Bubblies High Tea with Alexandre Penet

A simple high tea organised specially for Alex Penet (owner of champagne house Penet-Chardonnet). A pity that he wasn't able to feature his champagnes though. But we still had fun blinding him with bubblies and champagne.

Interestingly , the champagnes were very uniquely styled and had even Alexandre guessing it as non-champagne. But the most champagne styled turned out to be a Cremant de Bourgogne.

• NV Waris & Filles Champagne 79 Points

  France, Champagne

  Smells of a dental clinic. Simple citrus notes. No fuss and good price point. Good bang for a quick shot of happyness.

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• NV Jacques Selosse Initial 86 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Sugar cane and green apples.... wait.. make that a big jumbo glass of sugar cane with lemon that has been left maturing in the open air for quite a bit and just before drinking, a can of carlsberg is poured into the mix. Unique style.

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• NV Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Hommage à François Hémart Brut 84 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Yeasty, nice fresh clean lemons, magnolia. Good grip on the palate.

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• NV Vitteaut-Alberti Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc 82 Points

  France, Burgundy, Crémant de Bourgogne

  Fresh beer-ish lift. Very off the shelf characteristics and the most orthodox of the champagnes tasted. Foams and bubbles in the mouth.

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• 2008 Bird in Hand Pinot Noir Sparkling 82 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills

  A lovely fruit basket of all types of berries and flowers in spring time bloom. Attractive bouquet. Unpretentious and enjoyable.

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• 2005 Sauvion Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie Cardinal Richard 77 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie

  Fresh white stonefruits and white flowers lifted by medicated oil. Oily on the palate with some honeysuckle and minerals. Very neutral wine and somewhat watery in style.

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• 1998 Bannockburn Chardonnay 85 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Geelong

  Dark yellowish orangey.On opening, lots of sulphur and rotten eggs that blew off to reveal a very aged nose with smelly mushrooms, dried yellow fruits and a streak of vanilla. Lost most of its acidity but still showing much fruit ripeness and orangey tinge. Very confounding on the palate like a cosmic cloud of floating debris. Still holding up but definitely a must drink now. Understand afterwards that this was a very special vintage for Bannockburn which lost 90% of its grapes to hail and had neighbouring vignerons donating their grapes to Bannockburn to tide them through. 85 pts for the sentimental touch.

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• 2001 Paul Blanck Gewurztraminer Furstentum Vieilles Vignes 84 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  This is canned lychees for days!! Just imagine opening up a can of cocktail lychees but with more balance on sweetness. Lovely balanced wine. There is just a stalk of cloves and anise at the finishing but almost hard to detect.

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• 2004 Vinyes dels Aspres Empordà Blanco 82 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Empordà

  Stale coconuts , cockroach smells and oyster shells. Taint of nail varnish carried on light soy sauce flavours. Also get some freshly chopped wood. Kinda periodical in style with lots of bumps. Interesting but needs smoothening out.

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Extremely white wine pairable food at Imp Trs Nanbei. Good stemware, service and great value! What else can one ask for on a late lazy sunday afternoon.... champagne and good food.