Charles De Cazanove Champagne is one of the flagship wineries of Champagne G.H. Martel & Co., the fifth largest Champagne group in the world. The G.H.Martel Champagne Group was first founded by Mr. Tabourin in 1869. However, because the family had no heirs, it was transferred to the Rapeneau family in 1979 and has been run by three generations of the Rapeneau family to this day. The Rapeneau family has been engaged in the wine business in this region as early as the early 19th century. Under their management, the business has flourished and owns seven Champagne houses: Champagne Charles de Cazanouve (Reims, 1811), Champagne G.H. Martel & Co. (Epernay, 1869), Champagne Vieille France (Reims, 1860), Champagne Chateau de Bligny (Côte des Bars, 1733), Champagne Paul Louis Martin (Bouzy, Montagne de Reims, 1864), Champagne Charles Orban (Troissy, Vallee de la Marne, 1770), Champagne Mansard (Epernay, 1953). Annual sales reach 2 million bottles, making it the fifth largest Champagne group.
(Maison Charles De Cazanove) winery is the oldest winery in the Reims production area. It was established in 1811, but the story of the De Cazanove family begins in the 16th century. In the 16th century, the Bigeault family was famous for making glassware. They sent their children to Venice, where the world's best glass craftsmen gathered at that time, to learn exquisite glass craftsmanship there. When he returned to France, he changed the name of the family to "Cazanove" ("Casanova" in Italian), which means "New House".
Region
In 1811, Charles Gabriel De Cazanove founded the winery and moved his family to Avize in the Côte des Blancs production area, while his son Charles Nicolas carried forward the Champagne brand. He was not only a leader of the local chamber of commerce, but also effectively assisted the locals when phylloxera was raging in Europe, and was respected by everyone. In 1902, the then King Edward II of England received a bottle of 1893 Charles De Cazanove unsweetened champagne. He was so amazed when he drank it that he even shipped a batch of Charles De Cazanove champagne with customized labels for him back to England.
After being passed down for generations, this well-known Champagne house was acquired several times by several large groups, including Martini & Rossi, Moët-Hennessy Group and S. A. M. E. Group. It was finally listed as a subsidiary of the G.H. Martel Champagne Group, the fifth largest in the world, and operated as the group's flagship Champagne house. The winery's current annual output is about 3 million bottles. In traditional Champagne chalk cellars, stainless steel barrels are mostly used for primary fermentation. However, when winemakers think it is necessary to add rich vanilla and cream flavors
Winemaking
Charles de Cazanove is brewed with Chardonnay from Cote des Blancs and Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims. These grapes come from Premier Cru Villages! 2016 is an excellent year for Champagne. It has fine bubbles and fruity aromas of flowers, pear, peach and light citrus. Not only does it have a fresh style, but it also has mature flavors that bring rich almonds, bread and candied fruits. The whole style combined makes for an absolutely delicious and well-balanced Champagne.
The history of the de Cazanove family dates back to the 16th century. At that time, a glassmaker from the Bigault de Cazanove family travelled to Venice, the world centre of glass, to improve his knowledge and craft. On his return, he brought back with him his expertise, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
"Always end up high in the blind tastings” – Richard Juhlin
The most well-known winery is the Stradivarius series, named after the most famous Italian violin master Stradivari, which uses the very distinctive "apple bottle". The grapes mainly come from the Rabino family's three grand vineyards (Bouzy, Ambonnay, Louvois), as well as other grand and first-class vineyards. The Chardonnay is aged in Burgundy oak barrels for three to six months and undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle for at least seven years. It is now used by many star-rated restaurants, hotels, and airlines, including Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel, China Airlines, etc.
Rating
International Wine Challenge (IWC) 95 pts
The IWC snippet describes notes of "rich honeyed rose, ample palate with notes of bruised apple, showing maturity".
Falstaff 94 pts
Falstaff's review praises the wine's "richness and depth—baked apple, brioche, and hazelnut with a mineral backbone".
Vivino Users 4.0
Based on over 300 user ratings, the community rates it well, with reviewers noting "stone fruits, dry palate with toasty and some mineral notes".
Wine-Searcher Critic Review 90 pts
One specific critic review listed on Wine-Searcher gave it a score of 90/100.
