Living as I do in a NYC apartment, it is nice to spend a few days in the “country” even if it is less than 45 minutes away. As I sat beside the pool at our friend’s house in New Jersey, I could watch various birds in the waterfall. 
This bright red Cardinal really enjoyed his bath.
The Table was set for dinner.
We started with Champagne
Larmandier-Bernier “Latitude” Extra Brut Blanc De Blancs NV. Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes which come from the same Latitude in the southern part of Vertus. There is 40% reserve wine in the blend and the dosage is 4g/l. The wine has hints of peach, white flowers, toast and a touch of almonds.
The first course was anchovies on burrata cheese on homemade toasts.
Champagne Marguet Grand Cru “Shaman 15” Dosage 0 g/liter. Bottled May 2015 made from 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. The soil is chalk. The wine is fermented spontaneously. Fermentation and aging in new oak. The wine is unfined, no added sulphites and no temperature control. The wine is filtered. The winery is Organic/Biodynamic. Horses plough the soil. This is a full-bodied, complex Champagne with hints of yellow fruit and brioche.
Sancerre 2014 Clos de Beaujeu Gérard Boulay made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The vines are over 45 years old and the soil is Kimmeridgian Clay terre blanche similar to the soils of Chablis. The soil is worked manually, grapes are picked by hand and organic farming methods are used. Fermentation is in the barrel with natural yeasts. The wine is aged on the lees in a combination of barrel and tank then bottled unfiltered in July. The wine has citrus aromas and flavors with a hints of grapefruit, herbs and nice minerality. There is a touch of sweetness on the palate.
Salad
Spicy shrimp in a Cajun butter sauce was prepared by a friend of our host.
The shrimp were served with baguette slices to soak up the sauce.
A spectacular Neapolitan style Rum Baba with fresh berries from a favorite local bakery was the dessert.
Marc De Bourgogne De Chambolle Musigny is fantastic! A glass of this marc brought a perfect day to an end for me.
Charles,
We have a male cardinal and his mate living at our place in the Berkshires as well. Beautiful birds! Almost wants to make me root for the St.Louis Cardinals in baseball.
Larmandier-Bernier is one of the best Grower Champagnes. I have never heard of the second Champagne you had. The Sancerre must have been excellent!
Ciao Ed. yes the first Champagne was very good as was the second which was new to me also. The Sancerre did not taste like a typical one but was very good