Perfect bottle, stored since release. Really lovely mousse, quite deep fruit. Showing expected mature notes. But still energetic in the glass. In a perfect spot for my taste.
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Holiday Dinner - Mostly Bordeaux (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Advanced color and a bit cloudy which is not a good sign. A bit too advanced, not a correct example. Orange peel, baked apple, a hint of madeira/white chocolate. Shy mousse which is another indicator that this was poorly cellared. The favorite CDC of the flight for a couple participants.
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Pulled two bottles of this for this NYC visit, one 95 and one 93-94 with a little more oxidization. The better one was in line with my 2018 and 2019 notes with gorgeous golden fruit and surprising freshness. Clean blanc de blanc, creamy, subtle toast, faint baking spice. Crisp palate with some yellow citrus still. Wish I had more.
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Lafarge and d'Angerville study (Chicago, IL): I think I liked this a little less than a few years ago. The nose here is pretty textbook old champagne, with some mushroomy notes, but more of a sweet caramel-like quality as well. That caramel sweetness is more accentuated on the palate, and even though there is acidity here, it doesn't play quite as big a role as it needs to. The ripeness of the vintage shows, and causes the fruit and sweetness to come to the forefront. Fully mature, and not my preferred style of champagne, but I did appreciate this one some.
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You have to enjoy the semi-oxidized profile of very old champagne to appreciate this one. K, tasting it blind, thought is was a ‘76, a reasonable guess. The bottle was well stored and other bottles were very enjoyable as recently as 5 years ago. Very good mousse, medium gold, nice acidity. It’s by no means bad or spoiled, just an extreme example with clear notes of sherry. Only Dom Pérignon and Krug seem to reach the triple decade mark without overt oxidation.
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Beautiful golden color, fine mousse, honeyed brioche, yellow fruits, hints of lemon tart. Still has lively acidity to go with an underlying creamy texture. Delicious mature champagne with plenty of life left here.
Great fun to drink alongside the younger, brighter 1995 and 1996 as the opening flight for a wonderful evening exploring the Chevalier Montrachets of the Colin Family (1986-2011)
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This is a wonderful, caramel brioche golden goddess of a wine. It's mature, and it's got that ripe '90 signature, which makes it pretty beastly for a Comtes, but there's plenty of raw backbone and vibrancy to keep it from tipping over into a caricature. Acid to die for. My dilemma is I'd love to drink these now and I think it's time, but I also only have 3 left and hate to see them go.
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Honeyed nose, almond and praline. Slightly more advanced than my last bottles of this, which were impossibly fresh and bright. Plate here is still terrific with ripe but mature golden fruit. Dense but still delicious. I’d say the palate is much better than the nose on this bottle. Near complete maturity but lots of energy still. Salted caramel. Blanc de Blanc cream is browning slightly. I’d still bank on these ten-plus years.
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Acker 2018/11 (Marea): Great pop. Coming together quite nicely with a concentrated nose across lemon, toast, yeast, honey, pineapple and caramel. Slightly too acidic. 92
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Château Margaux vertical dinner (Taberna Del Alabardero): I love the elegance here. Such finesse on the palate, such fine citrus notes including lemon cake. The warmth of the vintage yields baked apple (more a suggestion) with burgeoning oxidative notes that do not obstruct but rather enhance the experience: almond and touches of hazelnut, but never going to "Sherry". There is opulence as well as wet stone like purity. A finish that is bracing yet balanced.
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Mugnier Musigny Dinner (Blue Hill (NYC)): Going to try to get a few proper notes on this as I’ve opened and drank a few lately without writing about them, and they really are terrific. Big brioche, yeasty, and leesy, nose with ripe golden pineapple, peach, and apple too. Fresh and energetic but with a ton of developed fall spice like clove and cinnamon. Whiffs of vanilla bean. Slightly oxidative in style, but only in positive ways. Dense creamy palate, rich Chardonnay fruit.
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Very impressive, though not quite on the level of my last experience with this. This is a big wine with a ton of ripeness - the nose has rich honeyed and slightly burnished characteristics with faint nutty elements emerging with more air, though the palate is much fresher, showing lots of rich white fruit, bread/yeasty savouriness, and good acidity and effervescence keeping it bright and lively.
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Initially served at cellar temperature, where the nose was super fat and intrusive with ripe butterscotch/caramel notes. Cooling it down and giving it some air really helped bring it into balance. The palate is still ripe and showy, but it's also plenty lifted and clean, with a great acidic streak. Settled, complementary mousse. This didn't quite live up to a bottle from the early part of last year, and I'm not sure how much benefit will be gained from holding these, but it's very nice now.
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Salil does Chicago 4; 4/6/2018-4/7/2018 (Chicago, IL): An extremely rich and powerful bottle of champagne. This really got better as it got more air, but it's also quite important to keep the temperature down, as this is clearly a far riper vintage and that ripeness gets to you a bit more when the wine is warmed up. The nose shows mature chardonnay aromas, and a pretty generous amount of breadiness. The ripeness shows in that the fruit character here seems extremely sweet. The palate is quite similar in those respects, but there's plenty of acidity to cut through everything. I picked up a little bit of nuttiness (sans oxidation -- this is as fresh as it comes), but that's pretty much the way I'd expect an older chardonnay to show.
