Moët Portfolio Tasting
Graham Georgetown Hotel - Washington, DC
Tasted Wednesday, May 8, 2013 by isaacjamesbaker with 716 views
Introduction
This tasting was led by Seth Box, the director of education for Moet Hennessy USA and a Master of Wine student. Seth is an incredibly nice guy with a ton of knowledge. I had a blast talking to him and other folks about the Champagnes. The quality of the wines poured was staggering.
2004 Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage 89 Points
France, Champagne
Floral on the nose, with lots of mixed nuts, lemon cake and yellow apple. Crisp acid, full body, flavors of nougat, lemon, yellow apple. Long finish with notes of honeyed tea. Nice way to start of the evening. A blend of 38% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir and 29% Pinot Meunier.
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1992 Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage Collection 91 Points
France, Champagne
Showing those beautiful aged aromas of hazelnut, boiled peanuts, apricots and yellow flowers. Crisp acid, fine bubbles, this mineral-driven Champagne also shows lots of lemon peel, honeydew melon, sweet tart candies and honeycomb flavors. Very elegant and sleek, with a long, nutty finish. Drinking incredibly well now, but these bubbles aren't done evolving yet.
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2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé 94 Points
France, Champagne
Salmon-pink color. Aromatic bliss: watermelon, juicy strawberries, white cherry, potpourri. The aromas shift and change with every sniff. Intensely young on the palate, with sharp acid. Juicy watermelon and strawberry fruit is accentuated by notes of biscuit, tons of minerals and a flavor that reminds me of sage. This is a stunning rose Champagne, but I got a sense that this has much more to show as it opens up over the next five or ten years.
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1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque 96 Points
France, Champagne
Intoxicating aromas of lemon cake, buttered croissant, yellow apple, honeydew, dried white flowers... and the aromas just keep going. Rich on the palate, with green apple and melon fruit, buttered toast and dried honey, but this wine maintains so much focus and precision. The minerality in this wine is astounding, same goes for the acid, which never ceases. Such beautifully dramatic tension between the lean and rich aspects. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy has made a masterpiece with this wine. If I had a bottle of this, I'd put it down with a cellar tag that reads "Do not open until apocalypse."
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2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 98 Points
France, Champagne
Years of studying wine, tasting wine, collecting and storing it, sometimes you forget what it is about wine that drives a person to dedicate so much time, money and effort. Then a wine like this comes along and floors you, leaves you in complete awe, and reminds you that life is awesome. This Krug shows a beautiful golden apple color. A collage of rich and intense aromas: fresh biscuits, apricot, hazelnut, honey, caramel, shortbread cookies, the aromas don't quit. Dense and bold on the palate, but balanced by superb acid. Rich themes of apricot, hazelnut, honeycomb, caramel, Fuji apple, but they're contrasted with intense limestone and quinine flavors. Full and hedonistic, yet sleek and elegant, this Champagne is a beautiful contradiction. 43% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier. I'd love to taste another bottle of this again when I'm old and crotchety.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé 95 Points
France, Champagne
Pretty copper-rose color. Aromas of white cherries, McIntosh apples and lots of seashell, saline and ocean jetty rock aromas. Brisk acid, this wine is both powerful and effortlesslly beautiful. The palate is full of juicy watermelon, apple and strawberry, highlighted by peanut shell, sea salt and lemon zest. A stunning rosé Champagne. Go Krug!
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1989 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut Collection 97 Points
France, Champagne
One of those wines you taste and think, "Man, I am so lucky." Intriguing apricot-honey color. Smells waxy and honeyed, with orange marmalade, clover honey, dried flowers, bruised apples. The palate loaded with gobs of apricot, brandied pear and blood orange. Crisp acid keeps it lean and balanced, and the aged notes of mixed nuts, rose tea, truffle oil and dried mushrooms. Throughout, this wine maintains an oceanic aura, with seashells and mineral water. So complex, this wine's finish is obscenely long. One of the most intellectually stimulating Champagnes I've ever had.
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