Generous and densely styled, and delicious. Orchard fruit including pear and apricot, crème brûlée, almond and caramel apple. A mineral and metallic note. Billecart Salmon excelled in 2002.
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Another Wine gathering at RJ’s; 4/4/2024-4/7/2024 (Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina): Beautiful mature nose displaying decadent sweet yellow fruit, baked apple, lemon curd, strong brioche, oyster shell, light caramel and fine limestone mineral. Perfectly integrated palate, finely layered sweet yellow fruit, delicate and airy, incredibly fine medium generous mousse, bright acidity, fine limestone mineral, and a seamless long yellow fruit driven finish with strong brioche at the end. Super fine mousse is really attractive. This is exceptional fined wine that is drinking beautifully.
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Return of the Shrimp Heads to La Belle Vie, now PS Steak in Minneapolis. 6 of us back in our beloved lounge w/ the old LBV lounge menu. CV,KB,LI,BB,JV & MA. Lonny's btl tonight. I've had this a couple times before going back 6yrs to Jan 2018 and it has mellowed substantially. Tonight, its delightful with fruit cocktail, mineral, bread & more mineral. This is much more finessed than in its youth and 100% ready to go. Maybe even a little past if you prefer the livelier presentation in its youth like me. That said, I enjoyed every drop & where it's at in maturity too. Drink up if you own them IMO.
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Shrimp Heads Ride Again (PS Steak (Pseudo La Belle Vie, Mpls, MN)): Medium gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Same bottle as Chablis28, and I think Craig's note is spot on. This is more oxidative now, showing toast, almond, flan, green melon, and honey on the nose. The palate shows the oxidativeness more, golden pear, honey, baked fruit, lemon, briny minerality, sour lemon, mature and richer than in its youth. I've got some, and I not worried at this point. Still excellent, but one to keep an eye on.
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Med gold color; chalky yeasty notes with subtle honey, honey nut cheerios, pear, apricot skin notes; full soft and rich mouthfeel with fine bubbles, slight sour ting at the end with long finish. Very nice but it peaked 2 years ago when it won in a bling tasting against all the great prestige cuvees. At home W/S&L, Q, Carbonara.
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Soldera vs Stella (Gemma): Bready, nutty, full body, good acidity, slight caramel, with med finish. 2nd time having in 2 months but this does not taste as good as the first in Nov 2023.
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Périgord Truffle Dinner (George Trois, Winnetka): Pale golden color with a short mousse. Notes of caramel, apple, marzipan and dried peach. The fine bead dissipates after a while, drinking more like a very fine still wine than sparkling. Rich and layered, with flavors of caramel apple, pear, nougat, lemon curd, stone and biscuit. A lovely mature Champagne.
While this worked nicely with each of the first three courses, my favorite pairing was this and the scallop.
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Deep gold. The nose offers complex aromas of baked apple, pear, peach, and toasted bread. Medium body with medium-minus acidity. Long finish with a little sweetness in the end. This champagne is in its good drinking window and is very enjoyable now.
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Darker color, sappy, brooding yeast, pecan/almond paste; fine bubbles, clearly has some age but hanging in there, very Burgundy like, long tangy structured finish. At its peak now if not a past, depending if you like aged champers. 日本人パーテー
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Wines at Paul's Xmas lunch: One of my favourite champagnes last year and this bottle was just as good. Similar impressions to my previous experience - rich, toasty and just so delicately balanced. Exquisite wine and think it converted a few non-Champagne people around the table. Best '02 that I have tasted alongside Krug.
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Our Annual Champagne Tasting: Bart's bottle. Daringly following the Cristal and Krug GC, this held steady. Pear, sweet lemon, red berries, sour apple and more. Nice mouthfeel
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Thanksgiving Mondo Dinner 2023 (Atlanta, GA): If you are looking for a fabulous starter champagne to kick off an evening of decadence, this makes a good choice. Fine bubbles and beautiful caressing finish.
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This is absolutely as exquisite as when we had it for Christina’s birthday March 1, 2023. The benefit tonight is time & attention to focus on it. Delicious.
Green apple, lime, lemon pineapple, stone fruits, slightly bruised golden apple and pear, leans into apple cider, cream, ginger ale, nuts w/ skin, very fine powdery chalkiness, limestone, saline, biscuit dough, sea fossils. Amazing body and acidity, fruit blossoms, jasmine, yellow florals and well; structured knitted, balanced, extremely well polished finish that lasts two-minutes. Drinking beautiful now & with time & life for 10 yrs or more. Happy Birthday Sofia.
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From magnum. Incredible richness and at a lovely plateau in its evolution. Broad and balanced with depth and interest. Long and regal. Loved this, especially in the format
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Very fresh and full of energy. Beautiful rich mouthfeel with fantastic intensity. Perfect balance. My kind of Champagne. This worked beautifully on its own as well as with smoked fish canapés. This definitely shows its best around 50-55 degrees F. It kept getting better with air over the course of about 2 hours.
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Light gold color. Drank a couple glasses over 2 hours. Brought this to Spoon for Vicki's birthday with the kids. I wasn't moved by this as much as some bottles in the past for whatever reason. It was plenty good, but just lacked that totally ethereal feel to it. Sour dough nose, almond dust, apple and quince. The palate is tart, baked apple, chalk, melon, dough, candied Mandarin orange peel, lemon liqueur, quince, mildly oxidative, and full bodied.
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wow wow wow shiny gomden color. Very complex nose fine brioche some pineapple and apple tart a bit of almond cake. Extremely fine bubbles full bodied with perfectly balanced acidity so nice and long
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Unsure of the disgorgement date. Poured a dark straw, light gold color. The nose was musty initially, but that blew off. Rich and toasty with wonderfully balanced acidity. Some butterscotch, toasted nuts and stewed fruits. Still quite fresh, this is a beautiful and amazing wine that feels like it can go for many more years. Unfortunately, served slightly too warm, and with the food and other wines at the table, I wasn't able to give it the full attention it deserved.
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Drank over about a week using a Kloveo champagne stopper (I actually prefer my champagnes with a bit less fizz). An absolutely beguiling sparkler. In the perfect place for me: great balance of freshness and tart fruit flavors with some yeasty, malty undertones. Acidity and dosage also married perfectly. This is honestly a wine that could go with so many foods but I decided to drink it solo to really savor the complexity and power of this magnificent juice.
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Nose of yellow fruits, mushrooms and brioche. Fine effervescence.
With this wine, the temperature is essential. Too cool, it is smooth and anesthetized. Too hot, it becomes clumsy. It is played to within 1 degree.
Once at the right temperature, it is a pleasant champagne. We feel the “big cuvée” with a creamy touch and a beautiful patina. One could imagine a higher dosage than its 4g but it is in fact the maturity of the vintage that speaks. The chalkiness in the second part of the mouth responds well to the ample vinosity of the attack. The juice is loose, with a nice complexity on nuts, yellow fruits, honey, jasmine and finally cinnamon at the end. Structured, well-constructed champagne, which reveals itself in layers. Beautiful precise finish, with a tracer salinity which opens the way to a good length.
Excellent champagne, very elegant.
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BYOB dinner NOTK (Supernova hotel, Rotterdam): Initially a spiritus note, that covered most of the other aroma’s, but luckily it blew off after some time. Ripe, plenty of fruit, apricot, dough, brioche, yeast. Seems still to be on the young side, no hurry. High acidity, long finish. 92-93
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Still going strong after 21 years... Medium straw/yellow. Plenty of fizz-nice tight bead. Nose dominated by yeast and brioche. Similar on the palate with decent acidity. Really, really good!
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Excellent. Drinking quite well at the moment - exceptionally fresh for its age. This was from the 2016 release. Recommend! Have one bottle left - will wait for a while for the next one.
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Beat the Dom Perignon 2012 (Medlar, London SW10): Single blind. Looks quite evolved and is darker gold. Slightly muted citrusy nose although a little short in length yet what is there is decent and first rate. #5 WOTN for me. From Jancis glass.
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Single blind. Darker gold colour. Rich and clearly more mature than the wines so far. A well rounded, more mature version of the previous wine! My 4th favourite and the group’s 5th.
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Beat the DP 2012? (Medlar, Chelsea): Deepish straw. Rich on the nose, with prominent toffee notes. Solid and well-built on the palate, with a crisp finish and everything nicely integrated. It seemed to lose energy in the glass and I ended up deducting a point from my score.
I correctly guessed Billecart given its maturity and stature. Group #5.
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Another great wine dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Expressive nose displaying concentrated sweet yellow and white fruit, lemon curd, sous apple, tarte tatin, white flowers, honey and mineral. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated fruit, rich, dense and deeply toned but also good precision and balance, very fine generous mousse, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral, and a long rich concentrated yellow and white fruit driven finish with cinnamon and brioche at the end. This has developed beautifully. With air. It starts to display elegant fruit. This is a big scale, deeply toned Champagne that is drinking beautifully. No need to hurry.
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A rich and dense Champagne perhaps without the flair of the top Tete du Cuvees but the style is very classy with excellent intensity and concentration. There are delicious flavors of ginger and lime with good freshness and very little in the way of oxidized notes. Balanced with fine bubbles and showing very youthful so perhaps there is more to come here. 93+
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I’ve loved every bottle of ‘02 Cuvée Nicolas. While this bottle was good, it didn’t move me like previous ones. It wasn’t travel shock; like a dumb ass, I brushed my teeth a little while before I opened the bottle.
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Spectacular. Chalky restrained nose, with whiffs of cherry chocolate. On the palate, a layer cake: chalk that almost has a kefir character, then rich chocolate hazelnut (not Nutella, more like a chocolate covered hazelnut), then a green apple finish. Finish isn’t crazy long. Tons of gorgeous flavor. Drinking brilliantly right now, but also no hints of age so I expect at least 10 more years from it.
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JT and Marty Super Bowl Extravaganza (Chez Newman): This was excellent; starting to develop some aged notes that lend complexity, but with beautiful fruit and texture still. Probably nearing its peak for me.
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Whereas a few years ago this was powerful and driven by an acidic lemony spine, today this is starting to develop more rich, honeyed flavors. For my preferences, it is in the sweet spot and I will not hold any longer.
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Delicious. Toasty, brioche, warmth and generosity without flab or overt sweetness - really a lovely bottle, and drinking nicely now. Got better as it opened, so no rush to consume if you have more bottles.
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60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, 20% vinified in oak barrels. Ageing on lees: 10 years
It is a lovely mature champagne. Golden color with fine bubbles. Rich aroma of mature peach, pear and mandarin orange. Delicious and creamy, long after taste. Such a delight to drink.
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Rich, lovely mousse, though not as exuberant as previous bottles. Great flavors and balance. I think this is unlikely to improve beyond age 20 - enjoy if you have it!
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Another great bottle of this tonight. Rich; I think it's finally reaching a agogee. A beautiful mix of pear, sweet lemon, red berries, sour apple and more. I love the mouthfeel on this wine. I've liked every bottle of this I've had
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SAC: 2002 Retrospective: I was excited to try this one as I don't have as much experience with it but feel like I always like it. The best I can say is I remember liking it again last night, but it got a bit lost in the rush of the last course and everyone starting to mix and mingle and connect and so less focus on the champagne.
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Dominated by red fruit character, cherry blossom, lactic. Bitterness characteristic of the vintage But the acidity and fruit concentration show youthfully, and the length is fantastic. Really underrated long term wine of the vintage
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Opened alongside a 2002 Piper Rare (winner), 2006 Piper Rare, 2006 Taittinger Comtes, 2007 Billecart Nicolas Francois, and 2012 Dom Perignon.
As you can tell, this was opened in great company and showed very well. Profile wise, this was in between the Piper Rare (rich and layered but bright) and the Taittinger Comtes (a bit surprisingly the brightest and lightest of the group). Not as honeyed aromatically as the two Piper Rare offerings, but loads of white peach, grilled lemon, honey and orange roasted cashews and sea salt. This showed a kiss more depth than its 2007 sibling, with lemon scone, limestone and racy acidity. It certainly drinks younger than it is. Classically Billecart in its “down the middle” style. Never too much/little of anything.
I wish I had another bottle to open in 5-7yrs, as this is aging glacially and beautifully.
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I love this. We just finished putting up the tree and ornaments and decided to celebrate with our oldest daughter’s birth year champagne. Super bready brioche and almond nose with a little apple on its crisp finish. I am glad we have another bottle.
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I've had this several times and it continues to deliver. Such a wonderful wine. Light straw color with fine bubbles. Brioche nose. Excellent fruit to balance light acids. This is excellent, glad I have more.
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A blast with buds (Washington, DC): Rich apple juice color. Pretty nose of saline, lime, preserved lemon, brine and chalk. Brisk and taut on the palate with limes, salted lemon peel, plenty of chalk dust, talc. Also these cool aged notes of cinnamon biscuits, ginger snaps, honey and lemon pie. Minerals round out the finish. Nervy and delicious.
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(Disgorged in fall of 2015, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, dosage 4 gr/L) Intense yellow colour with streams of fine bubbles showing white chocolate, citrus flowers and opens up with mint, fresh cut grass and eucalyptus in very nice and pleasant way. Lovely maturing palate showing yellow apples acidity with a creaminess on the mid and also some ginger and butterscotch notes in a very pleasant way on the intense and lengthy finish, and showing a delicious minerals saltiness on the lips.. (Best 2017-2042)
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Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois 2002. Begynnende modning og autolysepreg. Moden frukt på smakt - modne epler. Ørliten sherry-tone her. Ikke så ren som Billecart pleier synes jeg, men fortsatt fin. Høy konsentrasjon og super friskhet. Drikker bra nå og tipper en lang stund fremover. Finish sitter lenge. 92p
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Exquisite scent, intensity in a featherlight way. Light yellow fruit, some yeasty notes. Harmonious, balanced acidity, creamy texture, pears and yellow apples w. citrus on the finish. Wonderful, beautiful, well composed. Seems to be at a peak now.
Drink (or keep)
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Second bottle this year, and just ok again .. maybe past their prime, Very little bubbles, some lemon notes .. overall If I tasted blind I would not think it was a solid vintage option. 0 for 2 on this one, would not buy again ..
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Quite fresh nose with lemon notes, tart fruit, and a slight smoke note. Lots of acidity on the palate with more lemon, tart peach, and minerals. Long finish. Lovely Champagne!
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This bottle is in a perfect spot. Light brioche flavors that are perfectly balanced with the acidity. This bottle has a long way to go and I will search out more.
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Rich and soft texture but austere flavors, bitter grapefruit and kumquat skin. Textural and phenolic, it’s massive but doesn’t have the elegance and brilliance id hope for
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It’s been a couple of years since my last bottle. This bottle had an incredible amount of energy. Even after 75 min in the glass. I thought I was drinking an 2008. This was a well balanced wine with a nice finish. If I drink this again soon I would probably decant this. Revisit 2025
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Very Lemony, concentrated citrus flavours with some nuttiness and toastiness, very fine and gentle mousse, a gorgeous champagne with balance, length, intensity and complexity. Drink Now
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Our sixth and last bottle and as ever consistent and beautiful. Very much vinous, well aged, soft honey, soft tasty and with lovely evolution. Another easy 93
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3g/L. 20% vinified on oak. Disgorged 2019. Medium lemon colour. High intensity aroma of plum, honey, vanilla, baking spices. Dry, high acidity, medium body. High intensity flavour of plum, stewed apple, quince, honey, vanilla, candied lemon, walnut, almond. Long finish with walnut and almond.
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Slowly unfurling beauty. A bit rich and hedonistic, but with 1-2 hours of air it just strutted all it's stuff and showed as well as the first time I tried this in Sep 2021. This is a bottle that is ready to go now if you want, but needs some air. Surprisingly only 4g/l dosage. Certainly tastes like more in a good way.
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Nose of apples, yeast, spices, bread, minerals, salt water, citrus, limes, barnyard and earth.
Medium plus in body with high acidity.
Very dry on the palate with limes, lemons, green apples, earth, minerals, toast, wet leaves, herbs, vegetables, nuts, yeast, sea salt and white pepper.
Crisp and refreshing. Yeasty and interesting.
This is a nicely aged Champagne from a great vintage. Showing lots of complexity now.
Feels very young for a 20 year old, and will continue to age nicely in the next decade.
Robert Parker 97 points. Wine Enthusiasts 96 points.
I had the Brut Reserve Non Vintage not too long ago, and I liked it better.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it with fresh oysters.
A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Disgorged in 2015.
12.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$200.
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Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Two very consistent bottles o the day and very much consistent with our earlier 2 tasting of a worthy 93+. Well aged and well evolve, lovely richness and also soft vibrant feel. Definitely one to drink sooner than later but also delicious now so why wait. 93+
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Dinner at Tasty Loong: Very similar to the 2000 that I tried a couple of years ago but with everything dialled up a notch. Lots of green apple and rich toasty notes on the nose, incredibly fresh still, and with air it became more refined and complex. Truly a great vintage for this wine.
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On the nose: Billecart's signature green apple; sea breeze, intermittent hints of white truffle; at lower frequencies, sage. On the palate: a solid grip, while retaining beautiful freshness, the fine bubbles included. I guess many would stress, a champagne definitely on the vinous side. But then think, at colder temperature, of an Auslese champagne, along the lines of the best Auslese and their unique combination of weight (the dosage does show here) and a beautiful counterbalancing lemony / salty finale; at slightly higher temperature, a beautiful Meursault Genevrières champagne, with tarte tatin, butter brioche, and vigorously vivifying counterbalancing minerals. In my experience of 2002 champagnes, not as good as Cristal, but better than Dom Perignon—as of now anyway. 92-93
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Consistent with previous bottles all from K&L - lovely rich wine with great acidity and a fine mousse. Hard to believe it is 20! I think this is at peak and will last longer but probably not improve.
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I am not a regular champagne drinker, though this third bottle of the evening was probably my second favorite of the night, and it took about 2 or three glasses before I understood it more (and seeing how it changed a bit over the course of a meal and mixed in with other drinks). Still had a lovely amount of tartness, acidity, brightness, and a rounded sort of earthiness from aging. It reminds me of some really good Japanese food sake that drinks feminine, yet is mineral, higher in acidity, and by no means purely easy drinking, yet has elegance in the profile. This had way better texture of the beads than the Dom Perignon 2008 tasted in the same evening, although it's likely an apples to oranges comparison.
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Delicious. Started husband's 60th birthday dinner with this. Beautiful, balanced mouthfeel, tiny, refined bubbles all infused with fruit and flavor. Perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Yum.
