Wine Review: Champagne Patrice Marc Grande Cuvée Brut Fleury-la-Riviere

January is Sparkling Wine Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Trying to find information about this Champagne house is like trying to get my four year old daughter to eat anything but macaroni and cheese. But from the bottle I can tell you that the family owned Marc Champagne house has been around since 1683 and they're currently in their 12th generation. They're located in Fleury-la-Riviere, a commune in the Marne region of Champagne.

This Grande Cuvée Brut is 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier. The ABV is 12% and a bottle will run you about $27, making it actually pretty inexpensive for a bottle that qualifies to carry the Champagne name on its label.

If you'd like to know what separates champagne from other bubbly, as well as learn about the history of sparkling wine and how it's made, feel free to read my three part series on the subject: A Bubbly Biography - The Story of Sparkling Wine.

I like the logo. It's got two sabres crossed over a sun and reminds me of House Martell's sigil from A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) of a poisoned spear over a sun. I know he would prefer Dornish wine, but let's see if the Red Viper would approve of this champagne.

Nice typical champagne color. The carbonation action is solid with medium sized bubbles.

@#$% YES!

For two years this wine sat in a cellar on the lees and it shows. The nose is very Fino Sherry-ish from the yeast. It's not bready or toasty like many champagnes, but it has aromas of almonds, buttercup, green olives and artichoke dip.

The artichoke dip also translates onto the palate... along with sour apple... and the "assorted berries" flavor of Tums. There's a little touch of sugar, it's got big acidity, and the body is pretty heavy.

It finishes with blue raspberry and spinach. I swear I'm not even screwing around with you right now.

Even though those descriptions may turn you off to this wine forever, it's not terrible. It's just not special. If somebody poured it into your glass at a party for a toast you wouldn't be eager to know what it was. You'd kick it back, smile, and move on with your night.

That being said, $27 is a pretty good price for a champagne. Paired with a salad or a selection of cheeses I think it would do a serviceable job to you and your wallet... but you'd be better off going with Spanish Cava for half the price.

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $27
Rating: 2/5 = Not Impressive.
(what does that mean?)

The bottle used was a personal gift from Wine Adventures.