At Home with Champagne Chassenay d’Arce
Champagne Chassenay d’Arse in the Côte des Bar
Earlier this week, I wrote about a media trip to Chassenay d’Arce. I loved tasting through their lineup of Champagnes to get a sense of the region and their approach. I really like to take my time with a bottle to get a better understanding of the nuances of the wine, so I bought a couple of bottles before leaving for home.
Disclosure: I purchased the Champagne for this post at Champagne Chassenay d’Arce. No compensation was involved, all opinions expressed are mine.
Champagne Chassenay d’Arse “Origine” Extra Brut NV (€33 SRP) 12% abv
100% Pinot Noir from certified organic vineyards, fermented in stainless steel, 4 years aged on the lees, 3 g/l dosage.
Eye: Medium gold
Nose: Medium intensity aromas of white flowers, lemons, chalk and brioche. A touch of anise in the background
Mouth: Dry, mouthwatering high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, medium flavor intensity with a pleasant spiciness on the palate, medium plus finish with lemons and a touch of anise lingering.
Observations: A fresh champagne with nice level of yeastiness. I find Champagnes from the Côte des Bar typically support low dosage extra brut without being too severe.
Champagne Chassenay D’Arce at Home
After our tour, I purchased a couple bottles of Champagne Chassenay d’Arce. This week, we enjoyed the Origine, a certified Organic Champagne made from the 7.7 hectares of organic grapes. I paired the Champagne with a nice risotto with Chanterelles mushrooms. An elegant Champagne with a simple but elegant dish made a satisfying meal! I sautéed the mushrooms in advance, then chopped most of them and added them to the risotto mid-cook. I saved a few pretty ones to decorate the top. I added fresh thyme when I blended in the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Base Recipe for Risotto
Risotto is not difficult and it’s worth learning. It’s the base for many a relaxed evening at home and it adapts to whatever ingredients are in season.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8 oz. (1 cup) Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 32 oz. chicken stock, heated to simmering in a pan
- 2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano (use the real thing!) cheese, grated
- special ingredients and fresh herbs for your risotto of the day.
Directions
- Start by bringing the stock up to a simmer, just under boiling.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the finished risotto, add the onions and cook until they are translucent, just a few minutes.
- Add the rice and continue cooking until the rice becomes slightly glossy and translucent. It will still be white in its center. This will only take 3-4 minutes.
- Add the white wine and stir. Adjust the heat to keep the liquid at high simmer, with occasional bubbles. Wait until the liquid is absorbed.
- After the liquid is absorbed, add a ladle of stock to the rice and stir. You don’t need to stir constantly. Some good advice: stir every time you take a sip of wine!
- Continue to add stock, 1 ladle at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding another ladle. All the stock will be absorbed in about 20-30 minutes, but you’ll want to judge by tasting the nearly finished rice.
- If you’re adding ingredients during cooking, they can go in anytime. Ingredients are typically cooked before adding to the risotto. I usually wait on fresh herbs until the finish.
- Note that this is the point you choose how dry your risotto will be. Let it remain a little more liquid if you’re serving it in a bowl and you like a more soupy style. Let it absorb all the liquid if you prefer a more firm style which holds its’ shape on the plate.
- Turn the heat off, fold in the fresh herbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir to melt.
- Serve immediately!