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Second bottle in 2 weeks and a consistent performance. A special bottle , well aged and mature and simply delicious. lacks a bit of vitality that would give s the comfort to age this for another 20years and thus we feel better be enjoyed in the next 5 max 10. Delicious still and an excellent wine for the lovers of well matured champagne. 93
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Dinner with Friends (Reserve 22, Glen Ellyn): Mature deep color. Baked orchard fruit, citrus and dough with a vanilla creme undertone. Medium bead. Creamy palate. Dough and orchard fruit. Lovely.
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Opened by AllRed. First time I have had this particular cuvee which was first made in 1964. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs.. Medium yellow color. This was a creamy Champagne which has aged very well. Notes of dough, citrus and almonds. Moderate head. Longer finish. Still drinking well but at the end of it's window. Someone who prefers some age on their Champagne will like this better than I did. 92-93 points.
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WWC - GA (FWC): Tasted blind - gold in the glass, lots and lots of fine bubbles (tasted in a flute); nose of granny smith apple, yeast, and slight oxidation; similar taste profile - lots of apple, but with a very nice oxidative quality. Good acidity and lasting finish. Beautiful wine. I guessed a Tattinger Comtes de Champagne, 1998 or 2000.
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On for the lovers of well matured rich and vinous champagnes. And in that it does not fail and this is a superb wine. Poor thing followed I. The wake of the superb Cristal 2006 ( Papies 97) so it was bound to fall on sharp critics but still this is a wine that deserves respect and is a full on brioche , soft honey, light noble oxidative and so well mannered . Very pretty . Andreas 95/Nicol 93
60% Pinot Noir / 40% Chardonnay, 20% of the wine vinified in 15yr old oak and bottled with 4g/l
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Bottle disgorged 4/2019 So very different from the prior multiple bottles. Needed considerable time to open and improved as I never placed back on ice.
Imho this needs much more cellar time and not sure it wiil approach what I enjoyed so much on original release. But here's hoping.
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This version was disgorged in 4/2019. Lemon creme fraiche, brioche, woodsy cologne notes, lots of complexity. Starting to taste mature, but it could use a few more years.
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Tart apple. Think granny apple smith. Brioche. After about an hour, oyster shells with salty sea water. More of eastern usa border oysters. More sweet than dry/acidic attack. Very nice wine. But not good as piper Heidseik rare. Drank at Lincoln ristorante in NYC.
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Monday night at P90 with the boys. Tasted blind. Just as good as before, and maybe even a bit fresher. Just a hint of mushroom on nose. Lots of rich flavours, nuttiness, light marzipan, lemon curd, chalk and stony minerality and some saline oyster-shells also.
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No formal notes, from memory…. Anniversary number 19.Excellent bottle. Probably should have waited longer after having it shipped. Smokey quality with wild strawberry, slate and Meyer lemon. This will continue to hold and evolve for a good long time.
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Rich and broad-shouldered. Apples, peaches, a little citrus and bread, with a bit of sweetness on the finish. Crisp acidity to cut through the richness. Richer and deeper than the excellent 2006.
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Citrus, predominantly fresh clementine peel, spice, vigorous and with impressive depth. Solid grip in the finish with just a hint of grapefruit. Promising (96)
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Lovely nose of macadamia, marcona almond, sourdough, soft apple, tea; gorgeous mouthfeel, at once rich and creamy, and delicately balanced, fine bubbles, super long, stunningly beautiful. Perfectly aged and probably at its peak now and will hold. Momofuku Vegas
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Blind. Very fine bubbles which reminded me of a Krug so I guess that's a high compliment. It was very nice wine but I was distracted by the other two bottles from the same producer that were outstanding, no they were spectacular
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Halloween in the Vice Versa Cave: Deeply pitched apricot, lemon curd, ripe yellow citrus, marmalade, and honey make for a fairly advanced showing here, though it’s not without the requisite frame to hold it all in place. Finishes on the richer side, with an unctuously chewy candied lemon rind that is fortunately lifted by the casual but persistent bead of bubbles deliberately pulsating through the veins of the otherwise developed profile. A succulent Champagne that manages to pull it all off without seeming to too heavy or opulent. 94-95 points. Drink now.
Siggy Turns "Fitty": The Big 5-0 Blowout! (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Wow, this was just sterling; intense, layered and nervy, tart green apple, ginger, apple peel, yellow apple, oodles of ocean minerality enhanced by a streak of chalk, light-moderate toast, guava and lemon oil. Very long, ultra fine speedy bubbles. Fantastic.
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Thank you Kevin! Served at Siggy's fabulous 50th B'day Celebration at Spoon & Stable. Fortunately, I scored a small pour of this too. Even so, you sense its signature nervy tension & concentration. A little more gusto to the 02 Dom's svelte elegance. Killer bubbly! 96+
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Still showing youthful but much better than the bottle I had a year ago. Pitch perfect balance, stylistically middle of the road, with great acids, palate and length. Seriously good, wish I had loaded up at <$100. 94 pts
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Charleston VI; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Young and fresh and yet just beginning to have the slight markers of age. I think this is Pinot dominated and has that nice spicy note to it. Not really ready yet, but very tasty. Maybe my favorite of the champagnes.
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No notes taken. I’ve had this before (rated 95 & 96 pts) and it was exciting, fresh, pure elegance and quite complete. This bottle, however, showed a bit more flat, less fresh. Maybe it was served a bit too warm. Medium+ expressive on the nose and palate with fine citrus, apple, dark berry aromas along some minerality. Good precision but not super complex. Very fine mousse and overall round and balanced but as mentioned with not enough cut.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting needed.
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It's hard to follow a 2009 Cristal, but the suave '02 Cuvée Nicolas-François does so effortlessly. I've said it before, Billecart Salmon nailed the 2002 vintage. Great complexity here, lots of fruit, savory notes and flowers.
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Kevin's Big Six-OHhhhhhhhh Nooooo (Margaux's Table in White Bear Lake): Small 2 oz pour. Great 2002 Champagne! Lively on the tongue with crisp acidity (lots of life left in this Champagne!), green apple, sea shell, limestone and stone fruit. This was a pleasure to drink! Wish I owned some of this! 94+ to 95.
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(Late release from the house disgorged in fall of 2015, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, dosage 4 gr/l) Maturing nose showing lovely cream and butterscotch notes combined with youthful yellow apples, minerals and some fresh cut grass in a delicious way. Intense palate showing youthful yellow plums acidity with butter and creamy notes on the mid to late before a distinct yellow plums peel bitterness takes over on the lengthy finish. This was a very pleasant showing and perfect to sip in the late afternoon sun, opens up very nicely in the glass, but should reward some further cellaring. (Best 2017-2037)
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My first bottle (a couple of weeks ago) struck me as brand new with at least a decade or two of future life; this second one seemed to have a deeper yellow colour and a lot of biscuit on the nose. It was still fresh and lovely, but not as new born as the first. It also fell away steeply after a night in the bottle, whereas the first held up well. I am not 100% sure if this is bottle variation or taster variation, but I think it may be the former. Will report on a third bottle in due course!
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Chilled, opened for 30 minutes and then drunk during dinner. Almost imperceptibly fine bubbles in the glass but a great popping mouthfeel nevertheless. Aromas of baked apple, creme brûlée and light spices. A slightly glycerin feel on the palate with honey/brioche notes and more ripe apple and gooseberry flavours. Feels like it was picked yesterday, not 19 years ago. This will go on and on and on.
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Definite deeply colored - gold and pink. Superb. Great mousse, intense winey flavors from the 60% Pinot Noir and lovely creaminess and acidity from the Chardonnay. This is drinking well but is still an infant. A wonderful bottle for Mother's Day.
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Mineral, toffee/fudge, grilled lemon, yellow plum. Very "grown up" and firm - in a good way. Nowhere near peaking though.. Perfect the Amuse Bouche - kickstarting an amazing meal at Restaurant Frantzen. Glass: Zalto Bourgogne.
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Drinking very well right now. Long finish. Tons of toast chalky flavor, slight metallic, very full in mouth, lemon acidity well balanced not too prominent. Toast dominant.
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Friday evening in Singapore at Odette, bringing my own bottle. Beautiful deep golden Color. Pronounced nose with marzipan, buttered brioche, toasted pineapple, mild honey, wet stones and light pepper. Med acidity, Med+ body, Med alcohol, Med+ flavor intensity, Med+ finish. Still young and vibrant, tasting some pineapple and green apples, chocolate, caramel, and smokiness. Love it and still a long life ahead!
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Superb. Very strong mousse and totally fresh. Hard to believe this wine has any age, let alone nearly 20 years. Kept well overnight. Looks well set for another decade or two.
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Nice med. dark yellow, hint of gold; lovely nose of peach pit, hay, sourdough, lemon; great depth and concentration, fine bubbles, almost creamy mouth, long persistent finish. What more could you want? Great with calamari. Blair's w/H,E
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This was the original label and release. It was nice but a little slow to open up, and didn't reach third gear until about three hours in. Couple of remaining glasses were wonderful on day 2, showing a lovely nose of spicy pastry, made me think of cardamom buns. This original disgorgement continues to eat its dosage and is ready to go, with the palate now showing more of the sculptural effects of sugar rather than sweetness. The more recent releases need additional time, for my preferences.
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Pale golden seducing vibrant mineral and juicy fruit Flavors very elegant bubbles medium to full bodied with perfectly balanced acidity and super lingering fonish
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Bruised apples, marzipan, brioche. On the palate its ample and rich with delicate bubbles. A very long and contemplative finish. Great champagne with plenty of life ahead of it
Extra info/Tech specs ABV: 12.5% Closure type: natural cork Stem: Gabriel-Glas StandArt Assemblage: 60% PN from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne, 40% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. 20% vinified in oak. Aged on lees for 10 years, 4g/L dosage Decant: N/A
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Medium gold color. Split bottle over 3+ hours. That nose gets you with the marzipan up front, brioche, baked apple and pear, chalk minerality, sea air, cinnamon pastries, sublte anise, fresh bread and vanillin spice. The palate is powerful yet elegant, fairly full bodied, apple, spiced orange peel, chalky minerality, marzipan, lemon, toast, and hazelnut. Great presence and balance, just super!
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Druvor: 60% Pinot Noir och 40% Chardonnay från Grand Cru lägen i Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay) and Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir).
En djup doft av kola, mogen tropisk frukt, kakdeg och en hint sherry uppbackat av snygg mineral. Smaken är krämig, elegant och läcker med noter av persika, lemon curd, rött äpple, och apelsinskal. Nicolas Francois 2002 är just nu i en fas där syran och fräschören går hand i hand med fina toner av mognad. Allt sitter på plats och är i harmoni.
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Gorgeous golden colour, steady, fine bubbles; lovely nose, almost dessert like, fruits of the forest, baked oatmeal, hazelnut all entwined with a complex autolytic character; totally convincing on the palate, long, complex and evolving. Great freshness too. Delicious.
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Early drinking window, this champagne has enormous potential. Iodine and brioche nose, but very soft and elegant. On the palate this is full, and very vinous especially when it gets warmer. This is a great champagne with at least another 10 years to go. 94 now with upside
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Champagne er så digg akkurat når modningen har begynt: som lyden til Yngwie eller Eddie (RIP) - rein og uten stygg vreng, men fortsatt full av power. Her er der søt gjærbakst, grønne epler, nydelige små bobler. En fantastisk champagne som er perfekt nå og i hvert fall 10 år til.
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Wow this stuff is good. Paired beautifully with the many varied elements of a NYE Oshugatsu box from Kiraku Berkeley: Shiraae with maitake, Shungiku Ohitashi, Ebi and Wakame, Saba Nanbanzuke, Umesuisho, A5 Miyazaki Wagyu and Hokkaido Uni, King Crab and eringi mushrooms, Grilled Black Cod, 7 various sashimi.
Nuanced, bright, round and--despite how assertive--really crunchy and quafable with dinner. Radiates it’s message with poise and ease. Enjoyed out of a Zalto Universal. Should cruise here for five+ years but why wait? Now-2026.
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Purchased at auction. Older label, presumably from the original release. Lovely bottle of this, much more enjoyable than a newer release tasted last month. Even better on day 2; I might reconsider my decision not to backfill this vintage.
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J: dry, not fruity. Clean finish and does not linger on palate. Keeps coming back to drink more of it. Nutty side
S: clean finish. A bit spicy with first taste on palate. Full bodied with more of a chew.
November 2021: increase rating from 90 to 96. One of our favorites
September 2023: Have had many bottles of this over past two years. Continues to improve with additional aging. Beautiful, deep color and the spicy first taste has become more pronounced. Still with clean, short finish. Increase rating again this year from 96 to 98. Remains a favorite and we have it often.
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Stellar. Nose of apple pie, or my wife says peach cobbler... biscuits, raw almonds, honey suckle. Great acidity on the palate. Low dosage. No sweetness to be found. Finishes excellent with a creamy yellow citrus note. Lemon curd. Just fantastic. Plenty of life here. No doubt this wine will go several more years.
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Year end Champagne lunch (Singapore): All wines tasted blind. Lovely nose also here with brioche, white flowers, citrus and yellow fruit. The palate is crisper with less dosage than the Piper/Rare next to it. A good middle ground between racy and hedonistic. Shows its age nicely with tertiary aromas. In a great spot now but can easily last another 10 years.
This was an excellent bottle; lovely golden color with a delightful nose of ripe orchard fruits, apple tart, brioche, and pear blossom. Some underlying mineral notes emerge with a bit of air. The palate has great concentration and depth with a lovely vinous mouthfeel, but still has some nervosite underlying. Delicious and certainly has plenty of time ahead.
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This wine was outstanding. Did not decant, but served in a wine glass as opposed to a flute to allow more exposure to air. It continued to evolve over the next two hours as we enjoyed it. It was paired with a lobster bisque. I don’t have specific tasting notes as this was part of a socially distant and zoom Christmas holiday dinner with my wine buds. I do wish I had more.
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Disgorged January 2016. This was a recent re-release with an updated label and plaque de muselet, opened to check in on whether I should backfill some additional bottles. This showed a spiced applesauce personality, and was much more primary than an original release bottle earlier this year that had additional richness and development. Perhaps in time this release will equal the original, but ultimately this bottle did not convince me to reload.
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Almond cookies, terra cotta, forest floor, lemon curd, croissant and dried lilies. There’s a major focus, yet this is full and not bashful, with some lovely bakers yeast throughout. Excellent texture and length. Such a magnetic persona. Beautiful. Drink now - 2034.
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This was my wedding wine. I was not disappointed. It was as if I was drinking brioche toast topped with thin slices of green apple and drizzled with the lightest honey.
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Yeasty nose, brioche toast. A touch of lemon. Palate is luxurious and full. Much lower acid than Krug and even lower than DP. Really coats the mouth with full, beautiful warmth. Finish is long and brings you back for more.
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Light medium gold color. Drank two glasses over 2 hours. This was a very nice bottle. Very fresh on the nose, orchard fruits, pear, toast, dough, stone. The palate is crisp and lively, fine mousse, medium plus body with a nice nuttiness, pear, lemon, toasty, apple peel, dry stone, light ginger, lemon cream. This comes off so balanced and seamless. Not as ethereal as a bottle back in February, but still great.
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Brand new bottle to last note and quite a difference. Right from get go was more evolved and flavourful. Less breadiness but lovely rounded flavours but bounded by BC elegance. Colour was a little more green gold. Honey and sweet spice (cinnamon) even some berries and melon. Had a natural moreishness to it.
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Very Billecart. Fresh and elegant. Needed at least 10min in glass to show form and 2nd sitting to finish some 4hrs after opening (stopped and stored in fridge) delivered an even better experience. Colour showed little to no age. Bread/yeast and spiced honey but always finishing dry (too dry?). Perhaps lacked a little depth of experience the only criticism. Wonderful but not wow.
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Fruity with touch of age, slight nutty aspect, deep, long, complex; on the palate, big and powerful with a long finish. Showed very well. With new label. My WOTN. Blind DD at Capital Seafood.
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YB belated at Pine Close. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, gold colour. Legs. Fine bubbles. Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of buttered toast, almond nuts, chalky minerality, rich honeyed lemon oil, hints of mushroom earth. Developing. On the palate, dry, rounded high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of rich yeasty lees, rich rounded honeyed citrus lemon, buttered toast, creme brulee, elegant hazelnuts, stony + chalk minerality. Light marzipan. Slight oxidative character. Long finish. Very good quality. Still has further development ahead in the next few years. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
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This is a wonderful, luxurious Champagne which has the freshness, softness and is inviting and just wonderful to drink. While the 95 points are well deserved, this wine doesn‘t have the depth (and somewhat the flavor intensity on the nose and length) to go higher than this. A crowdpleaser.
TN: Medium- expressive nose with bakery scents and citrus. More expressive, intense and with good precision on the palate displaying citrus, apple, hints of wet stone and fine brioche and bread aromas. With medium length. The structure is close to perfection with perfectly integrated acidity which brings great freshness, a soft and creamy texture and very soft bubbles.
Decanting: In a beautiful spot today, right from the go.
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Bottle purchased and cellared since release. Wow, this was outstanding. Wonderfully rich and textured and showing nice development and better dosage integration than a few years back. There's still a slight 7-Up aspect to the nose that I'd like to see fade away. But happy to have a couple more of these to open over the next few years.
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This champagne is in a great drinking window. It was yeasty, nutty, with hints of creaminess throughout. Absolutely delectable. A real treat after a long week.
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Smells delicate and sweet, riddled with honey and vanilla. And dark, a matured yeasty something is taking over the nose - biscotti is the closest I can get to something I know :) But drinking side by side vs. a 2008 Dom, this is sweeter and muskier on the nose.
On taste, not so tart, but more zesty orange fruit, citrus and honey.
This ends like an orange/vanilla soda with bright effervescent texture.
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Intense, but still a bit tight feeling on the aromas with lime, butter, nut, bread baking, wet ground, sea salt and this distinct grapefruit flavor at the very end. Pretty full-bodied Champagne that is still very tight after opening. Doesn't give much until a long time has passed. Then it grows up a bit. Ripe, yet fresh citrus, apple, and this distinct grapefruit flavor on the finish. Pretty sea minerality and biscuits seduce. Will not be surprised if 10 years work on this one. 93 points.
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Just becoming an interesting Champagne now. Very light straw color. Lovely fresh acidic nose and bubbles vibrant but noticeably with age. This is such a well made wine and I am looking forward to following it. Drank my last '96 last summer and this has promises to be just as good. Citrus/mandarin zest accompanied with brioche, hazelnuts, stony minerality and rye bread in the end. Long aftertaste.
