SLDS October 2022: Honeyed, peach, spice and earthy notes. Palate is very clear and clean, with good acid drive that carries and flows very well. Lovely length, this is a great mix of freshness and complexity. Drinking very well now.
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This was very generously served as aperitif by our lunch host. Sadly, we tasted it after a superb Dom Perignon from the same vintage, so whilst good, this was a little underwhelming. Nutty gold colour. The nose clearly showed age with little fruit remaining. However, there was apricot and almonds on the palate, it was rich, and held up well in the glass. Really interesting to taste this champagne, but I think any remaining stocks should be drunk soon.
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As others mentioned, well-stored bottles should continue to provide pleasure for another 5-10 years, but this isn't going to make old bones. Orange creamsicle, honey and ginger zest with medium body, slightly oxidized but appropriate for the age.
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BYO with the parents (Chez Bruce): In a lovely place - restrained by persistent mousse, gorgeous golden colour, nicely rich and oxidised - but lacks the impact or complexity to merit a higher score. Agree with previous reviews that suggest these should be drunk sooner rather than later.
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Nice stuff. Elegant bubbles. The age clearly shows. Oxidative style. Some sherry, lemon, apple. Developed over the course of a couple of hours. Lemon becomes more dominant towards the end. Quite nice. Won’t last forever but no real hurry either.
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Another nice bottle. As before, I don't think this will make it another 10 years but its beautiful now with pleasant aged mustiness along with some citrus, stone fruit, and burnt sugar. Plenty of fizziness still in the bottle.
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Showed all the hallmarks of great vintage champagne. Ripe, nutty bouquet of apples, stonefruit, and sweet bread show a hint of oxidative goodness. The palate is brisk, vibrant, and resonant, showing lemon citrus flavors laced by a touch of soft caramel, juicy acidity, and lovely bottle age maturity. Long and refreshing and finishes with vigor and elegant precision. And though this gives the impression that it won't get better it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
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Aged and beautiful but I don't see this celebrating its 40th birthday with grace and class. Drink soon.
Beautiful medium clear golden color; enjoyable musty nose with burnt sugar and caramel hints; crisp body with moderate bubbles and some citrus and stone fruit flavors.
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Classic vintage flavor profile. Color almost that of deep gold hue. Yeast, brioche but can only say that it was aged but bright fruit of apricot, orange, with exceptional balance in terms of fruit and sweetness. Lingering soft finish with a hint of acidity. Excellent.
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Brief note. This seems mature to me, with that fresh bread note on the nose and butterscotch on the palate. despite the signs of oxidation the acid supports it and keeps it interesting. it is quite nice right now, but if I had some I would consider drinking it. would be a pity to let these get too old I think.
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well mature in bottle, sweet yeasty, baked apple, caramel aroma. Aroma getting stronger after a while. Still feeling fresh thank to very good acidity of this vintage. Round body and mineral. Taste of everything: acidity, sweet, spicy and bitter. Long mouth-watering finish. For a non-prestige cuvee this is very impressive.
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Day after BBQ (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Beautifully cellared in a cold cellar. This bottle was vibrant and fresh, but also displayed delicious botle age character. Long and complex but with verve.
be patient with it. after 30 min start to open up and after 1 hour was beautiful. on the nose chestnut, granny smith apples, caramelized lemon skin with rosemary, thyme palate beautifully balanced , lemon meringue, sweet double cream mixed with barley and apricot, long finish. has potential to develop
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Celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge aboard the Neptune on the Bay with Marie. Fairly dark yellow color. Lots of tiny bubbles. Had that mature musty/yeasty initial taste. Lots of mature fruit. Good effervescence. At first I felt, the mustiness might have thrown me off, but we settled into each other. Very good! At its peak, drink now--wait no longer.
Later that night, while drinking a NV Veuve Cliquot, M. remarked that she preferred the '96 for its maturity...
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Gold, fine bubbles. That mushroomy yeasty mellow aroma that aged Champagne gets is here. Nice. Taste still had the fruit and acid suggesting some aging can occur. Good.
