Charles Heidsieck winemaker Dinner (12 cuvees) (Kong Hans): One of my favourite standard cuvees is usually Charles Heidsieck's brut Reserve. It contains so much reserve wine that it in general appears both more mature and more complex than other standard cuvees. During this tasting I had 12 different cuvees. Sad to say, but none of them impressed me. One cuvee scored 93, the rest between 88-92.
This wine: The great vintage 1996! But this btl. had past it's best with beginning oxidation. On the other hand still drinkable but drink now! Nice notes of brioche but too much caramel from oxidation.
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Fresh floral aroma with slight hint of biscuit and bread. Not as developed as the colour suggested, which shows a beautiful mature pinkish orange colour. Bubbles still very lively, lovely cut from the 1996 acidity on the palate but as it warms up and opens for 30-60 mins it is really singing. Excellent energy and good length finish that linger and dance around your palate. Not the most complex but the balance and length are there. Excellent stuff and reminds me how 1996 champagne, even in humble label, can age and develop and drinks well. 17+/20
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Charleston Offlineorama IV; 9/27/2018-10/1/2018 (Charleston, NC (various locations)): Darn this is really nice! Pale salmon color. Soft nose of red berries and some bread dough. On the palate smooth and lovely, bubbles are a bit soft. The fruit is strawberry and red currant, with lemons and lots of rich yeasty bread dough flavors, chalk and wet stones. Complex and delightful - perfect start to Day 3 off the Offline.
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Best and, sadly, last bottle. Showing only short of perfection tonight. Fresh, creamy, weightless feeling with a real punch to it. Very mineraldriven and stony, with a fresh spray of small red berries. Fantastic wine, not to be missed. Excellent QPR
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Light color. Aromas of berry, melon, citrus, rose petals, biscuit and raspberry. Fine texture beads, with red fruit, berry and citrus flavors persisting throgh the long finish.
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Pre TG dinner pour with cheeses and it had less punch than I remember and all of us agreed it would have paired well with Tuna Tartare. Still wonderful, but age has taken its strength and it was my costly mistake to pair it with cheese.
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Roy Hersh Offline - Dominus and Shafer HSS (Vancouver, BC): Light amber in colour. Yeast and brandy notes on the nose with dough, strawberry and earth. Great acidity with a pleasant sharpness on the palate giving some citrus and lighter red fruit notes. Crisp and fresh. Some sweetness on the palate. In a great spot now but definitely no rush. Excellent.
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CT Dinner with Ron, Derik, and Deb (Chez Grimes, Byfield, MA): Pale salmon color. Fine mousse. Nose of pear, some strawberry, yeast. Similar on the palate with good acidity. Slight oxidation but in a good way which added some dimension. Showing appropriate age. This was a lovely wine. Brought by Deb.
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CT Dinner with The Grimes, Ron and Derik (Chez Grimes, Byfield, MA): Lovely pale salmon color, with fragrant nose. On the palate the mousse is very fine, but hints of age are creeping in. Has a slightly maderized aspect coupled with a lemony/citrus lift that shows it's not dead yet, but is missing some fruit in the mid-palate. Still, paired really well with raw oysters.
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Excellent and ready to go. Fine mousse, crisp acidity, nose more of fruit, beautiful color, clear throughout. Shoould hold for several more years, but delicious now.
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Rich, almost fluorescent orange colour, several beads. Fruity, quite rich aroma, tangy, a hint of buttered toast, verging on saline. Strawberry-raspberry taste, with a strong mineral backbone. Round and fruity, but with good acidity and minimal aged characteristics suggesting a long life ahead. Considering the distance it has travelled, it's showing very well. I would recommend buying a case if it has been stored properly. Ready now but will keep for up to 10 years. [Bought in Sydney for AU$115, roughly 55GBP]
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Consistent with last tasting. Salmon colored, fine mousse. Very fresh, with vibrant Pinot nose, raspberry and strawberry, some doughy and hazelnut tones, but not overly yeasty. Bracing acidity makes it extremely food-friendly. Beautiful wine.
