Medium golden color with very fine, tiny beading; nose showed baked apple and honeyed sweetness though nothing cloying; some mature notes of toffee gently emerge as it warms in the glass. Very refined and gentle , exuding richness and class. Truly a great bottle. 94+
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What a triumph in this stage in evolution! Very poised and sweet with aromas of baked apple, toffee/brown spices and subtle chalky minerality both on the nose and palate. Very tender and nuanced with much softer mousse at this point. Barest hint of ginger at this opens up. Integrated acidity makes this very in balance. World-class! Drink now.
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I’ve been very fortunate to drink some amazing champagne over the last year or so. In this format (magnum), this was up there with the very best. Rich, golden colour with absolutely perfect balance and great precision. Wish we’d had more time to let it develop in the glass and assess its evolution with some more air but it was in just such a perfect place that everyone piled in! An interesting contrast with the 96 bolly rd from regular bottles the following evening.
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A little too mature for my liking with flavours of toffee and caramel. Nonetheless, bags of complexity. Smooth and rounded with still sufficient acidity to hold it together. Not yet oxidised but needed drinking
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From magnum. Starting to drink really well in this format. Gold colour with fine bead. Very typical, robust Deutz style. Pure and clean rather than oxidative but darker/meaty toasted flavour profile. Very popular and 2 mags disappeared fast amongst 10 of us!
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Quite dark yellow color and only few bubbles visible. Strong fruit and acidity and initially good mousse. But faded fast. This champagne has everything. But too much of everything in my taste. This is a fat and rich style and not very reserved.
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In a fantastic spot right now. Fresh and vibrant, with lots of energy on the palate. Toasty, yeasty notes to go along with the pear and citrus fruits. Well-balanced with very fresh acidity. Really nice and should go for awhile longer. Glad to have more.
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Fall auctions return - Acker Sept 2016 (Marea in NYC): Just completely over its skis compared to the rest of the line-up on the table. Didn't take detailed notes on it (we were gearing up for a long day as we had another tasting in the afternoon) so the most I can say is one of those wines where it's not worth wasting any of the palette or tolerance on it (at least compared to the others).
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Much more of a bruiser than the 88 and 90 served alongside it. The only wine today with notes of bruised apples. Some real weight here and I suspect that this will age well for a long time still.
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93-94. Delicious bottle of bubbly. Definite notes of age: roasted nuts, almond skin, a bit of toast. Masculine and a bit bold, needs food. Acidity is still present and the mousse is big and bold. Not terribly elegant but high quality. Seemed even a bit disjointed but that did not detract from the enjoyment, just the style of the house. Honey notes too but almost an overlay. Can continue to see age but drinking well now. A good representation of 1996 for sure!
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Very elegant, mature and smooth Champagne. Nicely toasted on the palate with notes of nuts, brioche and honey. Perfect balance, no hard edges. This is really drinking well right now.
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Certainly not flawed or disjointed, but this champagne from a great vintage just doesn't make the grade for a tete de cuvee. Medium weight. No flavor center, not especially crisp.
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Birthday Celebration (Balena - Chicago IL): Good balance of apple and citrus aromas and flavors along with broad, bready/ yeasty character. Not quite as fresh and citrus as iI recall from a few years back, with the bready character now more in the forefront. Still drinking very nicely, but I would drink up if you also prefer that leaner, fresher style.
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Golden yellow, just starting to show signs of age. This wine is all about finess where as the Dom is more about power. Fine mousse with notes of toasted brioche smothered in honey, autolysis, marzipan, pear nectar, and a touch of orange blossom. Many of these repeat on the palate but the one thing you cant get away from is the great honeyed mouthfeel. Despite some of the other reviews here I think this will show well for several years to come. Sure its well into it's drinking window but as the color, acidity, and flavour profile show, I would say this should drink well for at least another 5 - 7 yrs.
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Very nice and fruity. Pears, peach, baked apple, ginger, oyster, dough and yeast. Very full and round. Bubbles nice right now, but nearing an end. Color is yellow and a bit reddish. Not my favorite style, but good never the less.
