Dinner with Friends (R&R's): Served double blind to the group. Deep color hinting at its age. Short mousse. Toasty and rich, with orchard fruit and chalk notes as well. Medium bead. Flavors of apple, vanilla crème and toasted marshmallow. Has that pleasant nutty element that comes with mature Champagne. The best of the three with the ravioli.
An equal blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, disgorged in December 2013 at 3.5 g/L. At peak for my palate; drink up.
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Restrained toastiness on the nose paired with almonds and a seaside breeze, but not much fruit. Strong bead and high acidity, lively for a two decade old wine. The palate contrasts the nose, immediately focusing on lemon lime spritz followed eventually by white minerals and a touch of creaminess. Lovely champagne, but surprisingly possibly better in 5-10 years
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Woodward Cellar Emptying; 5/15/2020-5/16/2020 (Woodyville): Fantastic Champagne that may have benefited from the pairing and situation... But STILL, an open nose of white citrus and bread, a touch of pinot berry, green apple, white peach and a saline finish. WOW! Has 10 years if you like them mellower.
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MNB: Old wines (Home (Noe st)): This is the strongest reaction I've ever had to a Champagne - I couldn't stop smelling it, and the detail and deliciousness on the palate were distractingly good.
Medium gold color. Aromatic, appetizing nose with developed fruit (ripe apples with slight spice, ripe Meyer lemon), and a rich chorus of autolytic aromas. Toasted brioche with slight coffee, parmesan rind, nutty baguette notes. It has an element of the coffe-like notes I'd encountered in the Bollinger RD and Dom Perignon P2, but with more freshness of fruit. This is more to my liking, stylistically.
The palate is supple and refined, with classic Paillard acid - high+ crystalline acidity. The mousse is fine-textured, satiny, with moderately-powerful bubbles (appropriately diminished by age). The midpalate fruit - multiple kinds of apple and baguette - is intense, almost painfully so. It seems to explode into a choreographed firework display of fruit and autolytic notes.
This might be my favorite champagne ever - it's clearly delineated and requires no effort to enjoy. On the other hand, the detail and depth reward scrutiny, and it also transformed in the glass - revealing different facets of both fruit and autolysis.
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Very pleasant - a nice wine to go with dim sum. It fared well with crispy roast pork belly as well. The nose was on the quiet side, with subtle notes of apple flesh, chalk and white bread. The palate was very sleek and polished, with a lovely sense of harmony and balance wed to the serious focus and definition that the better Champagnes of the vintage have. Here, a really fine mousse and gentle but persistent acidity wrapped themselves around a core of pure white fruit with just a hint of citrus zest and sliced ginger as a counterpoint - all very subtle and gentle. Right the end, a nice long tail of bittersweet minerality drifted through the backpalate. Really easy to drink. Not a blockbuster, but just a really pleasant, enjoyable food wine.
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Courtesy of R&D this particular bottle showed very well tonight. Notes of pear,yeast, marshmallow, apple and citrus. Medium/fine bead with flavors of apple and dough with a brioche quali lingering on the finish. Rich and toasty...a style I very much enjoy.
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Pretty toasty yellow. Sweet nose -- bread dough, lemon zest and a hint of peaches. The yeasty bread notes that others mention are dominant, with some lemon, lime, and sweet coffee cake. This is an outstanding wine and an especially great value.
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Tasted along side Pierre Paillard '02 for New Year's eve. Among other tasters, it was divided 3 votes for the '04 and 4 votes for the '02. My vote was they are different. The '04 is still more citrus/lemon front compared to the '02 that balanced it abit more. Over the evening, the 04 actually got better than its initial performance and reminded more of the balance the '02 carried. But, at PnP the '02 still wins at this time. Certainly an excellent successor of the '02 line but needs more time over the course of meal.
93+
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Table Donkey & Stick Terroir Tuesday tasting (and my birthday!). Nice but just couldn't quite stand up to the '96. Some brioche on the nose, good concentration of citrus and minerailty, and a decent finish. Good.
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Nose: The nose is fresh and lively with red and green apples, white florals, pears, some mineral notes, biscuits, and toasty notes.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The feel is refreshing and balanced with red apples, white florals, pears, biscuits, and some toasty notes.
Overall: This is drinking beautifully right now. There is a liveliness to the nose and palate with a nice toasty quality too.