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This is a champagne that definately needs a food pairing. I found it way too acidic and heavy on grapefruit and citrus flavors to be truly enjoyed on it's own. Some good cheese or pate would have complemented it nicely, but on it's own I found it way too one dimensional to merit its price tag. There are dozens of NV roses that I enjoy a lot more. A little disappointing for me personally, but if you like a rose champagne that really piles on the citrus flavors then this would probably be your dream. I found it a little bit tiresome by the end of the bottle.
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Salmon colored, fine mousse. Very fresh, with vibrant Pinot nose, raspberry and strawberry, some doughy and hazelnut tones, but not overly yeasty. Crisp acidity makes it extremely food-friendly. Beautiful wine.
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2/14/2024 - cubswinws wrote:
Sadly, well over the hill.
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9/29/2022 - Kim Gerner wrote: 92 Points
Charles Heidsieck winemaker Dinner (12 cuvees) (Kong Hans): One of my favourite standard cuvees is usually Charles Heidsieck's brut Reserve. It contains so much reserve wine that it in general appears both more mature and more complex than other standard cuvees. During this tasting I had 12 different cuvees. Sad to say, but none of them impressed me. One cuvee scored 93, the rest between 88-92.
This wine: The great vintage 1996! But this btl. had past it's best with beginning oxidation. On the other hand still drinkable but drink now! Nice notes of brioche but too much caramel from oxidation.
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5/7/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Goodbye Dinner for a Friend Moving to Willamette (Osteria Langhe - Chicago IL): Orchard fruit and berry with good weight and richness, just finishing with too much acidity, making the finish almost shrill.
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11/18/2020 - derekastoria Likes this wine:
Fresh floral aroma with slight hint of biscuit and bread. Not as developed as the colour suggested, which shows a beautiful mature pinkish orange colour. Bubbles still very lively, lovely cut from the 1996 acidity on the palate but as it warms up and opens for 30-60 mins it is really singing. Excellent energy and good length finish that linger and dance around your palate. Not the most complex but the balance and length are there. Excellent stuff and reminds me how 1996 champagne, even in humble label, can age and develop and drinks well. 17+/20
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9/29/2018 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine: 95 Points
Charleston Offlineorama IV; 9/27/2018-10/1/2018 (Charleston, NC (various locations)): Darn this is really nice! Pale salmon color. Soft nose of red berries and some bread dough. On the palate smooth and lovely, bubbles are a bit soft. The fruit is strawberry and red currant, with lemons and lots of rich yeasty bread dough flavors, chalk and wet stones. Complex and delightful - perfect start to Day 3 off the Offline.
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9/29/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Charleston IV - Return of the Collectible; 9/27/2018-9/30/2018 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): In an almost perfect spot right now. The age has softened some of the edges and maybe even softened the bubbles. The fruit comes through nicely. It's bright and vibrant and elegant. Lovely wine.
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9/4/2015 - JesperR wrote: 97 Points
Best and, sadly, last bottle. Showing only short of perfection tonight. Fresh, creamy, weightless feeling with a real punch to it. Very mineraldriven and stony, with a fresh spray of small red berries. Fantastic wine, not to be missed. Excellent QPR
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11/15/2014 - hajoha wrote: 93 Points
Fin nese av lyserøde bær.
Flott konsentrasjon, veldig fresh,
Spenstig!
Meget Lang finish som prikker godt i munnhulen.
Meget bra!
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11/14/2014 - Kurtjo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light bronze. konsentrert duft av røde bær. Høy syre, kraftig undommelig mørk frukt, nesten som en rød Burgunder.
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10/25/2014 - ericindc Likes this wine: 97 Points
Just simply an amazing bottle or rose champagne. Complex, rich, nice mature notes, crisp acidity with a fine mousse and minerality. Wow.
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8/14/2013 - Atreyu wrote: 96 Points
less fresh than previous bottle, tasted like an 88 rather than a 96. Still excellent though.
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2/24/2013 - Atreyu wrote: 97 Points
Fantastic bottle, drinking perfectly. tremendously complex and helt it's own being served after Cristal 1996
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2/13/2013 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 93 Points
This just rocked on with nice spicy strawberry flavors in a full body; it was rich, crisp, complex and balanced and beautifully evolving.
