Purchased on release, sound bottle. Tasted in a flight with the 1996 Krug. Rich, lots of brioche, "must have been on the lees forever" was one comment. Great by itself or with food. 4 of 12 (including me) voted this ahead of the Krug (8 of 12), which for me had begun the downside slope of maturity and was a perhaps 93. First time I have had this wine and nearly the level of the fabulous 2008.
I liked my previous bottles a bit more. Last night, the opulence and density seemed the main feature. Still, good complexity and flavors/scents including apricot and other orchard fruit, intense brioche, and even a little tropical fruit. We all preferred the lithe Guiborat BdB from last night. If you need a wine to stand up to a strongly flavored meal, this is a good choice.
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This was drunk with friends earlier tonight at a restaurant. The wine was a medium yellow color that showed the wines age. What impressed me the most was the mid-palate body and flavors which were full and expressive. A great champagne at 18 years of age.
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Piper Heidsieck Rare Tasting (La Fete): Information from merchant, 70%C, 30%, from 8 different Grand Cru vineyard, not forthcoming in aromas, nutty, touch of spice, hawthorn, lemon on the palate a little light, easy drinking
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New Years Day Champagne Tasting (Brad's Castle): Very elegant with a creamy element to combine with the acidity. This Champagne was drinking quite well! Lots of creamy stone fruit and citrus, with plenty of yeast and brioche, and throw in a healthy dose of limestone, chalk and wet slate. Everything you would expect from a Grand Cuvee Champagne! Solid 95!
Loved this. Terrific richness and depth, lots of yeasty/bready autolytic notes around a core of ripe fruit and bright acids and effervescence beneath giving it a good sense of energy.
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A good bit of dosage. Yeasty. Biscuits. Croissant- Rich white fruit. Peach. Elegant bubble. A tad heavy on dosage for me. Ready to drink. Some hedonistic appeal.
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Tonight’s the first time I opened the 2006. If you like me Taittinger Comtes is generous and the champagne of the vintage, this is a serious contender. Not a BdB, but a very bready, generous wine in terms of body, nose and flavors. Doughy apple and apricot pie, lemon, and a slight reductive note. Luscious mouthfeel and a long finish. I’m going to start opening these with some regularity.
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I love how consistently delicious and expressive these Rare bottles are. Immediate hit of brioche, lemon, and honey on the nose that's complemented with lemon curd, cream, a twist of orange zest, and lively acidity on the palate. Great showing for the vintage and still drinking well right now!
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Champagnes and Burgundies: Big and broad, clearly a house and from a warmer vintage but so youthful that I guessed 2012. Bready and rich, good for an everyday drinking champagne but not at this price point.
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Quite big and rich but with great precision and freshness. White peach. Some caramel notes. Gorgeous. Long and good complexity. Drink now and over the next decade, tertiary notes of caramel will increase from here on.
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Dinner at Iki Ramen (Iki Ramen, Los Angeles CA): It is always a treat to have a Piper Rare and this is no different. There is so much depth and class to the nose with loads of toast, brioche, baked apples, pears, quince, honeydew, biscuits, lemon curd, and custard. The Medium bodied feel has a lot of texture, depth, and richness while still playing a deft hand. The tart, high acidity is mouthwatering and in great balance. This was a real joy to drink as it showed off a lot of expression, balance, and texture.
The insane art deco bottle attracts a lot of attention and helps establish this as an over-the-top celebratory drink, so it created an appropriate excitement at our Christmas table (served with gravlax). And the wine itself is tasty -- lingeringly fizzy, nicely balanced, with a distinct aftertaste of orange marmalade. It is drinkable now but will improve with age.
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Love the style of Rare. The opposite of Krug (which is also fab but just talking about styles). The Rare is all about precision and freshness with bright citrus and stone fruit. Huge length which is where you get the oak and body coming through. Has layers of flavour. A wine above being a champagne if you know what I mean. I’ve been lucky enough to have various vintages and the 06 is entering its perfect drinking window right now. The 02 is my personal favourite. The 08 not ready yet at all.
