Wine Company Grower Champagne Tasting
St. Paul, MN
Tasted Saturday, January 25, 2014 - Sunday, January 26, 2014 by 3daywinereview.com with 652 views
Introduction
One of the better public tastings in the Twin Cities in quite a while. Nice opportunity to sample a bunch of Grower Champagnes I would normally not purchased at $50 plus. Some worth the money but many fall short of the big House efforts for less. The highlights were the Vilmart, Gouutorbe (my favorite of the night) and the Henriot Blanc de Blancs.
NV Gaston Chiquet Champagne Premier Cru Tradition Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(1/25/2014)
Carmel, spice, apple and minerals. The palate much more impressive than the nose. Decant N.V. but nothing exceptional.
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2005 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
(1/25/2014)
Spices, chalk, apple, apricots and dough. Medium plus finish and balanced overall. I liked the Champagne but for the price I can do better.
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NV Geoffroy Champagne Premier Cru Expression Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(1/25/2014)
Better than the Rose effort with cherry, lemon, lime, chalk and shells. Medium plus finish and complex effort.
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NV Geoffroy Champagne Premier Cru Rosé de Saignée Brut 87 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(1/25/2014)
A simple effort and not in the league of the Expression. Rose petals, minerals and straw. Short to medium finish. Sorry but significantly overpriced for the quality.
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NV Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuis 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(1/25/2014)
Shells, orange peel, sweet fruits and minerals. Balanced but not a concentrated effort. Got better with room temperature.
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2005 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Special Club Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay 87 Points
France, Champagne
(1/25/2014)
Citrus, chalk, raspberries and yeast. Not impressive and not as good as the N.V. Blanc de Blancs. After seeing the price of this offering I am blown away at the lack of complexity for the price.
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2005 Henri Goutorbe Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/25/2014)
One of the top offerings at the tasting. Shells, apples, saline, raspberries and spice. Medium to long finish and complex. Excellent!
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NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(1/25/2014)
After the debacle that was the Brut N.V. I thought this producer was toast but the two I tried today were significantly better. Apples, shells, pear and subtle spices. Nice texture and drinking well. Medium plus finish.
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NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(1/25/2014)
Elegant with rose petals, cherry, raspberries and minerals. Medium finish and balanced.
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NV Pehu Simonet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Noirs 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/26/2014)
Shells, sweet fruits, orange peel and minerals. Medium finish. Good but not great.
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NV Pehu Simonet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Sélection 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/26/2014)
Much better than the previous bottle. Chalk, raspberries, straw and apples. Medium plus finish and quite balanced. Nice acidity. 91+
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2007 Pierre Callot Champagne Grand Cru Vignes Anciennes Blanc de Blancs 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/26/2014)
Shells, orange peel, saline and lemon. Balanced and tasty. Should evolve over the next decade. While young still shows great promise. 91-93.
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NV Pierre Callot Champagne Grande Réserve Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
(1/26/2014)
One of my favorite wines at the event with citrus, kiwi, spices and lemons. A fruit forward style with nice minerality on the medium finish.
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NV Varnier-Fanniere Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/26/2014)
Spice, dough, nuts and subtle fruits. Earth component on the finish. Not bad but not what I would normally seek out in Champagne.
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NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(1/26/2014)
Another excellent Vilmart offering. Orange, lemon, spices, minerals and pie crust. Nice minerals on the palate and smooth finish. One of my favorites at this event and I have never seen Vilmart in the Minnesota market so excited to see it.
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2005 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé 91 Points
France, Champagne
(1/26/2014)
Expected a bit more from this effort but offered baked crust, spices, minerals and apples. Medium finish.
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NV Henriot Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
(1/26/2014)
Toast, nuts, lemon, orange peel and kiwi. Medium plus finish and balanced. Drink now or hold a few years.
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NV Jean Lallement Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Réserve 87 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/26/2014)
Earth, chalk, dust and subtle fruit. Rather ordinary.
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