This was absolutely drinking at its peak on the night, hitting its stride about half an hour after being opened. Highly aromatic, and possessing a soft mousse, the complexity - and maturity - of this wine shone through on the nose. Notes of butter, smoke, brioche, nuttiness and honey came across on the nose over the course of the drinking experience, but it was the palate that did the trick for me. A fruit-driven upfront, green apple, peach and lemon zest medlied over some zippy acidity before the mid-palate introduced some balance with notes of brioche, hazelnut and a hint of anise. The finish showed the age of the wine as spices and pepper complimented the other notes quite well on the backend. As a whole, this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
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Best bottle (Restaurant Waldhorn, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Standard Decent Champagne with a nice nose and a lovely mineral core. Good entry into this fantastic evening. Quite young, so no need to hurry. 91-92
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A private dinner (Scharzhof, Wiltingen, Germany): Lovely depth on the nose, fresh nuts and lemon curd, smoky depth; lovely freshness, quite evolved flavours, gentle mousse, hint of green apple, good resonance and length.
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Piedmont & Champagne - New Years Eve 2015: Mid yellow to light gold Penetrating aromas of brioche, yeast extract, toast, complexed with fried mushroom, toasted ciabatta, crispy sourdough, wet rocks! Razor-sharp acidity gives backbone, focus and definition. Elegant and refined, there is some breadth of flavour but the acid keeps a tight belt on proceedings. Still vibrantly fresh with tart tatin, crisp apples, lemon meringue and lots of crushed rocks all accompanied by warm brioche. Excellent concentration this is an outstanding Blanc de Blanc and drinking superbly.
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Very fresh, still has a lot of life in it. Cork was compressed but still good amount of fizz left. Excellent mouthfeel. Just wanted a bit more oomph and some more tertiary characteristics.
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Had this last night, New Year's Eve at Sopra. Visually, light glassine yellow. When first poured into white Burg stemware, a rather subdued nose, but in a while, expanded into yeasty and old bread aromas. On the palate, yeasty, broad spectrum somewhat oxidative flavours, consistent with age of the wine (16 years old), ripe Mirabelle pear, saline, bitter honey and with fine but gently beading bubbles. I liked this. This seems to be well into its drinking plateau but seems capable of continuing to be (hedonistically) pleasurable for @ 5 years plus.
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Dinner at Ceres Table (Ceres Tables - Chicago, IL): Thought this was beautiful. Lots of energy and firm orchard fruit here. I revisited this late in the evening, and there was a really nice custard/bready/brioche note that was gorgeous. I had tried this a couple months agp, and the bottle tonight seemed to be more precise and elegant. Gorgeous!
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Fruta escarchada, mantequillas y una buena dosis de carbónico muy bien integrado que lo hace bebible pero aún está muy jóven, le sentaría de fábula 3 o 4 años más.
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This drank very well as the first wine of the night... not a ton of power and probably won't improve but enjoyable. Did not take notes and it was a long night.
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Pale golden color. Mature nose offers pastry, orange peel and smoke with a medium plus intensity. On palate it's medium bodied, light acidity, some minerality, lush and elegant with predominant citrus and lemon flavours. (89-90)
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Quite floral nose, beautifully balanced lemon and brioche on the palate. It has a clean and deep nose and palate experience afforded by pure Chardonnay, as it is a blanc de blanc, allowing a full expression of the grape. Delicious and perfectly ready to drink as of July 2012, though will have many years ahead of it. Very nice indeed.
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Tasted non blind. opened and served immediately. Followed over an hour.
Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with firm, steady beading. Nose of lemon, yellow pears and a bit of hazelnut. Flavors of tart lemons, yellow apples and a hint of cherry on the medium finish. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Fizz at The Fish Club (nr Clapham Junction): Tight and austere. Billecarts seem to be getting more and more uncompromising. like quite a few wines tonight, this will probably be great in time, but is very austere right now.
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Glengarry Old Wines Dinner (Auckland, New Zealand): Gorgeous nose. Racy palate but with very rich fruit that does not end. Sweet biscuit aroma - shortbread. This wine is a point and has a brilliant finish and a gorgeous creamy texture. The mid and back palate give the impression of considerable ripeness.
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HDH auction tasting at Tru; 1/28/2011-1/29/2011 (Chicago, IL): Light in colour. Lovely nose of apple, toasted almonds, and bread. There's also a slight hint of oxidation. Juicy and explosive. On the palate, a hefty amount of yeast, as well as notes of yellow fruits and apples again. Medium finish.