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Autumn Wine Dinner. This menu was curated over the course of about 2 months. As a result, every pairing was spot on. Perhaps the finest dinner we have ever hosted, with Miles, MacLeans and Streichenbergers attending and the team of Casals and Lim presenting. As one guest put it: "There are 1, 2 and 3 stars and then there was last night". That pretty well sums it up. In addition to the wines listed, at the end of the meal we sipped '55 Taylor with mignardises.
This was the only wine of the evening that exhibited bottle variation. I have given a score of 95 to the second bottle because it was the least outstanding of the 2 very fine examples. The first bottle was unlike any Champagne I think I have ever tasted. The nose was almost sweet and the palate showed elements of sweet melon as well. And yet, it was not sweet at all. Just incredibly complex and could not have been a better compliment to the cheese course. I would have given the first bottle a score of at least 98. Is that what bottle #2 might have been like had it been given time to evolve? Wow! I hope so. Bottle #2 was also outstanding, but more austere and reserved and no hint of melon, as I might have expected. Lucky are those who have the opportunity to taste the '06 Rare over the next twenty years.
Autumn Wine Dinner November 05, 2022
RECEPTION Ruinart, Blanc des Blancs Brut, France NV
TURBOT MOUSSELINE Candied Lemon, Pickled Beet, Toasted Almonds, Gribiche, Royal Osetra Caviar Thomas-Labaille Sancerre La Côte des Monts Damnés “Cuvée Buster”, France 2020
Might be the best champagne I've ever had, otherwise top 5--linear, lemon acidity, nice minerality, oaky, super refined...shades of Cristal in a good way, very bright and subtle
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Very good stuff! Citrus, green apple, dried apricots, dandelion greens, hints of thyme and sage. Substantial mouse. Improves with a bit of aeration. Very long and persistent finish.
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Oyster shell, green apple tart, Meyer lemon, a hint of salt, and butter croissant on the nose. The palate is magnificent. Round citrus rolls over the palate, with secondary yeast characteristics just starting to unfurl.
The mousse was almost overwhelming upon opening. It tingles the nose, similar to the sensation of smelling salts before a high school football game. After a swirl or two in the glass, though, they settle nicely into the palate.
Would recommend.
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Champagne Brut tasting: Another disappointment, as had hoped it would be the star of the night. I don't personally see the 96 points of WS.
Complex, full, I agree with the briny comment below. Brioche, nuts, very rich. Normally I prefer the brioche styles, but this one didn't do it for me -- too rich and heavy, I guess. Evi's favorite -- she liked the complexity.
I would love to try it with a lobster bisque, as I could imagine this being a magical pairing.
This is the modern Napa of Champagne. Rich and full-bodied, sweeter than your average (intentional Biggie drop), and appealing to those who don't have strong preferences with bubbles.I love it when I'm in a slutty mood, but not a bottle I'd pull for more serious drinkers.
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medium yellow color, very ripe and roasted pear and apple on the nose, on the palate roasted nuts, prominent baked apple note, full body leading into a light finish, minerality present but nearly covered by the large scale fruit, very much a 2006- a vintage I do not personally love- but still a good wine and for those who prefer a richer and fruitier style of champagne this is one of the best 2006s I have encountered.
***, ready to drink
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Loved this. Intense and thrilling as usual. Perhaps just off the quality of the 02, this is still killer and my favorite of the 3 with great chalky length and laser beams of light — 94-95 pts
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SLDS October 2021: Lemon peel, toast, apple and smoky notes on the nose. Quite bracing acid here but the sweet fruits brings it back into nice balance through the mid palate. Good depth and length here.
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Sunday round 2 (Chicago, IL): Very autolytic and bready, along the lines of Pol Roger. Slightly mushroomy (already?!) but with good acidity nonetheless. I have to admit this isn't my preferred style of champagne.
