Very pale, golden straw. Nose is filled with steel filings and minerals, it smells like it will be hard on the palate; showing lemon curd and a little beeswax. Palate is very, very rich and velvety; extremely fine-grained, sophisticated mousse. Fruit is lemony brioche; primary. Good, not great, length, though it has texture for days. Needs time, obviously.
Very pale straw. Full rich nose of anise, lemon, and poppyseed (interesting, that one). Palate is wonderful, fresh; lemon, cream, steel, and minerals. Terrific mousse, terrific length. First rate. Buy, buy, buy. But better in a decade+.
Pale pink. Perfumed rosy nose with a deep soil note -- very inviting. Palate packs a wallop -- acid, intense minerally red fruit, and more roses. Wonderful, fine-bead mousse. Excellent length, almost endless. Again, first rate. Will need some time, but back up the truck.
Straw. Really classic Krug brioche nose, lemon curd, crème brûlée, aniseed; yum. Palate is much the same, rich, a little oxidation revealing the older wines in the blend; velvet mousse. Oily and long -- very, very long. It is what it is, and what it is is perfection.
Very pale pink. Nose hits immediately with bubblegum, creamy raspberry/strawberry yogurt, and crushed rose petals; it just sings. The palate is more reserved than the nose, with a very light mousse, and a little sour cherry. Good, not great length. I suspect this might not be the best showing for this wine overall, but I sure liked the nose.
Deep straw, not quite golden. Rich, yeasty, buttery nose; raspberry. Palate is rich, with wicked acidity framing huge, primary fruit -- very unevolved and closed, but creamy and very long with a fine mousse. This is pretty fabulous but desperately needs time to round out a bit.
Straw. Huge, yeasty, sauvage nose -- like wild yeast; savage and wild; really primary -- lemon is all I got as to detail. Palate is ginormous, intense acidity but with good, sweet fruit, too: think rock candy mountain. Firm mousse and terrific length. Fantastic Champagne. The best BGA I've tried in a long while as the '02 was closed for business the last time(s) I had it.
Very pale straw, but not white/clear like young Comtes Blanc de Blancs sometimes is. Really deep, deep nose of minerals, steel, soil -- a mélange of aromatics seemingly issued from an Atlantic hydrothermal vent they are so primary, even primordial; coupled with extremely lifted lemony custard cream; perfumed and beautiful. The palate is refined and cool, but with exquisite sweetness, superb, a little bit of bubblegum in these early days, but just amazing fruit; candied citrus. A perfection of mousse, with great acidity and killer length. Almost as good as the 2002. Taittinger is really on their game! Wonderful wine.
Salmon. The nose is totally closed, to me; maybe a little anise? A little sweet strawberry, or Kool-Aid, or bubblegum and roses? Also a little cola. The palate is sweet but utterly primary, with fine acid and a D-Luxe mousse. Exceedingly refined. A very tough read, overall, but all the structural elements are there. Terrific length, forever. A vin de garde, for sure.
Goldish straw. Good creamy, toasty chestnut nose; classic; raspberries and a hint of butterscotch. Appealing. The palate is very effervescent (though fine), surprisingly so -- also tautly acidic. But there's tons of fruit, too. Rich, good body, and fine length. Good, but this could use a year or two to settle down.
Goldish straw. Big, clean, saline nose; cream and class but totally primary. Palate is much the same -- rich, good acid, but closed up tight. Good length and terrific, filigree mousse. Needs time but the components are there.
Greenish straw. Big yeasty, gueuzy nose just jumps from the glass; butterscotch, an interesting herbal note (lemon verbena, I'd say), coffee grounds, white chocolate, raspberry coulis -- wow! What a nose... The palate is silken and sophisticated, with good acid. Medium mousse, very finely grained. Good sweetness, but showing much less than the nose -- nectarines, cream, steel. Excellent length. This is first-rate! Wow! A great wine.
NV Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial
France, Champagne
Pale straw. Classic citrus and brioche nose, brighter than it's been in the past. Palate suave and mellow with a gentle mousse. Good.
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NV Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Imperial Rosé
France, Champagne
Pale salmon. Nose bursts with red berries, strawberry. Palate is a touch sweet; red berry fruit. Gentle mousse. Good.