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Light yellow in color with toasty brioche, mellow citrus and classy bubbles on the palate with a finish that went on and on.. This is some classy juice and is aging very nicely. I could drink this daily.
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Mineraler, citrus, otroligt ren smak, Syran känns långt bak i gommen men fin balans i vinet. Jämfört med exempelvis Comtes idag mycket mindre insmickrande med sin lägre dosage och knivskarpa syra. Låt ligga och se den utvecklas. Skulle gärna hitta en gäng på magnum av denna.
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Probably the most underappreciated wine in the BS stable. Really bright with a steely lemon and mineral profile. Really young and aggressive mouthfeel. Big acidic kick and lots of backbone. Delicious wine on a warm day with a dozen oysters; lacking those, I’d wait a while.
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A few days in Paris; 7/18/2006-7/23/2006 (Paris): Ripe, crisp apple pie and yeast notes with some nutty flavors. Crisp and well supported by a vibrant acidity. Quite rich for such a young Blanc de Blancs. Oxidative traces. Excellent wine.
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12/16/2023 - ankitmehra Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was absolutely drinking at its peak on the night, hitting its stride about half an hour after being opened. Highly aromatic, and possessing a soft mousse, the complexity - and maturity - of this wine shone through on the nose. Notes of butter, smoke, brioche, nuttiness and honey came across on the nose over the course of the drinking experience, but it was the palate that did the trick for me. A fruit-driven upfront, green apple, peach and lemon zest medlied over some zippy acidity before the mid-palate introduced some balance with notes of brioche, hazelnut and a hint of anise. The finish showed the age of the wine as spices and pepper complimented the other notes quite well on the backend. As a whole, this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
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10/10/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 93 Points
this was singing tonight - complex and mature with a gentle mousse - for me, this is probably at its peak
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4/30/2019 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
Best bottle (Restaurant Waldhorn, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Standard
Decent Champagne with a nice nose and a lovely mineral core. Good entry into this fantastic evening. Quite young, so no need to hurry. 91-92
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12/31/2018 - danckie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice and complex champagne. Veryfresh and mineral. Has some age to it. Good complexity and decent finish.
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12/31/2017 - Peech Likes this wine: 93 Points
higher acidity here, more crisp on the palate as well as more depth and complexity.
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6/26/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
A private dinner (Scharzhof, Wiltingen, Germany): Lovely depth on the nose, fresh nuts and lemon curd, smoky depth; lovely freshness, quite evolved flavours, gentle mousse, hint of green apple, good resonance and length.
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12/31/2015 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 96 Points
Piedmont & Champagne - New Years Eve 2015: Mid yellow to light gold
Penetrating aromas of brioche, yeast extract, toast, complexed with fried mushroom, toasted ciabatta, crispy sourdough, wet rocks!
Razor-sharp acidity gives backbone, focus and definition. Elegant and refined, there is some breadth of flavour but the acid keeps a tight belt on proceedings. Still vibrantly fresh with tart tatin, crisp apples, lemon meringue and lots of crushed rocks all accompanied by warm brioche.
Excellent concentration this is an outstanding Blanc de Blanc and drinking superbly.
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2/18/2015 - catchnrelease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very fresh, still has a lot of life in it. Cork was compressed but still good amount of fizz left. Excellent mouthfeel. Just wanted a bit more oomph and some more tertiary characteristics.
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12/31/2014 - BartQ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had this last night, New Year's Eve at Sopra. Visually, light glassine yellow. When first poured into white Burg stemware, a rather subdued nose, but in a while, expanded into yeasty and old bread aromas. On the palate, yeasty, broad spectrum somewhat oxidative flavours, consistent with age of the wine (16 years old), ripe Mirabelle pear, saline, bitter honey and with fine but gently beading bubbles. I liked this. This seems to be well into its drinking plateau but seems capable of continuing to be (hedonistically) pleasurable for @ 5 years plus.
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11/12/2014 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Ceres Table (Ceres Tables - Chicago, IL): Thought this was beautiful. Lots of energy and firm orchard fruit here. I revisited this late in the evening, and there was a really nice custard/bready/brioche note that was gorgeous. I had tried this a couple months agp, and the bottle tonight seemed to be more precise and elegant. Gorgeous!
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5/4/2014 - abeltran wrote: 95 Points
Fruta escarchada, mantequillas y una buena dosis de carbónico muy bien integrado que lo hace bebible pero aún está muy jóven, le sentaría de fábula 3 o 4 años más.
