Blind Champagne - Dom Pérignon loses to Cava AGAIN

Blind Champagne at my house. A bit of a planning issue this time as I had about 10+ "maybes" which all turned to "no" in the days leading up to the event, so it was hard to get the right number of folks. Wound up with 6 people, but with 8 wines I think we had a pretty good, diverse lineup. The couple of ringers were quite interesting. I'm still amazed how poorly Dom Perignon fairs in blind tastings...

• 2005 Mont Marçal Cava Brut Reserva 88 Points

  Spain, Cava

  Fairly light and zesty on the nose. Shows some apple and marijuana on the mid-palate, with a finish that's a bit funky and raspy. Nice bubbles throughout, with good acid on the finish. The early bottles I've had of this were all so much better than the recent, and the 2006 is also drinking amazingly better than this. Perhaps these have a short life span?

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut (2005) Les Pierrières 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Really intense and creamy on the nose, showing marscapone cheese and dough... in fact, this is smelling exactly like a delicious canoli. Really nice apples, pear, cream, and the marscapone present themselves on the palate. Great finish that lingers for a while, showing white pepper, nice acid that lingers, but there's also this strange drying minerality... Dan winds up pinning it, suggesting it's like chewing up an asprin... and it is. A really tasty wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne 87 Points

  France, Champagne

  This is the second time for me a Dom Pérignon has lost out to a Cava, and this time in a blind tasting. Certainly darker color than the previous two wines, on the nose this is showing pretty heavy oak funk, an egg, and bird crap. Pretty decent fruit on the mid-palate, but again getting quite oaky. Rancid a bit on the finish, with high acidity, and oak building. Really not too appealing and perhaps I'm over scoring this? I think nearly everyone in the tasting either scored this last, or at least bottom three. This wine was the main reason we did the tasting blind, and the reaction didn't disappoint.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1997 Soter Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Beacon Hill 92 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton

  Second ringer, this one brought by Dan. Lots of berries on the nose, along with apple skin. This really got absolutely delicious on the nose as the night went on. Delicious, resolved berry fruit on the palate, melon, anise, and lots of bright apples. Very tart and lingering on the finish, though it isn't too complex. This one just got better and better as it warmed up and the night went on. Originally scored 90, crossed that out, went to 91, before finally going 92. Fantastic showing, and I'd be amazed if many people would pick this as NOT being a Champagne.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1999 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé 84 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  This smells like frying shallots in some oil with soy sauce added, and long green grass. Not too pleasing for a Champagne. Really funky fruit on the mid-palate, acid, and more general funk. The finish wasn't originally harsh, but as this was opened it began getting there. Tastes like shaved green vegies, and an orange rind that has spent too long in the food dehydrator. By far the fullest bottle at the end of the evening.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Overall, disappointing. Hardly showing anything on the nose, and most agreed. I kept going back to it in order to deduce SOMETHING interesting (other than the burnt hair theory that was circulating the room, which I did get a bit of), but couldn't. The mid-palate was quite nice, showing nice clean fresh berries, lemon, and other tight fruits. Really nice acid on the finish.... this was good, just lacking much dimension. Definitely feels like this needs another 10 years to really shine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• NV André Clouet Champagne Brut Vieillit Sur Lattes Depuis 1977 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Crazy caramel color on the nose. Smells of almonds, and a soft, over ripe, brown crabapple. Smells crazy. Awesome, complex, and delicious on the palate. Tastes of resolved red fruit, showing great bubbles. Smells and tastes like a meal, and showing Worcestershire sauce. Soy sauce on the finish, a bit of apple, really great acid. This is definitely a food champagne, and went fantastic with the triple creme brie and smoked trout. I'd love to have another bottle with a meal. Supposedly this is primarily made up of 1977 fruit, resting on the lees for 30+ years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• NV Boizel Champagne Brut Rosé 84 Points

  France, Champagne

  Fruity for sure, but also big time dried hay, a bit of funk, and some bread on the nose. Kind of funky mid-palate, though mainly it's like eating the green tops of carrots. High acid on the finish, but not too much interest. Pretty bitter. In fact, finishes nearly exactly like eating fiddle head ferns. As the night went on this went down hill a bit, with a finish that builds to be quite funky and nearly rank. The finish definitely held this back for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Certainly fun looking at the bottles that remained with some wine in them the next morning... Staring at the Dom Pérignon with a few glasses left in the bottle is quite a strange thing... here's this highly respected (mostly by rappers, granted), $120+ wine that I really don't want to finish. I probably won't even drink the last $30 of the bottle. A shame.