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This was part of an unbelievable wine evening at the Grill Room. The theme was Champagne, Chevalier and Chambertin. The Champagne line up included:
76 Dom Perignon 80 Krug Clos de Mesnil 82 Billecart Blancs de Blanc 82 Clos de Goisses 85 Krug 85 Krug Clos de Mesnil 88 Krug Clos de Mesnil 90 Tattinger Comte de Champagne 90 Salon 96 Diebolt-Vallois Fleur de Passion 03 Krug Clos de Mesnil
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A: Medium amber and slightly hazy. Delicate mousse. N: Dried apple, dried apricot, yeast, fig, hazelnut, orange peel and caramel. This is fully developed despite its youth. A little premox , perhaps. Medium (+) intensity P: dry, high acid, medium body, medium (-) alcohol, medium (+) finish. DRINK NOW ( in next five years). C: BLIC? Balanced, tick for length intensity and complexity. Outstanding Wine and one i happen to love. This is really quite special. A real treasure on the palate. If this is what my 1996 Salon is going to grow into, i am very pleased indeed.
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Tasted blind, but there was no doubt about what we were drinking. Clear, medium (+) amber, with gold hues and very soft petillance. The suspicion is that this bottle was not cellared in a temperature-controlled facility, which might explain why its development seems a little more advanced than the observations of other reviewers. Nonetheless, this was a mind-blowing wine, with an intense nose of ripe apple pie, poached pear, ripe lemon, honey, hazelnuts, almonds, saffron and other Sherry-like notes. The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol (12%). The palate is very rich and flavorful, with a remarkably fresh, long mineral-driven finish. Really impressive; makes me wonder what it would taste like and what its future would be if it had been properly stored.
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Another excellent bottle. In a perfect drinking window combining peaches and juicy orchard fruit, orange citrus, with salted caramel and butterscotch. Developed and bready but still fresh and zippy. Consistently solid.
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The golden color matched the wine. A good bottle but the age is clearly showing. The mouth feel has a lot of body and the wine goes very well with food. Pear, apple, and honey are what stood out to me. Like most 90's champagnes I've encountered would drink the 750's now.
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Very broad and open right from the opening pop, almost voluptuous. Easy to like and drink. Yet after a couple of hours and a few degrees warmer, it became too much, more like sour apple than crisp pear. Drink soon if you have any.
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Mouton dinner with Philippe Dhalluin and Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): I last had this in March, 2014 and thought it was slightly advanced. This is very similar and I suspect this is correct showing. Decadent nose displaying apple pie, dry apricot, honey, spicy spices and toffee. Fully integrated palate, good acidity, shy mousse and a medium to long sweet yellow fruit driven finish. Though enjoyable, it would be even better with a bit more energy and freshness.
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It's drinking brilliantly now and maybe the best Comtes I have ever had. Gorgeous bouquet of honeysuckle, white raisin, apricot and peach. Just oxidative enough to add complexity and interest without becoming tired. Full body for champagne and long lingering finish. Stunning in every way.
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Another glorious bottle of this. Big nose of overripe white and yellow fruit and some grapefruit citrus. Yeasty and bready. Mildly oxidative but still so fresh and clean. Crackling effervescence with a big, rich, and creamy palate. Blood orange spritz at the core. The best way to describe this is just delicious. Like drinking gold right now.
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Started out reserved and on the mature side. After a few hours evolved into magnificence. Fresh, lively, powerful, complex while maintaining the distinctive etherial feeling I love in Comtes
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Mostly Champagne at Andy's Thai Kitchen (Chicago, IL): Wow, this is an epic bottle of Champagne. The nose is full, layered and majorly intense. Gorgeous mature aromas of aged fruit and caramel married with still youthful citrus and mineral notes. Amazing combination of complex, layered flavors and totally youthful acidity and bead on the palate. I can't say enough about this bottle of Champagne.
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Holiday dinner organized by Ken Brown with many great wines! (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Perhaps I liked this more than the group entirely, although I found allies in both Ken Brown and Howard Cooper. Such clean lifting lemon-lime elegance and vivacity. Could you really suspect that this came from a solar vintage, dating from a harvest that took place over 25 years ago? To some extent. It was not the deepest of the three gorgeous Champagnes to open our holiday dinner, but I was hooked, lined and sinkered. Well, that last word does not exist, but the lovely nature of this wine certainly does. Long and lingering if not dense and substantial. For me, that is still a high "scoring" wine.
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Really excellent. Lots of nuttiness, brioche, yellow raisins, cooked lemon rind, and sweet citrus. Deep gold color with long lingering mineral laden carmel finish. Lots of depth with a firm structure still in tact. Has 10 years plus of prime drinking.
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Dinner with Jay Hack (Les clos, San Francisco): Golden-orange color; wonderful nose with orange peel, some oxidation from age, wonderful complexity, brioche; palate is rich in texture but exquisitely clean and high acid throughout, tart lime, superb fruit; long finish. Superb, suberb champagne. 94-96
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Bready and eggy nose, angle food cake, lots of citrus, melon, supremely fresh. Some sulphur, saline, and brine notes. Great effervescence on palate, still has tons of energy. Deep, rich, and creamy drinking. Fully mature white and yellow fruits on palate, pear. Palate firing on all cylinders. Wow, really showed great.
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Orange gold colour clearly hints at the wine's age. Tertiary nose with hints of sherry, but not in a a bad way! Quite an aggressive, prickly mousse still though. With air, notes of treacle emerge.
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Nice mousse, medium amount of tiny bubbles, honey/amber color in the glass, nose of honey, honeycomb, cashew, and brioche, more of the same on the palate, this bottle was cellared by me since 1997, it has peaked, lots of sweet fruit, honey, touch of beeswax, elegant, complex, medium/big body, and long, long, flavorful finish, held up to the Marinated Rib Eye Steak entre and the Double Mushroom Baby Bok Choy side dish for our 43rd wedding anniversary dinner.
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Deep into its mature phase but lush and giving, questionably borderline sweet. Aromatic of apricot and peach, flavorful and reasonably energetic. Drink sooner rather than later. (Especially appreciated by Nancy and Angel.)
