Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Monday, October 6, 2014 - The wine is composed of base vintage + 40% of reserve wines, aged in bottles with the lees for a minimum of 36 months before disgorging.

Medium deep yellow-green color; the depth of the color suggests age, but the green hue instead suggests that this is most likely a very recent bottling. The nose is very complex and attractively autolytic with layered aromas of toasty characteristics, ripe citrus fruits, some roasted nuts, a little bit of honey, a hint of smoke and a touch of savory, earthy character. The wine is relatively rich, full-bodied and weighty on the palate for a Champagne with dry, powerful and complex flavors of autolytic toast and walnuts, honey, some roasted chestnuts, a little bit of ripe red apples, a hint of dark-toned caramel character and a touch of yeasty French bread. The dosage shows just a little, practically completely masked away by the relatively high acidity. Very fine, soft and quite rich mousse. The finish is long, ripe and autolytic with complex flavors of toasted bread, nuanced nuttiness, sweet yellow apples, a little bit of dark-toned, autolytic caramel character and a touch of baked apple.

A very complex, rich and impressive Champagne that sits firmly in the burly, dark-toned and toasty department. I have no idea of the base vintage or the length of the sur lattes-aging here, but despite its complex and seemingly developed, autolytic character, the wine still comes across as quite youthful. Perhaps this wine doesn't appeal to those who enjoy the tangy, lemony Blanc de Blancs style, but if you are like me and enjoy the toasty and muscular Champagnes that pair weight and autolysis with good freshness and elegance, this wine is definitely in the top echelon of the style. Very lovely and really impressive with stunning balance. Year in, year out, this is among my favorite wines of the Grande Marque NVs. Highly recommended.

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