The Blushing Hostess, July 23, 2010
The Fizz Event at PX blue light
“Today, a peek at a very special event I attended this week to support another fabulous Virginia winery, Thibaut Janisson, and their creamy, delicious sparkling wine, Fizz.”
DC, July/August 2010
The Radar: Bubble up!
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“Virginia Fizz, vintner Claude Thibaut’s new sparkler, is a peachy-crisp Crement-style white, perfect for pairing with berries in a summer spritzer.”
Swirl, Sip, Snark, 14 June, 2010
A Sparkling Evening by vawinediva
“If you get the opportunity to try these wines, definitely take advantage. Thibaut-Janisson is doing some great things with bubbles (and they apparently surprise wine makers in France in blind tastings who can’t figure out where they’re coming from since they don’t have the new world elements they’re used to from CA and Australia offerings).”
The C-Ville Weekly, 12 January, 2010
Virginia's leading sparkling winemaker makes it easier to get the bubbly by Cathy Harding
“Virginia Fizz could be the name of a comic book superhero—a corkscrew-curled, bespectacled librarian by day and electrifying crime fighter by night. In fact, it’s the name of a new sparkling wine from Champagne maker Claude Thibaut, who, with his quiet manner and extraordinary ability to craft great bubblies from Virginia grapes, seems to have hidden magical powers of his own.”
Flavor Magazine, 7 December, 2009
Champagne in Translation by Grace Reynolds
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“On a journey spanning more than 25 years, Claude Thibaut has carried his sparkling-wine expertise from France to Virginia, with stops in Australia and California on the way. As a consultant, he has brought sparkling wine to a list of wineries that reads more like a who’s who of American wine…”
The Washington Post, November 25, 2009
Drinking local at the White House dinner by Dave McIntyre
“It wasn't just local foods that were celebrated last night at President Obama's first state dinner. The menu also featured a Virginia wine. The president, his guest of honor, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and invited members of D.C.'s elite washed down pumpkin pie tart and pear tatin with Thibaut-Janisson blanc de chardonnay, from the Monticello district near Charlottesville.”
cbsnews.com, November 24, 2009
Obama's First State Dinner: The Menu
Pumpkin pie tart
Pear tatin
Whipped Cream and Caramel sauce
Sparkling Chardonnay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, VA
jancisrobinson.com, 30 September, 2009
Fine fizz from Virginia by Linda Murphy
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“The Thibaut- Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay sent to me this summer was a joy to drink -- delicate, sophisticated ... It's elegant and suave, with minerality and subtle notes of apple, white peach and yeast - serious sparkling wine from a region not expected to produce it.”
DC Mag, September-October 2009
“ ...Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay ... is a Mid-Atlantic success story. It’s crisp, aromatic, bright and loaded with streams of tiny bubbles. The sparkler has been served at White House fêtes, including a birthday party for Thomas Jefferson, and is poured at top local restos, such as Citronelle, Restaurant Eve, Proof and Equinox.”
Wine Report 2009, by Tom Stevenson
in the category Most Exciting or Unusual Finds
“This delicate, complex, finely balanced Blanc de Chardonnay is the result of two tried-and-true French champagne makers applying their standards and talent to Virginia fruit.”
Cellar Tracker, December 2008
“Nice pour with beautiful bubbles. Nose of dry straw, pear and green apples. Apples and citrus early with a burst of something sweet like mellons. There is a nice dryness in a finish flavored with sublte wood or almond. Smooth and easy to drink. I think these guys have figured out how to make "Champagne" in Virginia!”
International Wine Review, December 2008
“Brilliant lemon color with a refined nose, reminiscent of white Burgundy. Racy mineral laden attack with beautifully delineated flavors of melon and nicely integrated oak on a refined and understated, elegant palate.”
The Washington Post, November 28, 2008
“Here's more evidence that Virginia can produce top-notch fizz. Elegant and stylish, with palate-refreshing acidity and subtle fruit that emerges about an hour after opening.”
Virginia Living Magazine, November 2008
“Quelle chance! In 2003, France's Claude Thibaut made Virginia his home, and, lucky for us, he brought along his native Champagne region's expertise in sparkling wines.”
The Detroit News, February 2, 2008
Today's recommended wine by Sandra Silfvan
“This delicate, complex, finely balanced Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay is the result of two Frenchmen, schooled in the traditions of the Champagne region of France, applying their standards and talent to Virginia fruit. Claude Thibaut, consulting winemaker who pioneered sparkling wine at J Vineyards in Sonoma, and Manuel Janisson, a Champagne producer, get the credit for this bright golden sparkler with a torrent of fine bubbles, produced in the Charlottesville area. The nose is apples, pears, and mushrooms; the palate is citrus, green apples, pears and nectarines, with a belt of tangy acidity and a convincing finish.”
The Detroit News, December 28, 2006
Something to Celebrate by Sandra Silfvan
Bring on the bubbles. It's headline news today: Sales of California methode champenoise wines are up 6 percent for 2006, according to numbers from Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates.
And this note: Prosecco —the Italian sparkling wine, named after its grape variety— is expected to become the world's best-selling bubbly by 2020, according to AGI.online. Prosecco?
I did bookmark some great bubblies this year, including my favorite from Dr. Frank in New York, the 1999 Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs, $39. Fruit, style, acid -- it was still a babe when I tried it, and the mousse was incredible.
But look who's lurking in Virginia -- French Champagne master Claude Thibaut, who is consulting at Veritas, near Charlottesville, and making his own Virginia blanc de blanc under the Thibaut & Janisson label.
Thibaut says he sees good potential for sparkling wines from Chardonnay grapes in Virginia. But world-class?
In an interview last fall, he reminded me that he started the production of J for Jordan and consulted for Iron Horse when nobody believed in Sonoma County. Cheers!