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Dim Sum Club at Imperial Treasure Teochew (Imperial Treasure Teochew, Ion): Excellent again, this was such an enjoyable Champagne. It did need an hour or so to open up though. The nose had a twang of hard cheese at first, but that lifted after some time to show a really attractive nose of milk and cream and brioche, some green apple fruit, a tiny touch of strawberry, and then a kiss of minerality. With some time, a touch florals emerged as the wine warmed up. Lovely stuff. The palate was really nice too. Still fresh and lovely, with a gentle mousse and bright acidity draped over a lovely, transparent mouthful or sweet apples, strawberries and cherry flesh. Really juicy and delicious stuff, with the round, friendly 2002 nature that made this such a yummy drink. The finish was long and satisfying too, with a lovely depth of sweet, fleshy fruit, with just a little sprinkle of spice and mineral lingering on a long fresh backpalate. Really lovely, and starting to drink beautifully.
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2002 Tete de Cuvee Champagne Tasting Volume II (Jan's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. This was brilliant too and after the '02 Dom, it did not disappoint. This was the best bottle of '02 NFB to date. Bold oyster shell nose with fesh cut pear, lots of biscuit and baking bread dough, nutty and vibrant. The palate is very crisp and the acid shines, great dry stones, very well toasted, fine mousse, elegant, lemon, apple, almond cream, quite long too. 96+pts.
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Yellow, gold-ish; hint butter, popcorn, vinous, tart berries, minerals, fresh, crisp, tasted new and young; some earthy mineral notes with good lift, tangy juicy, med+ finish really nice. Capital Seafood for DD.
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Billecart-Salmon Tasting (Dan & Mila’s): “Founder’s Cuvée”. Once again, Superb. Fine fruit, light toast, long finish. A little more toast than the 2006, and a little softer. 60% PN, 40% Chard.
This is a stunning Champagne with the unbelievable finesse and softness as the clear highlights. The aroma profile is clearly Pinot Noir and comes with good precision. From a value for money perspective I find this quite spectacular. The wine is still quite youthful with just the first hints of tertiary development showing.
TN: An array of highly precise blue and black forest berries, some red fruit, hints of minerality, nougat, fine toast, some shy oxidation aromas. Unbelievable fine mousse, a stunning soft structure and very good harmony and good length.
Buttery, oxidative notes of hazelnut, light red berry fruit that carries on nicely on the palate. Fine toast, fresh acidity and pretty long finish. Very fine moussage. Sweet caramel notes over time. This is compelling stuff and drinks extremely well. But in terms of complexity the range of aromatics is limited.
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Rich, powerful, opulent. Almond, brioche, apricots and some subtle citrus. This was a big wine. Served with ribeye and lobster with hollandaise and was right at home. I am not a sparkling aficionado but his was a wine I could enjoy in any circumstance.
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Very similar/consistent with my note Spring 2018. Still loads of carbonation and suds; hints of tobacco and spices emerged in the glass as it warmed and aired. Tons of life left in this.
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Tasted blind and the muscular Pinot fruits dominated the aroma profile. Ripe and rounded, Pinot Noir fruits of orchard fruits, raspberries and ripe lemons. Fairly leesy and textured, most likely due to extensive lees ageing, suggesting Grande Marque rather than Grower Champagne, also the dosage is generous giving a slight sweetness on the finish. Pinot Noir tannins, fairly rich but a bit clumsy. 80% Pinot 20% Chardonnay? 2004? Pol Roger Cuvee Winston Churchill? (93/100) Disgorged c. 2015
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2002 Vintage Champagne horizontal (Elystan Street, London): Blind and after a terrific prior flight of Krug and Clos Goisses this champagne didn't deliver for me. It does hoewever echo my sentiment that I voiced before that this needs a lot time. It seemed very clear in colour, there seems to be some potential/material here but it doesn't come out to play. It was (just) the best wine in a weak flight. I think hold this for 5 years + (a 1996 NF recently opened showed very young but very good). Drink the Billecart CSH today and wait for the NF.
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Rich and vinous, full-bodied and harmonious, gentle but vibrant mousse, lovely touch of nutty development, 60% Pinot Noir but the fruit is more defined by the 40% Chardonnay, comfortably on its plateau of maturity, time in hand.
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SLDS at Quay: Marzipan, lemon, apple, honey and pear on the nose. Weighty body, with sweet and powerful fruit that has texture to give it interest and very good acidity helping the wine to flow and finish well. Very good wine to start things off.
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Light medium golden color. Drank 2 glasses over dinner for 2 hours. This is tightly coiled, impressive energy and power, full of dry extract, tart citrus, quince, lemon, saline and ocean breeze, hazelnuts and great length. Wow.
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Defined bubble stream. Medium gold, in color. Golden apples, golden pears, cherry, peach, citrus, brioche, mineral, chalk. Creamy texture, citrus peel, on a dark berry finish.
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Soooo tight, this is full of energy and extremely wound up at the moment. Medium persistent bubbles, nice mousse, vibrant acidity, little development at this point, some autolytic notes throughout but not a major focus, tart green apple, citrus, medium weight, imo needs a little more time to develop some complexity and allow the edges to soften a bit. Overall very good champagne with room for improvement with more time
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Quite pale but deep yellow, with a stunningly fine and strong bead. Nose and flavours centre around pale stonefruits, albeit with a hint of citrus on the end of an impressively long and substantial palate. An utterly gorgeous vintage champagne that should develop in the bottle for quite a few years yet.
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Shirt note - herbs, lemon, Nutts, nougat, baked bread, bitter in finish, well balanced and very high concentration, medium+ complexity, long and mineralic finish, outstanding quality 92/93p
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Fungus, ripe lemons, white flowers, slate. Rounder yellow fruits in the mouth, oak vanilla. Lovely concentration. Quivering acidity. Long finish. Like constantly licking a lemon popsicle. On day 2: More towards white flowers, bit more creamy, seamless and acidity less noticeable. Keep in cellar for at least 3-5 years. 93-94p now.
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Delicious! Ripe plum and honey on the nose, really fine bubbles that last and a juicy moderately rich mouthfeel with a touch of smoke on the fabulous finish. It has cut, but not so much that you can't enjoy on it's own without food. Yum. fyi, my style is grand dame, DP 02 & 09, Bollinger grand cuvee & older vintage.
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Good young champagne color, sweet fruits on the nose- apples, a bit of pear, berries, light bread notes, on the palate still quite closed, a fine depth of sweet fruit- as with the 1999 St. Hilaire tasted alongside this is very much a fruit-driven champagne and yet there is also a noticeable and exciting underlying tension, a young wine with solid future prospects. (***)+, 2025-2040.
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Beautiful straw color with soaring apples and citrus on the nose. A ton of structure and power to spare. The pinot dominates at this point and it drinks more like a Blanc de noir than a 60/40 blend. Still quite young with a ton of evolution ahead.
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A big, complex wine, dried red fruit, nutty, bonfire toffee - approx 60% Pinot base - glimpse of interesting barnyard tertiary qualities coming through on the nose still quite tight, austere, holding back and not ready to be woken yet, leave resting for at least another 5 years. Is this really 16 years old??
Gathering at Brian's (Brian's Home): From memory. Yeasty/brioche with citrus and some herbs. Nice weight. Seems coiled and not showing as much. Perhaps needed more air. Paled in comparison to the 2008 Cristal afterwards.
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K&L Champagne Tent Tasting (San Francisco, CA): Some aged character, integrated brioche; palate is medium bodied, nice blend of richness and tartness. Better than my last taste of this for sure. 90-92
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After having had this two years ago (please see my previous note) I am pleased to report that it is starting to put on weight and I am slightly more optimistic for its future then I was last time. Drank over 2 days our of Riedel Sommelier Chablis glasses. The Pinot is starting to take over a bit more I found. It is till very young looking in the glass though and tasting like a 8-10 year old rather then a champagne with 16 years of age. I think this will make very old bones and fingers crossed in 10 years or so it will truly show its stuff. I'd pin the ideal drinking window down here for 2025-2035 out of normal bottles. I am puzzled though as to why the 2002 is showing that tight - the 90 and 95 of this cuvee were drinking SO marvellous in the 10-15 years age bracket. Maybe I caught this too late for its first peak or has there been a change in style? Hold onto your bottles for greater things to come I'd say.
This wine had a medium yellow/straw colored center with a fantastic mousse. The medium intensity nose showed citrus, vanilla, guava, and white stone.
In the mouth, this wine was quite light and refreshing with lovely small bubbles and good acidity. It was a refined wine but had nice finish nonetheless.
This is a very nice Champagne. However, it is nowhere near the quality of their ethereal Clos St Hilaire. It will easily last at this level for a decade+
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• 60% P.N from the 1er & Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims & the Grande Vallée de la Marne, 40% Chard from the Côte des Blancs; • Dosage: 4 g/l • 20% vinified in oak barrels with partial malolactic fermentation, then aged for 10 yrs on the lees; 1,500 cases imported
N: VERY attractive yeasty minerality with apples moving forward; Intensity lurking
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with GORGEOUS frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by an acidity which makes its presence known into & through the LONG, tangy finish with an attractive swtness in a dialectic with a very, VERY slight bitterness. SUPERBLY done, & with MANY yrs of life left! :) 12.5% ABV; My EXCEPTIONAL-/EXCEPTIONAL! Press *highlights*: 2-98s & a 19/20 Decanter, 98 Suckling, & 97 Vinous. [This vendor's $159.95 puts it @ the very bottom of wine-searcher's TOP 15% of current listings.]
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Zum Gaumenneutralisieren hilft Champagner fast immer. Perfekte Balance aus diesem genialen Jahrgang. Noch im aufsteigenden Stadium, locker 10 Jahre vom Peak entfernt. Limette, rosa Grapefruit, Aprikose, keine Tertiäraromen, beginnende Nußnoten, getoastes Toast, salzig und erfrischende Säure. 94
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There’s a lot of wine here. Very fresh and poised, a touch of autolysis starting to show as it warms, but this is still pretty taut and yet really quite full. Needs another five years at a guess. Should be very good. ***(*)
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Amazingly effervescent with tiny bubbles. Crisp acidity, green apple and white peach flavors. The nose has a bit of biscuit and yeast. This wine powered through a beautifully prepared scallop dish and enhanced raw oysters served with a champagne mignonette. Extremely versatile.
This wine shows it's pure structure as it warms and can't hide behind its initial serving temperature.
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Dinner for Wayne and Hannah ('96 and '02 Burgs, '82 Lagune etc): The Champagnes were served in Riesling-type glasses. Pale colour. Small bead. An attractive citric and mineral bouquet with a touch of spice. Not much autolysis evident. In the mouth, precise and pure. Lemons, peaches and pears with some minerals. 'Tight and restrained' said Con. Excellent acidity. Still young with only a slight oxidative edge on the finish. Drinking very well but it'd be good to revisit in another 2-4 years.
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Full straw color with rigorous bead, surprisingly sudsy with loads of bubbles on first pouring. Quickly settled down to perfect calm; seemed to also slowly age in the glass from perfectly fresh, doughy, brioche to more complex floral and fruit qualities. A bit of a wild ride but enchanting to experience. Great potential here.
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Leads with lees and faint raisin. Pear and dried apples. Full, but dry and tingly on the palate. Very crisp. Still very young and not really showing well. A bit short. But good.
60% pinot, 40% chardonnay.
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Yellow straw color, frothy bubbles. Classic brioiche and yeast nose. Great fruit, pears and orchard fruit.Crisp and clean. Still drinking young. Great stuff
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Sine Qua Non dinner (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Initially served too warm, dominated by deeply toned sweet yellow fruit. On ideal serving temperature, very fresh and energetic nose displaying granny smith, lemon curd, lemon zest, honey, brioche, spicy spices and strong limestone mineral. Excellent concentration, lemon oil and spice spices driven palate impression, fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long clean energetic finish with lemon zest and mineral at the end. Showing generous fruit yet very fresh and energetic. There is a strong BdB impression. Drinking beautifully but will improve further for another decade or two.
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Full, fresh, rich and concentrated. It has a sappy, grapey quality in the mouth and plenty of yeasty things going on. The front of the palate is elegant and citrussy and it drives home with intense berry.
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Same btl as R&Rlers. Served immediately after and almost concurrent with my '04 Dom tonight. This wine totally crushed the Dom, IMO. I like Kevin's adjective "aggressive". I might seek bit more finesse but it completely compensates for that with gobs of lip smacking, intense, mouth coating, complex layers of citrus, minerality, toast and gusto. This came along and elbowed out almost all remnants of the more ethereal and feminine Dom. The Dom was dominated and nearly eliminated from memory with this wine. Loved it! Drinking fairly young too for an '02 with zero signs of premox.
Sonoma Group Redux Dinner (Craig & Nita's Place): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Vibrant, aggressive bead, brilliant mineral nose, very bright and crisp, finessed and focused with lemon, lemon chiffon. The palate follows precisely, with the same energetic minerality with a chalk infused streak, white fruits, lemon chiffon, power and drive wrapped in a well delineate, elegant bow. Long and fresh. This feels very alive and just hitting its stride. This is great stuff. Drank this next to the '04 Dom, and both were excellent with the CNF having considerably more drive and energy, though my wife preferred the Dom. 95+(+)pts.
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Bit more fuller aromas and toast compared to the Cuvee Louise, slightly richer, touch more fruit, with a nice powerful finish. Opposite in character to the Louise, both quite good. Water Grill w/Eric & co.
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Last wine we tasted after our tour at Champagne Billecart-Salmon. Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable about the domains history and all the wines.
Bright golden yellow with tons of tiny bubbles. Thick nose with layers of honey, stone and white fruits, almonds and some lemon zest. Well rounded with high acidity (7.5/10) and medium plus to full bodied. Fresh, lively and zesty on the palate with layers of brioche, stone fruits, green apples and a touch of citrus. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2037.
Made up of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from the same plot every vintage. Only 20% is vinified in oak and also aged for 13 years on the lees.
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Medium yellow. Good mousse for 15 year old Champagne. Toasty nose. Mellow fruit, dry, and creamy. In great shape without a trace of oxidation. Two problems, though. It has an odd herbal component that is out of place, and the main action happens through the mid-palate, after which it takes a pretty noticeable dive. Representative bottle?
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60/40 Pinot/Chard. Medium plus nose shows lemon peel, pineapple, brioche, and then notes of age/oak, toasted apple, walnut, hay. Palate shows deep layers, citrus, brioche, rye bread, orange zest, tropical, earth tones like white mushroom, loads of complexity and very elegant presentation, nicely dry finish. Certainly delivers, though it's pricey! Appropriate for the category though.
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On the nose: Yeast, fudge, bread, vanilla, sherry, apple On the palate: Citrus with high acidity. Still not rounded. Will need more time Medium + finish
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2017 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/9/2017-11/14/2017 (Villa D’este, Lake Como and Milan): En Magnum, limited release and my friend Laurent seems to have 50% of the world allocation. Expressive nose displaying intense ripe yellow fruit, lemon curd, tarte tatin, brioche, honey and limestone. Excellent concentration, dense and oily, generous fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long sweet yellow fruit and mineral driven finish. It is a big scale decedent yet energetic Champagne. Drinking beautifully now but will age gracefully especially in magnum format.
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Billecart Salmon Tasting (France 44): Drank about 1/2 a glass at a tasting. Head and shoulders better than their NV's. The nose and the palate are rich and luscious, with bracing acidity. Toasty, maybe a little too toasty. It is drinking well right now even though it is pretty wound up. A couple years from now, I'd expect it to have improved.
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Compared to the 1999 this is more crisp and citrus , great small bubbles, , balanced and beautifully done. Everyone's favorite of the two. Bone dry, fresh and lively, rejuvenates your palate. Great with food and by itself.
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Tasted at Billecart-Salmon as part of an excellent tour, which included a sit down tasting, where the wines were discussed in detail. The 2002 Nicolas Billecart is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. According to our guide, the only exception to this 60/40 combination was 1985 when the percentages were completely reversed. Grapes come from family plots. As the website states: the wine is a blend of “… Cote des Blanc vineyards (Chardonnay) and the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir).” Four grams of sugar. Approximately 20% of the wine was partially vinified in tight-grained, used, toasted oak barrels. This Champagne rested on its lees for nearly 16 years. Amazing! Bottled in 2016. Very full-bodied. Both on the nose and palate, I noticed a wonderful brioche swath throughout, honeycomb and graham cracker elements, as well as almonds and a touch of old brandy. Others mentioned honey and the guide suggested that there might be a bit of fennel on the palate. A really outstanding wine. Can keep this wine for years. Other good vintages not yet released may include 2008, 2012, and 2015.
Serve with darker poultry, including guinea hen, quail, and pigeon. Foods with cream sauces ham or bacon as a base would work nicely.
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Winos' excellent adventure in France; 6/22/2017-6/27/2017 (All over France): En Magnum. Very vibrant nose displaying decadent yellow fruits, lemon, apple sauce, a hint of brioche, white pepper, honey and limestone. Excellent concentration, dense, abundant fine mousse, perfect amount of acidity and a long clean finish with a hint of honey and decadent yellow fruit at the end. There is a beautiful interplay of sweet and decadent fruit and bright acidity and mineral. This is still quite youthful and will age gracefully for the next two decades or longer.
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Nose shows nice leesy richness and exotic tree fruit. Deep, penetrating palate with a surprising amount of toasty autolysis, but also some yellow fruit, a touch exotic, with some subtle ginger and spice notes. Nicely concentrated, this showed youthful on day 1 and more developed on day 2 with surprising boldness. Very good, but also rather expensive for what it is.
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60 % PN 40% Chard BEautiful nose - floral, citrus then on the palate gorgeous layers of hazlenuts, coffee and yeasty notes. Amazing precision and balance Still very young, no hurry to drink this
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Good Wine with an Exciting Super Bowl (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Tasted this several hours after it was opened, so it had already lost much of its effervescence, so I may be understating the wine's greatness. Opulent aromas and flavors, with toasted walnut, ripe apple, lemon custard, wild red berries and toasted brioche all coming through over the course of 10 minutes I kept this in glass. Very long and minerally finish.
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Quite clear with a slight golden sheen. Bubbles started up quite fat but quickly settled down into tiny bubbles. In fact, there was a mini tornado of bubbles in the center of the glass throughout. Lemon cool-aid, slightly diluted, on the nose. Delicious with light lemon notes, very fresh, good solid minerality.
