Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Legs. Fine persistent bubbles. Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of stony chalky minerality, saline minerals, brioche, citrus lemon drops, green apple. Developing. On the palate, dry, very high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), lean medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of stony chalky minerality, saline minerals, concentrated lemon-lime, intense green apple, brioche. Long finish. Very good quality. Lean, crisp sharp acidity, and minerally as a good BdB should be. One for contemplation. Could be underwhelming for some if they miss the subtle qualities. 40-year old Chardonnay vines from Le Champ Bouton in Avize and Bionnes in Cramant. Dosage 5g/l.
Tasted blind. Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon yellow colour. Legs. Fine bubbles. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of sweet citrus lemon, perfumed flowers, toasty nuts, brioche, stony minerality, saline minerality. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet citrus lemon, toasty almond nuts, autolytic bready yeast, brioche, sweet cream mousse. Long finish. Very good quality. A little bit of everything sums it up into a completely pleasing champagne satisfyingly good on the palate. Blind tasted, just lacking a little something more exciting/je ne sais quoi to warrant a higher score for me. Ready for drinking now. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Apparently dosage 9g/l.
Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, amber gold colour. Legs. Fine bubbles. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of deep almond nuts, heady marble cake, cream cheese, bready yeast, soda-lime, citrus lemon curd. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), full body. Pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet oxidative almond nuts, marble cake, soda-lime, ripe citrus lemon curd, baked brown apples, tart sour plum, bits of Fino sherry. Long finish. Very good quality. A champagne very very much in the oxidative style. A head-turner. Certainly not for everyone's taste buds. Objectively very good vino, hence my score. Personally, I prefer my champs brighter with more tension and verve. This feels more sledgehammerish. 33% Chardonnay, 34% Pinot Noir, 33% Meunier. Fermented in cuve, kept in cuve for one year, then introduced into a solera that was started in 1985. Once a year they bottle off two-thirds. It spends an average of three years on lees. Dosage 6g/l.
Tasted blind. Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, yellow gold colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of cheese, yeasty bread, yellow flowers, citrus lemon-lime, stony minerality. Developing. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet citrus lemon drops, orange peel, cheese, yeasty bread, nano nano candy sweets (sweet, sour, salty mix). Long finish. Very good quality. A very interesting champagne, distinctly different from most. Tough guess. First time trying from this small house. Apparently Parker said "This may be the finest champagne house virtually no one has ever heard of." Bottle says MV07. 60-70% Pinot Noir, 30-40% Chardonnay. Dosage 8g/l.
Pop and poured. Drank over 1 hour. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, gold colour. Legs. Fine bubbles. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of autolytic yeast, yellow flowers, marble cake, wet stones minerality, citrus lemon-lime. Developing. On the palate, dry, very high zesty acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of taut wet stone minerality, marble cake, slight caramel, citrus lemon-lime. Very long finish. Very good quality. Only mildly oxidative it seems to me. Great mouth-feel. Bad QPR though. This bottle was disgorged 13 December 2013.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Tasted blind. Drank from decanter after 1 hour of air. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose overwhelming aromas of nail varnish and lacquer. Aggressive swirling reveals medium+ intensity, aromas of black fruit, mint and cola. Developing. on the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), medium- tannins, medium body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of dark red cherries, black cheries, vanilla, mint, cola. Medium finish. Possibly volatile acidity fault marring the experience. Simple Pinot profile. Modern styled clearly. I was guessing an Oregon Pinot Noir actually.
Tasted blind. Drank from decanter over 30mins. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of toasty vanilla oak, black cherries, blackberries., slight earth. Deveoping. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), fine polished high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackberries, black cherries, blackcurrant, licorice, vanilla oak, slight earth. Long finish. Very good quality. Very smooth mouth-feel. Still needs another 4-5 more years for the oak to integrate and develop more earthy and leathery notes. CVNE has stated before that Imperial falls in the middle of the traditional/modern divide that brought Rioja to a new era in the 1990s. To me, based on this blind taste, it seems to be more in the modern camp. 100% Tempranillo. 2 years in French and American oak.
2009 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Avizoise Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Legs. Fine persistent bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of stony chalky minerality, saline minerals, brioche, citrus lemon drops, green apple. Developing.
On the palate, dry, very high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), lean medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of stony chalky minerality, saline minerals, concentrated lemon-lime, intense green apple, brioche. Long finish.
Very good quality. Lean, crisp sharp acidity, and minerally as a good BdB should be. One for contemplation. Could be underwhelming for some if they miss the subtle qualities.
40-year old Chardonnay vines from Le Champ Bouton in Avize and Bionnes in Cramant.
Dosage 5g/l.
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2002 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 93 Points
France, Champagne
Tasted blind. Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon yellow colour. Legs. Fine bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of sweet citrus lemon, perfumed flowers, toasty nuts, brioche, stony minerality, saline minerality. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet citrus lemon, toasty almond nuts, autolytic bready yeast, brioche, sweet cream mousse. Long finish.
Very good quality. A little bit of everything sums it up into a completely pleasing champagne satisfyingly good on the palate. Blind tasted, just lacking a little something more exciting/je ne sais quoi to warrant a higher score for me. Ready for drinking now.
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
Apparently dosage 9g/l.
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NV Bérêche et Fils Champagne Reflet d'Antan 94 Points
France, Champagne
Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, amber gold colour. Legs. Fine bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of deep almond nuts, heady marble cake, cream cheese, bready yeast, soda-lime, citrus lemon curd. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), full body. Pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet oxidative almond nuts, marble cake, soda-lime, ripe citrus lemon curd, baked brown apples, tart sour plum, bits of Fino sherry. Long finish.
Very good quality. A champagne very very much in the oxidative style. A head-turner. Certainly not for everyone's taste buds. Objectively very good vino, hence my score. Personally, I prefer my champs brighter with more tension and verve. This feels more sledgehammerish.
33% Chardonnay, 34% Pinot Noir, 33% Meunier.
Fermented in cuve, kept in cuve for one year, then introduced into a solera that was started in 1985. Once a year they bottle off two-thirds. It spends an average of three years on lees.
Dosage 6g/l.
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2007 Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Aÿ Fût De Chêne Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Tasted blind. Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, yellow gold colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of cheese, yeasty bread, yellow flowers, citrus lemon-lime, stony minerality. Developing.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet citrus lemon drops, orange peel, cheese, yeasty bread, nano nano candy sweets (sweet, sour, salty mix). Long finish.
Very good quality. A very interesting champagne, distinctly different from most. Tough guess. First time trying from this small house. Apparently Parker said "This may be the finest champagne house virtually no one has ever heard of."
Bottle says MV07.
60-70% Pinot Noir, 30-40% Chardonnay.
Dosage 8g/l.
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NV Jacques Selosse Initial 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Pop and poured. Drank over 1 hour.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, gold colour. Legs. Fine bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of autolytic yeast, yellow flowers, marble cake, wet stones minerality, citrus lemon-lime. Developing.
On the palate, dry, very high zesty acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of taut wet stone minerality, marble cake, slight caramel, citrus lemon-lime. Very long finish.
Very good quality. Only mildly oxidative it seems to me. Great mouth-feel. Bad QPR though.
This bottle was disgorged 13 December 2013.
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