Fresh nose that straddles sweet and savoury and has pleasant brioche starting to come out. On the palate this is rich and flavourful but finishes up with a good kick of acid. Totally comparable to the 1996 tonight.
Gorgeous nose, creamy Chardonnay fruit beginning to show mild nutty and faint leesy notes. A flicker of reduction on this one too. On the palate this is rich and expansive. Just a touch more complete than the 1995, which was also terrific tonight.
In addition to minor oxidation, there is something a little dirty on this nose. Surpassing nice yeasty lees and approaching funk. Still has caramel. Palate is round and flavourful with intricacies. The finish is driven by chalky minerals and nice acid. Palate is better than the nose. Drinking very nicely, notwithstanding the curious nose.
This nose is fresh, wet stone, slate, chalk, stone fruit, and lemon lime. Showing young and like a laser beam tonight. On the palate this is equally as vibrant and bright but packs in an amazing wallop of fruit flavours. Chalky minerality. This is obviously amazing drinking, but this this is one of those bottles which strongly suggests this needs a while longer in the bottle to show more development and secondary nuance. Frickin' laser beam.
Bright nose that has chalk, lemon/lime, and intense yellow fruit. The ‘95 and ‘96 Krug are both very comparable on the nose. Showing some yeasty / leesy notes on the nose too. High acid and vibrant palate.
Bright nose that has chalk, lemon/lime, and intense yellow fruit. The ‘95 and ‘96 Krug are both very comparable on the nose. Showing a nice brioche and caramel side with a little more air. Rounder palate than that on the ‘95, although the acid still strikes me as high.
Spectacular bouquet of white flowers, cream, honey, and ripe red apple. Expansive and detailed nose. Powerful and massively flavorful mouthful. Big flavours, lovely texture, pronounced and lingering finish. Always amazes me how much more cream there is in the Clos du Mesnil than the regular cuvee. These consistently crush it, and I'm less keen on Krug stylistically than most. I also seemed to prefer the '95 over the '96 tonight.
Very fresh nose, white flowers and creamy. Milk and honey. Mild saline minerality. Always amazes me how much more cream there is in the Clos du Mesnil than the regular cuvee. These consistently crush it, and I'm less keen on Krug stylistically than most. Was surprised that the 1995 kept up to this tonight.
Saline and oyster shell nose that blows over into lemon citrus and some bready notes. Crisp palate, yeasty, yellow apple, pleasant citrus, good acid. A ways off of the '96, but certainly enjoyable drinking.
Consistent notes. Stylistically and aromatically distinctive with that Dommy brioche nose. A deeper and richer nose than that on the ‘95, nice minerality but with good creaminess too. Mmm, every time.
Quieter nose that features lemon citrus but is missing the pleasant sulphuric note found on the ‘96. Crisp palate, but somewhat straightforward, and I always prefer the Œnos. Both Œnos are much lighter in colour than the regular cuvée.
Reductive nose that has sulphur, stone fruit, and citrus. Lees and brioche. Round palate that has a big mouthful of yellow apple with plenty of acid. For better or worse I consistently love this champagne... Clearly the best of the four DPs tonight. Both Œnos are much lighter in colour than the regular cuvée.
Sweet salted caramel nose, green apple. Bright green apple and citrus fruit on the palate. Lots of acid and a touch screechy. The high dosage is evident. Having this in such a big '95-'96 champagne horizontal really highlights the Cristal style, for better or worse.
Savoury and bready nose, buttered popcorn. Baked buns. Oxidizing much faster than the ‘96 in the next glass. Palate is still delicious and has nicely developed apple and orchard fruit. Better on palate than nose, but a mildly off bottle. In better condition I would guess 93+ as the 1996 in the next glass is kicking ass.
Nose is very different from that on the ‘95 in that it is very fresh and a touch saline. Minerals and oyster shell. Curious ginger. Gaining a more savoury and yeasty aromas with air. Palate is both developed and lively with juicy apple fruit and good acid. Consistent, precise, delicious. A pretty intense kick of acid at the end of this, which I enjoyed less. Impressive overall though.
Fantastic nose, highly expressive and heavily earth influenced. Lots of soil and big spice. On the palate this is much more vibrant than expected wth a punch of red cherry up from and more developed red berry fruit through the mid palate and finish. Very impressive.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
First time ever with one of these, nose is bold, because it young, but very layered and highly nuanced with notes of blueberry, olive, leather, farmy soil, tea leaf, dark spice, -- Juicy blueberry palate, but intricate.
Big smoke, cola spice, cool dark spice, blue and black berry fruit. Highly expressive bouquet. Palate is lush and even a touch lacquered, robust black cherry fruit. Peppery. Saw this on a wine list and took a gamble and it was spectacular. Every bit as nuanced and showy as the Hermitage. This bottle kicked ass.
1995 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
Fresh nose that straddles sweet and savoury and has pleasant brioche starting to come out. On the palate this is rich and flavourful but finishes up with a good kick of acid. Totally comparable to the 1996 tonight.