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Lite straw colored, nose is outstandingly inviting with a French vanilla & yeast. Delicate creamy mousse, with Granny Smith apple and ripe D'anjou pear flavors. This wine has a medium lite acidity and is well balanced. Long lingering minerally finish. Should improve with more cellar time, but very nice now! Enjoyed with Ossetra, Creme fresh and homemade buck wheat blinis. Like most wine, improving with oxygen. Could be 96-97 in time.
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This bottle was dominated by its dosage and CO2, and in hindsight we probably should have decanted. It was tasty but a bit soft, and not as strong a showing as the last bottle.
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This is just another cut from the same cloth that appears every few years. This is dense, yeasty, and richer than the 2002 in the bruised apple characteristic. Its a matter of taste, but clearly on target for my expectation from past experience. Ready to go...Drink
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Strikingly tiny bubbles, and that beautiful, baroque Rare nose with toast, apple, lemon zest and a touch of fresh butter. Palate follows the nose and shows the crazy firm structural lines that define this wine for me. Really impressive how much acid this shows in 2006. The palate is slightly closed but the wine is still very enjoyable. The CO2 and SO2 is a bit fierce and knocking this back. It'll be better tomorrow. And sure enough, it is. Nose of salted butter, still the same fierce acidity. Hold.
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(Disgorged in 2019, 30% Pinot Noir and 70% Chardonnay) Light yellow colour with a greenish hue and with an endless stream of very fine bubbles. Youthful nose showing cream, minerals, juniper and a touch of herbs on the delicious nose. Freshness with yellow apples acidity and a touch of juniper on the mineral driven palate that needs time to open up. A nice sweetness of honey and lime on the lengthy finish and with a saltiness on the lips give the perfect finish. (Best 2021-2041)
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Absolutely delicious! Yeasty strawberry and citrus aroma. Super fruity lime, lemon, cherry, and yeast flavors with a long mineral finish. Exceptionally well balanced with lively acidity — tons of life left. Truly exceptional, and a beautiful hand crafted bottle.
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Fresh and clean with some citrus and a minerality that I thought to be wet slate. The minerality and acidity grew stronger and stronger. Wanted more complexity for the price of this but still really good and a joy to drink.
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Certainly approachable, with good acidity and being fairly clean. Not as much complexity as I was hoping though. Could/should further evolve with more cellaring.
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Simply wonderful. Clean, Crisp, Citrus, a minerality that was hard to place but perfect. I've spent more on bottles half as good as this. Paired with pizza, fire, and friends. Peace out 2020.
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Goodbye to 2020 @ JiaHe!: Unlike previous bottles, this has developed and opened up very nicely. Yellow fruits, stone fruits, toasted brioche, yellow flowers, chrysanthemum, citrus, honeysuckle. Creamy on the palate. So good! Very impressed tonight. Open up! 93/94
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Baby Emma is so Rare!: Popped this for Baby Emma today - great with nasi lemak and amidst the hot weather. Enjoyed this again today! Should improve with more time as well. 91/92
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Clear medium light yellow. Creamy, Lemon and apple nose, slight oxidation and nice caramel richness. Dry bruised apple flavours and a long rich finish.
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A solid champagne on the richer and fuller side of the spectrum . Soft toasty , warmer and aided by the 2006 vintage quite on the forward side and very welcoming. Round and lunch, smoky feel as well and with a lot of depth of flavour. 93
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At walkabout tasting small taste. An interesting champagne and drinking well now, it is racy as 06s are, I hear many people are not so fond of the vintage but I see its immediate appeal although not sure about the LT proposition. Some bitter extract here. Not as good as the great 98 served alongside from magnum.
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This out-krugs Krug. Big, bold, expansive, perfect with lobster shabu-shabu. Regis (the winemaker) explained that the heat of 2006 created an exceptional vintage for Champagne, unlike white Burgundies which suffered. A completely different style than 2002. Tasted at a special winemaker's dinner in LA, which actually was to showcase his new Sake collaboration, HeavenSake. I highly recommend the sake as well!
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Serverades denna i Singapore Airlines First klass lounge och det var en riktigt trevlig första dejt! Kan tänka mig att denna fortfarande är ung och delvis outvecklad men jag uppskattade denna mycket! Kommer köpa ett par 2002:or innan de försvinner i årgångsbytet. Måste sedan säga vilken fantastiskt vacker flaska!!