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Dinner with Casey McClellan (Sue's): Notes of citrus, almond, honey and caramel apple. Fine bead. Citrus, apple, stone and biscuit flavors with nice underlying acidity.
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Tatsed alongside a 2002, the last of my '96's was starting to fade a little from its greatness.Still a 90, mind. Much closer to the house style than other years, plenty of biscuit and brioche, yeast and other bready epithets. Muted fruit (perhaps more appley as others have picked up on).
Well thats it, all gone for me. I feel I should put a sad face here, but I don't really do that sort of thing.
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Nice golden colour, good mousse. Surprisingly strong apple aroma both, on the nose and palate. Good acidity, nice balance and fresh feeling. Outstanding.
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Pale color with notes of hazelnuts, almond, citrus and baked apples. Fine bead, soft. Flavors of apple, caramel, cashews and pear. Long finish. Lovely.
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Same thing I said about the last bottle, perhaps the bubbles this time were a bit finer. This is still a marvelous champagne. I'll be sad when all the '96s are gone....
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Cork came out without even a whisper, but still plenty of mousse left. Darker color, but a vibrant nose of baked bread and lemon peel. On the palate, truly a delight. Bright acidity and verve. Outstanding.
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Light gold in color; enough remaining bubbles. Trace of yeast and honey on the nose. There is white bread and a trace of hazelnut, but it all ends pretty quickly. Drink up; this will not last much longer.
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Like the bottle we enjoyed a year ago, not as "bubbly" as when it was a younger wine, but still incredibly delicious, fulll-bodied, and smooth and with an excellent fniish.
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Opened and served immediately. Golden colour, plenty of bubbles and very fresh nose. On the palate is was stunning. Lots of toasty, biscuit flavours but enough acidity to lift the whole wine. Still well balanced and fresh and very much alive. Utterly delicious and an easy match for more prestigious vintage champagnes from the same era. Over the course of an hour it flattened relatively quickly but lost little of it's charm. Isn't it wonderful when a wine that you expect to be tired and flat, blows you and your guests away? Unfortunately, last of a case.
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(Purple Label) It's been about two years since I've had the 1996 Veuve Reserve and I had been looking forward to this bottle, my last. The nose was everything a 14 year old Champagne should be with a beautiful essence of nutmeg and freshly baked bread. Unfortunately the palate was a bit flat without enough acidity left to hold it together offering a short, crumbly finish. Disappointed but glad I didn't wait any longer on this one.
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Har inte druckit den här på ett tag men nu börjar den bli mogen, syran är fortsatt framträdande men det finns frukt som balanserar vilket tyvärr inte är fallet för en del andra 96or. Röda äpplen, kola och honung. Med bra lagring kan det här vinet fortsättas att utvecklas många år framåt. Veuve Clicquot gör riktigt bra årgångsviner.
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Just a bare pfft when I removed the cork told me that the bottle had lost a lot of its bubbly, and though it wasn't oxidized, it was not as "sparkling" as I would have preferred. But it still tasted great -- very toasty, full bodied "classic" VC. Really excellent with the baked salmon we had for dinner. But I enjoyed the younger bottles we've had more.
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Creme brûlée on the nose with dried orange peel. Fine mousse; dissipated quickly. Gorgeous, full-bodied on the palate with an exceptional finish. Enjoyed in fabulous company with chocolate-dipped Madeleines hand-carried from Paris, courtesy of Kerry Ann.
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Wednesday at Heidi's: The nose is more rustic than the Taittinger, and is dominated by minerality with subdued notes of fruit and yeast. The taste is quite surprising. The attack is obscured by the bubbles/mousse, but as this recedes flavors build, leading to a big rally at the finish. The finish is worth the wait, as it delivers palate coating flavor with great acidity that lingers for a very long time. Extremely satisfying stuff.
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Very nice. Medium-pale yellow with fine bubbles. Delicate floral and citrus spritz aromas tease this large, gripping wine. Green apple skin, lemon, sweet toast (Twinkie?), and white chocolate on the palate. A hint of key lime sourness on the finish prevented this from scoring higher with me. Long finish. Still room to grow.