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Elegant. Well balanced fruit (ripe apple, pear compote, apricot preserve) and limestone notes. With time the backpalate displayed some appealing earthy notes. Mature and drinking well
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This has an apricot color and looks more like Sauternes than Champagne. The color suggests a heavily oxidized wine, and yet the palate is not as oxidized. Very fine bead, hardly any. Some sweet apple pastry notes emerge with time. Not great but not a total fail. With R and bagels and lox Sunday afternoon.
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Vosne Romanee Tasting (Golden Gate Yacht Club, San Francisco): Deep golden color; nutty, plenty of brioche, toasted Apple, wonderful intensity; palate has incredible vibrant acidity, nutty, still excellent fruit; finish is long. At peak, wonderful champagne. I'm always a fan of comtes de champagne. 93-94
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Rich golden color, fine mousse with loads of yeasty brioche notes, creamy texture, lovely finish. After two hours it seemed far more youthful, more active effervescence, fresher profile better length, I guess it still has many years to go.
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Deep yellow/golden - probably the most evolved in colour in this line-up of 1990s. Quite reductive and evolved on the nose - bruised apples, dried fruit, nuts. On the palate quite evolved again, still lovely and fresh, a slight impression of sweetness, with lots of power and great length. Based on this bottle past its very best, but still a wonderful wine! 92-94
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Nicolas Feuillatte 1996 Palmes d'Or and Millesime 2002
Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 1998
I guessed 1995, good acidity and fruitness balance, a hint too broad for me in the finish, typical for this vintage, for me at his peak. I expected a little bit more
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At Scalini Fedili, great dinner organized by Jay. This was brought by a generous guest - first experieince with this with any kind of age...
Still fresh for a wine of this age. Strong acidity, yeast/bread on mid palte. Mild fizz on the bubbles. Developed a ncreamy mouthfeel and finish as it opened up. Very nice
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Full rich chewy young. Could stand up to game, meat. Flat out wonderful. Tasted next to 1985 Charles Heidsieck Rose (good), 2002 Cristal (way young, but excellent). IMHO, neither was in the same league as the Taittinger. I just bought another well priced bottle on line.
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At first this seems more advanced than the last bottle Sarah opened this February, this one showing some sherry notes on the palate and slightly sour nuances. But with only a bit of air this perked up and showed a clean palate of golden fruit with no sherry notes. This is long and defined, like a vector of golden fruit going into the distance. With Lindsey, Sarah and Jonathan at Jungsik in Tribeca.
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this wine was quite lovely out of a mag. very well integrated and beautiful yellow hue to it. The acidity did no overpower the smoked salmon we had with it.
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Dark yellow, honey colour. This is not fresh or dry, more of thick with apple and honey on palate. This bottle had still nice bubbles and acid left in it. After 30+ minutes the coffee on the nose built up, taste went even more on the thick side. All and all nice champagne.
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2013 editon of En Primeur - Kelly and Kevin’s excellent adventure; 3/26/2014-4/1/2014 (Mostly in Bordeaux and a night in Paris): I wrote “a bit more mature” but based on my previous note, this may have been a correct bottle. However not dry at all like the last bottle and the acidity in check. Sweet yellow fruits, dried apricot, honey, coriander seeds and smoke. Fine shy mousse, intense sweet fruit driven palate, good acidity and lovely long finish. Totally ready to go. Some may find it slightly lacking freshness and precision but it you like a fully mature champagne with a hint of oxidative note, you will really enjoy this one.
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1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Noisette, Portland, OR): Scents of caramel, a touch of hazelnut, some mineral elements, and an interesting bit of red cherry skins show on the nose, while a ghost of Madeira scent suggests the age of the wine. Juicy apples start things out on the palate, with the age bringing caramel flavors along with it. The bubbles feel round like soda bubbles, but the flavors are delicate across the entire palate. A slight herbal edge adds complexity from the mid-palate onward. Drink it with intent. There's complexity here that I think would be easy to miss with too much food or conversation.
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I was privileged to have tasted the '99 Taittinger Comptes only three weeks ago, and both the '99 and the '90 are cut from the same cloth. Both show an amazing degree of finesse and class, both are subtle and yet show wonderful nuance and detail. This '90 was obviously the more advanced of the two, yet very much alive, with light bead and still plenty of acidity, very lithe like the '99. The palate shows an array of color, from clear fruit to white fruit to golden baked fruit, with a hint of vanilla creme soda. Just a lovely Champagne showing great finesse and class. Thanks, Sarah. At Rothmann's with Sarah and Jonathan.
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Outstanding. Kicked off NYE with this and some caviar -- now that is a celebration! The tasting notes from others cover it. If you can find this, buy it (or call me and I will).
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Magdelaine, Malconsorts and more (North End Grill, NYC): A wow from the first sip, and this just keeps getting better with time and air. There's a lovely, complex aroma with ripe fruit, brioche, vanilla cream and more savoury nutty and truffled elements, and a really seamless, polished palate presence. There's a gentle but persistent effervescence and bright acids that keep it very fresh, and it's drinking stunningly well right now with the fruit still vibrant and youthful, but augmented by a lot of more savoury mature elements. A really fantastic Champagne.
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Opened for a very special occasion, and it fit the bill for sure. Perfectly mature, with plenty of brightness up front. Finish is nutty and old and long. Medium effervescence remains. Drink now and for the next 5-8 years.
A stunning wine with a great future. While rich and yeasty with fine brioche notes, it is still bracingly alive with white fruits and delicate vanilla notes. I've never had a disappointing bottle of Comte.
