In episode 188 of The Drinking Hour, David Kermode’s guest is Dominique Demarville, whose 30-year career has seen him work at some of the most celebrated Champagne houses in the world, including Veuve Cliquot, Laurent Perrier and now Champagne Lallier.
Demarville begins the episode by touching on the appeal of a move to Lallier. The duo then discuss the ‘Cinderella’ status of Pinot Meunier within Champagne, with Demarville describing the role he believes the variety plays alongside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The discussion then moves to the qualities of the 2024 vintage, the challenges that have come from organic winemaking and the art of blending. Finally, Kermode and Demarville talk about the two newly launched cuvées from Lallier, Réflexion R.021 and Réflexion R.021 Brut Rosé. Demarville describes what went into each bottle and why these wines are so personal for him.
For the second half of the episode, Kermode is joined by Billy Abbott and Jason Vaswani, both of The Whisky Exchange. For the last of the mini masterclasses, the subject is ‘pre-loved’ whisky. Vaswani, who is head buyer of old and rare spirits, explains how he sources these collectable whiskies. The trio then taste through a selection of whiskies, including one from the once-lost distillery of Port Ellen.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here.