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This was a wine with more character than expected. I wondered how well the '96 vintage was holding up, all I can say is for those of you who plan on drinking soon, you are in for a treat. Not a dry wimp of a champagne, and whole lot better than all the other sparkling wines I've had of late.
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Very pale yellow. Fine bead. Nose was a filling mix of citrus, slight yeast, filling. Taste was a wonderful mix of citrus acidity and taste with a slight toast background. Very good and blew away the 96 Bollinger drank the same night.
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Tasted side by side with the 96 Grand Dame. The Reserve seems like it's destined for a longer evolution. The wine is fresh & verve displaying some nice citrus and yeast notes. With time more delicate nuts and aromas come to the front. The mouth feel is quite grippy and the finish bright and exciting -this is still very primary but has some nice underlying power displaying the longevity of this vintage -I am hoping for good things to come DTR.
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Gorgeous. Had the NV Veuve last weekend (which is fine, but not one of my favorite NV champagnes), and this managed to be both more delicate (floral, citrusy) and more powerful (great with food, long, long , long finish). Yeasty, but not overly so...wish I had another bottle, as this could still get even better.
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Distinctively toasty and yeasty, with a gorgeous floral quality. Broad, mouthcoating wine, with a long, sparkling finish. Absolutely love this stuff. 94-96. (Thx for sharing, Scott and Sarah.)
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Just great stuff. Full flavor. Changed a bit over a 4 hour period. Got more deep flavors and more seemless. Will age for quite a bit longer. Wait for a year for the next one.
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racy and with tiny bubbles and a near diesel-fuel nose similiar to an aged riesling. Lemongrass, muted strawberry on the palate. Touches of near white chocolate toast finish up. Oxidized just a hint.
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This is just great stuff. Pale straw color. Incredible balance of light citrus (but not lemon) and toast (but not heavy). Wonderful long finish. Small and plentiful bubbles. Very very smooth. Remains one of our favorite champagnes.
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More integrated than last tasting about three years ago. However, this was also a bit more yeasty. Drink or hold. Great now, but in no risk of decline. Drank from 375 mL.
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I hope it isn't SUPPOSED to taste like this. Lemon, apple, and dough flavors, but also a distinct nuttiness that makes me think the wine is slightly oxidiized. Disappointing.
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Becoming more complex. Rasberry and berry flavors are coming out. The fifth bottle I have drank of this, and it is getting better. Can easily go several more years.
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More vinous than New World attempts, I noted some classic chard flavors (pear & apple) which compliment the tart citrus, mineral, and doughy characters. Drinking great, I can think of a good day soon to have again!
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Drinking great right now!! I plan to drink all I've got in the next 10 months or so. This has really improved significantly since release about 1.5 years ago.
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Not quite as enjoyable on my palate as the VC demi sec, but still a nice champagne.
Good straw to yellow color, pleasant aromas, fruit forward with a tough of tartness, pleasant clean finish. Definitely mouth watering. Bubbles were not as fine as I thought they would be for a 10 year old wine, but no real complaints here. One more half-bottle in the cellar.
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Nobody knew the brand. Everybody loved it and commented. We had Margaine Champagne Brut Rosé the evening before... no one commented, and rightly so. This reengergized my willingness to spend more than $20 on a sparkling wine. Whew! i thought I was destined to never be able to appreciate Champagne.
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Very crisp, nice flavors. Should have let this one warm up a little more from the fridge, but it was only a half-bottle and was gone quick! The last glass was starting to show more of that classic Champagne character of yeast and butter.
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Consumed on my birthday as an aperitif with Cathleen. Medium yellow with an extremely brisk tiny bead. Clean nose, showing explosive aromas of nutmeg, toast, orange peel and flowers. Medium-bodied on the palate, with excellent acidity yet a creamy texture in the mouth. The flavors mirror the nose. Long, crisp finish. Wow...this one may merit a higher score with a bit of time in the bottle!
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Needed to breathe ~ 30 minutes to open up. Multiple streams of fine bead. Aromas of cream, Granny Smith apple, citrus, walnuts, and bread dough. Delicious mouthfeel. Medium-bodied with Granny Smith apple, citrus, nuts, and creaminess as it opens. Long, long finish that lasts over a minute with nuts and Granny Smith replays. Still very, very youthful, showing its primary flavours. Cellar 5+ years to get the most out of this wine.