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4/1/2024 - munktun Likes this wine: 90 Points
n: fresh pizza dough
p: complexity, ever evolving. fresh in the fore-p, yeasty. love the grainy texture on the finish
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3/26/2024 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased on release, sound bottle. Tasted in a flight with the 1996 Krug. Rich, lots of brioche, "must have been on the lees forever" was one comment. Great by itself or with food. 4 of 12 (including me) voted this ahead of the Krug (8 of 12), which for me had begun the downside slope of maturity and was a perhaps 93. First time I have had this wine and nearly the level of the fabulous 2008.
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3/17/2024 - WST Likes this wine:
I liked my previous bottles a bit more. Last night, the opulence and density seemed the main feature. Still, good complexity and flavors/scents including apricot and other orchard fruit, intense brioche, and even a little tropical fruit. We all preferred the lithe Guiborat BdB from last night.
If you need a wine to stand up to a strongly flavored meal, this is a good choice.
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2/28/2024 - Greybush79 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just a lovely showing! It is so complex, and a perfect example of age bringing a bottle to life. It is right in the middle of it’s drinking window.
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2/10/2024 - WST Likes this wine:
Excellent, especially for the warm vintage. Lemon, lime, apricot, honey, vanilla. Generous and round on the palate.
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2/9/2024 - DrELW Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was drunk with friends earlier tonight at a restaurant. The wine was a medium yellow color that showed the wines age. What impressed me the most was the mid-palate body and flavors which were full and expressive. A great champagne at 18 years of age.
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1/20/2024 - A&C Likes this wine: 95 Points
Light on its feet. Smooooootttthhhhh!! No bitterness at all from age. Succulent. Delicious. I was lucky to enjoy. Thanks to James for bringing!!
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1/13/2024 - astroman wrote:
Piper Heidsieck Rare Tasting (La Fete): Information from merchant, 70%C, 30%, from 8 different Grand Cru vineyard, not forthcoming in aromas, nutty, touch of spice, hawthorn, lemon on the palate a little light, easy drinking
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1/1/2024 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
New Years Day: Vrai Champagne, Seventh Annual Edition (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Tasting pour. First time with the '06 and it is everything you'd expect, deep and intense, bright orchard fruit, toasty and evocotive. I'm all in.
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1/1/2024 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Drank a small pour at a tasting. This rare is in the zone right now. Full-bodied for champagne with toasty power, elegant fruit and a creamy finish.
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1/1/2024 - MN Wine Junkie Likes this wine: 95 Points
New Years Day Champagne Tasting (Brad's Castle): Very elegant with a creamy element to combine with the acidity. This Champagne was drinking quite well! Lots of creamy stone fruit and citrus, with plenty of yeast and brioche, and throw in a healthy dose of limestone, chalk and wet slate. Everything you would expect from a Grand Cuvee Champagne! Solid 95!
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12/16/2023 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Loved this. Terrific richness and depth, lots of yeasty/bready autolytic notes around a core of ripe fruit and bright acids and effervescence beneath giving it a good sense of energy.
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11/26/2023 - The Wine Monkeys Likes this wine: 93 Points
Toasted brioche, honey, citrus. Time in the glass softened the toast note, showed more fruit and a meringue creaminess.
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11/12/2023 - decaturwinedude wrote: 92 Points
A good bit of dosage. Yeasty. Biscuits. Croissant- Rich white fruit. Peach. Elegant bubble. A tad heavy on dosage for me. Ready to drink. Some hedonistic appeal.
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10/21/2023 - WST wrote:
Tonight’s the first time I opened the 2006. If you like me Taittinger Comtes is generous and the champagne of the vintage, this is a serious contender. Not a BdB, but a very bready, generous wine in terms of body, nose and flavors. Doughy apple and apricot pie, lemon, and a slight reductive note. Luscious mouthfeel and a long finish. I’m going to start opening these with some regularity.
