IMW 2016 Champagne - Walk-Around Tasting

Hyatt, San Francisco
Tasted Monday, September 26, 2016 by RajivAyyangar with 698 views

Introduction

Floorplan and notes: https://www.evernote.com/l/ABasr-c4EqVJj57CXqEPLFt4jNiBP2AwhaM

Based on this tasting, here's how I'd describe Champagne, stylistically:

Appearance:
- Pale gold to medium gold (if has lots of development).

Nose:
- BdB: high-toned green apples and citrus
- Mixed brut: blend of green apples and slight deeper mushroomy tones
- BdN: red berries and button mushrooms
- Meunier: earthy brown-orange, wild mushroom
- Reductive styles (Henriot) tended to have squeaky clean fruit in young cuvees, and sometimes went to burnt rubber like young Hunter Semillon. As they developed, sometimes this went to noble reduction, crushed stones.
- Oxidative styles - I didn’t get a lot of overt oxidation, but these tasted richer, more briochey, riper and more apply.

Palate:
- Mousses were extremely explosive across the board.
- Bubbles ranged from coarse to fine (with longer tirage leading to finer bubbles).
- Acid ranged from High- to High+, with most falling squarely in High.

Flight 1 - Blancs de Blancs (8 Notes)

They seemed high-toned, aromatically. Fresh green apples and citrus. Clean, with less mushroom tones.
Around 9
- 2009 Roederer BdB
- 2008 Pol Roger BdB
Between 8.5 and 9
- 2008 Ayala
- NV Henriot
Around 8.5
- NV Delamotte
- 2006 Doquet Le Mont Aime
- 2005 Doquet PC Vertus
Between 8 and 8.5
- NV Doquet Diapason

Flight 2 - Blancs de Noirs (3 Notes)

These seemed to have more red berry fruit and button mushroom (pinot-like fruit).
Around 9:
- 2008 Philipponnat
- 2010 P. Paillard ‘Les Maillerettes'
Between 8.5 and 9:
(none)
Around 8.5:
- NV Soutiran Perle Noir

Flight 3 - Brut Blends (13 Notes)

These were the most classic of the categories:
Blends of Chardonnay and Pinot, with enough time on tirage to have noticeable Autolysis.
Some seemed more reductive, some less so. Some seemed more Chardonnay, some more pinot.
Dosage varied between extra-brut (the Paillards, at 3.5g) and the high end of brut (e.g. Bara at 11g).

Stylistically:
Dosage:

- Higher (~9-11g): Bollinger, Heidsieck, Lassalle, Bara, Taittinger
- Average (~5-9g): Henriot, Gonet, Pol Roger, Geoffroy, Faust, Veuve-Cliquot Ponsardin
- Lower (3-5g): P. Paillard

Oxidative Style:

- Reductive: Heidsieck, Henriot, Lasalle, Gonet, P. Paillard, Geoffroy, Taittinger
- Oxidative: Bollinger, Faust, Veuve-Cliquot Ponsardin

Cepage:

- Chard-dominant: Taittinger
- Pinot-dominant: Bara, Veuve-Cliquot Ponsardin
- Meunier-dominant: Faust

Quality:
Between 9 and 9.5

- 2006 P. Paillard ‘Le Grande Recolte'

Around 9

- NV Bara
- NV Gonet
- NV P. Paillard Les Parcelles XI
- 2006 Pol Roger Extra Cuvee de Reserve

Between 8.5 and 9

- 2006 Henriot Millesime
- NV Taittinger 'La Francaise'

Around 8.5

- NV Bollinger Special Cuvee
- NV Heidsieck
- Geoffroy
- Veuve-Clicquot Ponsardin

Between 8 and 8.5

- Faust:

Flight 4 - Extra Brut (1 Note)

I liked this a lot. The Paillards are all extra-brut as well, which leads me to think I really like extra-brut (~2-3g) dosage.

Flight 5 - Zero Dosage (3 Notes)

I didn't like these - not because they were aggressively dry/acidic (I generally like high acid) - but because they seemed one-dimensional.

Flight 6 - Demi-Sec (2 Notes)

Historically Champagne used to be quite sweet - hence "demi-sec" is still really sweet by modern standards. I generally enjoy these, but I'm not sure in what context I'd drink them. Maybe a century ago, before global warming and modern viticultural practices, grape ripeness was so low in Champagne that the sugar was necessary to cut the acid. However now, the extra bruts have a sufficient lushness for my taste (though the Brut Natures seem to over-do it).

Demi-secs have between 30 and 50g/L dosage, but to my taste they seemed only 15-20 (high acidity!).

Flight 7 - Roses (5 Notes)

In general I found these were not as aromatic as the regular Bruts and the BdBs. I liked the Paillard - but I don’t find these any better as a category than a pinot-dominant Brut.

  • NV Ruinart Champagne Brut Rosé 89 Points

    France, Champagne

    Medium pink/salmon. Reductive nose - Rich aromatics of red cherry, wet sourdough, noble reduction, wet granite. A bit sweet on the finish. Ripe fruit on the palate. Nice.

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  • NV Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Rosé Extra Brut Les Terres Roses 91 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    "Les Terres Roses"
    "12"
    Grapes: 65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir (of which 6% is added as red wine)
    Vintage: based on 2012 (70%) and 2011 (30%)
    Dosage: 3.5 grams per liter (Extra-Brut)

    Pale pink. Explosive green apple and flowers and brioche. Very nice balance. Mix of red fruits with yellow fruits. Bright on the palate, with high acid. Slight savory complexity. Fresh but not noticeably reductive. Persistent finish.

    Producer notes:
    Les Terres Roses's Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were vinified in stainless steel. The Bouzy Rouge, sourced from the 2012 vintage, was vinified 18 months in 205-litre oak casks undergoing spontaneous, natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentations.

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  • 2006 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Rosé 88 Points

    France, Champagne

    Medium salmon in the glass. Savory mushroomy toast with raspberry and green apple. Struck match reduction. Vivid nose. A bit dosaged but very lovely. Rich and vibrant.

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  • NV Taittinger Champagne Brut Prestige Rosé 85 Points

    France, Champagne

    Medium pink in the glass. Reticent aromatics. Cherry pits and faint autolysis. A bit sugary on the palate. Feels maybe 10-12g dosage.

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  • 2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé Vintage 88 Points

    France, Champagne

    Down-the-center rose style. Modest dosage. Red fruit. Modest ripeness. High acid. Clean. Not aromatically interesting but very nice to drink.

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