Description

Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the sunny South of France. The beauty of Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blancs is its simplicity. Ripe melons and peaches, generous body. Creamy and zesty. Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blancs is perfect for sipping on its own, if I was perfectly honest. Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blancs will pair well with any savoury finger foods too.

[box]Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blancs Brut NV and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.[/box]

Veuve Ambal is a house devoting its time to traditional method Sparkling wines. Being in Burgundy, they have the advantage that they can use Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: The two quality grapes of Champagne. Therefore their wines have character and charm. They are not Champagne; they are lighter and less complex. They are a fraction of the price of Champagne, though. Veuve Ambal and Cremant, in general, are a great alternative to Champagne.

Burgundy

The classic part of Burgundy, known as the Cote D’Or (the slope of gold), is essentially one vineyard that is 60km long and maybe 5km at its widest. From this limestone ridge, some of the most complex, long-lived and aromatic wines produced from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Cistercian monks who owned the land codified the entire region, and so each small plot has a name.

Crémant de Bourgogne

Sparkling wine appellation in Burgundy that was given AOC status in 1975. It comprises of hand-harvested grapes that are crafted into sparkling wines using the methode traditionelle. Made from a minimum of 30% Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. Aligoté is often added to fill out the blend. Quality and styles vary greatly. The best are very good replacements for Champagne!

Chardonnay

The grape that you can plant anywhere, in any climate and do anything to, and it will still taste like an OK wine. When people hit the sweet spot of site, climate, cropping and winemaking, Chardonnay becomes a magical wine that will age gracefully but charm you at any age. Chardonnays can range from cool-climate lean and citrusy to warmer climate tropical and overt. Oak and lees can add flavouring, as can malolactic fermentation.

French Wine

The land that so many New World (not European) wine producers look to emulate. To generalise about French wine, I would say it is savoury, lighter-bodied wines. They are the definition of elegant, complex. There are many styles, though. And there is a French wine for every palate. They lead the world in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy. Sparkling Wine in Champagne. Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Syrah(Shiraz) and Grenache in the Rhone Valley. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris in Alsace. Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. Gamay in Beaujolais.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is impressive. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Sparkling Wine

Fizz, bubby, bubbles. It is a wine with bubbles in it. There are many ways to put the bubbles in and many styles and flavours you can find. Important to know that you should never buy cheap Sparkling. Champagne is still the quality leader of the world. But great Sparkling can be found in Moscato (sweet), Prosecco, Franciacorta (Italy), Cava (Spain), Australia, New Zealand, Loire Valley and Burgundy Cremant (France).

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.