The Mindfulness of Champagne

Mindfulness.

It’s a bit of a catchphrase at the moment. We need to be mindful. Mindful of what we do, what we say and how we act. And we could probably all benefit in being a little more mindful when we drink. And champagne mindfulness is a good place to start!

Oh, yes! I know what you are thinking: “I drink mindfully – I am mindful that my glass is always full!” Boom!

However, I like to think with champagne, we are a little bit more mindful as we drink.

There’s so much to think about when you are drinking a glass of champagne. So much work that went into producing the precious nectar. For even the lowliest of champagnes it took a about 3 years from when the flowers formed on the vine until the bubbles arrived in your glass. Then there is the type of grape that was used, the soil it grew in and the weather that mother nature handed down. All of these things are factors that go into consideration when making champagne, as I’ve discussed previously.

It stands to reason, then, that we should practice a little mindfulness each time we have a glass of champagne. At least the first one of the day! Just a pause, a breath in, a sip and a swirl and a moment of reflection of what is in your mouth. Then enjoy the rest of the bottle!

Aged champagnes are much more suited to the practice of mindfulness. They have a development of aromas and character that has come about due to the length of time the champagne has gone untouched. These champagnes are not ones to be swigged, but rather sipped as you would a good brandy. If cellared well, these aged champagnes can be sublime. By aged champagnes, I mean those vintage champagnes that are more than 30 years old. They are usually a very deep rich golden colour, have very complex aromas, and very, very fine bubbles. In fact sometimes the bubbles are so fine, they are barely perceptible.

The lovely thing is that it is not everyday you come by a thirty plus year old bottle of champagne. In fact, sometimes they just fall into you lap when you least expect it.

Such as the bottle that I intend to mindfully enjoy today.

A few weeks ago on an otherwise very ordinary day, as I was lying on my back having my neck manipulated by my tee-totalling physio, out of the blue he said “You might be able to answer this for me….” It turns out that he had recently moved house, and under the stairs of his old house, he found a bottle of 1986 Moet et Chandon. As you do. Let that sink in. 1986. Moet et Chandon. Under the stairs. “Will it be any good?’, he asked.

I had to resist the urge to whip my neck around and look him in the eye for fear of undoing all the good work he had done over the previous eight weeks.

The thing is, that is such a complex question. A 1986 Moet et Chandon kept in the cellars in Epernay, or in a wine cellar anywhere in the world would be outstanding.

The first thing to be mindful of is the 1986 vintage, which was not a bad one at all. There was a very cold winter that year, and spring was a bit cool and wet. They had a great summer, but unfortunately, what looked like it would turn out to be an outstanding vintage, was almost ruined by too much rain in August and September, which affected the quality of the fruit. However, there was enough good quality fruit available to make some outstanding cuvees, notably Cristal and Clos du Mesnil. According to Master of Wine Charles Curtis, a huge champagne aficionado, there is very little 1986 left.

The second thing to be mindful of is that this particular bottle of Moet et Chandon 1996 has not been kept under lock and key in the Moet et Chandon cellars deep under the streets of Epernay. It has made the long voyage by ship to Australia, been stored in a wine shop, purchased as a case, and then taken to a suburban home in Brisbane, where the average yearly temperature is 26°C , with maximums close to 40°C in summer. In the cellar in Epernay, it would have been kept at a constant 12°C for the entirety of its life. Under the stairs in Brisbane….. not so cold.

While the other bottles that shared a case with this bottle where given away as Christmas gifts to some very fortunate medicos immediately after purchase, this particular one got put aside, and presumably forgotten about. Because, as I mentioned, my physio doesn’t drink, so the first thing that came to his mind was not that there was a bottle of vintage Moet under his stairs. Until he moved house.

On a positive note, because the bottle has been stored under the stairs and has not been moved in more than 20 years, the temperature would have been quite constant, even though it was much warmer than recommended. So this can’t be bad. On the other hand, because it has been kept in much warmer conditions than recommended, it could have completely oxidised and not be good at all.

I explained all this to him and realised that he had most probably zoned out somewhere when I was talking about rain at the wrong time affecting the grape quality.

“It really is fascinating,” I assured him. “Just open it, and don’t judge it by the bubbles. Breath it in. Be mindful……. Tell me what you thought next time I see you.”

“I have an idea,” he said. “Why don’t I bring it in to you, and you tell ME what it was like! It would be wasted on me.”

And so it goes that I find myself on this Easter weekend in 2018, about to open a bottle of 32 year old Moet et Chandon, which I intend to drink mindfully and report back at my next appointment.

Watch this space…..