Did you know? Thailand and Champagne have strong points in common.
The first is the Cathedral of Reims, built in the heart of the Champagne region. On May 6, 1211, the first stone of the new Cathedral was laid, dedicated to Notre-Dame.
Its construction took place mainly during the reign of Louis IX (Saint Louis, which is too the name of a BTS Station). It was completed two generations later, in 1275.
If it is known to have been, from the eleventh century, the place of the coronation of almost all the kings of France, it should also be remembered that it is placed under the sign of the smile. Everywhere in the cathedral are scattered smiling angels – 2303 statues in total – many of them out of sight.
The most famous is the one on the left of the Cathedral’s main façade. A graceful smile lights up his face… and the face of the one who looks at him. You, me, all those who contemplate him.
Thus, it is not only the Angel who smiles, it is the entire Cathedral that spreads its smile and its message of peace on Champagne region and, by extension, on the world.
And isn’t the vocation of Champagne to make smiles blossom on the lips like roses in the morning sun? To express confidence in life?
You see! This brings Champagne and the Champagne region closer to Thailand, the country of smile.
Every smile reconfigures the world. And the smile that the Angel of Reims is spreading over Champagne is coming to you today.
We are honoured to be part of this “smiling enterprise” by offering you three of its faces; by offering you bottles from three of its famous ambassadors among the 16,200 existing Champagne producers.
The first of these faces is not the less smiling. It’s that of Alice Paillard, daughter of the famous Champagne producer Bruno Paillard, an energetic, smiling woman who works with determination to imbue her champagnes with that little extra that makes a good champagne a great champagne. Champagne that opens up new horizons.
A woman driven, like her father, by strong ideals which come from the quest for the expression of Champagne’s beauty.
By the constant desire to capture the elegance that Champagne can bring when it is made with an extremely precise know-how to achieve a very personal style, a marriage of elegance and complexity that manifests itself as a light and smooth effervescence, a remarkable purity, a true freshness and a silky texture.
An example of this pursuit of excellence, the aging of the wines. Here is what Alice Paillard recently told us about it: “When the AOC Champagne specifications stipulate an aging of 18 months for its non-vintage wines, we impose 36 months on lees. When it requires 36 months for its vintages, we impose a minimum of 7 years, but often 8, 9 or 10 years, depending on the personality of the vintage. All our dosages are in Extra Brut, for all our Cuvées, logical consequence of our search for energy and authentic expression of the chalky origin of our wines.”
Alice, who joined her father in January 2007, is now in charge of the family business. Today, the Maison Bruno Paillard is still independent and resolutely faithful to its style – export 75% of his wines through 30 different countries – mostly to Europe, Asia and Northern America.
Wherever they are represented, the Champagnes of Bruno Paillard are exclusively sold through restaurants and fine wine stores. This selective distribution is a guarantee of quality for the client thanks to the good care of sommeliers and fine wine merchants for each bottle. Natural partners who know how to welcome, share and make live the experience of the Maison.
We will introduce the other two producers next week. See you soon! (Dr.FX)