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Davyd's Birthday Celebration 2017 (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Pop and poured. Drank over 1.5 hours. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, yellow lemon colour. Legs. Fine bubbles. Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of toasty oak, almond nuts, chalky minerality, dried orange peel, honeyed lemon. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of toasty oak, almond nuts, rich yeasty lees, dried orange peel, honeyed lemon, chalk minerality. Slight oxidative character. Long finish. Very good quality. Rich show-stopping champagne. Aged 10 years on lees, no wonder. Still has further development ahead in the next 5+ years. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
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Ten Champagnes tasting: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 4 grams per litre dosage. Deep gold colour. A complex bouquet, reflecting the Champagne's 10 years on lees. Perfumes of crème brûlée, blanched almonds, lemon rind, honey comb and oyster shell. Showing more of an oxidative character, on bouquet and palate, than in previous tastings of this vintage. This Champagne is developing nicely. Refined, à point and fresh on the palate. Complex layers of flavour, creamy, rich and autolic, while underpinned by excellent acidity and minerality. Now drinking better than a couple of years ago. I'm sure it'll improve again over another 5-8+ years. WoTD.
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Munskänkarna Göteborg Champagne-class, Session 9, flight 1.
WOTN! Rich nose, with loads of sweet apple, creamy but also a very fresh minerality. Full bodied and rich on the plate, needs some time in the glass to open up, but the reward is plentiful. Gorgeous!
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On the nose chalky minerality, red apples, white stone fruit, hints of yeast. Very pure and powerful on the palate, lots of precision and minerality. Fresh with plenty of fruit. Very vibrant and long. Very well structured. Hold. 93-94+
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Colour is fairly light for a champagne with 14 years of age, very clear. On the nose there is a lovely smell of fresh orchids, something mineral which is also echoed on the palate. Quite zippy still, in a way more primary then I would have expected and I am missing a bit of intensity and length. Certainly a beautiful champagne, but in my view this bottle failed to clearly outclass such vintages as 98 and 99 of this cuvée which I would have expected. It is not on the same level as the 90 or 96 I don't think, maybe even slightly behind the 95 which drank incredible at around 10-14 years of age. I think today you want to open the 96 for pleasure and you hold your bottles of the 2002 till 2020 ++. My expectations were very high given the vintage and the fact that Nicolas Francois is my favourite cuvée in champagne - they weren't fully met as I think the Bollinger Grande Annee 2002 is one, and Taittinger's CdC 02 two notches better.
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Leaps out and attacks the nose! Lees, brioche, fig, apricot, very intellectual nose. Lush, rich, chewy palate, but still reveals the low dosage in its mineral character. Delicious
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2016 Annual K&L Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Champagne Event, nose of smoke, lemon, apple, citrus and minerals, same on the palate, medium/big body, lots to love here, never achieves my expectations however, close to peak-maybe 1 more year, subtle, lon, crisp finish.
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Lemon, citrus, brioche and hints of strawberry & raspberry. Great minerality on the finish. Still a little young, was even better an hour later at the end of dinner. 94++
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Distinct but subtle berry notes on the nose, slight pinot character with very slight oxidative character; somewhat rougher bubbles after the Heidsieck Millenaires, Billecart BdB and Salon. At first it seemed less fine in the mouth, but coming back to it it seemed very foamy small bubbles. 91-92. I usually like this much more than I did today. Guessed '02 Blend. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting.
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Brief tasting note. Deep and full nose, citrus fruits, freshly baked bread with high toned floral perfume. Palate with ripe red apples, some sweet red berries, fresh citrus, clean, balanced with very fine acidity and very good length. Youthful and fresh, with a nice streak of minerallity showing. (92 – 94+)
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(Disgorged in fall of 2015) Light yellow colour with a light and sublime nose showing butter, fresh cut grass, lemon and minerals in a youthful way. Very light on the palate and not as acidic as I would imagine. Still very delightful with a fruity taste and a nice, but short, lime peel finish. This is very muted and closed down, but I think that it's post-disgorgement stress and the graceful start of a long life. But I guess I need to store some bottles to find out! =89p (this bottle at this day, but I think it will be much better within six months)!
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Fresh, lots of acid and citrus, but over the 15 minutes it takes to finish the glass, it opens up gradually. Very promising but this champagne needs many more years, of course.
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Golden hue. Diluted Lemon Pledge, almonds, cream, honey, and a bit of cordite, strangely, on the nose. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice buttressed by zesty acids and firm tannins. Honey sweetness at the end palate and into the finish. Enormous structure with unbelievable minerality indicating at least a decade or more of prime drinking window. Note that an hour of air is quite beneficial. Really delicious.
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Lovely vinous notes, creme brulee, just ripe apple/orchard fruit; light yeasty aspect; mouth was ethereal, yet excellent concentration, bright lift and finesse; fine bubbles, long, amazing with seared scallops. At Il Cortile in Paso Robles. could use 5-10 years but didn't mind at all drinking it tonight.
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Some reduction present, sourdough notes, super light and ethereal but creamy and fine; I liken it to a Comtes de Champagne (even though this is 60%PN, 40% Chard); dry, chalky finish, great verve and character. Very fresh, powerful, and long. Blows away the 1999, but also about a $60 price increase from that vintage. Vinified in barrel, aged 9 years in cellar, 8 g/l.
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Melvyn's 50th Birthday Bash (Hua Ting, Orchard Hotel): A lovely Champagne – I was very taken by this. The nose was a pretty mélange of apples and flowers backed up with a good dose of yeastiness. The palate was still really fresh and lively, and while it had the lovely fleshy roundness of the 2002 vintage, it certainly was a lot less advanced than most of its brethren, with a super-youthful cut and thrust to it and a great sense of balance in its green apple and zesty lemon notes, all this wrapped in super-fine mousse. There was a great sense of harmony and integration in this wine so that its considerable depth was held with a very light hand, which made it very drinkable. Even then, I think this still needs a good 8-10 years to hit peak, which is saying a lot for the a 2002. Super stuff, and definitely one to watch for the future. 93+
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I've had the pleasure of enjoying this wine a few times now, and I think it worth while pointing out that it does come off as being dosed a bit more heavily than most Cuvee FNB's. I think this is likely the result of the very ripe fruit in 2002, and the fact this vintage was fermented at low temperatures primarily in stainless steel (to preserve freshness). Definitely nothing wrong with it, but having had a half dozen bottles of this wine now, it's worth pointing out. I echo my belief, voiced in an earlier review, that this wine will benefit from another decade or more in the cellar. 94+
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Rich and fruity with plenty of patisserie notes. Creamy in the mouth, very fine bead and good concentration. The dosage appears quite high but a big lick of minerally acidity cleans up the finish.
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The best 2002 champagne I have tasted to date, and with the prospect of a 2002 Krug becoming less and less likely, it may well end up being the very best. Still young, despite having a respectable amount of bottle age before being released. Light, straw gold color, with a fine but persistent bead. You really get the full spectrum of fruit on the nose here, likely the result of excellent fruit and of it being fermented at very low temperatures. A bit of nuttiness and yeast is present as well, with a touch of oak coming through.
The palate largely echoes the nose--with fabulous layers of orchard fruits, some richness from the oak, and just the right amount of minerality on the seemingly endless finish. This will benefit from another decade or more of aging, but it's hard not to want it all now. I can't help but love this wine and this house. Billecart consistently releases its vintages later than the bulk of the Grand Marquee producers, while still managing to price them more reasonably. I hope the trend continues. 95+
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Billecart-Salmon Champagne, Burgundies, Rhones, Bordeaux etc with Sebastien, Brandon and Maciej (Museum Hotel, Wellington): Again in the decanter (which Sebastien particularly recommends for this Champagne). Pinot Noir 50%, Chardonnay 50%. A small production Champagne, with 5-6 grams dosage. Colour the darkest gold. Nose a little closed but intriguing and lifted. Aromas of honey, tropical fruit, creme brûlée, lemon, blanched almonds and wet stone, a little leesy and oxidative. Bouquet a little like a good white Burgundy, with some age. Initially, tight and primary on palate. After the bubbles subside, this is again more of a wine than a Champagne to drink. Real depth, concentration and power, with elegance and a complex flavour profile. Rich flavours of clotted cream, nuts, butterscotch, vanilla bean, autolysis and minerals. Beautiful acid structure. Great length. This feels a little like it's still sleeping but it's got all the stuffing needed for longer term cellaring.
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wow wine for me layer upon layer of tastes, lemon grapefruit mineral, even butter? toasty and very long ever evolving in glass one of the finest i have had my new favourite next to Krug
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End of Year Vintage Champagne (SF Wine Trading Company): Light yellow, fine bead. Light toast, vanilla and some bitterness on the palate. Excellent creaminess yet still discrete, fantastic back end minerality. This is very good and at a reasonable state of maturity.
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2013 K&L Annual Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Tasting. Nose of a butter filled croissant, yeast, and orchard fruit, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling, tastes like other great champagnes from the 2002 vintage-elegant, big body, three years from its peak, and a long, long finish.
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4/19/2024 - Torchy wrote: flawed
April BYO (Bodø, Norway): Cork
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4/12/2024 - WST Likes this wine:
Generous and densely styled, and delicious. Orchard fruit including pear and apricot, crème brûlée, almond and caramel apple. A mineral and metallic note. Billecart Salmon excelled in 2002.
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4/11/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:
Brioche, apples/pears, this is a nice drinking spot. Not much experience with this, so not sure how it will develop with more age?
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4/6/2024 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Another Wine gathering at RJ’s; 4/4/2024-4/7/2024 (Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina): Beautiful mature nose displaying decadent sweet yellow fruit, baked apple, lemon curd, strong brioche, oyster shell, light caramel and fine limestone mineral. Perfectly integrated palate, finely layered sweet yellow fruit, delicate and airy, incredibly fine medium generous mousse, bright acidity, fine limestone mineral, and a seamless long yellow fruit driven finish with strong brioche at the end. Super fine mousse is really attractive. This is exceptional fined wine that is drinking beautifully.
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3/29/2024 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Return of the Shrimp Heads to La Belle Vie, now PS Steak in Minneapolis. 6 of us back in our beloved lounge w/ the old LBV lounge menu. CV,KB,LI,BB,JV & MA. Lonny's btl tonight. I've had this a couple times before going back 6yrs to Jan 2018 and it has mellowed substantially. Tonight, its delightful with fruit cocktail, mineral, bread & more mineral. This is much more finessed than in its youth and 100% ready to go. Maybe even a little past if you prefer the livelier presentation in its youth like me. That said, I enjoyed every drop & where it's at in maturity too. Drink up if you own them IMO.
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3/28/2024 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Shrimp Heads Ride Again (PS Steak (Pseudo La Belle Vie, Mpls, MN)): Medium gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Same bottle as Chablis28, and I think Craig's note is spot on. This is more oxidative now, showing toast, almond, flan, green melon, and honey on the nose. The palate shows the oxidativeness more, golden pear, honey, baked fruit, lemon, briny minerality, sour lemon, mature and richer than in its youth. I've got some, and I not worried at this point. Still excellent, but one to keep an eye on.
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2/26/2024 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Med gold color; chalky yeasty notes with subtle honey, honey nut cheerios, pear, apricot skin notes; full soft and rich mouthfeel with fine bubbles, slight sour ting at the end with long finish. Very nice but it peaked 2 years ago when it won in a bling tasting against all the great prestige cuvees. At home W/S&L, Q, Carbonara.
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2/24/2024 - Handy1 wrote: 93 Points
Deep gold color. Nice mousse. Some brioche and apple/pear. Moderate acidity. Still drinking well no rush.
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2/23/2024 - astroman wrote: 91 Points
Soldera vs Stella (Gemma): Bready, nutty, full body, good acidity, slight caramel, with med finish. 2nd time having in 2 months but this does not taste as good as the first in Nov 2023.
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2/23/2024 - Sean Tay wrote: 94 Points
Pronounced nose intensity with notes mineral, bread, yeast, apple, pear. High acidity.
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2/17/2024 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Périgord Truffle Dinner (George Trois, Winnetka): Pale golden color with a short mousse. Notes of caramel, apple, marzipan and dried peach. The fine bead dissipates after a while, drinking more like a very fine still wine than sparkling. Rich and layered, with flavors of caramel apple, pear, nougat, lemon curd, stone and biscuit. A lovely mature Champagne.
While this worked nicely with each of the first three courses, my favorite pairing was this and the scallop.
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2/16/2024 - Ohlawuly Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep gold. The nose offers complex aromas of baked apple, pear, peach, and toasted bread. Medium body with medium-minus acidity. Long finish with a little sweetness in the end. This champagne is in its good drinking window and is very enjoyable now.
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1/5/2024 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Darker color, sappy, brooding yeast, pecan/almond paste; fine bubbles, clearly has some age but hanging in there, very Burgundy like, long tangy structured finish. At its peak now if not a past, depending if you like aged champers. 日本人パーテー
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12/30/2023 - astroman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazingly fresh, floral with nuts at the back, oxidative on the palate with lots of freshness. Complex with super mid palate structure.
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12/30/2023 - etyc Likes this wine:
Drank.
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12/25/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Wines at Paul's Xmas lunch: One of my favourite champagnes last year and this bottle was just as good. Similar impressions to my previous experience - rich, toasty and just so delicately balanced. Exquisite wine and think it converted a few non-Champagne people around the table. Best '02 that I have tasted alongside Krug.
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12/23/2023 - WST Likes this wine:
Our Annual Champagne Tasting: Bart's bottle. Daringly following the Cristal and Krug GC, this held steady. Pear, sweet lemon, red berries, sour apple and more. Nice mouthfeel
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11/19/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Thanksgiving Mondo Dinner 2023 (Atlanta, GA): If you are looking for a fabulous starter champagne to kick off an evening of decadence, this makes a good choice. Fine bubbles and beautiful caressing finish.
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11/2/2023 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is absolutely as exquisite as when we had it for Christina’s birthday March 1, 2023. The benefit tonight is time & attention to focus on it. Delicious.
Green apple, lime, lemon pineapple, stone fruits, slightly bruised golden apple and pear, leans into apple cider, cream, ginger ale, nuts w/ skin, very fine powdery chalkiness, limestone, saline, biscuit dough, sea fossils. Amazing body and acidity, fruit blossoms, jasmine, yellow florals and well; structured knitted, balanced, extremely well polished finish that lasts two-minutes. Drinking beautiful now & with time & life for 10 yrs or more. Happy Birthday Sofia.
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10/13/2023 - jviz wrote: 94 Points
From magnum. Incredible richness and at a lovely plateau in its evolution. Broad and balanced with depth and interest. Long and regal. Loved this, especially in the format
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9/29/2023 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Shared this with friends at dinner out, no formal notes taken.
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9/20/2023 - fizz wrote:
Toast, honey, touch of citrus. Enough acid to keep it fresh, but probably at a peak now.
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8/13/2023 - Tannin1855 wrote: 97 Points
Very fresh and full of energy. Beautiful rich mouthfeel with fantastic intensity. Perfect balance. My kind of Champagne. This worked beautifully on its own as well as with smoked fish canapés. This definitely shows its best around 50-55 degrees F. It kept getting better with air over the course of about 2 hours.
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8/11/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Light gold color. Drank a couple glasses over 2 hours. Brought this to Spoon for Vicki's birthday with the kids. I wasn't moved by this as much as some bottles in the past for whatever reason. It was plenty good, but just lacked that totally ethereal feel to it. Sour dough nose, almond dust, apple and quince. The palate is tart, baked apple, chalk, melon, dough, candied Mandarin orange peel, lemon liqueur, quince, mildly oxidative, and full bodied.
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8/6/2023 - Frijole wrote:
medium gold, lots of clarity, very tiny bubbles
Nose: apricots, asian pear, tangerine rind, wax, marzipan, macadamia nuts, honeycomb, lemon, brioche, musk, oyster shells
Pal: apricots, asian pear, tangerine, marzipan, macadamia nuts, honeycomb, chives, toasted almond, lemon, oyster shells, clay, musk, minerals
Feel: medium, savory, astringent, acidic
Finish: medium, long
TC10
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8/2/2023 - The_Cat wrote: 99 Points
wow wow wow shiny gomden color. Very complex nose fine brioche some pineapple and apple tart a bit of almond cake. Extremely fine bubbles full bodied with perfectly balanced acidity so nice and long
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7/14/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Expressive nose of quite a bit of mushroom funk, apples, marcipan. Good but for a 2002 prestige Cuvée a bit underwhelming.
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7/6/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Unsure of the disgorgement date. Poured a dark straw, light gold color. The nose was musty initially, but that blew off. Rich and toasty with wonderfully balanced acidity. Some butterscotch, toasted nuts and stewed fruits. Still quite fresh, this is a beautiful and amazing wine that feels like it can go for many more years. Unfortunately, served slightly too warm, and with the food and other wines at the table, I wasn't able to give it the full attention it deserved.
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6/24/2023 - fizz wrote:
Lemon, toast, almond butter, earthy note. Complex. Fresh and energetic still. Lingering aftertaste. Looking good.
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6/19/2023 - PAX ROMANA Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank over about a week using a Kloveo champagne stopper (I actually prefer my champagnes with a bit less fizz). An absolutely beguiling sparkler. In the perfect place for me: great balance of freshness and tart fruit flavors with some yeasty, malty undertones. Acidity and dosage also married perfectly. This is honestly a wine that could go with so many foods but I decided to drink it solo to really savor the complexity and power of this magnificent juice.
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6/17/2023 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of yellow fruits, mushrooms and brioche. Fine effervescence.
With this wine, the temperature is essential. Too cool, it is smooth and anesthetized. Too hot, it becomes clumsy. It is played to within 1 degree.
Once at the right temperature, it is a pleasant champagne. We feel the “big cuvée” with a creamy touch and a beautiful patina. One could imagine a higher dosage than its 4g but it is in fact the maturity of the vintage that speaks. The chalkiness in the second part of the mouth responds well to the ample vinosity of the attack. The juice is loose, with a nice complexity on nuts, yellow fruits, honey, jasmine and finally cinnamon at the end. Structured, well-constructed champagne, which reveals itself in layers. Beautiful precise finish, with a tracer salinity which opens the way to a good length.
Excellent champagne, very elegant.
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5/31/2023 - ThijsV Likes this wine: 92 Points
BYOB dinner NOTK (Supernova hotel, Rotterdam): Initially a spiritus note, that covered most of the other aroma’s, but luckily it blew off after some time. Ripe, plenty of fruit, apricot, dough, brioche, yeast. Seems still to be on the young side, no hurry. High acidity, long finish. 92-93
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5/11/2023 - MadeiraLev Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still going strong after 21 years... Medium straw/yellow. Plenty of fizz-nice tight bead. Nose dominated by yeast and brioche. Similar on the palate with decent acidity. Really, really good!
