(non-blind - my wine) Medium straw with some gold - vibrant color. Appetizing nose of iced pear and pastry dough - slightly toasted pastry dough. This shows modest lees that are well-integrated with fruit aromas, even though it's been 4 years before disgorgement. There are also fresh citrus notes - iced orange, tangerine, Meyer lemon. This is fantastic. Tangerine curd, high acid, well-integrated almost orange creme on the palate, slight hint of rain and wet leaves, ripe dried citrus, fresh yellow apple pastry. I know it's low dosage but it seems like a well-integrated 7g (I guess the fruit was a bit riper). Still the acid is properly high.
Long finish of meyer lemon, yellow apple, pastry crust, and hint of dried leaves.
(blind) Medium straw - more youthful color than the Paillard (less age?). Notable struck match reduction - not unpleasant. Explosive medium-fine mousse, notable toasted brioche, sweet palate and finish - maybe 9g Dosage. I think this is a more heavy-handed style - delicious but in a toasty, briochey, sweet way.
Guess: 70 chardonnay, 30% pinot. NV blend - good quality. 3 years on lees. This is an autolysis-driven style compared to the Paillard. I think it took at least 3 years to get this level of impact.
Overall: well-integrated and well-made with good acid, but a bit toasty and sweet for my taste.
(blind) Medium straw color. Funky nose - quite yeasty - almost like peptone extract. Has nice yellow apple underneath. Fruit is more reticent - maybe more Pinot / Meunier. Medium sweetness - I'd guess 7g. Fruit isn't as ripe as either the Paillard or the Heidsieck, so maybe a lower quality NV. Explosive mousse with medium-fine bubbles. High-minus acid - not as piercing as the others. Overall these grapes weren't as ripe, and the finish is a bit shorter than the others.
I'm guessing a good quality grower brut ~$50. BdN. 3 years on lees.
Soutiran Grand Cru signature 5.8 g Dosage 40 pinot 60 chard 2-3y $50
Pale straw color. Low intensity aromatics, slightly reductive, very faint autolysis - light brioche. Some attractive underripe green Granny Smith apple. 11g dosage - pretty sweet. No fruit ripeness. High acid - awkward and malic-dominant at the finish. Low autolytic impact. Short finish. Chardonnay (more because it seems characterless and lower-priced than any real fruit traits). 12 months on lees. $40 NV from a big house. Reductive style.
Actually: Mesnil Brut NV $45 Blanc de Blanc 9g dosage - a bit lower than I thought but still at the high end. 2.5 yrs on lees - I'm surprised - I didn't pick it up.
(blind) Pale straw. Slight nose - light brioche with light yellow apple. Not much fruit complexity. This is classic Brut champagne. Yellow-fruit dominant - 70-30 Chardonnay-pinot. 7g dosage and holding it well. 2 years on lees. Medium fine mousse. Big House style. Entry level NV - $40.
2013 Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Les Parcelles 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(non-blind - my wine)
Medium straw with some gold - vibrant color. Appetizing nose of iced pear and pastry dough - slightly toasted pastry dough. This shows modest lees that are well-integrated with fruit aromas, even though it's been 4 years before disgorgement. There are also fresh citrus notes - iced orange, tangerine, Meyer lemon.
This is fantastic. Tangerine curd, high acid, well-integrated almost orange creme on the palate, slight hint of rain and wet leaves, ripe dried citrus, fresh yellow apple pastry. I know it's low dosage but it seems like a well-integrated 7g (I guess the fruit was a bit riper). Still the acid is properly high.
Long finish of meyer lemon, yellow apple, pastry crust, and hint of dried leaves.
70 pinot 30 chard
4 years
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NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve 91 Points
France, Champagne
(blind)
Medium straw - more youthful color than the Paillard (less age?).
Notable struck match reduction - not unpleasant.
Explosive medium-fine mousse, notable toasted brioche, sweet palate and finish - maybe 9g Dosage.
I think this is a more heavy-handed style - delicious but in a toasty, briochey, sweet way.
Guess:
70 chardonnay, 30% pinot.
NV blend - good quality.
3 years on lees. This is an autolysis-driven style compared to the Paillard. I think it took at least 3 years to get this level of impact.
Overall: well-integrated and well-made with good acid, but a bit toasty and sweet for my taste.
Actual: Charles hiedsieck brut reserve
11g dosage
6-7 yrs on lees
30-40 chard
30-40 pinot
20-25 meunier
$50-60 retail
bottled 2009, disgorged 2016
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NV Soutiran Champagne Grand Cru Signature Brut 87 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(blind)
Medium straw color.
Funky nose - quite yeasty - almost like peptone extract. Has nice yellow apple underneath. Fruit is more reticent - maybe more Pinot / Meunier.
Medium sweetness - I'd guess 7g. Fruit isn't as ripe as either the Paillard or the Heidsieck, so maybe a lower quality NV. Explosive mousse with medium-fine bubbles. High-minus acid - not as piercing as the others. Overall these grapes weren't as ripe, and the finish is a bit shorter than the others.
I'm guessing a good quality grower brut ~$50. BdN. 3 years on lees.
Soutiran Grand Cru signature
5.8 g Dosage
40 pinot 60 chard
2-3y
$50
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NV Champagne Le Mesnil Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 86 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(blind)
Pale straw color.
Low intensity aromatics, slightly reductive, very faint autolysis - light brioche. Some attractive underripe green Granny Smith apple.
11g dosage - pretty sweet. No fruit ripeness. High acid - awkward and malic-dominant at the finish. Low autolytic impact. Short finish.
Chardonnay (more because it seems characterless and lower-priced than any real fruit traits).
12 months on lees.
$40 NV from a big house. Reductive style.
Actually: Mesnil Brut NV
$45
Blanc de Blanc
9g dosage - a bit lower than I thought but still at the high end.
2.5 yrs on lees - I'm surprised - I didn't pick it up.
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NV A. R. Lenoble Champagne Brut Intense 87 Points
France, Champagne
(blind)
Pale straw.
Slight nose - light brioche with light yellow apple. Not much fruit complexity.
This is classic Brut champagne. Yellow-fruit dominant - 70-30 Chardonnay-pinot. 7g dosage and holding it well. 2 years on lees. Medium fine mousse. Big House style. Entry level NV - $40.
25 chard
30 pinot
45 pinot neunier
4g dosage
3 years lees
AR lenoble intense Brut
$34 - good value. But a bit lean.
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