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8/3/2023 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 93 Points
I love how consistently delicious and expressive these Rare bottles are. Immediate hit of brioche, lemon, and honey on the nose that's complemented with lemon curd, cream, a twist of orange zest, and lively acidity on the palate. Great showing for the vintage and still drinking well right now!
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8/1/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 91 Points
Champagnes and Burgundies: Big and broad, clearly a house and from a warmer vintage but so youthful that I guessed 2012. Bready and rich, good for an everyday drinking champagne but not at this price point.
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7/18/2023 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite big and rich but with great precision and freshness. White peach. Some caramel notes. Gorgeous. Long and good complexity. Drink now and over the next decade, tertiary notes of caramel will increase from here on.
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7/6/2023 - EM_MB Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit on the thin side but definitely a crowd favorite
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5/27/2023 - gesusser Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent with Maryland crab cakes
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3/2/2023 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Iki Ramen (Iki Ramen, Los Angeles CA): It is always a treat to have a Piper Rare and this is no different. There is so much depth and class to the nose with loads of toast, brioche, baked apples, pears, quince, honeydew, biscuits, lemon curd, and custard. The Medium bodied feel has a lot of texture, depth, and richness while still playing a deft hand. The tart, high acidity is mouthwatering and in great balance. This was a real joy to drink as it showed off a lot of expression, balance, and texture.
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1/8/2023 - peternelson wrote: flawed
Corked. Yarom Group DD Champagnes at Blooming VIP Chinese.
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12/27/2022 - talbot61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The insane art deco bottle attracts a lot of attention and helps establish this as an over-the-top celebratory drink, so it created an appropriate excitement at our Christmas table (served with gravlax). And the wine itself is tasty -- lingeringly fizzy, nicely balanced, with a distinct aftertaste of orange marmalade. It is drinkable now but will improve with age.
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12/23/2022 - Bolzano2022 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very toasty, bready. Not much fruit remaining.
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11/26/2022 - DonDon wrote: 96 Points
Love the style of Rare. The opposite of Krug (which is also fab but just talking about styles). The Rare is all about precision and freshness with bright citrus and stone fruit. Huge length which is where you get the oak and body coming through. Has layers of flavour. A wine above being a champagne if you know what I mean. I’ve been lucky enough to have various vintages and the 06 is entering its perfect drinking window right now. The 02 is my personal favourite. The 08 not ready yet at all.
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11/5/2022 - MacLean1959 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Autumn Wine Dinner. This menu was curated over the course of about 2 months. As a result, every pairing was spot on. Perhaps the finest dinner we have ever hosted, with Miles, MacLeans and Streichenbergers attending and the team of Casals and Lim presenting. As one guest put it: "There are 1, 2 and 3 stars and then there was last night". That pretty well sums it up. In addition to the wines listed, at the end of the meal we sipped '55 Taylor with mignardises.
This was the only wine of the evening that exhibited bottle variation. I have given a score of 95 to the second bottle because it was the least outstanding of the 2 very fine examples. The first bottle was unlike any Champagne I think I have ever tasted. The nose was almost sweet and the palate showed elements of sweet melon as well. And yet, it was not sweet at all. Just incredibly complex and could not have been a better compliment to the cheese course. I would have given the first bottle a score of at least 98. Is that what bottle #2 might have been like had it been given time to evolve? Wow! I hope so. Bottle #2 was also outstanding, but more austere and reserved and no hint of melon, as I might have expected. Lucky are those who have the opportunity to taste the '06 Rare over the next twenty years.