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5/1/2023 - Sfo_ryan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent. Drinking quite well at the moment - exceptionally fresh for its age. This was from the 2016 release. Recommend! Have one bottle left - will wait for a while for the next one.
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5/1/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 95 Points
blind
I guessed 2004. Dense, some nuts, lemon driven. Balanced, precise finish. 94-95
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4/14/2023 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
Terrific wine! Hints of honey on the high end with flavors of nuts and brioche with great acidity. Wish I had more!
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3/22/2023 - fussyeater Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beat the Dom Perignon 2012 (Medlar, London SW10): Single blind. Looks quite evolved and is darker gold. Slightly muted citrusy nose although a little short in length yet what is there is decent and first rate. #5 WOTN for me. From Jancis glass.
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3/22/2023 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine: 94 Points
Single blind. Darker gold colour. Rich and clearly more mature than the wines so far. A well rounded, more mature version of the previous wine! My 4th favourite and the group’s 5th.
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3/22/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beat the DP 2012? (Medlar, Chelsea): Deepish straw. Rich on the nose, with prominent toffee notes. Solid and well-built on the palate, with a crisp finish and everything nicely integrated. It seemed to lose energy in the glass and I ended up deducting a point from my score.
I correctly guessed Billecart given its maturity and stature. Group #5.
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3/17/2023 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Another great wine dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Expressive nose displaying concentrated sweet yellow and white fruit, lemon curd, sous apple, tarte tatin, white flowers, honey and mineral. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated fruit, rich, dense and deeply toned but also good precision and balance, very fine generous mousse, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral, and a long rich concentrated yellow and white fruit driven finish with cinnamon and brioche at the end. This has developed beautifully. With air. It starts to display elegant fruit. This is a big scale, deeply toned Champagne that is drinking beautifully. No need to hurry.
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3/10/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
Unfortunately corked
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3/9/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
A rich and dense Champagne perhaps without the flair of the top Tete du Cuvees but the style is very classy with excellent intensity and concentration. There are delicious flavors of ginger and lime with good freshness and very little in the way of oxidized notes. Balanced with fine bubbles and showing very youthful so perhaps there is more to come here. 93+
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3/6/2023 - WST Likes this wine:
I’ve loved every bottle of ‘02 Cuvée Nicolas. While this bottle was good, it didn’t move me like previous ones. It wasn’t travel shock; like a dumb ass, I brushed my teeth a little while before I opened the bottle.
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3/4/2023 - crogers wrote:
With Patrone
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2/28/2023 - sh6k Likes this wine: 96 Points
Spectacular. Chalky restrained nose, with whiffs of cherry chocolate. On the palate, a layer cake: chalk that almost has a kefir character, then rich chocolate hazelnut (not Nutella, more like a chocolate covered hazelnut), then a green apple finish. Finish isn’t crazy long. Tons of gorgeous flavor. Drinking brilliantly right now, but also no hints of age so I expect at least 10 more years from it.
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2/13/2023 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
JT and Marty Super Bowl Extravaganza (Chez Newman): This was excellent; starting to develop some aged notes that lend complexity, but with beautiful fruit and texture still. Probably nearing its peak for me.
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1/27/2023 - skyivan Does not like this wine:
氧化了 酸度高 花果香少
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1/15/2023 - viniferatu wrote:
la Gloire de la Loire... but champagne makes knifework more fun
open knit and immediate, white flowers, crisp stone fruits, cooked citrus, creamy and easy before turning dry and mineral, lovely stuff
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12/31/2022 - Justin S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Whereas a few years ago this was powerful and driven by an acidic lemony spine, today this is starting to develop more rich, honeyed flavors. For my preferences, it is in the sweet spot and I will not hold any longer.
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12/26/2022 - TheFoodieTraveler Likes this wine: 94 Points
beautiful. slightly oxidized in a good way; buttered almonds, yeasty, but lots of pinot noir acid. a joy.
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12/24/2022 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Warm toast, mirabelle plums, vanilla cream notes. Aromatic, precise. Impressive showing for this beautiful wine.
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12/24/2022 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 94 Points
Finally, I’ve finished the last bottle of this. Drinking perfectly. Brioche, toasted nuts, and citrus.
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12/22/2022 - soyhead wrote:
lovely showing, possibly my WOTN. sappy fruit with some tropical notes. dense but fresh
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12/22/2022 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious. Toasty, brioche, warmth and generosity without flab or overt sweetness - really a lovely bottle, and drinking nicely now. Got better as it opened, so no rush to consume if you have more bottles.
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12/18/2022 - Burghunt Likes this wine: 94 Points
60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, 20% vinified in oak barrels.
Ageing on lees: 10 years
It is a lovely mature champagne. Golden color with fine bubbles. Rich aroma of mature peach, pear and mandarin orange. Delicious and creamy, long after taste. Such a delight to drink.
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12/12/2022 - rosenst1 wrote: 94 Points
Rich, lovely mousse, though not as exuberant as previous bottles. Great flavors and balance. I think this is unlikely to improve beyond age 20 - enjoy if you have it!
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12/11/2022 - WST Likes this wine:
Another great bottle of this tonight. Rich; I think it's finally reaching a agogee. A beautiful mix of pear, sweet lemon, red berries, sour apple and more. I love the mouthfeel on this wine. I've liked every bottle of this I've had
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12/5/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
SAC: 2002 Retrospective: I was excited to try this one as I don't have as much experience with it but feel like I always like it. The best I can say is I remember liking it again last night, but it got a bit lost in the rush of the last course and everyone starting to mix and mingle and connect and so less focus on the champagne.
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12/2/2022 - vintage_whine wrote:
Dominated by red fruit character, cherry blossom, lactic. Bitterness characteristic of the vintage But the acidity and fruit concentration show youthfully, and the length is fantastic. Really underrated long term wine of the vintage
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11/30/2022 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened alongside a 2002 Piper Rare (winner), 2006 Piper Rare, 2006 Taittinger Comtes, 2007 Billecart Nicolas Francois, and 2012 Dom Perignon.
As you can tell, this was opened in great company and showed very well. Profile wise, this was in between the Piper Rare (rich and layered but bright) and the Taittinger Comtes (a bit surprisingly the brightest and lightest of the group). Not as honeyed aromatically as the two Piper Rare offerings, but loads of white peach, grilled lemon, honey and orange roasted cashews and sea salt. This showed a kiss more depth than its 2007 sibling, with lemon scone, limestone and racy acidity. It certainly drinks younger than it is. Classically Billecart in its “down the middle” style. Never too much/little of anything.
I wish I had another bottle to open in 5-7yrs, as this is aging glacially and beautifully.
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11/28/2022 - Hiker4life70 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I love this. We just finished putting up the tree and ornaments and decided to celebrate with our oldest daughter’s birth year champagne. Super bready brioche and almond nose with a little apple on its crisp finish. I am glad we have another bottle.
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11/11/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super solid. Crisp, bright, and fresh.
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10/30/2022 - Barsacpinci Likes this wine:
I've had this several times and it continues to deliver. Such a wonderful wine. Light straw color with fine bubbles. Brioche nose. Excellent fruit to balance light acids. This is excellent, glad I have more.
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10/22/2022 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
A blast with buds (Washington, DC): Rich apple juice color. Pretty nose of saline, lime, preserved lemon, brine and chalk. Brisk and taut on the palate with limes, salted lemon peel, plenty of chalk dust, talc. Also these cool aged notes of cinnamon biscuits, ginger snaps, honey and lemon pie. Minerals round out the finish. Nervy and delicious.
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10/15/2022 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very fine, filigreed and ethereal. From magnum, this seemed ironically more evolved and relaxed than previously consumed 750s. This mag was wonderful.
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10/14/2022 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
(Disgorged in fall of 2015, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, dosage 4 gr/L)
Intense yellow colour with streams of fine bubbles showing white chocolate, citrus flowers and opens up with mint, fresh cut grass and eucalyptus in very nice and pleasant way. Lovely maturing palate showing yellow apples acidity with a creaminess on the mid and also some ginger and butterscotch notes in a very pleasant way on the intense and lengthy finish, and showing a delicious minerals saltiness on the lips..
(Best 2017-2042)
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8/11/2022 - hajoha wrote: 92 Points
Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois 2002.
Begynnende modning og autolysepreg.
Moden frukt på smakt - modne epler.
Ørliten sherry-tone her.
Ikke så ren som Billecart pleier synes jeg, men fortsatt fin.
Høy konsentrasjon og super friskhet.
Drikker bra nå og tipper en lang stund fremover.
Finish sitter lenge. 92p
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8/5/2022 - tobyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exquisite scent, intensity in a featherlight way. Light yellow fruit, some yeasty notes. Harmonious, balanced acidity, creamy texture, pears and yellow apples w. citrus on the finish. Wonderful, beautiful, well composed. Seems to be at a peak now.
Drink (or keep)
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7/31/2022 - darrennelson12 wrote: 88 Points
Second bottle this year, and just ok again .. maybe past their prime,
Very little bubbles, some lemon notes .. overall If I tasted blind I would not think it was a solid vintage option.
0 for 2 on this one, would not buy again ..
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7/26/2022 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
A bit more subdued than previous bottles but still lovely.
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5/21/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quite fresh nose with lemon notes, tart fruit, and a slight smoke note. Lots of acidity on the palate with more lemon, tart peach, and minerals. Long finish. Lovely Champagne!
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5/14/2022 - PDXWineO Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle is in a perfect spot. Light brioche flavors that are perfectly balanced with the acidity. This bottle has a long way to go and I will search out more.
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5/10/2022 - vintage_whine wrote:
Rich and soft texture but austere flavors, bitter grapefruit and kumquat skin. Textural and phenolic, it’s massive but doesn’t have the elegance and brilliance id hope for
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5/1/2022 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
It’s been a couple of years since my last bottle. This bottle had an incredible amount of energy. Even after 75 min in the glass. I thought I was drinking an 2008. This was a well balanced wine with a nice finish. If I drink this again soon I would probably decant this. Revisit 2025
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4/30/2022 - Kevin Mak Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium Gold
-Dry
-Medium Acidity
-Low Alcohol
-Delicate Mousse
-Medium Bodied
-Long Finish
Medium (+) Intensity
- Lemon, Apricot, Orange Peel, Hazelnut, Honey, Brioche
Very Lemony, concentrated citrus flavours with some nuttiness and toastiness, very fine and gentle mousse, a gorgeous champagne with balance, length, intensity and complexity. Drink Now
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4/30/2022 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Our sixth and last bottle and as ever consistent and beautiful.
Very much vinous, well aged, soft honey, soft tasty and with lovely evolution. Another easy 93
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4/26/2022 - mayakacz Likes this wine:
3g/L. 20% vinified on oak. Disgorged 2019.
Medium lemon colour.
High intensity aroma of plum, honey, vanilla, baking spices.
Dry, high acidity, medium body. High intensity flavour of plum, stewed apple, quince, honey, vanilla, candied lemon, walnut, almond. Long finish with walnut and almond.
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4/8/2022 - Jd6725 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Slowly unfurling beauty. A bit rich and hedonistic, but with 1-2 hours of air it just strutted all it's stuff and showed as well as the first time I tried this in Sep 2021. This is a bottle that is ready to go now if you want, but needs some air. Surprisingly only 4g/l dosage. Certainly tastes like more in a good way.
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4/5/2022 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 91 Points
Golden in color.
Nose of apples, yeast, spices, bread, minerals, salt water, citrus, limes, barnyard and earth.
Medium plus in body with high acidity.
Very dry on the palate with limes, lemons, green apples, earth, minerals, toast, wet leaves, herbs, vegetables, nuts, yeast, sea salt and white pepper.
Crisp and refreshing. Yeasty and interesting.
This is a nicely aged Champagne from a great vintage. Showing lots of complexity now.
Feels very young for a 20 year old, and will continue to age nicely in the next decade.
Robert Parker 97 points. Wine Enthusiasts 96 points.
I had the Brut Reserve Non Vintage not too long ago, and I liked it better.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it with fresh oysters.
A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Disgorged in 2015.
12.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$200.
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4/2/2022 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Two very consistent bottles o the day and very much consistent with our earlier 2 tasting of a worthy 93+.
Well aged and well evolve, lovely richness and also soft vibrant feel. Definitely one to drink sooner than later but also delicious now so why wait. 93+
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3/14/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Tasty Loong: Very similar to the 2000 that I tried a couple of years ago but with everything dialled up a notch. Lots of green apple and rich toasty notes on the nose, incredibly fresh still, and with air it became more refined and complex. Truly a great vintage for this wine.
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3/5/2022 - Ivan Strouchki wrote: 92 Points
On the nose: Billecart's signature green apple; sea breeze, intermittent hints of white truffle; at lower frequencies, sage. On the palate: a solid grip, while retaining beautiful freshness, the fine bubbles included. I guess many would stress, a champagne definitely on the vinous side. But then think, at colder temperature, of an Auslese champagne, along the lines of the best Auslese and their unique combination of weight (the dosage does show here) and a beautiful counterbalancing lemony / salty finale; at slightly higher temperature, a beautiful Meursault Genevrières champagne, with tarte tatin, butter brioche, and vigorously vivifying counterbalancing minerals. In my experience of 2002 champagnes, not as good as Cristal, but better than Dom Perignon—as of now anyway. 92-93
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3/2/2022 - SimonS wrote: 96 Points
Drunk over a week using coravin sparkling system. Another fantastic showing from this wine. Biscuit, lemon, complex, fresh.
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2/22/2022 - skyivan Likes this wine: 92 Points
2022.2.19. 近20年的香槟,入杯颜色比香槟王略深,各种成熟的果味和蜂蜜香味扑鼻而来预示着氧化成熟风格。香气馥郁丰满。入口成熟的苹果、柑橘、杏子、果干和烤面包等味道浓郁,集中。层次过渡得很好。酸度相较于12年的香槟王没有那么强烈。酒体也比香槟王更浓郁。鲜咸感做的和酒体很搭。
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2/15/2022 - rosenst1 wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with previous bottles all from K&L - lovely rich wine with great acidity and a fine mousse. Hard to believe it is 20! I think this is at peak and will last longer but probably not improve.
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2/12/2022 - VincentMorey Likes this wine:
I am not a regular champagne drinker, though this third bottle of the evening was probably my second favorite of the night, and it took about 2 or three glasses before I understood it more (and seeing how it changed a bit over the course of a meal and mixed in with other drinks). Still had a lovely amount of tartness, acidity, brightness, and a rounded sort of earthiness from aging. It reminds me of some really good Japanese food sake that drinks feminine, yet is mineral, higher in acidity, and by no means purely easy drinking, yet has elegance in the profile. This had way better texture of the beads than the Dom Perignon 2008 tasted in the same evening, although it's likely an apples to oranges comparison.
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2/12/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow! Drop dead gorgeous Champagne. I might even put this up against the 2002 Cristal in a blind head to head battle. This might beat it. Delicious!
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2/3/2022 - renwom Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious. Started husband's 60th birthday dinner with this. Beautiful, balanced mouthfeel, tiny, refined bubbles all infused with fruit and flavor. Perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Yum.
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2/3/2022 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Second bottle in 2 weeks and a consistent performance. A special bottle , well aged and mature and simply delicious. lacks a bit of vitality that would give s the comfort to age this for another 20years and thus we feel better be enjoyed in the next 5 max 10. Delicious still and an excellent wine for the lovers of well matured champagne. 93
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1/29/2022 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Friends (Reserve 22, Glen Ellyn): Mature deep color. Baked orchard fruit, citrus and dough with a vanilla creme undertone. Medium bead. Creamy palate. Dough and orchard fruit. Lovely.
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1/29/2022 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Opened by AllRed. First time I have had this particular cuvee which was first made in 1964. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs.. Medium yellow color. This was a creamy Champagne which has aged very well. Notes of dough, citrus and almonds. Moderate head. Longer finish. Still drinking well but at the end of it's window. Someone who prefers some age on their Champagne will like this better than I did. 92-93 points.
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1/26/2022 - Gregmonroe Likes this wine:
WWC - GA (FWC): Tasted blind - gold in the glass, lots and lots of fine bubbles (tasted in a flute); nose of granny smith apple, yeast, and slight oxidation; similar taste profile - lots of apple, but with a very nice oxidative quality. Good acidity and lasting finish. Beautiful wine. I guessed a Tattinger Comtes de Champagne, 1998 or 2000.
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1/22/2022 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
On for the lovers of well matured rich and vinous champagnes. And in that it does not fail and this is a superb wine. Poor thing followed I. The wake of the superb Cristal 2006 ( Papies 97) so it was bound to fall on sharp critics but still this is a wine that deserves respect and is a full on brioche , soft honey, light noble oxidative and so well mannered . Very pretty . Andreas 95/Nicol 93
60% Pinot Noir / 40% Chardonnay, 20% of the wine vinified in 15yr old oak and bottled with 4g/l
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1/6/2022 - affordableCollector wrote: 94 Points
fine bubble stream. gold, in color. apricot, tangerine, red apple, lemon, cherry, warm brioche, almond skin, lemon curd, honey, saline, mineral, citrus zest. rich, creamy, warmed brioche, firm acidity, on the finish.
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1/1/2022 - PourMeSomeMore Likes this wine:
Bottle disgorged 4/2019
So very different from the prior multiple bottles.
Needed considerable time to open and improved as I never placed back on ice.
Imho this needs much more cellar time and not sure it wiil approach what I enjoyed so much on original release. But here's hoping.
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1/1/2022 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine:
This version was disgorged in 4/2019. Lemon creme fraiche, brioche, woodsy cologne notes, lots of complexity. Starting to taste mature, but it could use a few more years.
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12/31/2021 - darrennelson12 wrote: 91 Points
Not bad but not great .. crisp green apple to start, some buttery notes. Finished tart and salty .. not my favourite but good
Will wait a few years to try to other bottles and see what we think
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12/12/2021 - 10xM Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tart apple. Think granny apple smith. Brioche. After about an hour, oyster shells with salty sea water. More of eastern usa border oysters. More sweet than dry/acidic attack. Very nice wine. But not good as piper Heidseik rare. Drank at Lincoln ristorante in NYC.
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11/29/2021 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 93 Points
Monday night at P90 with the boys. Tasted blind.
Just as good as before, and maybe even a bit fresher.
Just a hint of mushroom on nose. Lots of rich flavours, nuttiness, light marzipan, lemon curd, chalk and stony minerality and some saline oyster-shells also.