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Very nice champagne. Very pretty dark yellow in color. Bouquet of candied walnuts, toast, yeast, light oak, apricot. Nice acidity and easily cut through bacon and meatball pizza. Tastes of pastry, sour apple, pear. Cherry, hay and spices on the end. Really enjoyed this one.
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Knightsbridge annual Burgundy tasting. From magnum, this showed the best of all the Champagnes from Robert Houde today amongst some stiff competition.. including two Special Clubs.
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Time to Taste 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Opened by our hosts. Notes of apple, almond and citrus becoming more toasty and yeasty as it opens. Flavors of chalk, citrus and mineral with a terrific nutty quality lingering on the finish. Fine bead with good underlying acidity, this was drinking very well. I have a couple of bottles which will remain tucked away for a few years yet, but there's certainly no harm in enjoying this now.
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K&L Spring Champagne Tasting (K&L Hollywood): Light gold in color. Came off less rich than the previous Paillard (NV), but good slatelike minerality and maybe some oak spice. Serious acidity with a softness on the palate. Bubbles seem less bold than the NV so this comes off as a lot more elegant. Clean finish leaving some slate notes. All that said, this still came off a little young. I think it would be really nice to see this in a while...
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Table 21 (Volt): Nice start. Dry and crisp tithe wine had good acidity and worked well with all the dishes. Particularly worked well with the egg, which was whipped with the hollandaise and returned to the shell. The wine cut through the richness like a laser.
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Complex and layered aromas that lead with earth, mushroom and yeasty notes followed by pears and apples. Palate shows mature with evolved earthy flavors, yet there is plenty of freshness and acidity here. Good, flavorful finish.
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2014 K&L Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Champagne tasting-SF. Yeast, baked apple tart, rich floral notes, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty and concentrated, mineral and citrus driven, better than a year ago, flavorful and long finish.
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Taste: Medium bodied with noticeable medium/high acidity. The structure is very youthful with red and green apples, fresh baked bread, white fruits, pears, minerals, and a good amount of baking spices.
Overall: While this is clearly young, it's also extremely good. There is a real sense of class and balance to this along with a lovely morning bakery-ness too that is quite enjoyable.
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Deeper color than the NV, with a nice rich yeasty quality, along with dough, cashew and grapefruit. Rich texture with a fine bead and flavors of yeast, minerals and baked apple. 90+ pts.
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Taste of Pierre Paillard: Very pale golden yellow color with fresh bread dough, and a hint of floral aromas with tiny persistent bubbles. On the palate, it shows a very delicate mousse with pear, lemon, and mineral flavors. Long finish. 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Aged 7 years
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2013 K&L Annual Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Tasting. Tiny, persistent bubbles, lovely mousse, apple and pear nose, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty and concentrated, needs three years to peak, pleasant, medium/long finish.
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1/6/2024 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Friends (R&R's): Served double blind to the group. Deep color hinting at its age. Short mousse. Toasty and rich, with orchard fruit and chalk notes as well. Medium bead. Flavors of apple, vanilla crème and toasted marshmallow. Has that pleasant nutty element that comes with mature Champagne. The best of the three with the ravioli.
An equal blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, disgorged in December 2013 at 3.5 g/L. At peak for my palate; drink up.
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10/7/2023 - grizzlywine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Restrained toastiness on the nose paired with almonds and a seaside breeze, but not much fruit. Strong bead and high acidity, lively for a two decade old wine. The palate contrasts the nose, immediately focusing on lemon lime spritz followed eventually by white minerals and a touch of creaminess. Lovely champagne, but surprisingly possibly better in 5-10 years
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3/30/2023 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank from Mag. This was so good - drank as an apertif and it was the perfect opener to what was an enjoyable (and very boozy) lunch
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7/19/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Sommelier Scholarship Fund Tasting (Popina - Brooklyn NY): Walk around tasting. Mature while also very rich, plus completely elegant and graceful. Still fresh enough but best to drink now vs cellaring any further.
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5/16/2020 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
Woodward Cellar Emptying; 5/15/2020-5/16/2020 (Woodyville): Fantastic Champagne that may have benefited from the pairing and situation... But STILL, an open nose of white citrus and bread, a touch of pinot berry, green apple, white peach and a saline finish. WOW! Has 10 years if you like them mellower.
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5/16/2020 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect with 3 types of caviar and creme fraiche, that early yeast/bread nose that I love in aged champagne. Delicious!
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1/18/2020 - aChave Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tight bubbles. Clean with light red fruit tones. Hints of toast complexity. Well structured. Delicious.