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10/13/2022 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
SLDS October 2022: Honeyed, peach, spice and earthy notes. Palate is very clear and clean, with good acid drive that carries and flows very well. Lovely length, this is a great mix of freshness and complexity. Drinking very well now.
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5/13/2022 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This last bottle is leaning more towards old than aged but its still enjoyable. Still has bubbles, some fruit, nice complexity. Drink up.
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7/21/2021 - Danielbudslick wrote:
Drank, Elma’s 26th birthday. Beach bistro.
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9/9/2020 - Chrisinroch wrote: flawed
from a .375
cooked.
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7/24/2020 - sh6k Likes this wine: 92 Points
Past its prime — oxidation and cooked notes — but so good — rich and full and long finish. Drink now.
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10/24/2019 - Keith Cooper wrote: 90 Points
This was very generously served as aperitif by our lunch host. Sadly, we tasted it after a superb Dom Perignon from the same vintage, so whilst good, this was a little underwhelming. Nutty gold colour. The nose clearly showed age with little fruit remaining. However, there was apricot and almonds on the palate, it was rich, and held up well in the glass. Really interesting to taste this champagne, but I think any remaining stocks should be drunk soon.
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8/25/2019 - spacewrangler wrote: 90 Points
As others mentioned, well-stored bottles should continue to provide pleasure for another 5-10 years, but this isn't going to make old bones. Orange creamsicle, honey and ginger zest with medium body, slightly oxidized but appropriate for the age.
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8/20/2019 - NickA Likes this wine: 91 Points
BYO with the parents (Chez Bruce): In a lovely place - restrained by persistent mousse, gorgeous golden colour, nicely rich and oxidised - but lacks the impact or complexity to merit a higher score. Agree with previous reviews that suggest these should be drunk sooner rather than later.
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10/21/2018 - danckie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice stuff. Elegant bubbles. The age clearly shows.
Oxidative style. Some sherry, lemon, apple. Developed over the course of a couple of hours. Lemon becomes more dominant towards the end. Quite nice. Won’t last forever but no real hurry either.
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9/26/2018 - Racer117 wrote: 93 Points
Another nice bottle. As before, I don't think this will make it another 10 years but its beautiful now with pleasant aged mustiness along with some citrus, stone fruit, and burnt sugar. Plenty of fizziness still in the bottle.
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5/19/2018 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really enjoying this aged sparkler
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4/15/2018 - Baron Slick wrote: 92 Points
Showed all the hallmarks of great vintage champagne. Ripe, nutty bouquet of apples, stonefruit, and sweet bread show a hint of oxidative goodness. The palate is brisk, vibrant, and resonant, showing lemon citrus flavors laced by a touch of soft caramel, juicy acidity, and lovely bottle age maturity. Long and refreshing and finishes with vigor and elegant precision. And though this gives the impression that it won't get better it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
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4/10/2018 - jlgnml wrote:
Time is sipping by and drink up
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3/10/2018 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aged and beautiful but I don't see this celebrating its 40th birthday with grace and class. Drink soon.
Beautiful medium clear golden color; enjoyable musty nose with burnt sugar and caramel hints; crisp body with moderate bubbles and some citrus and stone fruit flavors.
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10/25/2017 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Classic vintage flavor profile. Color almost that of deep gold hue. Yeast, brioche but can only say that it was aged but bright fruit of apricot, orange, with exceptional balance in terms of fruit and sweetness. Lingering soft finish with a hint of acidity. Excellent.
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10/4/2017 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great toasty quality... very delicious!
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12/27/2016 - jlgnml wrote: 88 Points
A bit tired, darker color, not much pop in the opening, small bubbles, Apple, tart, developed a bit over time in the glass,drink up.
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7/28/2016 - TayoW wrote: flawed
on the rapid decline
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4/9/2016 - nphase wrote: 87 Points
Over the hill.
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1/17/2016 - TayoW wrote: 89 Points
a large strong mousse but a mellowed palate showing its slightly passed its prime.