Autumn Wine Dinner
November 05, 2022
RECEPTION
Ruinart, Blanc des Blancs Brut, France NV
TURBOT MOUSSELINE
Candied Lemon, Pickled Beet, Toasted Almonds,
Gribiche, Royal Osetra Caviar
Thomas-Labaille Sancerre La Côte des Monts Damnés
“Cuvée Buster”, France 2020
FOIE GRAS TORCHON
Preserved Muscadine Fluid Gel, Shallot Marmalade,
Toasted Brioche, Vanilla Oil
Markus Molitor, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Riesling Auslese
3* GoldKapsel, Mosel Germany 2013
PAN SEARED SCALLOP
Cauliflower Purée, Hon-shimeji, Sea Urchin “Choron” Emulsion,
Confit Tomato, Micro Fines Herbs Salad, Samphire
Domaine/Maison Vincent Girardin Meursault 1er Cru “Les Perrières” 2019
PAN ROASTED BEEF SPINALIS
Robuchon Potatoes, Chanterelle/Matsutake Sauté,
Cardamon Carrots, Yakiniku Dipping Sauce
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage Rouge, Rhône Valley, France 2009
GOAT CHEESE BAVARIAN MOUSSE
Fig and Port Gelée, Date Purée, Oat Streusel, Pickled Butternut Squash
Piper-Heidsieck Champagne ‘Cuvée Rare’ Brut, France 2006
ANJOU PEAR TARTE TATIN
Hazelnut Crumble, Pecan Praline Ice Cream
Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, France 2001
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10/22/2022 - richshoes Likes this wine: 97 Points
Might be the best champagne I've ever had, otherwise top 5--linear, lemon acidity, nice minerality, oaky, super refined...shades of Cristal in a good way, very bright and subtle
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9/15/2022 - Mayotay Likes this wine:
Drank with Chris Julie Janette Pete Sheri Chris Meg Raul
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3/18/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bright color, deep nose and palate feel, Chardonnay with its lemon. Just the right btl on a great night. Buy/drink/hold.
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2/5/2022 - dongotti wrote:
On opening bright and acidic, more brioche notes as it opened. Overall good vintage.
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1/2/2022 - BeckyNeal12 Likes this wine:
Aromas: honey, lemon, buttered toast, yellow apple skin
Palate: elegant, fine lingering bubbles, moussy, beautifully balanced acidity, zesty mid-palate, toast on the finish
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1/1/2022 - Aris1a Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good stuff! Citrus, green apple, dried apricots, dandelion greens, hints of thyme and sage. Substantial mouse. Improves with a bit of aeration. Very long and persistent finish.
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12/31/2021 - AndrewWill Likes this wine: 93 Points
My NYE wine. Drinking beautifully now.
Oyster shell, green apple tart, Meyer lemon, a hint of salt, and butter croissant on the nose. The palate is magnificent. Round citrus rolls over the palate, with secondary yeast characteristics just starting to unfurl.
The mousse was almost overwhelming upon opening. It tingles the nose, similar to the sensation of smelling salts before a high school football game. After a swirl or two in the glass, though, they settle nicely into the palate.
Would recommend.
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12/28/2021 - Sean McGrath wrote: 91 Points
Champagne Brut tasting: Another disappointment, as had hoped it would be the star of the night. I don't personally see the 96 points of WS.
Complex, full, I agree with the briny comment below. Brioche, nuts, very rich. Normally I prefer the brioche styles, but this one didn't do it for me -- too rich and heavy, I guess. Evi's favorite -- she liked the complexity.
I would love to try it with a lobster bisque, as I could imagine this being a magical pairing.
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12/27/2021 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is the modern Napa of Champagne. Rich and full-bodied, sweeter than your average (intentional Biggie drop), and appealing to those who don't have strong preferences with bubbles.I love it when I'm in a slutty mood, but not a bottle I'd pull for more serious drinkers.
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12/10/2021 - HRT wrote:
Bright, fresh, beautiful notes of pear, apricot, lemon. Palate shows powerful intensity, minerals and brioche. Finish is long and lovely.
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11/6/2021 - GraffCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mousse so fine — I could barley find any bubbles!
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11/6/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
medium yellow color, very ripe and roasted pear and apple on the nose, on the palate roasted nuts, prominent baked apple note, full body leading into a light finish, minerality present but nearly covered by the large scale fruit, very much a 2006- a vintage I do not personally love- but still a good wine and for those who prefer a richer and fruitier style of champagne this is one of the best 2006s I have encountered.