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8/17/2019 - christyler wrote:
Good showing, but a little on the mature side for my taste. Gets tired in the glass quickly.
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7/23/2018 - shurpa14 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. Lots of lemon zest, yeast. Good acidity. Overall very good but for $75, I’d buy a NV Piper or Charles Heidsieck.
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8/18/2017 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Apple, bready, with good acidity to keep it refreshing.
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6/19/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 94 Points
MNB: Old wines (Home (Noe st)): This is the strongest reaction I've ever had to a Champagne - I couldn't stop smelling it, and the detail and deliciousness on the palate were distractingly good.
Medium gold color. Aromatic, appetizing nose with developed fruit (ripe apples with slight spice, ripe Meyer lemon), and a rich chorus of autolytic aromas. Toasted brioche with slight coffee, parmesan rind, nutty baguette notes. It has an element of the coffe-like notes I'd encountered in the Bollinger RD and Dom Perignon P2, but with more freshness of fruit. This is more to my liking, stylistically.
The palate is supple and refined, with classic Paillard acid - high+ crystalline acidity. The mousse is fine-textured, satiny, with moderately-powerful bubbles (appropriately diminished by age). The midpalate fruit - multiple kinds of apple and baguette - is intense, almost painfully so. It seems to explode into a choreographed firework display of fruit and autolytic notes.
This might be my favorite champagne ever - it's clearly delineated and requires no effort to enjoy. On the other hand, the detail and depth reward scrutiny, and it also transformed in the glass - revealing different facets of both fruit and autolysis.
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4/24/2017 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Very pleasant - a nice wine to go with dim sum. It fared well with crispy roast pork belly as well. The nose was on the quiet side, with subtle notes of apple flesh, chalk and white bread. The palate was very sleek and polished, with a lovely sense of harmony and balance wed to the serious focus and definition that the better Champagnes of the vintage have. Here, a really fine mousse and gentle but persistent acidity wrapped themselves around a core of pure white fruit with just a hint of citrus zest and sliced ginger as a counterpoint - all very subtle and gentle. Right the end, a nice long tail of bittersweet minerality drifted through the backpalate. Really easy to drink. Not a blockbuster, but just a really pleasant, enjoyable food wine.
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4/23/2017 - Kék Frankos wrote: 88 Points
Klassische Nase. Reifer Apfel, Zitruszesten, Biskuit. Schöne cremig, animierend mit gutem Tiefgang.
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11/6/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Apple, baked bread with slight oxidation, but really quite good.
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10/27/2016 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Courtesy of R&D this particular bottle showed very well tonight. Notes of pear,yeast, marshmallow, apple and citrus. Medium/fine bead with flavors of apple and dough with a brioche quali lingering on the finish. Rich and toasty...a style I very much enjoy.
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8/18/2016 - jwsmith wrote: 93 Points
Excellent structure and depth really nice...
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6/5/2016 - jwsmith wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful slightly oxidized natural tones almonds and cream
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4/30/2016 - PDavisMarble wrote: 94 Points
Pretty toasty yellow. Sweet nose -- bread dough, lemon zest and a hint of peaches. The yeasty bread notes that others mention are dominant, with some lemon, lime, and sweet coffee cake. This is an outstanding wine and an especially great value.
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4/24/2016 - Tubulus wrote: 93 Points
Right in my champagne sweet spot, pretty full bodied with yeasty and toasty notes, good acidity, but not overly sweet.
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4/9/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Lemon zest, yeast, straw, almond paste, and stoney minerality. Crisp and light but needs more time.
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12/31/2015 - odds Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted along side Pierre Paillard '02 for New Year's eve. Among other tasters, it was divided 3 votes for the '04 and 4 votes for the '02. My vote was they are different. The '04 is still more citrus/lemon front compared to the '02 that balanced it abit more. Over the evening, the 04 actually got better than its initial performance and reminded more of the balance the '02 carried. But, at PnP the '02 still wins at this time.
Certainly an excellent successor of the '02 line but needs more time over the course of meal.
93+
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12/15/2015 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 97 Points
Totally gorgeous. 50% Pinot/50% Chardonnay. Aged gracefully and delicious. Well done!!! Want. More!
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12/1/2015 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Table Donkey & Stick Terroir Tuesday tasting (and my birthday!). Nice but just couldn't quite stand up to the '96. Some brioche on the nose, good concentration of citrus and minerailty, and a decent finish. Good.