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Dinner at Pinot Provence. Opens with opulent aromas of baked apples, poached pears, honey, and gingerbread. With air the wine opens up and becomes more complex and lacey, displaying notes oyster shell, sea spray, fresh ginger, and yellow apples. Stylish and refined on the palate and seductive in an understated way. 92-93 points.
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Top Volnay Producers and Vineyards 1971-2006 (Custom House Tavern - Chicago IL): Another 1996 drinking very nicely now. Aromas and flavors of apple, pears and some toasted walnuts. Good energy. More in the "bread/yeast" style of Champagne, which I don't like quite as much as the "citrus/lean" style, but very good in in its style.
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LdC Top Volnay Shootout (Custom House): This is a really lovely champagne that is drinking beautifully right now. Have had several bottles over the past few months and none have disappointed. Great energy and focus with a reasonable bread/yeast element.
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Exceptionally good. Mature nose is unmistakably baked apple with a touch of caramel and whiff of oxidation. On the palate this has matured nicely and is showing some secondary nuttiness and depth to go along with the youthful fruit and acidity. This expands and gains complexity with air. Surprisingly mature, this is in a great place right now--as it straddles the line, offering the vivacity of young Champagne with the balance and depth of mature bubbly. Opened by a friend and I will be seeking this out.
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Drinking well already, this is a friendly, stylish, easy going champagne that does not exhibit the usual searing 1996 acidity. Unusually expressive for relatively young champagne, there is lots of citrus and underlying tone of lightly toasted white bread. More gentle than one might expect from the cepage of 75 PN/25 CH. Delightful but not profound.
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This wine keeps getting better and better. Notes of gingerbread, graphite, honey, green apples, and lemon pulp. Refined on the palate with excellent length and acidity. A really fine Champagne and terrific way to celebrate!
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Delicious apertif. First course. Served with poached salmon, roasted beet, sweet cream and fresh herbs. Typical '96 mouth-watering, food-friendly profile. Drinking beautifully now, with another decade ahead of it. Brilliant!
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Vintage Champagne (Grape Radio - Tustin, CA): A very precise champagne. Clean notes of green apple, graphite, and honey. Nose picks up caramel with more air. Well structured, elegant, and balanced. This should be a beauty in a couple more years. 92-93 points.
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Dark golden color with very fine mousse. Toasty, caramelly, nutty, and appley on the nose. Excellent round, apples/citrus, caramel on the palate. A really nice balance of bigness and liveliness with the acidity/citrus notes. A truly great champagne, and, in contrast to many 96s I've tasted recently, drinking fabulously now.
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(Had this at the Inn at Little Washington.) Light, lithe, and harmonious, with a sweet caramel-and-apple nose followed by a savory, succulent, biting, yet balanced palate of citrus and toast. The mid-length to long finish shows some minerality to give this yet another dimension. It's a well-crafted wine with a refined mousse, and it warrants consideration as one of Champagne's top cuvees.
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Toasted apple flavors with just a bit of fig, and some prominent biscuit and nut on the moderately long finish. I really enjoyed this. Seems like it performed every bit as well as more expensive cuvees.
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2006 Champagne Tasting (Part II) (Binny's): An impressive champagne. 55% Pinot Noir, 35% chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier. I was surprised to hear that Meunier made it into the blend of a tete du cuvee. An intrigueing spiciness on the nose. Lots of character. Notes of cashew and bread dough. Smooth finish. 93 points.
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Poured at a retailer tasting. Nice yellow color. The nose is initially nutty, followed by apple and dough notes. Very nice texture, wih dough, mushroom and pear flavors. Finishes well.
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Color is pale golden. Nose of tart apple, spice, and a hint of yeast. On the palate it comes across as a laser beam of precise tart apple/lemon flavors with a supporting doughy flavor. Has a very fine mousse as well. This champagne manages to be both refreshing and clean as well as reasonably weighty and does it with incredible elegance. A true pleasure and a nice alternative to some of the more oft consumed premium champagnes.