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1/8/2016 - robdicks wrote: 90 Points
Good, but clearly held too long
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11/27/2015 - chcook Likes this wine:
Brief note. This seems mature to me, with that fresh bread note on the nose and butterscotch on the palate. despite the signs of oxidation the acid supports it and keeps it interesting. it is quite nice right now, but if I had some I would consider drinking it. would be a pity to let these get too old I think.
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2/15/2015 - narraboth Likes this wine: 91 Points
well mature in bottle, sweet yeasty, baked apple, caramel aroma. Aroma getting stronger after a while. Still feeling fresh thank to very good acidity of this vintage. Round body and mineral. Taste of everything: acidity, sweet, spicy and bitter. Long mouth-watering finish. For a non-prestige cuvee this is very impressive.
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11/29/2014 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
Day after BBQ (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Beautifully cellared in a cold cellar. This bottle was vibrant and fresh, but also displayed delicious botle age character. Long and complex but with verve.
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11/28/2014 - Pavan wrote: 94 Points
Vibrant and precise, focused with rich golden colour, plenty of grapefruit and peach and long full taste
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2/23/2013 - TheBigD52 wrote:
Apricot and caramel taste, very smooth and tasty. Got better the longer it was open. Excellent.
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2/23/2013 - TheBigD52 wrote:
Tastes of apricot and caramel. Tasted better the longer it was open. Outstanding champagne. Very smooth tasting.
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1/26/2013 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Annual Champagne Event (Sue & Mike's): Aromas of toasted nuts, apple and caramel. The palate follows the bouquet; nice finish. 91+ pts.
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1/23/2013 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pale gold. Fine bubbles, Bready, citrus, lemon curd. Taste was smooth, mouthfilling, drinking well now. Delish
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6/13/2012 - Clos & Cru Likes this wine: 94 Points
be patient with it. after 30 min start to open up and after 1 hour was beautiful.
on the nose chestnut, granny smith apples, caramelized lemon skin with rosemary, thyme
palate beautifully balanced , lemon meringue, sweet double cream mixed with barley and apricot, long finish. has potential to develop
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6/7/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind; 6/6/2012-6/7/2012 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): - Light gold color with small pearls. It's in total harmony with a medium body. Bright texture with a long finish - Al's wine.
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5/28/2012 - Wineonthevine wrote: 94 Points
Celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge aboard the Neptune on the Bay with Marie. Fairly dark yellow color. Lots of tiny bubbles. Had that mature musty/yeasty initial taste. Lots of mature fruit. Good effervescence. At first I felt, the mustiness might have thrown me off, but we settled into each other. Very good! At its peak, drink now--wait no longer.
Later that night, while drinking a NV Veuve Cliquot, M. remarked that she preferred the '96 for its maturity...
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5/6/2012 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 93 Points
Gold, fine bubbles. That mushroomy yeasty mellow aroma that aged Champagne gets is here. Nice. Taste still had the fruit and acid suggesting some aging can occur. Good.
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4/23/2012 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Casey McClellan (Sue's): Notes of citrus, almond, honey and caramel apple. Fine bead. Citrus, apple, stone and biscuit flavors with nice underlying acidity.
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3/27/2012 - Tannatastic wrote: 90 Points
Tatsed alongside a 2002, the last of my '96's was starting to fade a little from its greatness.Still a 90, mind. Much closer to the house style than other years, plenty of biscuit and brioche, yeast and other bready epithets. Muted fruit (perhaps more appley as others have picked up on).
Well thats it, all gone for me. I feel I should put a sad face here, but I don't really do that sort of thing.
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3/27/2012 - LuxF wrote: 92 Points
Nice golden colour, good mousse. Surprisingly strong apple aroma both, on the nose and palate. Good acidity, nice balance and fresh feeling. Outstanding.
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1/28/2012 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Pale color with notes of hazelnuts, almond, citrus and baked apples. Fine bead, soft. Flavors of apple, caramel, cashews and pear. Long finish. Lovely.