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11/28/2021 - ovenmitt wrote: 95 Points
No formal notes, from memory…. Anniversary number 19.Excellent bottle. Probably should have waited longer after having it shipped. Smokey quality with wild strawberry, slate and Meyer lemon. This will continue to hold and evolve for a good long time.
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11/27/2021 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Rich and broad-shouldered. Apples, peaches, a little citrus and bread, with a bit of sweetness on the finish. Crisp acidity to cut through the richness. Richer and deeper than the excellent 2006.
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11/25/2021 - up4wine wrote: 94 Points
A Champagne that gave great pleasure to the group on Turkey Day at the outset of the festivities. Nice sparkle with rich flavor.
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11/25/2021 - rosenst1 wrote: 95 Points
Just a lovely wine rich but light on its feet, still young but showing well. Great stuff.
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11/21/2021 - sh6k Likes this wine: 96 Points
Toast toast toast. Pinot forward. Good acid and some hints of chalk. Just a great champagne drinking well now.
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11/21/2021 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Citrus, predominantly fresh clementine peel, spice, vigorous and with impressive depth. Solid grip in the finish with just a hint of grapefruit. Promising (96)
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11/20/2021 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely nose of macadamia, marcona almond, sourdough, soft apple, tea; gorgeous mouthfeel, at once rich and creamy, and delicately balanced, fine bubbles, super long, stunningly beautiful. Perfectly aged and probably at its peak now and will hold. Momofuku Vegas
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11/18/2021 - brigcampbell wrote:
Blind. Very fine bubbles which reminded me of a Krug so I guess that's a high compliment. It was very nice wine but I was distracted by the other two bottles from the same producer that were outstanding, no they were spectacular
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11/18/2021 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Served blind. Very floral in aroma. Cut green apple, crisp and bright with what to me seemed like a good brushing of red berry. Zesty and still young.
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11/9/2021 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Halloween in the Vice Versa Cave: Deeply pitched apricot, lemon curd, ripe yellow citrus, marmalade, and honey make for a fairly advanced showing here, though it’s not without the requisite frame to hold it all in place. Finishes on the richer side, with an unctuously chewy candied lemon rind that is fortunately lifted by the casual but persistent bead of bubbles deliberately pulsating through the veins of the otherwise developed profile. A succulent Champagne that manages to pull it all off without seeming to too heavy or opulent. 94-95 points. Drink now.
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11/5/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Siggy Turns "Fitty": The Big 5-0 Blowout! (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Wow, this was just sterling; intense, layered and nervy, tart green apple, ginger, apple peel, yellow apple, oodles of ocean minerality enhanced by a streak of chalk, light-moderate toast, guava and lemon oil. Very long, ultra fine speedy bubbles. Fantastic.
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11/5/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 96 Points
Thank you Kevin! Served at Siggy's fabulous 50th B'day Celebration at Spoon & Stable. Fortunately, I scored a small pour of this too. Even so, you sense its signature nervy tension & concentration. A little more gusto to the 02 Dom's svelte elegance. Killer bubbly! 96+
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11/5/2021 - blanquito wrote:
Still showing youthful but much better than the bottle I had a year ago. Pitch perfect balance, stylistically middle of the road, with great acids, palate and length. Seriously good, wish I had loaded up at <$100. 94 pts
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11/4/2021 - S1 Likes this wine:
Chas Offlineorama VI, Another embarrassment of riches; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Various locations): Still super young with lots of funk from the Meunier, some reduction still with tart apple and a cool saline-like minerality. Absolutely delicious.
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11/4/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston VI; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Young and fresh and yet just beginning to have the slight markers of age. I think this is Pinot dominated and has that nice spicy note to it. Not really ready yet, but very tasty. Maybe my favorite of the champagnes.
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10/24/2021 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
No notes taken. I’ve had this before (rated 95 & 96 pts) and it was exciting, fresh, pure elegance and quite complete. This bottle, however, showed a bit more flat, less fresh. Maybe it was served a bit too warm. Medium+ expressive on the nose and palate with fine citrus, apple, dark berry aromas along some minerality. Good precision but not super complex. Very fine mousse and overall round and balanced but as mentioned with not enough cut.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting needed.
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10/3/2021 - drwine2001 wrote:
A Magnificent Burgundy Afternoon (San Francisco): Magnum. Medium yellow. Off dry ginger and bitter citrus with outstanding acidity and soil. Terrific and quite fresh.
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9/29/2021 - WST Likes this wine:
Another outstanding bottle of '02 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart
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8/25/2021 - Golf_Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very good champagne. Was hoping for a little more depth/weight. At this price there are better bottles though.
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8/22/2021 - shza wrote: 97 Points
This is spectacular right now. Great acid, perfect point of maturity with a taste of caramel but not too much oxidation. Really delicious.
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7/4/2021 - WST Likes this wine:
It's hard to follow a 2009 Cristal, but the suave '02 Cuvée Nicolas-François does so effortlessly. I've said it before, Billecart Salmon nailed the 2002 vintage. Great complexity here, lots of fruit, savory notes and flowers.
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6/6/2021 - SimonS wrote: 94 Points
Another bottle of total freshness - more like my first than my second.
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5/14/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
One of Those Big Birthdays (Margaux's Table, White Bear Lake, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over 45 minutes. Great sea air nose, bread dough, baked apple, caramel, lemon pie, quince and citrus. Delicious.
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5/14/2021 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Rocknroller has a special birthday (Margaux's Table): This was drinking better than 3 years ago. Fresh, elegant vibrant. This is in a great place right now.
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5/14/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Kevin's Big Six-OHhhhhhhhh Nooooo (Margaux's Table in White Bear Lake): Small 2 oz pour. Great 2002 Champagne! Lively on the tongue with crisp acidity (lots of life left in this Champagne!), green apple, sea shell, limestone and stone fruit. This was a pleasure to drink! Wish I owned some of this! 94+ to 95.
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5/12/2021 - thewiz Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Late release from the house disgorged in fall of 2015, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, dosage 4 gr/l)
Maturing nose showing lovely cream and butterscotch notes combined with youthful yellow apples, minerals and some fresh cut grass in a delicious way. Intense palate showing youthful yellow plums acidity with butter and creamy notes on the mid to late before a distinct yellow plums peel bitterness takes over on the lengthy finish. This was a very pleasant showing and perfect to sip in the late afternoon sun, opens up very nicely in the glass, but should reward some further cellaring.
(Best 2017-2037)
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5/10/2021 - SimonS wrote: 93 Points
My first bottle (a couple of weeks ago) struck me as brand new with at least a decade or two of future life; this second one seemed to have a deeper yellow colour and a lot of biscuit on the nose. It was still fresh and lovely, but not as new born as the first. It also fell away steeply after a night in the bottle, whereas the first held up well. I am not 100% sure if this is bottle variation or taster variation, but I think it may be the former. Will report on a third bottle in due course!
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5/9/2021 - bavaur wrote: 95 Points
Chilled, opened for 30 minutes and then drunk during dinner. Almost imperceptibly fine bubbles in the glass but a great popping mouthfeel nevertheless. Aromas of baked apple, creme brûlée and light spices. A slightly glycerin feel on the palate with honey/brioche notes and more ripe apple and gooseberry flavours. Feels like it was picked yesterday, not 19 years ago. This will go on and on and on.
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5/9/2021 - rosenst1 wrote: 95 Points
Definite deeply colored - gold and pink. Superb. Great mousse, intense winey flavors from the 60% Pinot Noir and lovely creaminess and acidity from the Chardonnay. This is drinking well but is still an infant. A wonderful bottle for Mother's Day.
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5/7/2021 - matage Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mineral, toffee/fudge, grilled lemon, yellow plum. Very "grown up" and firm - in a good way. Nowhere near peaking though..
Perfect the Amuse Bouche - kickstarting an amazing meal at Restaurant Frantzen.
Glass: Zalto Bourgogne.
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4/26/2021 - sh6k Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking very well right now. Long finish. Tons of toast chalky flavor, slight metallic, very full in mouth, lemon acidity well balanced not too prominent. Toast dominant.
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4/24/2021 - Tartiflette wrote: 93 Points
Again a super experience though very young. So much of everything good. Looking forward to full maturity.
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4/16/2021 - bram_epicurien Likes this wine: 93 Points
Friday evening in Singapore at Odette, bringing my own bottle. Beautiful deep golden Color. Pronounced nose with marzipan, buttered brioche, toasted pineapple, mild honey, wet stones and light pepper. Med acidity, Med+ body, Med alcohol, Med+ flavor intensity, Med+ finish. Still young and vibrant, tasting some pineapple and green apples, chocolate, caramel, and smokiness. Love it and still a long life ahead!
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4/16/2021 - carl.cornaglia@gmai.com wrote: 95 Points
A beautiful golden color with very fine bubbles that lead to a very rich and creamy delight. Great finish that lingers with plenty of life.
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4/12/2021 - SimonS wrote: 94 Points
Superb. Very strong mousse and totally fresh. Hard to believe this wine has any age, let alone nearly 20 years. Kept well overnight. Looks well set for another decade or two.
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4/6/2021 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice med. dark yellow, hint of gold; lovely nose of peach pit, hay, sourdough, lemon; great depth and concentration, fine bubbles, almost creamy mouth, long persistent finish. What more could you want? Great with calamari. Blair's w/H,E
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4/4/2021 - fizz wrote:
Citrus, chalk, bread, nuts, apple. Rich and fresh in the mouth. Refreshingly delicious. Complexity and texture complements food also.
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4/2/2021 - 5laton wrote:
This was the original label and release. It was nice but a little slow to open up, and didn't reach third gear until about three hours in.
Couple of remaining glasses were wonderful on day 2, showing a lovely nose of spicy pastry, made me think of cardamom buns.
This original disgorgement continues to eat its dosage and is ready to go, with the palate now showing more of the sculptural effects of sugar rather than sweetness. The more recent releases need additional time, for my preferences.
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3/28/2021 - The_Cat Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pale golden seducing vibrant mineral and juicy fruit
Flavors very elegant bubbles medium to full bodied with perfectly balanced acidity and super lingering fonish
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3/28/2021 - rcb25 Likes this wine:
Bruised apples, marzipan, brioche. On the palate its ample and rich with delicate bubbles. A very long and contemplative finish. Great champagne with plenty of life ahead of it
Extra info/Tech specs
ABV: 12.5%
Closure type: natural cork
Stem: Gabriel-Glas StandArt
Assemblage: 60% PN from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne, 40% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. 20% vinified in oak. Aged on lees for 10 years, 4g/L dosage
Decant: N/A
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3/20/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Medium gold color. Split bottle over 3+ hours. That nose gets you with the marzipan up front, brioche, baked apple and pear, chalk minerality, sea air, cinnamon pastries, sublte anise, fresh bread and vanillin spice. The palate is powerful yet elegant, fairly full bodied, apple, spiced orange peel, chalky minerality, marzipan, lemon, toast, and hazelnut. Great presence and balance, just super!
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2/20/2021 - @chardonoir Likes this wine:
Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas Francois 2002.
Druvor: 60% Pinot Noir och 40% Chardonnay från Grand Cru lägen i Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay) and Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir).
En djup doft av kola, mogen tropisk frukt, kakdeg och en hint sherry uppbackat av snygg mineral. Smaken är krämig, elegant och läcker med noter av persika, lemon curd, rött äpple, och apelsinskal. Nicolas Francois 2002 är just nu i en fas där syran och fräschören går hand i hand med fina toner av mognad. Allt sitter på plats och är i harmoni.
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2/12/2021 - vespasian Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous golden colour, steady, fine bubbles; lovely nose, almost dessert like, fruits of the forest, baked oatmeal, hazelnut all entwined with a complex autolytic character; totally convincing on the palate, long, complex and evolving. Great freshness too. Delicious.
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2/2/2021 - LB88 wrote: 93 Points
Light crisp but could do with a little more age.
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1/31/2021 - RED AND BLACK wrote: 94 Points
Early drinking window, this champagne has enormous potential. Iodine and brioche nose, but very soft and elegant. On the palate this is full, and very vinous especially when it gets warmer. This is a great champagne with at least another 10 years to go. 94 now with upside
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1/23/2021 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice vintage champers - drinking perfectly with that aged chardonnay taste
Definite nut and honeysuckle flavours and plenty of fizz...
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12/31/2020 - Krokfjord Likes this wine: 94 Points
Champagne er så digg akkurat når modningen har begynt: som lyden til Yngwie eller Eddie (RIP) - rein og uten stygg vreng, men fortsatt full av power. Her er der søt gjærbakst, grønne epler, nydelige små bobler. En fantastisk champagne som er perfekt nå og i hvert fall 10 år til.
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12/31/2020 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
Wow this stuff is good. Paired beautifully with the many varied elements of a NYE Oshugatsu box from Kiraku Berkeley: Shiraae with maitake, Shungiku Ohitashi, Ebi and Wakame, Saba Nanbanzuke, Umesuisho, A5 Miyazaki Wagyu and Hokkaido Uni, King Crab and eringi mushrooms, Grilled Black Cod, 7 various sashimi.
Nuanced, bright, round and--despite how assertive--really crunchy and quafable with dinner. Radiates it’s message with poise and ease. Enjoyed out of a Zalto Universal. Should cruise here for five+ years but why wait? Now-2026.
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12/27/2020 - 5laton wrote:
Purchased at auction. Older label, presumably from the original release. Lovely bottle of this, much more enjoyable than a newer release tasted last month. Even better on day 2; I might reconsider my decision not to backfill this vintage.
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12/27/2020 - sbjm Likes this wine: 98 Points
J: dry, not fruity. Clean finish and does not linger on palate. Keeps coming back to drink more of it. Nutty side
S: clean finish. A bit spicy with first taste on palate. Full bodied with more of a chew.
November 2021: increase rating from 90 to 96. One of our favorites
September 2023: Have had many bottles of this over past two years. Continues to improve with additional aging. Beautiful, deep color and the spicy first taste has become more pronounced. Still with clean, short finish. Increase rating again this year from 96 to 98. Remains a favorite and we have it often.
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12/25/2020 - catowne1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stellar. Nose of apple pie, or my wife says peach cobbler... biscuits, raw almonds, honey suckle. Great acidity on the palate. Low dosage. No sweetness to be found. Finishes excellent with a creamy yellow citrus note. Lemon curd. Just fantastic. Plenty of life here. No doubt this wine will go several more years.
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12/22/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Year end Champagne lunch (Singapore): All wines tasted blind. Lovely nose also here with brioche, white flowers, citrus and yellow fruit. The palate is crisper with less dosage than the Piper/Rare next to it. A good middle ground between racy and hedonistic. Shows its age nicely with tertiary aromas. In a great spot now but can easily last another 10 years.
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12/9/2020 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This was an excellent bottle; lovely golden color with a delightful nose of ripe orchard fruits, apple tart, brioche, and pear blossom. Some underlying mineral notes emerge with a bit of air. The palate has great concentration and depth with a lovely vinous mouthfeel, but still has some nervosite underlying. Delicious and certainly has plenty of time ahead.
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12/4/2020 - Troon Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine was outstanding. Did not decant, but served in a wine glass as opposed to a flute to allow more exposure to air. It continued to evolve over the next two hours as we enjoyed it. It was paired with a lobster bisque. I don’t have specific tasting notes as this was part of a socially distant and zoom Christmas holiday dinner with my wine buds. I do wish I had more.
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11/22/2020 - 5laton wrote:
Disgorged January 2016. This was a recent re-release with an updated label and plaque de muselet, opened to check in on whether I should backfill some additional bottles. This showed a spiced applesauce personality, and was much more primary than an original release bottle earlier this year that had additional richness and development. Perhaps in time this release will equal the original, but ultimately this bottle did not convince me to reload.
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11/21/2020 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 96 Points
Almond cookies, terra cotta, forest floor, lemon curd, croissant and dried lilies. There’s a major focus, yet this is full and not bashful, with some lovely bakers yeast throughout. Excellent texture and length. Such a magnetic persona. Beautiful. Drink now - 2034.
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11/21/2020 - Max S. Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was my wedding wine. I was not disappointed. It was as if I was drinking brioche toast topped with thin slices of green apple and drizzled with the lightest honey.
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11/15/2020 - shifter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yeasty nose, brioche toast. A touch of lemon. Palate is luxurious and full. Much lower acid than Krug and even lower than DP. Really coats the mouth with full, beautiful warmth. Finish is long and brings you back for more.
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11/7/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Light medium gold color. Drank two glasses over 2 hours. This was a very nice bottle. Very fresh on the nose, orchard fruits, pear, toast, dough, stone. The palate is crisp and lively, fine mousse, medium plus body with a nice nuttiness, pear, lemon, toasty, apple peel, dry stone, light ginger, lemon cream. This comes off so balanced and seamless. Not as ethereal as a bottle back in February, but still great.
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11/6/2020 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brand new bottle to last note and quite a difference. Right from get go was more evolved and flavourful. Less breadiness but lovely rounded flavours but bounded by BC elegance. Colour was a little more green gold. Honey and sweet spice (cinnamon) even some berries and melon. Had a natural moreishness to it.
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11/5/2020 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very Billecart. Fresh and elegant. Needed at least 10min in glass to show form and 2nd sitting to finish some 4hrs after opening (stopped and stored in fridge) delivered an even better experience. Colour showed little to no age. Bread/yeast and spiced honey but always finishing dry (too dry?). Perhaps lacked a little depth of experience the only criticism. Wonderful but not wow.
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9/26/2020 - EastBayPhil Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding.
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9/25/2020 - canan wrote: 93 Points
BYO (Michaels place): Touch of oxidation but lovely and packed with red apples and berries.
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9/9/2020 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fruity with touch of age, slight nutty aspect, deep, long, complex; on the palate, big and powerful with a long finish. Showed very well. With new label. My WOTN. Blind DD at Capital Seafood.
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8/13/2020 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
Needs 20 min in the glass- unmistakably 2002. So well delineated. Certainly in its prime with decades left. Very good value.
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8/8/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
YB belated at Pine Close. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, gold colour. Legs. Fine bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of buttered toast, almond nuts, chalky minerality, rich honeyed lemon oil, hints of mushroom earth. Developing.
On the palate, dry, rounded high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of rich yeasty lees, rich rounded honeyed citrus lemon, buttered toast, creme brulee, elegant hazelnuts, stony + chalk minerality. Light marzipan. Slight oxidative character. Long finish.
Very good quality. Still has further development ahead in the next few years.
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
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7/13/2020 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
This is a wonderful, luxurious Champagne which has the freshness, softness and is inviting and just wonderful to drink. While the 95 points are well deserved, this wine doesn‘t have the depth (and somewhat the flavor intensity on the nose and length) to go higher than this. A crowdpleaser.