***, ready to drink
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11/5/2021 - blanquito wrote:
Loved this. Intense and thrilling as usual. Perhaps just off the quality of the 02, this is still killer and my favorite of the 3 with great chalky length and laser beams of light — 94-95 pts
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10/20/2021 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
SLDS October 2021: Lemon peel, toast, apple and smoky notes on the nose. Quite bracing acid here but the sweet fruits brings it back into nice balance through the mid palate. Good depth and length here.
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10/9/2021 - jkuanl wrote:
Strong grilled toast and brioche aromas, after awhile the yelllow orchard fruits peek through. Full bodied, good acidity. Nice, young
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10/5/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 90 Points
Slightly yeasty, rich fibrous fruit, and strong palate and body. A bit rich for me with light effervescence and stylistically not something I prefer
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9/19/2021 - acyso wrote:
Sunday round 2 (Chicago, IL): Very autolytic and bready, along the lines of Pol Roger. Slightly mushroomy (already?!) but with good acidity nonetheless. I have to admit this isn't my preferred style of champagne.
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9/4/2021 - EM_MB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hold. I suspect will get much better over time.
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9/3/2021 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lite straw colored, nose is outstandingly inviting with a French vanilla & yeast. Delicate creamy mousse, with Granny Smith apple and ripe D'anjou pear flavors. This wine has a medium lite acidity and is well balanced. Long lingering minerally finish. Should improve with more cellar time, but very nice now! Enjoyed with Ossetra, Creme fresh and homemade buck wheat blinis. Like most wine, improving with oxygen. Could be 96-97 in time.
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8/12/2021 - 5laton wrote:
This bottle was dominated by its dosage and CO2, and in hindsight we probably should have decanted. It was tasty but a bit soft, and not as strong a showing as the last bottle.
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8/9/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
This is just another cut from the same cloth that appears every few years. This is dense, yeasty, and richer than the 2002 in the bruised apple characteristic. Its a matter of taste, but clearly on target for my expectation from past experience. Ready to go...Drink
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7/31/2021 - 5laton wrote:
Strikingly tiny bubbles, and that beautiful, baroque Rare nose with toast, apple, lemon zest and a touch of fresh butter. Palate follows the nose and shows the crazy firm structural lines that define this wine for me. Really impressive how much acid this shows in 2006. The palate is slightly closed but the wine is still very enjoyable. The CO2 and SO2 is a bit fierce and knocking this back. It'll be better tomorrow.
And sure enough, it is. Nose of salted butter, still the same fierce acidity. Hold.
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7/19/2021 - thewiz Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Disgorged in 2019, 30% Pinot Noir and 70% Chardonnay)
Light yellow colour with a greenish hue and with an endless stream of very fine bubbles. Youthful nose showing cream, minerals, juniper and a touch of herbs on the delicious nose. Freshness with yellow apples acidity and a touch of juniper on the mineral driven palate that needs time to open up. A nice sweetness of honey and lime on the lengthy finish and with a saltiness on the lips give the perfect finish.
(Best 2021-2041)
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7/13/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Italian Wine Dinner with Cedar (Oceanique - Evanston IL): Very rich, this is clearly in that bready / toasty style I associate with Heidsieck. Good depth, even better textures.
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6/25/2021 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely delicious! Yeasty strawberry and citrus aroma. Super fruity lime, lemon, cherry, and yeast flavors with a long mineral finish. Exceptionally well balanced with lively acidity — tons of life left. Truly exceptional, and a beautiful hand crafted bottle.
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3/28/2021 - winebytoth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fresh and clean with some citrus and a minerality that I thought to be wet slate. The minerality and acidity grew stronger and stronger. Wanted more complexity for the price of this but still really good and a joy to drink.
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12/31/2020 - Slaz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Certainly approachable, with good acidity and being fairly clean. Not as much complexity as I was hoping though. Could/should further evolve with more cellaring.
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12/31/2020 - Trinitynzxt wrote: 94 Points
Simply wonderful. Clean, Crisp, Citrus, a minerality that was hard to place but perfect. I've spent more on bottles half as good as this. Paired with pizza, fire, and friends. Peace out 2020.