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Verticale Comtes de Champagne Taittinger (Palais Brongniart, Paris, France): Robe jaune d'or soutenu, bien limpide et avec de petites bulles. Nez d'humus, voire de torréfaction. Belle acidité au palais, un fruit blanc gourmand, des amers et cette fine aspérité finale encore une fois, signe du terroir.
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Tasetd blind from a perfect looking bottle, this wine had a deep gold color with clear rims. The high intensity nose showed sherry, lemons, and apple cider.
In the mouth, this wine had excellent acidity and a fine mouth feel. However, the bottle appeared to have suffered from excess heat as it should not have looked and tasted this advanced.
I have not had this wine before but based on other notes I now wonder if this bottle was more representative than I thought.
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I wanted to splurge for NYE, so when a friend told me she'd found these at a local store at a decent (if not inexpensive) price, I jumped on it.
Opened about an hour before dinner (grilled grass-fed beef, leeks, eggplants and romaine), it was slightly reticent at first, with a lovely golden color. There was a coiled energy just under the surface that promised more to come if I was patient. And my patience was rewarded, with lovely aromas of brioche, cafe au lait, lemony honey, dried fruits, soft mushrooms and bright minerals jumping from the surface of the wine. The mouthfeel was just as nice, carrying those flavors through on a fascinatingly beautiful rich and creamy frame full of lively and tiny bubbles that ended in a long, palate-coating finish. Fruit, secondary notes, minerals and acidity were all in balance here, a really gorgeous bottle.
I read on CellarTracker that some folks have said their bottles were advanced, but this was in perfect condition for its age.
Happy New Year!
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Medium gold color, looks and presents as 10 years older. Lots of yeast and brioche on the nose. Fine, lively effervecense with a creamy texture. Some sherried/oxidative notes in both nose and palate. After a hour or so in the glass much of the oxidative notes faded.
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A lot of brioche, oxidative note, toffee, honey and anise. It seems slightly advanced. This particular bottle displays piercing acidity and quite dry finish.
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Medium gold, lots of bubbles. Deeply secondary with notes of dried apricot and all sorts of aldehydes. Very rich and strangely filling, as if it were food instead of wine. Seems 10 years older than it is, yet clearly not flawed in any way.
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This is the best '90 Comtes I have had in quite a while. I thought it might be fading, but this pristine bottle, from Acker retail, was in superb condition. Medium gold, correct mousse for age if perfectly stored. Emphatically flavorful; somehow it tastes "gold." All sorts of delicious buttery French breads, a touch of honey, citrus in the background with perfect acidity and lingering finish. Elegant and powerful. Stunning.
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Very golden in color. Nose of toffee and caramel. Taste is caramel, citrus and chalk. Long, long aftertaste. If I have to say something bad about this wine, then it lacks fruit. But never the less a very good CdC. The '88 is better though.
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Distinctly gold in color, deeper than the '82 version I had two weeks ago. More advanced on the palate as well with a definite note of sherry on the finish. But the mousse was lively so I have no doubt it was well stored (Acker retail). Nutty and rich, a food wine for sure.
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Had this wine along with J Selosse Initiale. I actually preferred the Selosse. Nice mousse. Citrus nose and lots of acid. Creamy. I think this wine will improve with time.
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Superb champagne surely at its peak. Gorgeous bouquet of just-baked pastry, orange peel, nectarine and a hint of smoke. Medium weight, round and supremely elegant. Perfect juicy acidity. Active mousse and lively with the complexity that only comes with time in the bottle. Gets better as it warms in the glass, always a good sign. While certainly a fine accompaniement to food yet it's so good and so complex that it's worth contemplating on its own.
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Golden, very mature aroma of wax, orange peel, honey and porcini. Good mousse for age, full bodied, powerful finish. Spendid in its own way but bordering on oxidative, even though well-preserved.
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In spite of the questionable provenance of this wine (I found it at Whole Foods), this wine was drinking beautifully tonight. Gorgeous and mature aromas of truffles, brown mushrooms, honey, caramel, graham crackers, pastry crust, sweet corn, and pretzels. Rich and zesty on the palate with refined notes of green and black tea, caramel, and honey. This is a stately wine. 95-96 points.
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Krug, Krug, Comtes: Provenance on this was a bit in question but it still gave a great performance. A sherried quality is immediately noticeable but didn't seem to mar the nose which was intoxicating with its rich caramel butterscotch goodness. Though the fruit still seems bright it did lack a midpalate almost giving it a disjointed quality. The finish is still strong and tart as well as the fruit up front being strong. Given better storage this is most likely a knock out versus our only very good.
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Now bordering on oxidation, this wine demands to be drunk now - but with great pleasure. Deep in color, powerful old chardonnay fruit, gently bubbly. Hints of dark nuts and cardomom. Very interesting indeed. I do not believe Comtes is a champagne that can go for a very long distance.
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From Vinfolio recently, this bottle was clearly in excellent condition and consistent with previous wonderful experiences. Just what champagne should be as an adult in its prime. Lovely fragrance of citrus and hazelnut, round, smooth and affiirmative in the mouth without being loud or too aggressive. Almost luscious but not sweet; Barry, K and I drained the bottle in record time at 32 East.
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Lunch at Chez Bruce (Chez Bruce, London): Lunch @ Chez Bruce with david wainwright what a nice way to start lunch-golden yellowy color, a little touch of sherry and yeast on the nose. in th emouth a zing acidity still, biscuits and a little citrus. small zippy bubbles, medium length
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At first pour, this seemed way too young; simple and primary. But as it warmed in the glass over the next hour, it displayed some of that fabulous Comtes elegance and delicacy along with deeper flavors of untoasted bread and citrus. But even another hour later the wine seemed remarkably youthful at age 17.
