When you're known as the very first house to have commercialised a Brut cuvée, you have to expect many within and beyond the borders of Champagne will look to you with a mix of admiration and expectation - Champagne Pommery have always handled such pressure with class and style.
This famous name now hurtles towards 200 years of history, with the earliest origins tracing back to their roots as a trading firm in 1836, before one of the industry's great stories came along in the form of Madame Louise Pommery, assuming total control of the house's fate in 1858, and in turn changing the way the world drank sparkling wine. It was commonplace in those days for the average bottle of bubbles to hold as much as 300 grams per litre of sugar, and recognising the desire from her aristocratic clients for something less dessert-like and a little more refreshing, the Madame went to her cellarmaster with words that have echoed through the ages since.
"We need a wine that is as dry as possible, but without rigidity. It should be soft and velvety on the palate."
Seen as revolution within the relatively small bounds of the region, there was a mix of hesitation and disbelief at first, but with finesse, verve and crispy detail no doubt Champagne's most revered attributes in the modern age, it's safe to say the Madame's vision won out in the end. Her imprint never too far from the thoughts of current cellarmaster Clément Pierlot, it is releases like the Grand Cru Royal 2009 that stand as soulful representations of that same trailblazing mindset.
On special this week for Champagne Monday, this 50/50 blend of Grand Cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is looking beautifully taut, toasted and fruit transparent at its current age, having seen an impressive aging period of over twelve years on lees before disgorgement in early 2022. '09 was a truly terrific season for Champagne, with wines of ripe plush aromatics and hearty structure, perhaps unfairly overshadowed in regular discourse due to coming after the legendary 2008 harvest. Its colour is a brilliant bright gold, and the nose packs a punch with Mirabelle plum, lime blossom, honeysuckle and delicious hints of lemon-meringue among similar patissiere treats. The mouthfeel is generous yet balanced, with long ripples of pink grapefruit, dried fig, toasted bread and creamy lemon tart. Velvety is the first word that comes to our mind, and seeing as that was one of the Madame's most desired traits for her bubbles, one feels assured the future of Pommery is in good hands.
Clément Pierlot spearheads the current direction at Champagne Pommery, having first joined the estate in 2004 when he was just 24, developing his oenelogical knowledge in the years between and eventually appointed as the house's 10th chef de cave in 2017.
"My ambition is to push the precision of the Pommery style even further, creating Champagnes that are luminous, finely sculpted and full of energy – capable of moving as much as impressing. I want to continue to explore freshness, tension and the modern elegance that defines our signature."
Pommery Grand Cru Royal Vintage 2009
$159 on special this week ($179 RRP)
// 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir (from 100% Grand Cru vineyards within Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs)
Aged for over 12 years before disgorgement in January 2022
7g/L dosage
"Full, brilliant golden-yellow colour. The bouquet shows coconutty and almost sherry-like aldehydes to begin with, layered over toasted bread and nut characters, impressively fresh and bright and youthful for its 13 years of age. The palate adds even more to this impression of youthful vitality. A creamy lactic note emerged with time in the glass, the palate intense and very active, with searing dryness, acidity and grip, screaming out for food. There are subtle notes of development emerging in the palate flavour: nougat, toasted bread and roasted nuts, but also it retains its freshness, tautness, close focus and penetrating qualities, allied to a very long finish. An impressive wine with a future." - 96 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
"Plush pears, apples, peaches cloaked in caramelised butter and marzipan warmth. Toasty and structured with citrus confit acidity and supple mousse stretching into a long finish." - 95 Points + Gold Award, Decanter World Wine Awards 2026
"Lovely transparency of fruit here with pear, grapefruit, peach, honey, honeysuckle and lemon-meringue pie. Creamy and layered with very fine bubbles. Balanced and creamy, with a long and supple finish. Disgorged January 2022. Delicious already. Drink now or hold." - 94 Points, James Suckling
If you wish to purchase this champagne, please use the link above
If you have any questions, please contact us on (07)32521117 or email sales@thewineemporium.com.au
// Special price valid until Monday the 26th of October