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12/30/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Goodbye to 2020 @ JiaHe!: Unlike previous bottles, this has developed and opened up very nicely. Yellow fruits, stone fruits, toasted brioche, yellow flowers, chrysanthemum, citrus, honeysuckle. Creamy on the palate. So good! Very impressed tonight. Open up! 93/94
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12/25/2020 - EM_MB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thoroughly enjoyable but I suspect will improve.
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9/18/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Baby Emma is so Rare!: Popped this for Baby Emma today - great with nasi lemak and amidst the hot weather. Enjoyed this again today! Should improve with more time as well. 91/92
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9/8/2020 - Gemmink wrote: 92 Points
Excellent as always but it can’t beat the 02..
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8/15/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine Night @ Imperial Great World City!: Nice textures and this is maturing well. Better than my last try
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6/19/2020 - Tim Heaton wrote:
lots of heft. needs more freshness. drinks well, but nothing exciting here.
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5/1/2020 - kunikos wrote:
.
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5/1/2020 - kunikos Likes this wine:
Good
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3/28/2020 - dnnk88 wrote: 91 Points
March babies @ Cicheti: not bad but probably needs more time to develop further for me. Fresh and nice acidity but not much depth and complexity.
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3/12/2020 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine:
golden color, clear, crystaline, straight bubble line, yeasty, brioche, butter, croissant, minerality, white pepper, woody, spicy, bruised fruit, sandalwood, good acidity & length, freshness, white chocolate, round with crisp balanced acidity, nice soft bubbles
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2/27/2020 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Clear medium light yellow. Creamy, Lemon and apple nose, slight oxidation and nice caramel richness. Dry bruised apple flavours and a long rich finish.
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1/18/2020 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
A solid champagne on the richer and fuller side of the spectrum . Soft toasty , warmer and aided by the 2006 vintage quite on the forward side and very welcoming. Round and lunch, smoky feel as well and with a lot of depth of flavour. 93
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12/14/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine:
Quite concentrated and hefty, with pleasing notes of brioche and saline aspects, though the acid was higher than I prefer.
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12/7/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 92 Points
not blind
I expected more roasted Aromas as the 2002 but this is more elegant and balanced. Sugar a bit too high. 92+
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11/11/2019 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Showing really well now, yeasty, brioche, white cake, autolysis, full bodied yet elegant. Excellent PN/Chard blend. Southern Tasting
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11/2/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
At walkabout tasting small taste. An interesting champagne and drinking well now, it is racy as 06s are, I hear many people are not so fond of the vintage but I see its immediate appeal although not sure about the LT proposition. Some bitter extract here. Not as good as the great 98 served alongside from magnum.
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10/2/2019 - SurfBurg wrote: 96 Points
This out-krugs Krug. Big, bold, expansive, perfect with lobster shabu-shabu. Regis (the winemaker) explained that the heat of 2006 created an exceptional vintage for Champagne, unlike white Burgundies which suffered. A completely different style than 2002. Tasted at a special winemaker's dinner in LA, which actually was to showcase his new Sake collaboration, HeavenSake. I highly recommend the sake as well!
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7/11/2019 - 1W2T Likes this wine: 94 Points
Serverades denna i Singapore Airlines First klass lounge och det var en riktigt trevlig första dejt! Kan tänka mig att denna fortfarande är ung och delvis outvecklad men jag uppskattade denna mycket! Kommer köpa ett par 2002:or innan de försvinner i årgångsbytet. Måste sedan säga vilken fantastiskt vacker flaska!!
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6/21/2019 - pclin wrote:
Drinking well on its own but lack details vs ‘09 Dom Pérignon next to it. Very floral on the nose. Wide opened and finished with citrus bitterness.
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3/8/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 93 Points
SIA Wine Week; 3/4/2019-3/8/2019 (Singapore Airlines): Strong, with a base of brine, and some florals and peach, with brioche towards the finish. Nice!
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