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Lovely winey Comtes that is fully mature by any standard (from a recent purchase at Rare Wine Co.). Just a few lazy streams of tiny bubbles. Advanced smell and taste of over-ripe oranges, dried apricot and a hint of sherry, which in this case adds complexity and interest. A champagne for meditation.
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A recent purchase from the Rare Wine Company in Sonoma, this bottle must have been impeccably stored, as usual for this most reputable of merchants. Deep yellow, tiny bubbles in its modest mousse. Fragrant in champagne terms, with notes of orange marmalade, lemon peel and walnuts. On the palate, very mature flavor profile with a hint of sherry which in this case only adds to the complexity and interest. Full and rich for Comtes, this surely can only go downhill from here. Really beautiful well made champagne in all its glory. Who needs pinot noir when chardonnay is this profound?
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That bottle in the photo in front of the window was the one consumed. Hand carried from France. One of the top 3 Champagnes I've had. Brilliantly complex. From memory (drank a month ago) yeasty, toasty hazelnut, brioche, lemon, stone and mineral with vibrant fruit and fine mousse. Drank with Beluga caviar - a wonderful match. There was shockingly half a glass left in the bottle the next morning (all four of us must have just assumed it was empty and none of us checked). The last half glass at room temperature in the morning the next day was still vibrant as ever and was in fact the best glass of all (and all for me as everyone had gone home). I can still remember that last taste as if it was this morning.
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My last bottle, enjoyed at 32 East with Greg, the Cataldos and the DBs. Almost no bubbles, but that may have been due to the pedestrian glassware. Nothing can hide the elegance and delicate balance of this wine, but it seemed a bit faded compared to previous bottles. Still a lovely gentle aperitif style champagne and we finished the bottle before any food had arrived.
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This is gorgeous chardonnay champagne at its peak. Lovely medium gold with active bead of tiny bubbles. Open fragrance of citrus, honeysuckle and butter leads to a medium bodied wine of great elegance. The distinct, but subtle note of oxidation plays a supporting role in the background, proving that it's not always a flaw. Lingering finish. Delightful match for mesquite grilled chicken. Time to drink up.
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Fantastic champagne that I opened to celebrate passing a particular milestone at work. It is beautiful to behold in the glass - a pale copper with zillions of the tiniest bubbles. The delicacy of blanc de blancs was readily apparent here, as well as superbly rich notes of hazelnut, brioche, and white fruits. This is very different from the '89 Krug that I love so much, but easily its equal in terms of quality.
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Light yellow. This champagne had a bread-like scent too. Brillaintly structured and nicely contained by a fresh stroke of fresh, ripe fruit acid. Good intensity on the palate, super elegant and packed with finesse. Long aftertaste. Delicious!
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Light yellow in the glass. Aromas of bread. Seductive and fairly forward in taste. Not monstrously complex, but thoroughly enjoyable. The was a curious beer component in the taste which I like, in spite of a general indifference to beer. The wine was quite harmonious and had a superb finish.
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A very attractive medium gold. Excellent, if rather excited stream of bubbles. Nice light nose: toasty and nutty with extracts of butter and vanilla, and just a hint of lime. Very fine, long, thin legs. Very creamy attack. Not overly mousseux in the mouth. Very crisp on the palate, with loads of fruit; and it's very creamy with just a nice hint of acidity towards the finish. Finishes very cleanly and with great elegance. Very Good Indeed +
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BIRTHDAY 10/23/1997 (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Medium amount of tiny bubbles formed a lovely mousse, nose of honey, honeycomb, cashew, and brioche, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, at it's best so drink up, elegant, complex, mouth filling and sweet fruit and honey, good acid, and a long, long, long finish.
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12/26/2023 - LW31 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect bottle, stored since release. Really lovely mousse, quite deep fruit. Showing expected mature notes. But still energetic in the glass. In a perfect spot for my taste.
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12/7/2023 - dcwino wrote: flawed
Holiday Dinner - Mostly Bordeaux (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Advanced color and a bit cloudy which is not a good sign. A bit too advanced, not a correct example. Orange peel, baked apple, a hint of madeira/white chocolate. Shy mousse which is another indicator that this was poorly cellared. The favorite CDC of the flight for a couple participants.
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10/11/2023 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
Mini 90 horizontal of DP/Cristal/CdC. Good richness, fresh, in between the other two in terms of age and power. 93
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11/19/2022 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 95 Points
Pulled two bottles of this for this NYC visit, one 95 and one 93-94 with a little more oxidization. The better one was in line with my 2018 and 2019 notes with gorgeous golden fruit and surprising freshness. Clean blanc de blanc, creamy, subtle toast, faint baking spice. Crisp palate with some yellow citrus still. Wish I had more.
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2/12/2022 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Brioche, oxidative style.
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12/16/2021 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Lafarge and d'Angerville study (Chicago, IL): I think I liked this a little less than a few years ago. The nose here is pretty textbook old champagne, with some mushroomy notes, but more of a sweet caramel-like quality as well. That caramel sweetness is more accentuated on the palate, and even though there is acidity here, it doesn't play quite as big a role as it needs to. The ripeness of the vintage shows, and causes the fruit and sweetness to come to the forefront. Fully mature, and not my preferred style of champagne, but I did appreciate this one some.
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11/25/2021 - MusignyBlanc wrote:
I’ve had 3 bottles of this lately - all were on or over the edge. Recommend that you drink-up if you still are holding these.
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6/17/2020 - sdr wrote: 88 Points
You have to enjoy the semi-oxidized profile of very old champagne to appreciate this one. K, tasting it blind, thought is was a ‘76, a reasonable guess. The bottle was well stored and other bottles were very enjoyable as recently as 5 years ago. Very good mousse, medium gold, nice acidity. It’s by no means bad or spoiled, just an extreme example with clear notes of sherry. Only Dom Pérignon and Krug seem to reach the triple decade mark without overt oxidation.
