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1257 Kensington Road NW
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Our friend Gilles Dumangin, a 4th generation Champagne producer near Reims, also produces a fortified wine called Ratafia Champenois. He has secured whiskies from distilleries all over the world, which he has finished in his own Ratafia casks. They are exclusive to KWM in Canada, with just 24 bottles of each coming into the market. This mystery single malt Scotch whisky is really no mystery at all... it is from the Highland Park Distillery in the Orkneys. It was distilled in 2007 and was bottled at 46% after 12 years. It was finished 7 Months in Ratafia Champenois Casks. Non-chill filtered with no added colouring.
700ml ml
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: honeyed, milky, waxy and fruity: Starburst candies right off the bat, melons, mango and Sun-Maid Raisins; Strawberry Twizzlers too.
Palate: soft with chewy malt, gentle ashy peat and soft milky mouthfeel; the waxy-creamy oak tones roll in with white chocolate, Malted Milk bard and more waxy Starburst fruit candies and Twizzlers; the soft honeyed ashy peat comes back to the fore after a few passes; salty, I didn’t catch it at first, but the maritime notes are there.
Finish: long, coating and creamy with lingering soft ashy peat, sea salt, honey and more waxy indulgences.
Comment: once again the Ratafia cask has a light touch on the spirit; while it has the classic creamy honey and subtle peat which Highland Park is famous for, I think I would have been hard pressed to identify this blind as being from Highland Park distillery; very balanced for a 12 year old.
What do Kate and William (the Royals) and Paul McCartney and Gordon Ramsay have in common? Beyond all hailing from the United Kingdom, they also all drink Dumangin Champagne.
Who are the Dumangins? The family have been growers in the 1er Cru village of Chigny-Les-Roses since the early 1900s and their family can be traced back to working in the vineyards since the 1650s. Gilles Dumangin is the present owner and has worked tirelessly to ward off takeovers from big-name Champagne houses. They are a small family business that makes great-tasting Champagne.
Dumangin Champagne is a 130-year-old family-owned Champagne producer from the Premier Cru Terroirs of the “Montagne de Reims.” Today the winery is run by Gilles Dumangin, a 4th generation Cellar Master & winemaker, who modernized the brand in the 1990s. Although not certified organic, Dumangin takes an organic approach to the tending and harvesting of fruit at its 29 vineyard parcels. The wines are treated with care and aged much longer than the industry standards; no younger than 3 years for non-vintage Champagnes, and after no less than 9 years for vintage wines. The Champagnes are only blended on the day they are bottled.
Gilles has also expanded the Dumangin repertoire over the past 20 years. Dumangin also produces Ratafia Champenois which is a fortified wine from the Champagne region of France typically made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Brandy or a neutral grape spirit is added to the grape juice before fermentation. He has also become an independent bottler of whisky - sourcing casks from various Scottish, American, and European whisky makers and then finishing the whisky in his own Ratafia Casks.
Kensington Wine Market is privileged to work with Gilles Dumangin, his family and his team. We are proud to be one of the exclusive sellers of Dumangin Champagne for nearly two decades.