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12/20/2011 - PhDP wrote:
Nos 10 ans: Champagne 1996 (groupe du mercredi, Bruxelles, Belgium, chez PhDP): tbc
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10/24/2011 - Louise P wrote: 91 Points
Same thing I said about the last bottle, perhaps the bubbles this time were a bit finer. This is still a marvelous champagne. I'll be sad when all the '96s are gone....
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1/22/2011 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Sue's): Gold color with aromas of baked apple, caramel and brioche. Fine texture with a persistent bead. Long finish.
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12/11/2010 - The Drunken Cyclist wrote: 93 Points
Cork came out without even a whisper, but still plenty of mousse left. Darker color, but a vibrant nose of baked bread and lemon peel. On the palate, truly a delight. Bright acidity and verve. Outstanding.
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11/25/2010 - Drink&Trade wrote: 94 Points
Mellon and fruit on the nose. Big apple and sweet mellon. A very interesting champagne. Flavors go on and on, with a nice grip o the mouth. Well done!
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11/25/2010 - de36band wrote: 91 Points
Light gold in color; enough remaining bubbles. Trace of yeast and honey on the nose. There is white bread and a trace of hazelnut, but it all ends pretty quickly. Drink up; this will not last much longer.
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10/18/2010 - Louise P wrote: 91 Points
Like the bottle we enjoyed a year ago, not as "bubbly" as when it was a younger wine, but still incredibly delicious, fulll-bodied, and smooth and with an excellent fniish.
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8/13/2010 - JamesTye wrote: 92 Points
Opened and served immediately. Golden colour, plenty of bubbles and very fresh nose. On the palate is was stunning. Lots of toasty, biscuit flavours but enough acidity to lift the whole wine. Still well balanced and fresh and very much alive. Utterly delicious and an easy match for more prestigious vintage champagnes from the same era. Over the course of an hour it flattened relatively quickly but lost little of it's charm. Isn't it wonderful when a wine that you expect to be tired and flat, blows you and your guests away? Unfortunately, last of a case.
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3/12/2010 - kanjimoti wrote: 89 Points
(Purple Label) It's been about two years since I've had the 1996 Veuve Reserve and I had been looking forward to this bottle, my last. The nose was everything a 14 year old Champagne should be with a beautiful essence of nutmeg and freshly baked bread. Unfortunately the palate was a bit flat without enough acidity left to hold it together offering a short, crumbly finish. Disappointed but glad I didn't wait any longer on this one.
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3/7/2010 - Shorepower wrote:
Har inte druckit den här på ett tag men nu börjar den bli mogen, syran är fortsatt framträdande men det finns frukt som balanserar vilket tyvärr inte är fallet för en del andra 96or. Röda äpplen, kola och honung. Med bra lagring kan det här vinet fortsättas att utvecklas många år framåt. Veuve Clicquot gör riktigt bra årgångsviner.
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3/3/2010 - chbeaumont wrote: 86 Points
This had a brioche & yeasty nose but also an oxidative element. Rather tired but with depth & structure. A poor bottle?
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1/8/2010 - Ardross wrote: 92 Points
Excellent mousse, lovely yeasty bouquet - very complex and fine
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12/31/2009 - Louise P wrote: 91 Points
Just a bare pfft when I removed the cork told me that the bottle had lost a lot of its bubbly, and though it wasn't oxidized, it was not as "sparkling" as I would have preferred. But it still tasted great -- very toasty, full bodied "classic" VC. Really excellent with the baked salmon we had for dinner. But I enjoyed the younger bottles we've had more.
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12/31/2009 - ljl wrote: 75 Points
Opened up before the ball dropped. Past its prime. Undrinkable. When are they going to make vintage Champagnes that can stand up to time?
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12/27/2009 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 92 Points
Gold. Medium to fine bubbles. Nose of toast, vanilla. Taste was smooth, yeasty and vanilla. Ithink time to drink up.
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11/14/2009 - ilsa wrote:
Creme brûlée on the nose with dried orange peel. Fine mousse; dissipated quickly. Gorgeous, full-bodied on the palate with an exceptional finish. Enjoyed in fabulous company with chocolate-dipped Madeleines hand-carried from Paris, courtesy of Kerry Ann.