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5/22/2019 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful golden color, fine mousse, honeyed brioche, yellow fruits, hints of lemon tart. Still has lively acidity to go with an underlying creamy texture. Delicious mature champagne with plenty of life left here.
Great fun to drink alongside the younger, brighter 1995 and 1996 as the opening flight for a wonderful evening exploring the Chevalier Montrachets of the Colin Family (1986-2011)
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3/9/2019 - psmith wrote: 94 Points
This is a wonderful, caramel brioche golden goddess of a wine. It's mature, and it's got that ripe '90 signature, which makes it pretty beastly for a Comtes, but there's plenty of raw backbone and vibrancy to keep it from tipping over into a caricature. Acid to die for. My dilemma is I'd love to drink these now and I think it's time, but I also only have 3 left and hate to see them go.
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3/3/2019 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Honeyed nose, almond and praline. Slightly more advanced than my last bottles of this, which were impossibly fresh and bright. Plate here is still terrific with ripe but mature golden fruit. Dense but still delicious. I’d say the palate is much better than the nose on this bottle. Near complete maturity but lots of energy still. Salted caramel. Blanc de Blanc cream is browning slightly. I’d still bank on these ten-plus years.
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11/17/2018 - hprphf wrote: 92 Points
Acker 2018/11 (Marea): Great pop. Coming together quite nicely with a concentrated nose across lemon, toast, yeast, honey, pineapple and caramel. Slightly too acidic. 92
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5/10/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 95 Points
Château Margaux vertical dinner (Taberna Del Alabardero): I love the elegance here. Such finesse on the palate, such fine citrus notes including lemon cake. The warmth of the vintage yields baked apple (more a suggestion) with burgeoning oxidative notes that do not obstruct but rather enhance the experience: almond and touches of hazelnut, but never going to "Sherry". There is opulence as well as wet stone like purity. A finish that is bracing yet balanced.
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5/9/2018 - dcwino wrote: 89 Points
Chateau Margaux dinner with Thibault Pontallier (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Toffee, a hint of madeira and oxidized apple peel. Medium mousse. I am not convince that this is a correct showing. Although complex, too oxidative for me.
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4/26/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 95 Points
Mugnier Musigny Dinner (Blue Hill (NYC)): Going to try to get a few proper notes on this as I’ve opened and drank a few lately without writing about them, and they really are terrific. Big brioche, yeasty, and leesy, nose with ripe golden pineapple, peach, and apple too. Fresh and energetic but with a ton of developed fall spice like clove and cinnamon. Whiffs of vanilla bean. Slightly oxidative in style, but only in positive ways. Dense creamy palate, rich Chardonnay fruit.
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4/7/2018 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Very impressive, though not quite on the level of my last experience with this. This is a big wine with a ton of ripeness - the nose has rich honeyed and slightly burnished characteristics with faint nutty elements emerging with more air, though the palate is much fresher, showing lots of rich white fruit, bread/yeasty savouriness, and good acidity and effervescence keeping it bright and lively.
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4/7/2018 - psmith wrote: 94 Points
Initially served at cellar temperature, where the nose was super fat and intrusive with ripe butterscotch/caramel notes. Cooling it down and giving it some air really helped bring it into balance. The palate is still ripe and showy, but it's also plenty lifted and clean, with a great acidic streak. Settled, complementary mousse. This didn't quite live up to a bottle from the early part of last year, and I'm not sure how much benefit will be gained from holding these, but it's very nice now.
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4/7/2018 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Salil does Chicago 4; 4/6/2018-4/7/2018 (Chicago, IL): An extremely rich and powerful bottle of champagne. This really got better as it got more air, but it's also quite important to keep the temperature down, as this is clearly a far riper vintage and that ripeness gets to you a bit more when the wine is warmed up. The nose shows mature chardonnay aromas, and a pretty generous amount of breadiness. The ripeness shows in that the fruit character here seems extremely sweet. The palate is quite similar in those respects, but there's plenty of acidity to cut through everything. I picked up a little bit of nuttiness (sans oxidation -- this is as fresh as it comes), but that's pretty much the way I'd expect an older chardonnay to show.
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3/2/2018 - paul195 wrote:
This was part of an unbelievable wine evening at the Grill Room. The theme was Champagne, Chevalier and Chambertin. The Champagne line up included:
76 Dom Perignon
80 Krug Clos de Mesnil
82 Billecart Blancs de Blanc
82 Clos de Goisses
85 Krug
85 Krug Clos de Mesnil
88 Krug Clos de Mesnil
90 Tattinger Comte de Champagne
90 Salon
96 Diebolt-Vallois Fleur de Passion
03 Krug Clos de Mesnil
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12/6/2017 - Heynetty Likes this wine: 92 Points
4thWednesdays - Beyond the Bubble - Dec 2017 (Texas Wine School, Houston, Tx): Tasted Blind
A: Medium amber and slightly hazy. Delicate mousse.
N: Dried apple, dried apricot, yeast, fig, hazelnut, orange peel and caramel. This is fully developed despite its youth. A little premox , perhaps. Medium (+) intensity
P: dry, high acid, medium body, medium (-) alcohol, medium (+) finish.
DRINK NOW ( in next five years).
C: BLIC? Balanced, tick for length intensity and complexity. Outstanding Wine and one i happen to love. This is really quite special. A real treasure on the palate. If this is what my 1996 Salon is going to grow into, i am very pleased indeed.