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1996 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 Points
France, Champagne
Gorgeous nose, creamy Chardonnay fruit beginning to show mild nutty and faint leesy notes. A flicker of reduction on this one too. On the palate this is rich and expansive. Just a touch more complete than the 1995, which was also terrific tonight.
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1995 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
In addition to minor oxidation, there is something a little dirty on this nose. Surpassing nice yeasty lees and approaching funk. Still has caramel. Palate is round and flavourful with intricacies. The finish is driven by chalky minerals and nice acid. Palate is better than the nose. Drinking very nicely, notwithstanding the curious nose.
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1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 Points
France, Champagne
This nose is fresh, wet stone, slate, chalk, stone fruit, and lemon lime. Showing young and like a laser beam tonight. On the palate this is equally as vibrant and bright but packs in an amazing wallop of fruit flavours. Chalky minerality. This is obviously amazing drinking, but this this is one of those bottles which strongly suggests this needs a while longer in the bottle to show more development and secondary nuance. Frickin' laser beam.
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1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
Bright nose that has chalk, lemon/lime, and intense yellow fruit. The ‘95 and ‘96 Krug are both very comparable on the nose. Showing some yeasty / leesy notes on the nose too. High acid and vibrant palate.
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1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
Bright nose that has chalk, lemon/lime, and intense yellow fruit. The ‘95 and ‘96 Krug are both very comparable on the nose. Showing a nice brioche and caramel side with a little more air. Rounder palate than that on the ‘95, although the acid still strikes me as high.
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1995 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil 95 Points
France, Champagne
Spectacular bouquet of white flowers, cream, honey, and ripe red apple. Expansive and detailed nose. Powerful and massively flavorful mouthful. Big flavours, lovely texture, pronounced and lingering finish. Always amazes me how much more cream there is in the Clos du Mesnil than the regular cuvee. These consistently crush it, and I'm less keen on Krug stylistically than most. I also seemed to prefer the '95 over the '96 tonight.
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1996 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil 94 Points
France, Champagne
Very fresh nose, white flowers and creamy. Milk and honey. Mild saline minerality. Always amazes me how much more cream there is in the Clos du Mesnil than the regular cuvee. These consistently crush it, and I'm less keen on Krug stylistically than most. Was surprised that the 1995 kept up to this tonight.
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1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 92 Points
France, Champagne
Saline and oyster shell nose that blows over into lemon citrus and some bready notes. Crisp palate, yeasty, yellow apple, pleasant citrus, good acid. A ways off of the '96, but certainly enjoyable drinking.
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1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 93 Points
France, Champagne
Consistent notes. Stylistically and aromatically distinctive with that Dommy brioche nose. A deeper and richer nose than that on the ‘95, nice minerality but with good creaminess too. Mmm, every time.
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1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque 92 Points
France, Champagne
Quieter nose that features lemon citrus but is missing the pleasant sulphuric note found on the ‘96. Crisp palate, but somewhat straightforward, and I always prefer the Œnos. Both Œnos are much lighter in colour than the regular cuvée.
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1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque 95 Points
France, Champagne
Reductive nose that has sulphur, stone fruit, and citrus. Lees and brioche. Round palate that has a big mouthful of yellow apple with plenty of acid. For better or worse I consistently love this champagne... Clearly the best of the four DPs tonight. Both Œnos are much lighter in colour than the regular cuvée.
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1995 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut Flawed
France, Champagne
Quite oxidized. Brown. Some redeeming butterscotch and orange zest, but mostly just off.
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1996 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
Sweet salted caramel nose, green apple. Bright green apple and citrus fruit on the palate. Lots of acid and a touch screechy. The high dosage is evident. Having this in such a big '95-'96 champagne horizontal really highlights the Cristal style, for better or worse.
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1995 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Flawed
France, Champagne
Savoury and bready nose, buttered popcorn. Baked buns. Oxidizing much faster than the ‘96 in the next glass. Palate is still delicious and has nicely developed apple and orchard fruit. Better on palate than nose, but a mildly off bottle. In better condition I would guess 93+ as the 1996 in the next glass is kicking ass.
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1996 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 93 Points
France, Champagne
Nose is very different from that on the ‘95 in that it is very fresh and a touch saline. Minerals and oyster shell. Curious ginger. Gaining a more savoury and yeasty aromas with air. Palate is both developed and lively with juicy apple fruit and good acid. Consistent, precise, delicious. A pretty intense kick of acid at the end of this, which I enjoyed less. Impressive overall though.
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1989 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
Fantastic nose, highly expressive and heavily earth influenced. Lots of soil and big spice. On the palate this is much more vibrant than expected wth a punch of red cherry up from and more developed red berry fruit through the mid palate and finish. Very impressive.
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2007 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
First time ever with one of these, nose is bold, because it young, but very layered and highly nuanced with notes of blueberry, olive, leather, farmy soil, tea leaf, dark spice, -- Juicy blueberry palate, but intricate.
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1990 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Big smoke, cola spice, cool dark spice, blue and black berry fruit. Highly expressive bouquet. Palate is lush and even a touch lacquered, robust black cherry fruit. Peppery. Saw this on a wine list and took a gamble and it was spectacular. Every bit as nuanced and showy as the Hermitage. This bottle kicked ass.
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