TN: Medium- expressive nose with bakery scents and citrus. More expressive, intense and with good precision on the palate displaying citrus, apple, hints of wet stone and fine brioche and bread aromas. With medium length. The structure is close to perfection with perfectly integrated acidity which brings great freshness, a soft and creamy texture and very soft bubbles.
Decanting: In a beautiful spot today, right from the go.
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7/10/2020 - 5laton wrote:
Bottle purchased and cellared since release. Wow, this was outstanding. Wonderfully rich and textured and showing nice development and better dosage integration than a few years back. There's still a slight 7-Up aspect to the nose that I'd like to see fade away. But happy to have a couple more of these to open over the next few years.
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6/3/2020 - irvingn wrote: 98 Points
This champagne is in a great drinking window. It was yeasty, nutty, with hints of creaminess throughout. Absolutely delectable. A real treat after a long week.
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5/28/2020 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smells delicate and sweet, riddled with honey and vanilla. And dark, a matured yeasty something is taking over the nose - biscotti is the closest I can get to something I know :) But drinking side by side vs. a 2008 Dom, this is sweeter and muskier on the nose.
On taste, not so tart, but more zesty orange fruit, citrus and honey.
This ends like an orange/vanilla soda with bright effervescent texture.
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5/11/2020 - Andre Brattland wrote: 93 Points
Intense, but still a bit tight feeling on the aromas with lime, butter, nut, bread baking, wet ground, sea salt and this distinct grapefruit flavor at the very end. Pretty full-bodied Champagne that is still very tight after opening. Doesn't give much until a long time has passed. Then it grows up a bit. Ripe, yet fresh citrus, apple, and this distinct grapefruit flavor on the finish. Pretty sea minerality and biscuits seduce. Will not be surprised if 10 years work on this one. 93 points.
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3/31/2020 - Tartiflette Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just becoming an interesting Champagne now. Very light straw color. Lovely fresh acidic nose and bubbles vibrant but noticeably with age. This is such a well made wine and I am looking forward to following it. Drank my last '96 last summer and this has promises to be just as good. Citrus/mandarin zest accompanied with brioche, hazelnuts, stony minerality and rye bread in the end. Long aftertaste.
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2/26/2020 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Dim Sum Club at Imperial Treasure Teochew (Imperial Treasure Teochew, Ion): Excellent again, this was such an enjoyable Champagne. It did need an hour or so to open up though. The nose had a twang of hard cheese at first, but that lifted after some time to show a really attractive nose of milk and cream and brioche, some green apple fruit, a tiny touch of strawberry, and then a kiss of minerality. With some time, a touch florals emerged as the wine warmed up. Lovely stuff. The palate was really nice too. Still fresh and lovely, with a gentle mousse and bright acidity draped over a lovely, transparent mouthful or sweet apples, strawberries and cherry flesh. Really juicy and delicious stuff, with the round, friendly 2002 nature that made this such a yummy drink. The finish was long and satisfying too, with a lovely depth of sweet, fleshy fruit, with just a little sprinkle of spice and mineral lingering on a long fresh backpalate. Really lovely, and starting to drink beautifully.
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2/22/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
2002 Tete de Cuvee Champagne Tasting Volume II (Jan's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. This was brilliant too and after the '02 Dom, it did not disappoint. This was the best bottle of '02 NFB to date. Bold oyster shell nose with fesh cut pear, lots of biscuit and baking bread dough, nutty and vibrant. The palate is very crisp and the acid shines, great dry stones, very well toasted, fine mousse, elegant, lemon, apple, almond cream, quite long too. 96+pts.
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12/25/2019 - iobtoel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lightly toasted brioche. Tight, superbly balanced. Hints of honey at the end. Fine mousse that just coats the tongue. Long pleasurable finish.
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11/25/2019 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Yellow, gold-ish; hint butter, popcorn, vinous, tart berries, minerals, fresh, crisp, tasted new and young; some earthy mineral notes with good lift, tangy juicy, med+ finish really nice. Capital Seafood for DD.
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11/23/2019 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sumptuous!
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11/14/2019 - aChave Likes this wine: 93 Points
Billecart-Salmon Tasting (Dan & Mila’s): “Founder’s Cuvée”. Once again, Superb. Fine fruit, light toast, long finish. A little more toast than the 2006, and a little softer. 60% PN, 40% Chard.
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10/30/2019 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
This is a stunning Champagne with the unbelievable finesse and softness as the clear highlights. The aroma profile is clearly Pinot Noir and comes with good precision. From a value for money perspective I find this quite spectacular. The wine is still quite youthful with just the first hints of tertiary development showing.
TN: An array of highly precise blue and black forest berries, some red fruit, hints of minerality, nougat, fine toast, some shy oxidation aromas. Unbelievable fine mousse, a stunning soft structure and very good harmony and good length.
Decanting: No decant needed. Good from the go.
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10/26/2019 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Buttery, oxidative notes of hazelnut, light red berry fruit that carries on nicely on the palate. Fine toast, fresh acidity and pretty long finish. Very fine moussage. Sweet caramel notes over time. This is compelling stuff and drinks extremely well. But in terms of complexity the range of aromatics is limited.
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10/10/2019 - JS1056 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich, powerful, opulent. Almond, brioche, apricots and some subtle citrus. This was a big wine. Served with ribeye and lobster with hollandaise and was right at home. I am not a sparkling aficionado but his was a wine I could enjoy in any circumstance.
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9/25/2019 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very similar/consistent with my note Spring 2018. Still loads of carbonation and suds; hints of tobacco and spices emerged in the glass as it warmed and aired. Tons of life left in this.
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8/25/2019 - Jammy Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind and the muscular Pinot fruits dominated the aroma profile. Ripe and rounded, Pinot Noir fruits of orchard fruits, raspberries and ripe lemons. Fairly leesy and textured, most likely due to extensive lees ageing, suggesting Grande Marque rather than Grower Champagne, also the dosage is generous giving a slight sweetness on the finish. Pinot Noir tannins, fairly rich but a bit clumsy. 80% Pinot 20% Chardonnay? 2004? Pol Roger Cuvee Winston Churchill? (93/100) Disgorged c. 2015
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7/19/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nice bubbles, tart lemon with apple, toast and a balanced finish.
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7/19/2019 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lemon central, amazing depth, aged but not oxidized. Just amazing stuff
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7/17/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 92 Points
2002 Vintage Champagne horizontal (Elystan Street, London): Blind and after a terrific prior flight of Krug and Clos Goisses this champagne didn't deliver for me. It does hoewever echo my sentiment that I voiced before that this needs a lot time. It seemed very clear in colour, there seems to be some potential/material here but it doesn't come out to play. It was (just) the best wine in a weak flight. I think hold this for 5 years + (a 1996 NF recently opened showed very young but very good). Drink the Billecart CSH today and wait for the NF.
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7/16/2019 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Rich and vinous, full-bodied and harmonious, gentle but vibrant mousse, lovely touch of nutty development, 60% Pinot Noir but the fruit is more defined by the 40% Chardonnay, comfortably on its plateau of maturity, time in hand.
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6/23/2019 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
SLDS at Quay: Marzipan, lemon, apple, honey and pear on the nose. Weighty body, with sweet and powerful fruit that has texture to give it interest and very good acidity helping the wine to flow and finish well. Very good wine to start things off.
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6/18/2019 - varforintenu wrote:
Very nice ! Drank it with good friends a summer evening. Still a bit young and closed. I will wait another 5-10 years before tasting the next one.
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5/10/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Light medium golden color. Drank 2 glasses over dinner for 2 hours. This is tightly coiled, impressive energy and power, full of dry extract, tart citrus, quince, lemon, saline and ocean breeze, hazelnuts and great length. Wow.
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5/1/2019 - affordableCollector wrote: 94 Points
Defined bubble stream. Medium gold, in color. Golden apples, golden pears, cherry, peach, citrus, brioche, mineral, chalk. Creamy texture, citrus peel, on a dark berry finish.
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4/30/2019 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:
Soooo tight, this is full of energy and extremely wound up at the moment. Medium persistent bubbles, nice mousse, vibrant acidity, little development at this point, some autolytic notes throughout but not a major focus, tart green apple, citrus, medium weight, imo needs a little more time to develop some complexity and allow the edges to soften a bit. Overall very good champagne with room for improvement with more time
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4/20/2019 - Southern Wine Buff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite pale but deep yellow, with a stunningly fine and strong bead. Nose and flavours centre around pale stonefruits, albeit with a hint of citrus on the end of an impressively long and substantial palate. An utterly gorgeous vintage champagne that should develop in the bottle for quite a few years yet.
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2/8/2019 - Ebrim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Shirt note - herbs, lemon, Nutts, nougat, baked bread, bitter in finish, well balanced and very high concentration, medium+ complexity, long and mineralic finish, outstanding quality 92/93p
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1/1/2019 - BSA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fungus, ripe lemons, white flowers, slate. Rounder yellow fruits in the mouth, oak vanilla. Lovely concentration. Quivering acidity. Long finish. Like constantly licking a lemon popsicle. On day 2: More towards white flowers, bit more creamy, seamless and acidity less noticeable. Keep in cellar for at least 3-5 years. 93-94p now.
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12/31/2018 - PourMeSomeMore Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious! Ripe plum and honey on the nose, really fine bubbles that last and a juicy moderately rich mouthfeel with a touch of smoke on the fabulous finish. It has cut, but not so much that you can't enjoy on it's own without food. Yum. fyi, my style is grand dame, DP 02 & 09, Bollinger grand cuvee & older vintage.
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12/29/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:
Still some fizz. Mellow, creamy, fully mature, moderate dosage. Outstanding bottle at a perfect place in time.
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12/24/2018 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just stunning. Truly amazing sparkling wine. Still a baby.
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12/20/2018 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
Small sample at a tasting
Good young champagne color, sweet fruits on the nose- apples, a bit of pear, berries, light bread notes, on the palate still quite closed, a fine depth of sweet fruit- as with the 1999 St. Hilaire tasted alongside this is very much a fruit-driven champagne and yet there is also a noticeable and exciting underlying tension, a young wine with solid future prospects. (***)+, 2025-2040.
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12/15/2018 - Parrish02 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful straw color with soaring apples and citrus on the nose. A ton of structure and power to spare. The pinot dominates at this point and it drinks more like a Blanc de noir than a 60/40 blend. Still quite young with a ton of evolution ahead.
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11/25/2018 - sh6k wrote: 95 Points
Rich rich rich. Lemon. Better the second day — rounded acidity. Malo.
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11/22/2018 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured on t-day.
This remains a bit sweeter than I would prefer. However, it has great texture and length.
This is lovely and may get better but I wouldn’t count on it
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11/15/2018 - Mat1681 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A big, complex wine, dried red fruit, nutty, bonfire toffee - approx 60% Pinot base - glimpse of interesting barnyard tertiary qualities coming through on the nose still quite tight, austere, holding back and not ready to be woken yet, leave resting for at least another 5 years. Is this really 16 years old??
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11/3/2018 - James Kim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Gathering at Brian's (Brian's Home): From memory. Yeasty/brioche with citrus and some herbs. Nice weight. Seems coiled and not showing as much. Perhaps needed more air. Paled in comparison to the 2008 Cristal afterwards.
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10/28/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
K&L Champagne Tent Tasting (San Francisco, CA): Some aged character, integrated brioche; palate is medium bodied, nice blend of richness and tartness. Better than my last taste of this for sure. 90-92
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10/20/2018 - Rani Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very yeasty and rich, good mousse and acidity. Quite the powerhouse but ready to drink now.
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10/8/2018 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 94 Points
After having had this two years ago (please see my previous note) I am pleased to report that it is starting to put on weight and I am slightly more optimistic for its future then I was last time. Drank over 2 days our of Riedel Sommelier Chablis glasses. The Pinot is starting to take over a bit more I found. It is till very young looking in the glass though and tasting like a 8-10 year old rather then a champagne with 16 years of age. I think this will make very old bones and fingers crossed in 10 years or so it will truly show its stuff. I'd pin the ideal drinking window down here for 2025-2035 out of normal bottles. I am puzzled though as to why the 2002 is showing that tight - the 90 and 95 of this cuvee were drinking SO marvellous in the 10-15 years age bracket. Maybe I caught this too late for its first peak or has there been a change in style? Hold onto your bottles for greater things to come I'd say.
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9/22/2018 - fclarity wrote: 93 Points
This wine had a medium yellow/straw colored center with a fantastic mousse. The medium intensity nose showed citrus, vanilla, guava, and white stone.
In the mouth, this wine was quite light and refreshing with lovely small bubbles and good acidity. It was a refined wine but had nice finish nonetheless.
This is a very nice Champagne. However, it is nowhere near the quality of their ethereal Clos St Hilaire. It will easily last at this level for a decade+
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8/26/2018 - gediminasbielskus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose is beautiful and chalky slithly honeyed autolytic notes that is covered by developed fruits.
The palate has a brightness but a heavy weight that provides a very long finish.
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8/4/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 7 *shared* wines] from 08/03/18] (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): An *absolute* TREAT, Dr. Tom! As you alluded, can CERTAINLY be mentioned in the same breath with Salon, which I once had @ a trade tastiing.
• 60% P.N from the 1er & Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims & the Grande Vallée de la Marne, 40% Chard from the Côte des Blancs;
• Dosage: 4 g/l
• 20% vinified in oak barrels with partial malolactic fermentation, then aged for 10 yrs on the lees; 1,500 cases imported
N: VERY attractive yeasty minerality with apples moving forward; Intensity lurking
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with GORGEOUS frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by an acidity which makes its presence known into & through the LONG, tangy finish with an attractive swtness in a dialectic with a very, VERY slight bitterness. SUPERBLY done, & with MANY yrs of life left! :) 12.5% ABV; My EXCEPTIONAL-/EXCEPTIONAL! Press *highlights*: 2-98s & a 19/20 Decanter, 98 Suckling, & 97 Vinous. [This vendor's $159.95 puts it @ the very bottom of wine-searcher's TOP 15% of current listings.]
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6/25/2018 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Zum Gaumenneutralisieren hilft Champagner fast immer. Perfekte Balance aus diesem genialen Jahrgang. Noch im aufsteigenden Stadium, locker 10 Jahre vom Peak entfernt. Limette, rosa Grapefruit, Aprikose, keine Tertiäraromen, beginnende Nußnoten, getoastes Toast, salzig und erfrischende Säure. 94
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5/21/2018 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
There’s a lot of wine here. Very fresh and poised, a touch of autolysis starting to show as it warms, but this is still pretty taut and yet really quite full. Needs another five years at a guess. Should be very good. ***(*)
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5/12/2018 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
BBQ and Wine at Jordan's (Chez Whitehead): From magnum. Thanks Kenny!
Lovely brioche laced yellow pears and honeyed apples.
Long finish. Limited notes.
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4/26/2018 - DavilaDC Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazingly effervescent with tiny bubbles. Crisp acidity, green apple and white peach flavors. The nose has a bit of biscuit and yeast. This wine powered through a beautifully prepared scallop dish and enhanced raw oysters served with a champagne mignonette. Extremely versatile.
This wine shows it's pure structure as it warms and can't hide behind its initial serving temperature.
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4/1/2018 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
Dinner for Wayne and Hannah ('96 and '02 Burgs, '82 Lagune etc): The Champagnes were served in Riesling-type glasses. Pale colour. Small bead. An attractive citric and mineral bouquet with a touch of spice. Not much autolysis evident. In the mouth, precise and pure. Lemons, peaches and pears with some minerals. 'Tight and restrained' said Con. Excellent acidity. Still young with only a slight oxidative edge on the finish. Drinking very well but it'd be good to revisit in another 2-4 years.
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3/13/2018 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full straw color with rigorous bead, surprisingly sudsy with loads of bubbles on first pouring. Quickly settled down to perfect calm; seemed to also slowly age in the glass from perfectly fresh, doughy, brioche to more complex floral and fruit qualities. A bit of a wild ride but enchanting to experience. Great potential here.
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3/13/2018 - wineordeath wrote: 93 Points
Leads with lees and faint raisin. Pear and dried apples. Full, but dry and tingly on the palate. Very crisp. Still very young and not really showing well. A bit short. But good.
60% pinot, 40% chardonnay.
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2/20/2018 - walkerjfw wrote:
3rd Annual PNV Kick Lunch this year with Jamie/Juan/Patrice/Zander/Tom/Steve/Jay...another epic event (Farmstead, St. Helena, CA): Opened with some bubbles, a generous contribution from Jay.
Yellow straw color, frothy bubbles. Classic brioiche and yeast nose. Great fruit, pears and orchard fruit.Crisp and clean. Still drinking young. Great stuff
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2/10/2018 - Trydebull Likes this wine: 89 Points
Ljusgul.
Doften ger rabarber och aprikos.
Smaken är moussig först men kort smak.
Gröna äpplen och lite bitter smak.
Fick överraskande stryk av alla i andra i flighten.
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1/26/2018 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Sine Qua Non dinner (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Initially served too warm, dominated by deeply toned sweet yellow fruit. On ideal serving temperature, very fresh and energetic nose displaying granny smith, lemon curd, lemon zest, honey, brioche, spicy spices and strong limestone mineral. Excellent concentration, lemon oil and spice spices driven palate impression, fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long clean energetic finish with lemon zest and mineral at the end. Showing generous fruit yet very fresh and energetic. There is a strong BdB impression. Drinking beautifully but will improve further for another decade or two.
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1/13/2018 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Full, fresh, rich and concentrated. It has a sappy, grapey quality in the mouth and plenty of yeasty things going on. The front of the palate is elegant and citrussy and it drives home with intense berry.
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1/12/2018 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Same btl as R&Rlers. Served immediately after and almost concurrent with my '04 Dom tonight. This wine totally crushed the Dom, IMO. I like Kevin's adjective "aggressive". I might seek bit more finesse but it completely compensates for that with gobs of lip smacking, intense, mouth coating, complex layers of citrus, minerality, toast and gusto. This came along and elbowed out almost all remnants of the more ethereal and feminine Dom. The Dom was dominated and nearly eliminated from memory with this wine. Loved it! Drinking fairly young too for an '02 with zero signs of premox.
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1/12/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Sonoma Group Redux Dinner (Craig & Nita's Place): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Vibrant, aggressive bead, brilliant mineral nose, very bright and crisp, finessed and focused with lemon, lemon chiffon. The palate follows precisely, with the same energetic minerality with a chalk infused streak, white fruits, lemon chiffon, power and drive wrapped in a well delineate, elegant bow. Long and fresh. This feels very alive and just hitting its stride. This is great stuff. Drank this next to the '04 Dom, and both were excellent with the CNF having considerably more drive and energy, though my wife preferred the Dom. 95+(+)pts.
