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Richard Juhlin Top 100 Day 1 @ Gustav Zürich

Restaurant Gustav Zürich

Tasted March 3, 2019 by aquacongas with 776 views

Introduction

First day of Richard Juhlin's Top 100 Tasting. 12 Champagnes in 4 flights. Not blind. Perfect matched food.

Flight 1 - Apero (1 note)

Convincing

White - Sparkling
2009 De Sousa et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Umami Extra Brut France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
92 points
From Magnum, not blind
It was the starting Champagne for the first day of Richard Juhlin's Top 100. I had the chance to drink it 2 years before at the winery from regular bottle. Today much more balanced and subtle than then. Grapefruit, flintstone, citrus, salty, fresh and well drinkable. 92

Flight 2 (3 notes)

Unbeliavable start. All wines with potential. CdM 1998 very strong, reaching his peak. The Krug 1996 even from colour a bit too ripe an amazing wine and The DP Oeno the youngest baby at this day

White - Sparkling
1998 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil France, Champagne
97 points
not blind, first flight, first wine
very krugish, but more CdM than Krug, the colour a bit too dark but very fresh and clean at the palate. In this flight the most precise and the densest but in the late palate. 98 is at Krug well drinkable at the moment. Today outscored the 96 CdM. 97(98)
White - Sparkling
1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut France, Champagne
96 points
not blind, second wine first flight,
the colour a little bit darker than expected but unbelievable fresh in the palate. Hioney, hazelnut, great concentration and typical 96 acidity but not reaching the CdM same vintage and in the late palate not the precision and finesse of CdM. A monster raisins, dates and orange peel in mid palate, bottle opened a day before for 10 min. 96(97)
White - Sparkling
1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque France, Champagne
97 points
not blind, 3rd wine 1st flight
perfect bottle, such a baby, awesome fresh and reductive, oyster shell, toast, citrus, pink grapefruit, creamy in the finish, for the next 20 years, but not now. I prefer the regular degorgement. 96(98)
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 3 (3 notes)

The second best wine of the lunch, the "weakest" bottle and a sleeping giant

White - Sparkling
1996 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil France, Champagne
96 points
not blind, first wine at 2nd flight,
today very closed. Phantastic concentration and a brutally refreshing acidity, lime, nuts and some honey, in the end biscuity. 95(98)
White - Sparkling
1996 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Vinothéque Brut France, Champagne
99 points
From magnum, not blind
The WOT lunch, not only for me, almost for everybody, so pure, elegant and filigree. Much more drinkable than DP oeno 1996. Biskuit, Yuzu. A giant. 30 more years ahead. 98(99)
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Sparkling
1988 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs France, Champagne
92 points
Not blind,
A bit too ripe, maybe a bit over his top. The bottle next day was much better and fresher. 92(93)

Flight 4 (3 notes)

The 1976ers look like to decline, a very good Charlie

White - Sparkling
1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Oenotheque Champagne Charlie Brut France, Champagne
95 points
Not blind
A touch of oxidative style but still fresh, nuts but Yuzu dominated, ripe guave, passionfruit and good concentration in the finish. 95
White - Sparkling
1976 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut France, Champagne
94 points
not blind
5th time I had this bottle. the first one was the most expressive (99p). Compared to the 76 de Venoge less oxidative. Candied and dried fruits. Toffee, milk chocolate, some citrus, missing a bit the concentration and the late finish is too "sweet". 93-94
White - Sparkling
1976 de Venoge Champagne Brut Grand Vin des Princes France, Champagne
93 points
Not blind, directly from the maison
dark golden colour, smells like a old, riped champagne. dried fruits, raisins, honey, fis, date,brioche , baklava,milk chocolate,minimal bubbles. 92-93

Flight 5 (3 notes)

The best flight of the day. PH was singing very genius. A nice Bolli 1966 and the best comtes of the two days (76 and 79)

White - Sparkling
1969 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut France, Champagne
97 points
not blind
Fresher than the 76 CdC previous flight, even colour is a bit darker. Dried fruits but great acidity structure. Pink grapefruit beside the honey note. Fine bubbles. In better shape than one yearbefore. 96-97
White - Sparkling
1966 Bollinger Champagne France, Champagne
97 points
Not blind, one of the best wines of the lunch
This is just the regular vintage of Bollinger.
Like a subtle and elegant Whisky,but not so oxidative. Fresh, honey, some vanilla and dried fruits. Some lime, toffee and almonds. 97-98
White - Sparkling
1955 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé France, Champagne
99 points
Not blind, last wine of the lunch but WOT Lunch for everyone beside the Cristal 1996 Vinotheque Magnum
At his peak, perfectly fresh, bublles, chocolate macarons, date marmelade, quince. 99

Flight 6 (3 notes)

White - Off-dry
2002 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
92 points
Not blind
even white capsule it is unbalanced because the sweetness is dominating. Still very young, maybe in a few years rounder. 91-92
White - Off-dry
2002 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
93 points
not blind, white capsule
more balanced and fresher than Graacher Himmelreich 2002 Auslese, but a touch too sweet in the late palate. 93-94
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Off-dry
2002 Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese * Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
90 points
too sweet, not balanced

Flight 7 (3 notes)

Afterwards the tasting

White - Sparkling
2009 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Minéral Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
92 points
Not blind, magnum, deg. 2015
Agrapart respectively their champagnes and me will be not best friends. More accessible than Avizoise and Venus . The acidity is more integrated and not that edgy as usually. Chalky, oyster shell, iodine but balanced and definitively too young. 92+
White - Sparkling
2002 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Dégorgement Tardive Extra Brut France, Champagne
91 points
Not blind
boring and less charmig you would expect from the producer and vintage. The wine feels academically well made as Peter said but not touchung his heart. I guess he is not wrong.Missing length and depth. 91
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Ulysse Collin Champagne Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut (2014) Les Maillons France, Champagne
92 points
Not blind
Red berries, red apple, fruity but with a massive acidity backbone, strawberry and a nice concentartion in the finish. give him 2 or 3 more years. 92+

Flight 8 (5 notes)

At Camino, 5 great memorable bottles. Especially the Collection 1981 from magnum. Thanks Ivan for this generous sharing.

White
2006 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
94 points
Not blind, from magnum
For the vintage suprisingly fresh and filigree. Precise and clean in the finish, some nuts. For me at his peak. 94
White - Sparkling
1981 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut Collection France, Champagne
98 points
Not blind, Magnum
A stunner at the end of the evening. SoKrugish, so fresh, citrus dominated, the oxidative notes are in the background. Even now in a great shape maybe not reached his peak. 98+
White - Sparkling
N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Brut France, Champagne
94 points
Not blind, we guess 93/95/96 because of the cork
Creamy, nuts. At his peak. Lovely delicious with great acidity structure. 94
White - Sparkling
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne France, Champagne
97 points
Again delicious, drank it two weeks ago. a wine for the ages. 97(98)
White - Sparkling
2013 Savart Champagne Premier Cru Le Mont des Chrétiens France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
92 points
not blind, from magnum, Extra brut
A bit wild and not completely balanced, green apple, bread crust, lime blossom tea. 92+

Closing

My Top3 and very close to the overall opinion

Piper Heidsieck 1955
Cristal 1996 Vinotheque Magnum
Clos du Mesnil

CdM 1996 a bit closed today. A great Bolli 1966, DP Oeno 1996 brutally young.

After the tasting soem great wines as Krug Colection 1981 Magnum

Phantastic. Thanks Dominik for the organisation.

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