I am left wondering how a wine can be this good (not to compare the two wines but I had the same sort of moment when I tasted the 2002 Jacquesson Vauzelle Terme). I thought I had enough variety of champagnes to be aware of the potential heights it can achieve, but I was wrong. I can’t help but wonder what kind of being turns grapes in a marginal climate into this f*%$#*& awesome wine. Pardon my french. Was it some special super powers? Was it the ability to turn water into wine? Or maybe it’s the ability to control the weather like in Captain Planet?
Seriously though, this wine is pretty damn good. Aromas of red apple skins and chalk jump out of the glass the more you time you give it. The faintest hints of dough and yeast in the background. The nose is much more precise than any other Paul Bara champagne that i’ve had, except maybe for the 2004 Special Club Rosé. What a wine THAT was! Once the nectar hits your palate you get that signature rich fruitiness that Bouzy brings, supple red fruits glide over your palate. This finishes different though. The lengthy finish becomes much more mineral driven than I expected. Resulting in a very elegant experience. Now I am really wondering what kind of ‘thing’ can make this. Is Bouzy heaven on earth? Is that the terrestrial office of some otherworldly being and is it behind champagne Paul Bara????
One of my resources for champagne is champagneguide.net by Peter Liem. A well respected, experienced wine writer who lives and focuses on Champagne. I go to his website to find out more about this wine and what do I see? I see the being that made this wonderfully elegant but supple wine. Her name is Chantale Bara.
I felt very relieved to find this wines humble beginnings. I knew who made it the whole time, but I couldn’t believe it. It was unbelievable to me that a mortal can do this. But, there you have it. My religious experience (however short it was) led me to its creator. Thank you Chantale!
Rafael Sanchez
Sommelier
POP Champagne Bar
ps. Only a few bottles of this left at POP. First come, first served.