Champagne Bookclub (served blind)--Rob

Water Grill in Costa Mesa
Tasted Thursday, January 19, 2023 by Frank Murray III with 238 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2002 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Special Club Millesimé de Collection

    France, Champagne

    Been about 3 years since I had this wine. That last note is still pretty valid for the bottle we had blind last night. There is some oxidative quality here, with some pear and brioche. It's holding ip pretty well for 20 years old but my sense is that this is peaking. Some pounded rock/chalk in the texture that gives this some structure but mostly this feels resolved to me.

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  • 2016 Marie Courtin Champagne Eloquence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

    France, Champagne

    Another bottle of the July 2020 disgorgement. Served blind. The tension and clarity of the wine seemed pretty good, the coil and clean acid signature, too. The wood adds some seasoning to this bottle, along with a stony note and green apple. Overall, enjoyed this but I did sense some roughness in the wine last night, so less pleasing than the one from a few months ago. Cannot retaste today so maybe the balance I wanted would come though more with air.

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • NV A. Margaine Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée le Caractere M

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    October 2021 disgorgement, with the perpetual base now 2002 - 2014. 4.5 grams of dosage. Served blind. Thought this was a higher dose cuvee, as for me this disgorgement borders on the lemon/lime feel that I don't care for in my Champagne. Seems to lack some complexity too in the palate and the consensus it seemed around the table was this was less interesting, which I agreed with. I have 2 bottles of this in my own cellar, so will get one open this year and see if I find the same result. Wasn't thrilled with this last night.

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  • 2016 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    Another bottle of the October 2020 disgorgement. Served blind. My buddy next to me nailed the wine as GCdO, honing in on the Vilmart signature. The aromatics on this had a dried leave/herb note, which then the table started to sense as mint, then spearmint. This bottle showed the consistent composure, good spine, with tangerine, lime/bright citrus. Later, as I sat with the wine again via a small pour, the savory thing finally hit me, which is a quality of the 2016 I have noticed previously. This is a bad ass wine, and I continue to have repeating, top notch experiences with GCdO, as it just keeps delivering quality, acidity, complexity and balance.

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2012 Camille Savès Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    Served blind. This got high marks around the table, including me. 80 Pinot Noir / 20 Chard. The red fruit quality of this wine really shines through. Strawberry mainly, joined by some bruised apple, stone fruit (what seemed like a mix of peach/nectarine) and a nice stony quality. Notable density and concentration, this showed well.

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  • 2012 Hugues Godmé Champagne Grand Cru Millésimé

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    Served blind, and now the second time I have had this in my glass over the past 3 months. And in that previous bottle, I made a real connection to the wine for how much it resonated with me. So, last night when I tasted this blind, gotta say I had the same reaction. This for me is consistency, now in 2 different settings, a confirmation for what is an awesome wine (at least for my palate, as there is no objective truth in this wine stuff: we love what we love but it's just one person's reality). 60 Chard / 40 Pinot Noir from Verzy and Verzenay. 3 grams of dosage. Pounded rock aroma with a bitchen red fruited core. This bottle transmitted to me a mental image of raspberry pop-tart, but in no way am I saying this candied or dessert-like. But, if you think of a raspberry pastry, then bam, you got it. Drizzle it next with lime and minerality, add some plum flesh, and crank up the intensity. Voila, a beautiful wine and a kudos for Scott Kulek for tracking down and offering it when we did. With the 2016 Vilmart Grand Cellier d'Or, that and this Godme were my wines of the night.

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 2014 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Rosé de Maturation

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    Damn if I could find the bottle etching for the disgorge info. Just too dark last night and the importer label may have been covering it. Also, as much as I really dig the 2013 of this wine, I was not wowed last night by this 2014. And we had it blind so I wasn't jonesing for the wine to be good or live up to my expectations. Zesty, with lime and maybe not as delicate as I remember the 2013. Also some black licorice in this bottle. And worth noting, this was bottle seven of eight total we had over the meal. It was getting late in the evening so maybe my dials were not all that tuned in and nothing to retaste today. I went deep on this vintage buying 4 bottles last year so it's worth getting one open soon, over a couple of days of tasting it, to see how it shows. We'll call last night's bottle provisionally fine, but pending another look.

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  • 2015 Veuve Fourny & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Rosé Vinothèque Vertus

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    No notes yet? Well, I can add a little something here, although take my note that follows with a grain of salt, as this was bottle eight of eight after a long meal. Served blind. Tangy, with citrus peel and some licorice. Served next to the 2014 Larmandier-Bernier Maturation, which was more peachy in color, this was Fourny a darker hue. Like with the Maturation, would have been cool to retaste this today but don't have the bottle leftovers.

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