When a late invitation to a champagne tasting came through this week, I was intrigued. While I don’t necessarily have the most advanced palate, I do quite enjoy bubbles of all varieties, but had never had the opportunity to try Hatt et SÖNER. Thus, when the concept of ‘personal vintage’ was mentioned, my interest was completely captured.
Heading over to the private dining room at Vesna (located in the Conrad Dubai), we were met by one of the proprietors of the champagne, Mr. Matte Kahn. Over the evening, Matte was kind enough to not only walk us through the unique history of the brand and his involvement, the concept of a personal vintage, as well as some casual life lessons (“Champagne is the solution to all of your problems”). In our time with Matte, his love of his brand was evident, but also the unique concept of what Hatt et Soner are producing, which is something truly special in the region of Champagne.
Under strict orders not to discuss our preferences, we went through the process of first smelling three vintages in front of us, then rating them in order. Next, we tasted each of the three glasses and again gave our preference. At the end, Matte revealed which vintage our tastes were directed towards. And while we were all slightly different, that’s the exact direction personal vintage is geared towards — your unique tastes.
While I am unfortunately not yet at a point where developing a personal vintage is within my expenditure, the fact that estates and efforts like this exist make me optimistic. It’s clear when a winemaker cares deeply about a product and creating an exceptional experience for his clients (of which there are 320+ globally). While I’ll still happily buy my beloved Veuve, if my circumstances change (hello, book sales!), I wouldn’t hesitate to give Matte a call and create my own vintage.
This was the second time in 2016 I was able to connect directly with a winemaker, and I hope 2017 yields more experiences like this one!
A to Za’atar was a guest of HATT et SÖNER. Opinions are my own, just ask my husband.