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1/10/2018 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Bit more fuller aromas and toast compared to the Cuvee Louise, slightly richer, touch more fruit, with a nice powerful finish. Opposite in character to the Louise, both quite good. Water Grill w/Eric & co.
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12/14/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 95 Points
Last wine we tasted after our tour at Champagne Billecart-Salmon. Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable about the domains history and all the wines.
Bright golden yellow with tons of tiny bubbles. Thick nose with layers of honey, stone and white fruits, almonds and some lemon zest. Well rounded with high acidity (7.5/10) and medium plus to full bodied. Fresh, lively and zesty on the palate with layers of brioche, stone fruits, green apples and a touch of citrus. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2037.
Made up of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from the same plot every vintage. Only 20% is vinified in oak and also aged for 13 years on the lees.
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12/9/2017 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium yellow. Good mousse for 15 year old Champagne. Toasty nose. Mellow fruit, dry, and creamy. In great shape without a trace of oxidation. Two problems, though. It has an odd herbal component that is out of place, and the main action happens through the mid-palate, after which it takes a pretty noticeable dive. Representative bottle?
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12/6/2017 - GTFreek wrote:
60/40 Pinot/Chard. Medium plus nose shows lemon peel, pineapple, brioche, and then notes of age/oak, toasted apple, walnut, hay. Palate shows deep layers, citrus, brioche, rye bread, orange zest, tropical, earth tones like white mushroom, loads of complexity and very elegant presentation, nicely dry finish. Certainly delivers, though it's pricey! Appropriate for the category though.
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11/29/2017 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 91 Points
On the nose: Yeast, fudge, bread, vanilla, sherry, apple
On the palate: Citrus with high acidity. Still not rounded. Will need more time
Medium + finish
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11/9/2017 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
2017 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/9/2017-11/14/2017 (Villa D’este, Lake Como and Milan): En Magnum, limited release and my friend Laurent seems to have 50% of the world allocation. Expressive nose displaying intense ripe yellow fruit, lemon curd, tarte tatin, brioche, honey and limestone. Excellent concentration, dense and oily, generous fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long sweet yellow fruit and mineral driven finish. It is a big scale decedent yet energetic Champagne. Drinking beautifully now but will age gracefully especially in magnum format.
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11/4/2017 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Billecart Salmon Tasting (France 44): Drank about 1/2 a glass at a tasting. Head and shoulders better than their NV's. The nose and the palate are rich and luscious, with bracing acidity. Toasty, maybe a little too toasty. It is drinking well right now even though it is pretty wound up. A couple years from now, I'd expect it to have improved.
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10/23/2017 - StasMedvedev.lv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Grand Maisons de Champagne for RWC in Riga: 🏅 Rating 94/100 (4,4⭐)
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9/30/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
So much more bright, light, and less dark golden fruit, pear & apple, vanilla, almond, biscuit lemon
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9/29/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Compared to the 1999 this is more crisp and citrus , great small bubbles, , balanced and beautifully done. Everyone's favorite of the two. Bone dry, fresh and lively, rejuvenates your palate. Great with food and by itself.
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9/5/2017 - John Dunlap Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted at Billecart-Salmon as part of an excellent tour, which included a sit down tasting, where the wines were discussed in detail. The 2002 Nicolas Billecart is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. According to our guide, the only exception to this 60/40 combination was 1985 when the percentages were completely reversed. Grapes come from family plots. As the website states: the wine is a blend of “… Cote des Blanc vineyards (Chardonnay) and the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir).” Four grams of sugar. Approximately 20% of the wine was partially vinified in tight-grained, used, toasted oak barrels. This Champagne rested on its lees for nearly 16 years. Amazing! Bottled in 2016. Very full-bodied. Both on the nose and palate, I noticed a wonderful brioche swath throughout, honeycomb and graham cracker elements, as well as almonds and a touch of old brandy. Others mentioned honey and the guide suggested that there might be a bit of fennel on the palate. A really outstanding wine. Can keep this wine for years. Other good vintages not yet released may include 2008, 2012, and 2015.
Serve with darker poultry, including guinea hen, quail, and pigeon. Foods with cream sauces ham or bacon as a base would work nicely.
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8/31/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Chicago Wine Flock...Don Serving So Many Great Blind Wines/Flights (Park Ridge, IL): Surprisingly rather oxidative and advanced, this was the wine I expected to be stand out in the flight, but turned out to be the one disappointment.
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8/4/2017 - Sean Tay wrote:
It smells like grapefruit, lemon, lime, bready and biscuity.
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6/25/2017 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Winos' excellent adventure in France; 6/22/2017-6/27/2017 (All over France): En Magnum. Very vibrant nose displaying decadent yellow fruits, lemon, apple sauce, a hint of brioche, white pepper, honey and limestone. Excellent concentration, dense, abundant fine mousse, perfect amount of acidity and a long clean finish with a hint of honey and decadent yellow fruit at the end. There is a beautiful interplay of sweet and decadent fruit and bright acidity and mineral. This is still quite youthful and will age gracefully for the next two decades or longer.
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6/8/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Custard, ripe apple, and nut fruit on the nose. Palate is fat and ripe yet there is soaring acidity to balance it. Quite a big champagne.
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3/17/2017 - 5laton wrote:
Nose shows nice leesy richness and exotic tree fruit. Deep, penetrating palate with a surprising amount of toasty autolysis, but also some yellow fruit, a touch exotic, with some subtle ginger and spice notes. Nicely concentrated, this showed youthful on day 1 and more developed on day 2 with surprising boldness. Very good, but also rather expensive for what it is.
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2/11/2017 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
60 % PN 40% Chard
BEautiful nose - floral, citrus then on the palate gorgeous layers of hazlenuts, coffee and yeasty notes. Amazing precision and balance
Still very young, no hurry to drink this
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2/6/2017 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely stuff. Big bold clean and fresh intensity. Stoney tense pure with great underlying fruit. Really good, long life ahead. Poured from Magnum.
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2/6/2017 - KenPlace wrote:
- Greenish color with small pearls. It's in total harmony with a medium body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Fabulous. Very crisp and refreshing
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2/5/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Good Wine with an Exciting Super Bowl (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Tasted this several hours after it was opened, so it had already lost much of its effervescence, so I may be understating the wine's greatness. Opulent aromas and flavors, with toasted walnut, ripe apple, lemon custard, wild red berries and toasted brioche all coming through over the course of 10 minutes I kept this in glass. Very long and minerally finish.
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1/29/2017 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quite clear with a slight golden sheen. Bubbles started up quite fat but quickly settled down into tiny bubbles. In fact, there was a mini tornado of bubbles in the center of the glass throughout. Lemon cool-aid, slightly diluted, on the nose. Delicious with light lemon notes, very fresh, good solid minerality.
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1/21/2017 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
Davyd's Birthday Celebration 2017 (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Pop and poured. Drank over 1.5 hours.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, yellow lemon colour. Legs. Fine bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of toasty oak, almond nuts, chalky minerality, dried orange peel, honeyed lemon. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of toasty oak, almond nuts, rich yeasty lees, dried orange peel, honeyed lemon, chalk minerality. Slight oxidative character. Long finish.
Very good quality. Rich show-stopping champagne. Aged 10 years on lees, no wonder. Still has further development ahead in the next 5+ years.
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
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12/29/2016 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ten Champagnes tasting: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 4 grams per litre dosage. Deep gold colour. A complex bouquet, reflecting the Champagne's 10 years on lees. Perfumes of crème brûlée, blanched almonds, lemon rind, honey comb and oyster shell. Showing more of an oxidative character, on bouquet and palate, than in previous tastings of this vintage. This Champagne is developing nicely. Refined, à point and fresh on the palate. Complex layers of flavour, creamy, rich and autolic, while underpinned by excellent acidity and minerality. Now drinking better than a couple of years ago. I'm sure it'll improve again over another 5-8+ years. WoTD.
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12/12/2016 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Delicate, subtle and fluffy with lemon and bread notes. It is incredibly fresh from Magnum.
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12/7/2016 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 93 Points
Munskänkarna Göteborg Champagne-class, Session 9, flight 1.
WOTN!
Rich nose, with loads of sweet apple, creamy but also a very fresh minerality. Full bodied and rich on the plate, needs some time in the glass to open up, but the reward is plentiful. Gorgeous!
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12/5/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
On the nose chalky minerality, red apples, white stone fruit, hints of yeast. Very pure and powerful on the palate, lots of precision and minerality. Fresh with plenty of fruit. Very vibrant and long. Very well structured. Hold. 93-94+
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11/27/2016 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Colour is fairly light for a champagne with 14 years of age, very clear. On the nose there is a lovely smell of fresh orchids, something mineral which is also echoed on the palate. Quite zippy still, in a way more primary then I would have expected and I am missing a bit of intensity and length. Certainly a beautiful champagne, but in my view this bottle failed to clearly outclass such vintages as 98 and 99 of this cuvée which I would have expected. It is not on the same level as the 90 or 96 I don't think, maybe even slightly behind the 95 which drank incredible at around 10-14 years of age. I think today you want to open the 96 for pleasure and you hold your bottles of the 2002 till 2020 ++. My expectations were very high given the vintage and the fact that Nicolas Francois is my favourite cuvée in champagne - they weren't fully met as I think the Bollinger Grande Annee 2002 is one, and Taittinger's CdC 02 two notches better.
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11/25/2016 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 93 Points
Leaps out and attacks the nose! Lees, brioche, fig, apricot, very intellectual nose. Lush, rich, chewy palate, but still reveals the low dosage in its mineral character. Delicious
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10/23/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
2016 Annual K&L Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Champagne Event, nose of smoke, lemon, apple, citrus and minerals, same on the palate, medium/big body, lots to love here, never achieves my expectations however, close to peak-maybe 1 more year, subtle, lon, crisp finish.
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10/23/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
K&L Champagne Tent Tasting (K&L, San Francisco): Bit funky nose, yeast; palate is slightly bitter, medium-plus acid; medium finish. Not my style. 88
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10/20/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Great fruit character and a beautiful cut to it. Very fine stuff indeed.
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10/14/2016 - hguy4x wrote: 94 Points
Lemon, citrus, brioche and hints of strawberry & raspberry. Great minerality on the finish. Still a little young, was even better an hour later at the end of dinner. 94++
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10/9/2016 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Distinct but subtle berry notes on the nose, slight pinot character with very slight oxidative character; somewhat rougher bubbles after the Heidsieck Millenaires, Billecart BdB and Salon. At first it seemed less fine in the mouth, but coming back to it it seemed very foamy small bubbles. 91-92. I usually like this much more than I did today. Guessed '02 Blend. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting.
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9/10/2016 - Markus IWC wrote: 90 Points
Beautifully mature and silky. Pears and honey. Round and smooth character.
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9/8/2016 - Ramberg wrote: 93 Points
Brief tasting note.
Deep and full nose, citrus fruits, freshly baked bread with high toned floral perfume.
Palate with ripe red apples, some sweet red berries, fresh citrus, clean, balanced with very fine acidity and very good length.
Youthful and fresh, with a nice streak of minerallity showing.
(92 – 94+)
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9/2/2016 - DrZett wrote: 89 Points
Great vertical Grange tasting (Rare-Bordeaux-Weine, Wachtberg (Germany)): Very fresh and nice on the nose. Seems that this one needs a little more time to show all of it's flavours. Don`t know if it is possible to decant Champagne, but this one could need it.
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8/23/2016 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Monopole Wine: Very fragrant, fine, lovely mouthfeel and persistent.
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8/21/2016 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - cherries and plums with hints of dough
Mouth - rather red fruit focused, attractive floral and saline elements. Would pair great with salmon
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8/6/2016 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 94 Points
En underbar Champagne!
En härligt krämig mousse, gula äpple, citrus, toast, hasselnötter och fin underbar syra som inte tar över.
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7/20/2016 - thewiz Likes this wine: 89 Points
(Disgorged in fall of 2015) Light yellow colour with a light and sublime nose showing butter, fresh cut grass, lemon and minerals in a youthful way. Very light on the palate and not as acidic as I would imagine. Still very delightful with a fruity taste and a nice, but short, lime peel finish. This is very muted and closed down, but I think that it's post-disgorgement stress and the graceful start of a long life. But I guess I need to store some bottles to find out!
=89p (this bottle at this day, but I think it will be much better within six months)!
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4/29/2016 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
Fresh, lots of acid and citrus, but over the 15 minutes it takes to finish the glass, it opens up gradually. Very promising but this champagne needs many more years, of course.
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3/15/2016 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 94 Points
Golden hue. Diluted Lemon Pledge, almonds, cream, honey, and a bit of cordite, strangely, on the nose. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice buttressed by zesty acids and firm tannins. Honey sweetness at the end palate and into the finish. Enormous structure with unbelievable minerality indicating at least a decade or more of prime drinking window. Note that an hour of air is quite beneficial. Really delicious.
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2/4/2016 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank at 67
Lot's of brioche and honey on the nose with a lovely balanced light palate. What is not to like about this. Lovely.
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12/25/2015 - iobtoel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clean, crisp, well balanced. Some hints of yeasty notes with citrus overtones. Slipped down remarkably well with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce!
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12/24/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium yellow. Citrus and ginger. Moderate dosage and body. Excellent and ready.
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11/27/2015 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very nice! Well balanced, a little citrus and apple, not too much yeast. Disappointed that I have only one more bottle of this!
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10/4/2015 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Lovely vinous notes, creme brulee, just ripe apple/orchard fruit; light yeasty aspect; mouth was ethereal, yet excellent concentration, bright lift and finesse; fine bubbles, long, amazing with seared scallops. At Il Cortile in Paso Robles. could use 5-10 years but didn't mind at all drinking it tonight.
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8/11/2015 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Some reduction present, sourdough notes, super light and ethereal but creamy and fine; I liken it to a Comtes de Champagne (even though this is 60%PN, 40% Chard); dry, chalky finish, great verve and character. Very fresh, powerful, and long. Blows away the 1999, but also about a $60 price increase from that vintage. Vinified in barrel, aged 9 years in cellar, 8 g/l.
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6/18/2014 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Melvyn's 50th Birthday Bash (Hua Ting, Orchard Hotel): A lovely Champagne – I was very taken by this. The nose was a pretty mélange of apples and flowers backed up with a good dose of yeastiness. The palate was still really fresh and lively, and while it had the lovely fleshy roundness of the 2002 vintage, it certainly was a lot less advanced than most of its brethren, with a super-youthful cut and thrust to it and a great sense of balance in its green apple and zesty lemon notes, all this wrapped in super-fine mousse. There was a great sense of harmony and integration in this wine so that its considerable depth was held with a very light hand, which made it very drinkable. Even then, I think this still needs a good 8-10 years to hit peak, which is saying a lot for the a 2002. Super stuff, and definitely one to watch for the future. 93+
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5/28/2014 - Champagne88 wrote: 94 Points
I've had the pleasure of enjoying this wine a few times now, and I think it worth while pointing out that it does come off as being dosed a bit more heavily than most Cuvee FNB's. I think this is likely the result of the very ripe fruit in 2002, and the fact this vintage was fermented at low temperatures primarily in stainless steel (to preserve freshness). Definitely nothing wrong with it, but having had a half dozen bottles of this wine now, it's worth pointing out. I echo my belief, voiced in an earlier review, that this wine will benefit from another decade or more in the cellar. 94+
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5/21/2014 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Rich and fruity with plenty of patisserie notes. Creamy in the mouth, very fine bead and good concentration. The dosage appears quite high but a big lick of minerally acidity cleans up the finish.
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5/11/2014 - Champagne88 wrote: 95 Points
The best 2002 champagne I have tasted to date, and with the prospect of a 2002 Krug becoming less and less likely, it may well end up being the very best. Still young, despite having a respectable amount of bottle age before being released. Light, straw gold color, with a fine but persistent bead. You really get the full spectrum of fruit on the nose here, likely the result of excellent fruit and of it being fermented at very low temperatures. A bit of nuttiness and yeast is present as well, with a touch of oak coming through.
The palate largely echoes the nose--with fabulous layers of orchard fruits, some richness from the oak, and just the right amount of minerality on the seemingly endless finish. This will benefit from another decade or more of aging, but it's hard not to want it all now. I can't help but love this wine and this house. Billecart consistently releases its vintages later than the bulk of the Grand Marquee producers, while still managing to price them more reasonably. I hope the trend continues. 95+
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4/17/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Billecart-Salmon Champagne, Burgundies, Rhones, Bordeaux etc with Sebastien, Brandon and Maciej (Museum Hotel, Wellington): Again in the decanter (which Sebastien particularly recommends for this Champagne). Pinot Noir 50%, Chardonnay 50%. A small production Champagne, with 5-6 grams dosage. Colour the darkest gold. Nose a little closed but intriguing and lifted. Aromas of honey, tropical fruit, creme brûlée, lemon, blanched almonds and wet stone, a little leesy and oxidative. Bouquet a little like a good white Burgundy, with some age. Initially, tight and primary on palate. After the bubbles subside, this is again more of a wine than a Champagne to drink. Real depth, concentration and power, with elegance and a complex flavour profile. Rich flavours of clotted cream, nuts, butterscotch, vanilla bean, autolysis and minerals. Beautiful acid structure. Great length. This feels a little like it's still sleeping but it's got all the stuffing needed for longer term cellaring.
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1/3/2014 - pointrob wrote: 97 Points
wow wine for me
layer upon layer of tastes,
lemon grapefruit mineral, even butter?
toasty and very long ever evolving in glass
one of the finest i have had
my new favourite next to Krug
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12/29/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
End of Year Vintage Champagne (SF Wine Trading Company): Light yellow, fine bead. Light toast, vanilla and some bitterness on the palate. Excellent creaminess yet still discrete, fantastic back end minerality. This is very good and at a reasonable state of maturity.
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12/4/2013 - jjou Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fruit and rich, buttery bread, verbena. At some point reminded of a honey cough drop. Tiny beads. Wow.
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10/20/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
2013 K&L Annual Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Tasting. Nose of a butter filled croissant, yeast, and orchard fruit, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling, tastes like other great champagnes from the 2002 vintage-elegant, big body, three years from its peak, and a long, long finish.
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10/19/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 93 Points
Really nice. Will be better in a few years. Good full flavor with bitter dry extract on finish like I prefer. Works with lobster.
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