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11/2/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 92 Points
This drank very well as the first wine of the night... not a ton of power and probably won't improve but enjoyable. Did not take notes and it was a long night.
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11/8/2012 - Periko wrote: 90 Points
Pale golden color. Mature nose offers pastry, orange peel and smoke with a medium plus intensity. On palate it's medium bodied, light acidity, some minerality, lush and elegant with predominant citrus and lemon flavours. (89-90)
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7/7/2012 - pacificoast wrote: 92 Points
Quite floral nose, beautifully balanced lemon and brioche on the palate. It has a clean and deep nose and palate experience afforded by pure Chardonnay, as it is a blanc de blanc, allowing a full expression of the grape. Delicious and perfectly ready to drink as of July 2012, though will have many years ahead of it. Very nice indeed.
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5/13/2012 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. opened and served immediately. Followed over an hour.
Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with firm, steady beading. Nose of lemon, yellow pears and a bit of hazelnut. Flavors of tart lemons, yellow apples and a hint of cherry on the medium finish. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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3/21/2012 - Rupert wrote:
Fizz at The Fish Club (nr Clapham Junction): Tight and austere. Billecarts seem to be getting more and more uncompromising. like quite a few wines tonight, this will probably be great in time, but is very austere right now.
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3/18/2011 - Marc wrote: 94 Points
Glengarry Old Wines Dinner (Auckland, New Zealand): Gorgeous nose. Racy palate but with very rich fruit that does not end. Sweet biscuit aroma - shortbread. This wine is a point and has a brilliant finish and a gorgeous creamy texture. The mid and back palate give the impression of considerable ripeness.
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1/29/2011 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
HDH auction tasting at Tru; 1/28/2011-1/29/2011 (Chicago, IL): Light in colour. Lovely nose of apple, toasted almonds, and bread. There's also a slight hint of oxidation. Juicy and explosive. On the palate, a hefty amount of yeast, as well as notes of yellow fruits and apples again. Medium finish.
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11/11/2010 - hlaburg wrote: 94 Points
Light yellow in color with toasty brioche, mellow citrus and classy bubbles on the palate with a finish that went on and on.. This is some classy juice and is aging very nicely. I could drink this daily.
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11/4/2010 - nuanda wrote: 94 Points
Good, much better than the NV. Classy, yet slightly fruity. Rerady to drink now
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10/26/2010 - DaleW wrote:
Fresh and zippy, mineral and citrus, nice length. I really enjoyed this (actually more than the ’98 Cuvee Nicholas-Francois I had last year). B+/A-
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6/23/2010 - Shorepower wrote:
Mineraler, citrus, otroligt ren smak, Syran känns långt bak i gommen men fin balans i vinet. Jämfört med exempelvis Comtes idag mycket mindre insmickrande med sin lägre dosage och knivskarpa syra. Låt ligga och se den utvecklas. Skulle gärna hitta en gäng på magnum av denna.
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6/20/2010 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Another really nice bottle of this. Overshadowed a bit by the older wine we were drinking but still quite good.
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3/14/2010 - 60ouvrees wrote:
So racy and fresh, this opened up nicely over the course of the evening, but it could still use another couple years in bottle.
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8/14/2009 - rob1869 wrote:
Another lovely bottle of this. Not outstanding for sure but consistent and with classy balance, tasting great from deep chill all the way to off warm.
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2/15/2009 - la_bacchus wrote: 90 Points
LIght and crisp champagne with nice acidity. Small bubbles create a real kick on the palette. Extremely long and pleasant aftertaste. Quite enjoyable.
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11/28/2008 - veniceslug1 wrote: 88 Points
Rich and opulent. No real yeast component. Not my preferred style. But nice small bubbles and a long finish.
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4/6/2007 - psmith wrote:
Probably the most underappreciated wine in the BS stable. Really bright with a steely lemon and mineral profile. Really young and aggressive mouthfeel. Big acidic kick and lots of backbone. Delicious wine on a warm day with a dozen oysters; lacking those, I’d wait a while.
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7/18/2006 - psmith wrote: 93 Points
A few days in Paris; 7/18/2006-7/23/2006 (Paris): Ripe, crisp apple pie and yeast notes with some nutty flavors. Crisp and well supported by a vibrant acidity. Quite rich for such a young Blanc de Blancs. Oxidative traces. Excellent wine.
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