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11/4/2009 - Siggy wrote: 92 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Miscellaneous (Heidi's, Minneapolis): Smooth and expansive. Complex red apple and ginger flavors. Nicely developed and expressive. Quite delicious.
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11/4/2009 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Wednesday at Heidi's: The nose is more rustic than the Taittinger, and is dominated by minerality with subdued notes of fruit and yeast. The taste is quite surprising. The attack is obscured by the bubbles/mousse, but as this recedes flavors build, leading to a big rally at the finish. The finish is worth the wait, as it delivers palate coating flavor with great acidity that lingers for a very long time. Extremely satisfying stuff.
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6/14/2009 - Lakersguy wrote: 93 Points
Great champagne but slightly more aged than I thought it would be.
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3/13/2009 - Stephori wrote: 96 Points
Great Wine...
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2/13/2009 - jasonrsa wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Medium-pale yellow with fine bubbles. Delicate floral and citrus spritz aromas tease this large, gripping wine. Green apple skin, lemon, sweet toast (Twinkie?), and white chocolate on the palate. A hint of key lime sourness on the finish prevented this from scoring higher with me. Long finish. Still room to grow.
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1/1/2009 - mrpaper126@gmail.com wrote:
This was a wine with more character than expected. I wondered how well the '96 vintage was holding up, all I can say is for those of you who plan on drinking soon, you are in for a treat. Not a dry wimp of a champagne, and whole lot better than all the other sparkling wines I've had of late.
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12/27/2008 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 94 Points
Very pale yellow. Fine bead. Nose was a filling mix of citrus, slight yeast, filling. Taste was a wonderful mix of citrus acidity and taste with a slight toast background. Very good and blew away the 96 Bollinger drank the same night.
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11/16/2008 - bon vivant wrote:
Tasted side by side with the 96 Grand Dame. The Reserve seems like it's destined for a longer evolution. The wine is fresh & verve displaying some nice citrus and yeast notes. With time more delicate nuts and aromas come to the front. The mouth feel is quite grippy and the finish bright and exciting -this is still very primary but has some nice underlying power displaying the longevity of this vintage -I am hoping for good things to come DTR.
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4/5/2008 - smorris291 wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous. Had the NV Veuve last weekend (which is fine, but not one of my favorite NV champagnes), and this managed to be both more delicate (floral, citrusy) and more powerful (great with food, long, long , long finish). Yeasty, but not overly so...wish I had another bottle, as this could still get even better.
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4/5/2008 - dd wrote:
beautiful
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4/5/2008 - jmull wrote: 95 Points
Distinctively toasty and yeasty, with a gorgeous floral quality. Broad, mouthcoating wine, with a long, sparkling finish. Absolutely love this stuff. 94-96. (Thx for sharing, Scott and Sarah.)
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3/18/2008 - Thralow wrote: 94 Points
Holy toast! Toasty toast.
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3/16/2008 - dd wrote:
best champagne i ever had
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1/15/2008 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
I was worried it could be going bad, i was wrong.
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1/1/2008 - dougie wrote: 92 Points
Nice. Very rich flavor. But, the 1995 Femme was much better.
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11/21/2007 - dougie wrote: 93 Points
Just great stuff. Full flavor. Changed a bit over a 4 hour period. Got more deep flavors and more seemless. Will age for quite a bit longer. Wait for a year for the next one.
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11/10/2007 - dd wrote:
awesome smooth full nutty tons of bubbles just a great bottle
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10/27/2007 - olig wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic, but still v young. Based on recent tastings of 88,89,90, this will get much better over next 5 years
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10/14/2007 - messiahwcc wrote: 91 Points
racy and with tiny bubbles and a near diesel-fuel nose similiar to an aged riesling. Lemongrass, muted strawberry on the palate. Touches of near white chocolate toast finish up. Oxidized just a hint.
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9/13/2007 - Louise P wrote: 96 Points
This is just great stuff. Pale straw color. Incredible balance of light citrus (but not lemon) and toast (but not heavy). Wonderful long finish. Small and plentiful bubbles. Very very smooth. Remains one of our favorite champagnes.