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12/6/2017 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind, but there was no doubt about what we were drinking. Clear, medium (+) amber, with gold hues and very soft petillance. The suspicion is that this bottle was not cellared in a temperature-controlled facility, which might explain why its development seems a little more advanced than the observations of other reviewers. Nonetheless, this was a mind-blowing wine, with an intense nose of ripe apple pie, poached pear, ripe lemon, honey, hazelnuts, almonds, saffron and other Sherry-like notes. The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol (12%). The palate is very rich and flavorful, with a remarkably fresh, long mineral-driven finish. Really impressive; makes me wonder what it would taste like and what its future would be if it had been properly stored.
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10/7/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Another excellent bottle. In a perfect drinking window combining peaches and juicy orchard fruit, orange citrus, with salted caramel and butterscotch. Developed and bready but still fresh and zippy. Consistently solid.
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8/26/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Wines of Good Hope: Summer 2017; 7/29/2017-9/14/2017 (River's Inlet, British Columbia): Sweet caramel and trace smoke. Honey and orange citrus. Developed brioche and dough but still very lovely and fresh. Opulent. Toasted vanilla bean. Consistently love this.
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7/3/2017 - fatboi Likes this wine: 92 Points
The golden color matched the wine. A good bottle but the age is clearly showing. The mouth feel has a lot of body and the wine goes very well with food. Pear, apple, and honey are what stood out to me. Like most 90's champagnes I've encountered would drink the 750's now.
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6/14/2017 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very broad and open right from the opening pop, almost voluptuous. Easy to like and drink. Yet after a couple of hours and a few degrees warmer, it became too much, more like sour apple than crisp pear. Drink soon if you have any.
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5/10/2017 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Mouton dinner with Philippe Dhalluin and Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): I last had this in March, 2014 and thought it was slightly advanced. This is very similar and I suspect this is correct showing. Decadent nose displaying apple pie, dry apricot, honey, spicy spices and toffee. Fully integrated palate, good acidity, shy mousse and a medium to long sweet yellow fruit driven finish. Though enjoyable, it would be even better with a bit more energy and freshness.
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4/14/2017 - Atreyu wrote: 89 Points
lacking acid
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3/30/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Rousseau 2007 Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Very good concentration and richness. This is a Champagne with trademark bready character, but slightly more of that than I prefer.
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3/29/2017 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
It's drinking brilliantly now and maybe the best Comtes I have ever had. Gorgeous bouquet of honeysuckle, white raisin, apricot and peach. Just oxidative enough to add complexity and interest without becoming tired. Full body for champagne and long lingering finish. Stunning in every way.
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2/24/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 95 Points
Another glorious bottle of this. Big nose of overripe white and yellow fruit and some grapefruit citrus. Yeasty and bready. Mildly oxidative but still so fresh and clean. Crackling effervescence with a big, rich, and creamy palate. Blood orange spritz at the core. The best way to describe this is just delicious. Like drinking gold right now.
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1/21/2017 - ggj wrote: 96 Points
Started out reserved and on the mature side. After a few hours evolved into magnificence. Fresh, lively, powerful, complex while maintaining the distinctive etherial feeling I love in Comtes
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1/5/2017 - Nanda wrote: 99 Points
Mostly Champagne at Andy's Thai Kitchen (Chicago, IL): Wow, this is an epic bottle of Champagne. The nose is full, layered and majorly intense. Gorgeous mature aromas of aged fruit and caramel married with still youthful citrus and mineral notes. Amazing combination of complex, layered flavors and totally youthful acidity and bead on the palate. I can't say enough about this bottle of Champagne.
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1/5/2017 - psmith wrote: 96 Points
Mature, dark, and very citric. Marzipan and orange peel notes. Fuller bodied, with a tangy, long mouthfeel. In a great place.
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1/5/2017 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 95 Points
Holiday dinner organized by Ken Brown with many great wines! (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Perhaps I liked this more than the group entirely, although I found allies in both Ken Brown and Howard Cooper. Such clean lifting lemon-lime elegance and vivacity. Could you really suspect that this came from a solar vintage, dating from a harvest that took place over 25 years ago? To some extent. It was not the deepest of the three gorgeous Champagnes to open our holiday dinner, but I was hooked, lined and sinkered. Well, that last word does not exist, but the lovely nature of this wine certainly does. Long and lingering if not dense and substantial. For me, that is still a high "scoring" wine.
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12/10/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 98 Points
Really excellent. Lots of nuttiness, brioche, yellow raisins, cooked lemon rind, and sweet citrus. Deep gold color with long lingering mineral laden carmel finish. Lots of depth with a firm structure still in tact. Has 10 years plus of prime drinking.
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12/5/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with Jay Hack (Les clos, San Francisco): Golden-orange color; wonderful nose with orange peel, some oxidation from age, wonderful complexity, brioche; palate is rich in texture but exquisitely clean and high acid throughout, tart lime, superb fruit; long finish. Superb, suberb champagne. 94-96
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9/22/2016 - BradE wrote:
Very good, I really liked this.
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4/21/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Bready and eggy nose, angle food cake, lots of citrus, melon, supremely fresh. Some sulphur, saline, and brine notes. Great effervescence on palate, still has tons of energy. Deep, rich, and creamy drinking. Fully mature white and yellow fruits on palate, pear. Palate firing on all cylinders. Wow, really showed great.
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3/3/2016 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Orange gold colour clearly hints at the wine's age. Tertiary nose with hints of sherry, but not in a a bad way! Quite an aggressive, prickly mousse still though. With air, notes of treacle emerge.