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7/4/2022 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium golden color with very fine, tiny beading; nose showed baked apple and honeyed sweetness though nothing cloying; some mature notes of toffee gently emerge as it warms in the glass. Very refined and gentle , exuding richness and class. Truly a great bottle. 94+
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7/4/2022 - Xavier94 Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a triumph in this stage in evolution! Very poised and sweet with aromas of baked apple, toffee/brown spices and subtle chalky minerality both on the nose and palate. Very tender and nuanced with much softer mousse at this point. Barest hint of ginger at this opens up. Integrated acidity makes this very in balance. World-class! Drink now.
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3/4/2022 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
My last mag. Nothing like as advanced as the last 2 mags. Indeed, really quite taut/coiled and took several hours to start loosening up a bit.
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2/25/2022 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
From mag. Pale gold colour. Rich, oyster shell nose. Still quite young and tight. Very dry finish with an odd, powerful curry powder aroma.
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1/14/2022 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
I’ve been very fortunate to drink some amazing champagne over the last year or so. In this format (magnum), this was up there with the very best. Rich, golden colour with absolutely perfect balance and great precision. Wish we’d had more time to let it develop in the glass and assess its evolution with some more air but it was in just such a perfect place that everyone piled in! An interesting contrast with the 96 bolly rd from regular bottles the following evening.
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7/6/2021 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 89 Points
A little too mature for my liking with flavours of toffee and caramel. Nonetheless, bags of complexity. Smooth and rounded with still sufficient acidity to hold it together. Not yet oxidised but needed drinking
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1/10/2020 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
From magnum. Starting to drink really well in this format. Gold colour with fine bead. Very typical, robust Deutz style. Pure and clean rather than oxidative but darker/meaty toasted flavour profile. Very popular and 2 mags disappeared fast amongst 10 of us!
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5/3/2019 - Tartiflette wrote: 91 Points
Quite dark yellow color and only few bubbles visible. Strong fruit and acidity and initially good mousse. But faded fast. This champagne has everything. But too much of everything in my taste. This is a fat and rich style and not very reserved.
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6/23/2018 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 94 Points
In a fantastic spot right now. Fresh and vibrant, with lots of energy on the palate. Toasty, yeasty notes to go along with the pear and citrus fruits. Well-balanced with very fresh acidity. Really nice and should go for awhile longer. Glad to have more.
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2/25/2017 - JOsgood wrote: 95 Points
Wow, outstanding Champagne. In an amazing spot right now, fully secondary baby.
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12/31/2016 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nutty and full-bodied, it seems older than the BdB, not quite as fresh or vibrant but still very enjoyable.
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9/25/2016 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Absolutely singing from magnum!
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9/10/2016 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Fall auctions return - Acker Sept 2016 (Marea in NYC): Just completely over its skis compared to the rest of the line-up on the table. Didn't take detailed notes on it (we were gearing up for a long day as we had another tasting in the afternoon) so the most I can say is one of those wines where it's not worth wasting any of the palette or tolerance on it (at least compared to the others).
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9/9/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 89 Points
Pre-Auction Dinner (Morini): Good nose but short and tight on the palate. Very dry, very bitter. Slightly metallic in the aftertaste. Underwhelming.
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7/30/2016 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Much more of a bruiser than the 88 and 90 served alongside it. The only wine today with notes of bruised apples. Some real weight here and I suspect that this will age well for a long time still.
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12/28/2013 - NNV Likes this wine: 93 Points
93-94. Delicious bottle of bubbly. Definite notes of age: roasted nuts, almond skin, a bit of toast. Masculine and a bit bold, needs food. Acidity is still present and the mousse is big and bold. Not terribly elegant but high quality. Seemed even a bit disjointed but that did not detract from the enjoyment, just the style of the house. Honey notes too but almost an overlay. Can continue to see age but drinking well now. A good representation of 1996 for sure!
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10/25/2013 - johneagle Likes this wine: 92 Points
No hint of age at all. Presented blind and consensus was that it was 2002. Fresh acidity, perhaps a touch short of fruit but very good.