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6/30/2007 - sprnplr wrote: 92 Points
More integrated than last tasting about three years ago. However, this was also a bit more yeasty. Drink or hold. Great now, but in no risk of decline. Drank from 375 mL.
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6/3/2007 - mreinitz wrote:
I hope it isn't SUPPOSED to taste like this. Lemon, apple, and dough flavors, but also a distinct nuttiness that makes me think the wine is slightly oxidiized. Disappointing.
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5/27/2007 - roberog wrote: 90 Points
Nice. Great nose. Ready to drink and won't get better with age.
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4/28/2007 - dougie wrote: 93 Points
Becoming more complex. Rasberry and berry flavors are coming out. The fifth bottle I have drank of this, and it is getting better. Can easily go several more years.
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12/10/2006 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
More vinous than New World attempts, I noted some classic chard flavors (pear & apple) which compliment the tart citrus, mineral, and doughy characters. Drinking great, I can think of a good day soon to have again!
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11/2/2006 - Employee500 wrote: 92 Points
Terrific, but not quite as rich as previous bottles.
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6/22/2006 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Drinking great right now!! I plan to drink all I've got in the next 10 months or so. This has really improved significantly since release about 1.5 years ago.
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5/28/2006 - winefornewbies-podcast wrote: 89 Points
Not quite as enjoyable on my palate as the VC demi sec, but still a nice champagne.
Good straw to yellow color, pleasant aromas, fruit forward with a tough of tartness, pleasant clean finish. Definitely mouth watering. Bubbles were not as fine as I thought they would be for a 10 year old wine, but no real complaints here. One more half-bottle in the cellar.
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5/13/2006 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
Nobody knew the brand. Everybody loved it and commented. We had Margaine Champagne Brut Rosé the evening before... no one commented, and rightly so. This reengergized my willingness to spend more than $20 on a sparkling wine. Whew! i thought I was destined to never be able to appreciate Champagne.
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4/5/2006 - MBannon wrote: 91 Points
Very crisp, nice flavors. Should have let this one warm up a little more from the fridge, but it was only a half-bottle and was gone quick! The last glass was starting to show more of that classic Champagne character of yeast and butter.
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11/6/2005 - Louise P wrote: 94 Points
Straw colored;toasty; full bodied; very smooth; cork was totally straight
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6/25/2005 - burningstarIV wrote: 93 Points
Rich and full-bodied, with mature aromas of nuts and yeast. This drinks wonderfully on its own.
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6/2/2005 - Louise P wrote: 94 Points
Our second bottle of this; still fabulous; a little citrusy; straw colored; incredibly smooth; nice finish
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12/19/2004 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Heritage: Wow! Int. nose--more than ’98; bigger citrus notes, concentrated citrus/lite yeast; sweet nuts nose; brite clean a’s. Elegant, bright, perfect well-bal. Not a monster, but concentrated elegance.
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12/16/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 94 Points
Consumed on my birthday as an aperitif with Cathleen. Medium yellow with an extremely brisk tiny bead. Clean nose, showing explosive aromas of nutmeg, toast, orange peel and flowers. Medium-bodied on the palate, with excellent acidity yet a creamy texture in the mouth. The flavors mirror the nose. Long, crisp finish. Wow...this one may merit a higher score with a bit of time in the bottle!
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11/25/2004 - Louise P wrote:
Delicious! Light, nutty, very smooth; bright, light finish; good with food or w/o, but better with; "3 glass bottle"
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12/24/2003 - futronic wrote: 91 Points
Needed to breathe ~ 30 minutes to open up. Multiple streams of fine bead. Aromas of cream, Granny Smith apple, citrus, walnuts, and bread dough. Delicious mouthfeel. Medium-bodied with Granny Smith apple, citrus, nuts, and creaminess as it opens. Long, long finish that lasts over a minute with nuts and Granny Smith replays. Still very, very youthful, showing its primary flavours. Cellar 5+ years to get the most out of this wine.
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12/7/2003 - R2-D2 wrote: 91 Points
Full bodied with a strong sensation of peanut brittle.
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11/1/2003 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Very nice balanced champagne with a solid signature of toasty yeast. Buy more on sale! 11/03
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