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2004 Dom Pérignon Champagne
France, Champagne
Very pale, golden straw. Nose is filled with steel filings and minerals, it smells like it will be hard on the palate; showing lemon curd and a little beeswax. Palate is very, very rich and velvety; extremely fine-grained, sophisticated mousse. Fruit is lemony brioche; primary. Good, not great, length, though it has texture for days. Needs time, obviously.
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2003 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé
France, Champagne
Rose pink. Reserved nose of rose petals, otherwise hard to read. The palate is also a little blocky and closed. Good mousse. Judgment reserved.
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2002 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
France, Champagne
Very pale straw. Full rich nose of anise, lemon, and poppyseed (interesting, that one). Palate is wonderful, fresh; lemon, cream, steel, and minerals. Terrific mousse, terrific length. First rate. Buy, buy, buy. But better in a decade+.
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2002 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé
France, Champagne
Pale pink. Perfumed rosy nose with a deep soil note -- very inviting. Palate packs a wallop -- acid, intense minerally red fruit, and more roses. Wonderful, fine-bead mousse. Excellent length, almost endless. Again, first rate. Will need some time, but back up the truck.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
Straw. Really classic Krug brioche nose, lemon curd, crème brûlée, aniseed; yum. Palate is much the same, rich, a little oxidation revealing the older wines in the blend; velvet mousse. Oily and long -- very, very long. It is what it is, and what it is is perfection.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé
France, Champagne
Very pale pink. Nose hits immediately with bubblegum, creamy raspberry/strawberry yogurt, and crushed rose petals; it just sings. The palate is more reserved than the nose, with a very light mousse, and a little sour cherry. Good, not great length. I suspect this might not be the best showing for this wine overall, but I sure liked the nose.
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2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
France, Champagne
Deep straw, not quite golden. Rich, yeasty, buttery nose; raspberry. Palate is rich, with wicked acidity framing huge, primary fruit -- very unevolved and closed, but creamy and very long with a fine mousse. This is pretty fabulous but desperately needs time to round out a bit.
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2004 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année
France, Champagne
Straw. Huge, yeasty, sauvage nose -- like wild yeast; savage and wild; really primary -- lemon is all I got as to detail. Palate is ginormous, intense acidity but with good, sweet fruit, too: think rock candy mountain. Firm mousse and terrific length. Fantastic Champagne. The best BGA I've tried in a long while as the '02 was closed for business the last time(s) I had it.
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2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne
Very pale straw, but not white/clear like young Comtes Blanc de Blancs sometimes is. Really deep, deep nose of minerals, steel, soil -- a mélange of aromatics seemingly issued from an Atlantic hydrothermal vent they are so primary, even primordial; coupled with extremely lifted lemony custard cream; perfumed and beautiful. The palate is refined and cool, but with exquisite sweetness, superb, a little bit of bubblegum in these early days, but just amazing fruit; candied citrus. A perfection of mousse, with great acidity and killer length. Almost as good as the 2002. Taittinger is really on their game! Wonderful wine.
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2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut
France, Champagne
Salmon. The nose is totally closed, to me; maybe a little anise? A little sweet strawberry, or Kool-Aid, or bubblegum and roses? Also a little cola. The palate is sweet but utterly primary, with fine acid and a D-Luxe mousse. Exceedingly refined. A very tough read, overall, but all the structural elements are there. Terrific length, forever. A vin de garde, for sure.
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NV Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier
France, Champagne
Goldish straw. Good creamy, toasty chestnut nose; classic; raspberries and a hint of butterscotch. Appealing. The palate is very effervescent (though fine), surprisingly so -- also tautly acidic. But there's tons of fruit, too. Rich, good body, and fine length. Good, but this could use a year or two to settle down.
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2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
France, Champagne
Goldish straw. Big, clean, saline nose; cream and class but totally primary. Palate is much the same -- rich, good acid, but closed up tight. Good length and terrific, filigree mousse. Needs time but the components are there.
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2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare
France, Champagne
Greenish straw. Big yeasty, gueuzy nose just jumps from the glass; butterscotch, an interesting herbal note (lemon verbena, I'd say), coffee grounds, white chocolate, raspberry coulis -- wow! What a nose... The palate is silken and sophisticated, with good acid. Medium mousse, very finely grained. Good sweetness, but showing much less than the nose -- nectarines, cream, steel. Excellent length. This is first-rate! Wow! A great wine.
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