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9/14/2013 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful; Smooth mouse; A bit of delicious sweetness; Wonderful development; Excellent
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6/18/2013 - bza Likes this wine:
Very elegant, mature and smooth Champagne. Nicely toasted on the palate with notes of nuts, brioche and honey. Perfect balance, no hard edges. This is really drinking well right now.
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12/8/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Eighth Annual White Truffle Dinner (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Fresh and precise, coming across as more citrus and lean than I recall from prior tasting. Moderate fruit intensity and concentration.
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9/1/2012 - sdr wrote: 86 Points
Certainly not flawed or disjointed, but this champagne from a great vintage just doesn't make the grade for a tete de cuvee. Medium weight. No flavor center, not especially crisp.
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6/26/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Birthday Celebration (Balena - Chicago IL): Good balance of apple and citrus aromas and flavors along with broad, bready/ yeasty character. Not quite as fresh and citrus as iI recall from a few years back, with the bready character now more in the forefront. Still drinking very nicely, but I would drink up if you also prefer that leaner, fresher style.
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2/18/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote: 96 Points
Golden yellow, just starting to show signs of age. This wine is all about finess where as the Dom is more about power. Fine mousse with notes of toasted brioche smothered in honey, autolysis, marzipan, pear nectar, and a touch of orange blossom. Many of these repeat on the palate but the one thing you cant get away from is the great honeyed mouthfeel. Despite some of the other reviews here I think this will show well for several years to come. Sure its well into it's drinking window but as the color, acidity, and flavour profile show, I would say this should drink well for at least another 5 - 7 yrs.
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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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10/20/2011 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Almost too easy to like. Soft, extremely fruity (pear, passionfruit), almost tropical. Low acidity. Drink soon, this is not an ager.
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10/8/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Medium bodied with citrus, toast and just a dash of honey.
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9/29/2011 - Tartiflette wrote: 91 Points
Very nice and fruity. Pears, peach, baked apple, ginger, oyster, dough and yeast. Very full and round. Bubbles nice right now, but nearing an end. Color is yellow and a bit reddish. Not my favorite style, but good never the less.
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8/23/2011 - Paul Lin wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Pinot Provence. Opens with opulent aromas of baked apples, poached pears, honey, and gingerbread. With air the wine opens up and becomes more complex and lacey, displaying notes oyster shell, sea spray, fresh ginger, and yellow apples. Stylish and refined on the palate and seductive in an understated way. 92-93 points.
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1/11/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Top Volnay Producers and Vineyards 1971-2006 (Custom House Tavern - Chicago IL): Another 1996 drinking very nicely now. Aromas and flavors of apple, pears and some toasted walnuts. Good energy. More in the "bread/yeast" style of Champagne, which I don't like quite as much as the "citrus/lean" style, but very good in in its style.
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1/11/2010 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
LdC Top Volnay Shootout (Custom House): This is a really lovely champagne that is drinking beautifully right now. Have had several bottles over the past few months and none have disappointed. Great energy and focus with a reasonable bread/yeast element.
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9/3/2009 - rc@ughey wrote: 94 Points
Exceptionally good. Mature nose is unmistakably baked apple with a touch of caramel and whiff of oxidation. On the palate this has matured nicely and is showing some secondary nuttiness and depth to go along with the youthful fruit and acidity. This expands and gains complexity with air. Surprisingly mature, this is in a great place right now--as it straddles the line, offering the vivacity of young Champagne with the balance and depth of mature bubbly. Opened by a friend and I will be seeking this out.
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3/21/2009 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well already, this is a friendly, stylish, easy going champagne that does not exhibit the usual searing 1996 acidity. Unusually expressive for relatively young champagne, there is lots of citrus and underlying tone of lightly toasted white bread. More gentle than one might expect from the cepage of 75 PN/25 CH. Delightful but not profound.
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11/4/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 93 Points
This wine keeps getting better and better. Notes of gingerbread, graphite, honey, green apples, and lemon pulp. Refined on the palate with excellent length and acidity. A really fine Champagne and terrific way to celebrate!
