Community Tasting Note

Paul S wrote:

Saturday, April 7, 2012 - My Birthday Celebration (Kingyo, Marina Square): This was beautiful. Last bottle in the cellar, disgorged in July 2009, and it was probably one of the best bottles of Initiale that I have had so far. The table was split between this and the 1998 Krug on the same flight. My vote went marginally for the Krug, but I can see why at least half of us preferred this. It had a typically expressive Selosse note, with white meat and umami accents floating around a core of lovely ripe red apple notes and some macadamia nut aromas. Super-expressive and really attractive. The palate, as would be expected, was deep, powerful and compelling, with red apples galore on the attack kissed by some macadamia and walnuts. Really yummy fruit here, with a fleshy, ripe, muscular suppleness that was ever so different from the lithe, elegant 1998 Krug. It is not to say that this was brutish or clumsy in any way though - as always, it was beautifully balanced, in fact rather better balanced than a few other bottles of Initiale I have had, with the tad bit of time in the bottle lending the wine a nice sense of integration between its fresh acidity, creamy mousse and reservoirs of powerful white fruited notes. The finish was lovely too, with a long line of mineral and a touch of earth fringed with a little suggestion of vanilla bean. With time, and especially when paired with a juicy piece of scallop sashimi, some playful notes of cinamon and cloves, some nutmeg maybe, starting floating out. Really enjoyable - this was a hedonistic champagne, especially when compared to the far more serious Krug. At a nice place now, although I felt the bottle would have benefitted even more from another year or two in the cellar. A lesson that Selosse wines really do need a few years after disgorgement before serving.

Post a Comment / View Paul S's profile
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue (11,714 views)