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12/1/2015 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: The nose is fresh and lively with red and green apples, white florals, pears, some mineral notes, biscuits, and toasty notes.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The feel is refreshing and balanced with red apples, white florals, pears, biscuits, and some toasty notes.
Overall: This is drinking beautifully right now. There is a liveliness to the nose and palate with a nice toasty quality too.
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11/13/2015 - shurpa14 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice champagne. Very pretty dark yellow in color. Bouquet of candied walnuts, toast, yeast, light oak, apricot. Nice acidity and easily cut through bacon and meatball pizza. Tastes of pastry, sour apple, pear. Cherry, hay and spices on the end. Really enjoyed this one.
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11/8/2015 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Knightsbridge annual Burgundy tasting. From magnum, this showed the best of all the Champagnes from Robert Houde today amongst some stiff competition.. including two Special Clubs.
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11/8/2015 - Nanda wrote:
Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe - Annual Burg & Champagne Tasting (Northbrook, IL): Walk around tasting, brief note. Fresh and bright nose with crisp green apple. Wow, full bright driven with acid. Firm, structured finish. 91-93
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6/21/2015 - moxielady wrote: 91 Points
Bright citrus, chalky minerals and yeasty finish.
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6/13/2015 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Time to Taste 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Opened by our hosts. Notes of apple, almond and citrus becoming more toasty and yeasty as it opens. Flavors of chalk, citrus and mineral with a terrific nutty quality lingering on the finish. Fine bead with good underlying acidity, this was drinking very well. I have a couple of bottles which will remain tucked away for a few years yet, but there's certainly no harm in enjoying this now.
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4/18/2015 - Aravind Asok wrote:
K&L Spring Champagne Tasting (K&L Hollywood): Light gold in color. Came off less rich than the previous Paillard (NV), but good slatelike minerality and maybe some oak spice. Serious acidity with a softness on the palate. Bubbles seem less bold than the NV so this comes off as a lot more elegant. Clean finish leaving some slate notes. All that said, this still came off a little young. I think it would be really nice to see this in a while...
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4/9/2015 - JS1056 wrote: 89 Points
Table 21 (Volt): Nice start. Dry and crisp tithe wine had good acidity and worked well with all the dishes. Particularly worked well with the egg, which was whipped with the hollandaise and returned to the shell. The wine cut through the richness like a laser.
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11/29/2014 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Complex and layered aromas that lead with earth, mushroom and yeasty notes followed by pears and apples. Palate shows mature with evolved earthy flavors, yet there is plenty of freshness and acidity here. Good, flavorful finish.
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10/19/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
2014 K&L Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Champagne tasting-SF. Yeast, baked apple tart, rich floral notes, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty and concentrated, mineral and citrus driven, better than a year ago, flavorful and long finish.
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9/4/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Chicago Italian Lovers round 12- 04 Nebbiolo Blind (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose completely pops with red and green apples, yeasty tones, fresh baked bread, pears, baking spices, peaches, and some mineral tones. There is excellent depth and class to the nose and you just want to keep on smelling it.
Taste: Medium bodied with noticeable medium/high acidity. The structure is very youthful with red and green apples, fresh baked bread, white fruits, pears, minerals, and a good amount of baking spices.
Overall: While this is clearly young, it's also extremely good. There is a real sense of class and balance to this along with a lovely morning bakery-ness too that is quite enjoyable.
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8/28/2014 - theguy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mildly yeasty nose. Nice citrus/lemon flavors. Good acid. Nice long lasting bubbles. Clean finish. YES.
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8/3/2014 - theguy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice bubbles. Slight lemon to the nose. Very little yeast to the taste.
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6/30/2014 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Deeper color than the NV, with a nice rich yeasty quality, along with dough, cashew and grapefruit. Rich texture with a fine bead and flavors of yeast, minerals and baked apple. 90+ pts.
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2/17/2014 - tcarter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had with fried chicken and couldn't have been a better pairing.
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2/6/2014 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Taste of Pierre Paillard: Very pale golden yellow color with fresh bread dough, and a hint of floral aromas with tiny persistent bubbles. On the palate, it shows a very delicate mousse with pear, lemon, and mineral flavors. Long finish. 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Aged 7 years
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10/20/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
2013 K&L Annual Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Tasting. Tiny, persistent bubbles, lovely mousse, apple and pear nose, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty and concentrated, needs three years to peak, pleasant, medium/long finish.
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