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5/27/2008 - sawira wrote: 93 Points
Delicious apertif. First course. Served with poached salmon, roasted beet, sweet cream and fresh herbs. Typical '96 mouth-watering, food-friendly profile. Drinking beautifully now, with another decade ahead of it. Brilliant!
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12/30/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
New Year's Weekend; 12/28/2007-1/1/2008 (Northern Wisconsin): Another nice bottle of champagne. Fell just a bit short of Krug / Laurent Perrier.
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12/10/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 92 Points
Vintage Champagne (Grape Radio - Tustin, CA): A very precise champagne. Clean notes of green apple, graphite, and honey. Nose picks up caramel with more air. Well structured, elegant, and balanced. This should be a beauty in a couple more years. 92-93 points.
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11/25/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Nutty, yeasty, with a bit of a tart edge on the finish. FBM and G. both enjoyed this.
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8/5/2007 - TheWinePair wrote: 95 Points
Yeasty, baked apple. Great tasting champagne
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6/2/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 91 Points
Still needs a lot of time. Feminine in style, with green apple, lemon, and almond flavors. 90-91 points.
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5/13/2007 - Greg Pierce wrote:
Dark golden color with very fine mousse. Toasty, caramelly, nutty, and appley on the nose. Excellent round, apples/citrus, caramel on the palate. A really nice balance of bigness and liveliness with the acidity/citrus notes. A truly great champagne, and, in contrast to many 96s I've tasted recently, drinking fabulously now.
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4/8/2007 - Stephan O wrote: 95 Points
(Had this at the Inn at Little Washington.) Light, lithe, and harmonious, with a sweet caramel-and-apple nose followed by a savory, succulent, biting, yet balanced palate of citrus and toast. The mid-length to long finish shows some minerality to give this yet another dimension. It's a well-crafted wine with a refined mousse, and it warrants consideration as one of Champagne's top cuvees.
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2/12/2007 - Old_Winyards wrote: 94 Points
Toasted apple flavors with just a bit of fig, and some prominent biscuit and nut on the moderately long finish. I really enjoyed this. Seems like it performed every bit as well as more expensive cuvees.
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12/29/2006 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Pale yellow color. Nice texture and weight, with pear, caramel and nut flavors.
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12/28/2006 - lars1014 wrote: 91 Points
Top Flight Burgundy in DC - Respects to President Ford (Washington DC - Cafe 15): Pale salmon in color, bright acidity with hints of light cherry, brioche, and anise round out this compelling Champagne.
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12/9/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
2006 Champagne Tasting (Part II) (Binny's): An impressive champagne. 55% Pinot Noir, 35% chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier. I was surprised to hear that Meunier made it into the blend of a tete du cuvee. An intrigueing spiciness on the nose. Lots of character. Notes of cashew and bread dough. Smooth finish. 93 points.
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12/8/2006 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Nice yellow color. The nose is initially nutty, followed by apple and dough notes. Very nice texture, wih dough, mushroom and pear flavors. Finishes well.
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11/18/2006 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Golden, very fine bead, on the palate, vanilla, vinous, overall a bit sweet
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12/26/2005 - Louise P wrote: 92 Points
Deep golden color; smooth; citrusy and toasty; full in the mouth; even better as it warmed in the glass; nice finish; excellent
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11/11/2005 - Wrighty wrote: 92 Points
1980's Chateau Margaux night (Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Light nose, slightly yeasty/toasty brioche. Medium fine mousse, bright acidity and a little buttery.
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7/30/2005 - Thilo wrote: 95 Points
Color is pale golden. Nose of tart apple, spice, and a hint of yeast. On the palate it comes across as a laser beam of precise tart apple/lemon flavors with a supporting doughy flavor. Has a very fine mousse as well. This champagne manages to be both refreshing and clean as well as reasonably weighty and does it with incredible elegance. A true pleasure and a nice alternative to some of the more oft consumed premium champagnes.
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