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5/21/2011 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Light color. Aromas of berry, melon, citrus, rose petals, biscuit and raspberry. Fine texture beads, with red fruit, berry and citrus flavors persisting throgh the long finish.
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11/27/2010 - Battleship wrote: 91 Points
Pre TG dinner pour with cheeses and it had less punch than I remember and all of us agreed it would have paired well with Tuna Tartare. Still wonderful, but age has taken its strength and it was my costly mistake to pair it with cheese.
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4/24/2010 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Roy Hersh Offline - Dominus and Shafer HSS (Vancouver, BC): Light amber in colour. Yeast and brandy notes on the nose with dough, strawberry and earth. Great acidity with a pleasant sharpness on the palate giving some citrus and lighter red fruit notes. Crisp and fresh. Some sweetness on the palate. In a great spot now but definitely no rush. Excellent.
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9/14/2009 - cgrimes wrote: 91 Points
CT Dinner with Ron, Derik, and Deb (Chez Grimes, Byfield, MA): Pale salmon color. Fine mousse. Nose of pear, some strawberry, yeast. Similar on the palate with good acidity. Slight oxidation but in a good way which added some dimension. Showing appropriate age. This was a lovely wine. Brought by Deb.
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9/14/2009 - Deb293 wrote: 88 Points
CT Dinner with The Grimes, Ron and Derik (Chez Grimes, Byfield, MA): Lovely pale salmon color, with fragrant nose. On the palate the mousse is very fine, but hints of age are creeping in. Has a slightly maderized aspect coupled with a lemony/citrus lift that shows it's not dead yet, but is missing some fruit in the mid-palate. Still, paired really well with raw oysters.
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2/7/2009 - Stephori wrote: 95 Points
Waou !!! Red fruits ahead!! only one more to drink, it's gonna be hard not to open it in the next months. Bought 39€ at Nicolas in Paris
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1/17/2009 - AllRed wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/27/2008 - vintage61 wrote: 91 Points
Excellent and ready to go. Fine mousse, crisp acidity, nose more of fruit, beautiful color, clear throughout. Shoould hold for several more years, but delicious now.
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3/4/2008 - scyrene wrote: 91 Points
Rich, almost fluorescent orange colour, several beads. Fruity, quite rich aroma, tangy, a hint of buttered toast, verging on saline. Strawberry-raspberry taste, with a strong mineral backbone. Round and fruity, but with good acidity and minimal aged characteristics suggesting a long life ahead. Considering the distance it has travelled, it's showing very well. I would recommend buying a case if it has been stored properly. Ready now but will keep for up to 10 years. [Bought in Sydney for AU$115, roughly 55GBP]
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2/11/2007 - JeffW wrote: 95 Points
The wine is really gaining complexity. Raspberry, citrus, beautiful long finish.
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11/23/2006 - WST wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with last tasting. Salmon colored, fine mousse. Very fresh, with vibrant Pinot nose, raspberry and strawberry, some doughy and hazelnut tones, but not overly yeasty. Bracing acidity makes it extremely food-friendly. Beautiful wine.
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11/17/2006 - boxwine_in_hell wrote: 85 Points
This is a champagne that definately needs a food pairing. I found it way too acidic and heavy on grapefruit and citrus flavors to be truly enjoyed on it's own. Some good cheese or pate would have complemented it nicely, but on it's own I found it way too one dimensional to merit its price tag. There are dozens of NV roses that I enjoy a lot more. A little disappointing for me personally, but if you like a rose champagne that really piles on the citrus flavors then this would probably be your dream. I found it a little bit tiresome by the end of the bottle.
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7/15/2006 - WST wrote: 93 Points
Salmon colored, fine mousse. Very fresh, with vibrant Pinot nose, raspberry and strawberry, some doughy and hazelnut tones, but not overly yeasty. Crisp acidity makes it extremely food-friendly. Beautiful wine.
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4/1/2006 - rael007 wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful wine. We had had our fill, though, so it was perhaps +/- a few points.
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12/13/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
1996 Horizontal, with Chef de Cave from Henriot, Moet and Roederer (London): 40%CH 60%PN
Sulphur but light soft raspberry underneath, a little bitter on finish. Ok
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