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3/2/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice mousse, medium amount of tiny bubbles, honey/amber color in the glass, nose of honey, honeycomb, cashew, and brioche, more of the same on the palate, this bottle was cellared by me since 1997, it has peaked, lots of sweet fruit, honey, touch of beeswax, elegant, complex, medium/big body, and long, long, flavorful finish, held up to the Marinated Rib Eye Steak entre and the Double Mushroom Baby Bok Choy side dish for our 43rd wedding anniversary dinner.
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2/23/2016 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep into its mature phase but lush and giving, questionably borderline sweet. Aromatic of apricot and peach, flavorful and reasonably energetic. Drink sooner rather than later. (Especially appreciated by Nancy and Angel.)
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2/17/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant. Well balanced fruit (ripe apple, pear compote, apricot preserve) and limestone notes. With time the backpalate displayed some appealing earthy notes. Mature and drinking well
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2/7/2016 - Pknut wrote:
This has an apricot color and looks more like Sauternes than Champagne. The color suggests a heavily oxidized wine, and yet the palate is not as oxidized. Very fine bead, hardly any. Some sweet apple pastry notes emerge with time. Not great but not a total fail. With R and bagels and lox Sunday afternoon.
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11/28/2015 - AtoZ wrote:
Great tonight with lighter dishes. The richness worked. Everyone agreed.
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9/27/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Vosne Romanee Tasting (Golden Gate Yacht Club, San Francisco): Deep golden color; nutty, plenty of brioche, toasted Apple, wonderful intensity; palate has incredible vibrant acidity, nutty, still excellent fruit; finish is long. At peak, wonderful champagne. I'm always a fan of comtes de champagne. 93-94
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8/23/2015 - bconly Likes this wine: 95 Points
Going strong. No reason to wait and no reason to rush.
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7/29/2015 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
Rich golden color, fine mousse with loads of yeasty brioche notes, creamy texture, lovely finish. After two hours it seemed far more youthful, more active effervescence, fresher profile better length, I guess it still has many years to go.
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6/25/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Deep yellow/golden - probably the most evolved in colour in this line-up of 1990s. Quite reductive and evolved on the nose - bruised apples, dried fruit, nuts. On the palate quite evolved again, still lovely and fresh, a slight impression of sweetness, with lots of power and great length. Based on this bottle past its very best, but still a wonderful wine! 92-94
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6/9/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big Comtes de Champagne Tasting with 12 vintages and 9 other big bottles in the 1 star Restaurant "Zum Bären" Balduinstein, Germany.
CdC 1976, 83, 85, 86, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00 and 05
CdC Rose 2005
Dom Perignon 83, 85, 90 and 05
Bollinger Grande Annee 1990
Nicolas Feuillatte 1996 Palmes d'Or and Millesime 2002
Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 1998
I guessed 1995, good acidity and fruitness balance, a hint too broad for me in the finish, typical for this vintage, for me at his peak. I expected a little bit more
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5/12/2015 - ggj wrote: 95 Points
Quince in SFO
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5/12/2015 - ggj wrote: 96 Points
Saison in SFO
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2/7/2015 - AtoZ wrote:
Great with sushi. Was delicious. Plenty of life left.
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11/15/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 92 Points
Drank very rich and almost flabby this tonight compared to a 1988 Duetz. Better without food and after. Needed richer food than fish charmoula.
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10/28/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
At Scalini Fedili, great dinner organized by Jay. This was brought by a generous guest - first experieince with this with any kind of age...
Still fresh for a wine of this age. Strong acidity, yeast/bread on mid palte. Mild fizz on the bubbles. Developed a ncreamy mouthfeel and finish as it opened up. Very nice
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9/15/2014 - bonnesmares Likes this wine: 95 Points
Full rich chewy young. Could stand up to game, meat. Flat out wonderful. Tasted next to 1985 Charles Heidsieck Rose (good), 2002 Cristal (way young, but excellent). IMHO, neither was in the same league as the Taittinger. I just bought another well priced bottle on line.
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8/29/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 95 Points
Great to follow over a meal. Plenty of life left.
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8/13/2014 - Pknut wrote:
At first this seems more advanced than the last bottle Sarah opened this February, this one showing some sherry notes on the palate and slightly sour nuances. But with only a bit of air this perked up and showed a clean palate of golden fruit with no sherry notes. This is long and defined, like a vector of golden fruit going into the distance. With Lindsey, Sarah and Jonathan at Jungsik in Tribeca.
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6/28/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 93 Points
Same. Worked with food. Needs to be warmer to open up. Toasty at first. Complexity requires some air and time.
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5/3/2014 - fatboi wrote: 94 Points
this wine was quite lovely out of a mag. very well integrated and beautiful yellow hue to it. The acidity did no overpower the smoked salmon we had with it.
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4/18/2014 - Rötvis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark yellow, honey colour. This is not fresh or dry, more of thick with apple and honey on palate. This bottle had still nice bubbles and acid left in it. After 30+ minutes the coffee on the nose built up, taste went even more on the thick side. All and all nice champagne.
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3/30/2014 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
2013 editon of En Primeur - Kelly and Kevin’s excellent adventure; 3/26/2014-4/1/2014 (Mostly in Bordeaux and a night in Paris): I wrote “a bit more mature” but based on my previous note, this may have been a correct bottle. However not dry at all like the last bottle and the acidity in check. Sweet yellow fruits, dried apricot, honey, coriander seeds and smoke. Fine shy mousse, intense sweet fruit driven palate, good acidity and lovely long finish. Totally ready to go. Some may find it slightly lacking freshness and precision but it you like a fully mature champagne with a hint of oxidative note, you will really enjoy this one.
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2/26/2014 - fatboi wrote:
a bit musty at first.... Ben was the first one to mention it being corked. After 15 minutes clearly corked. disappointing.
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2/24/2014 - subtlet Likes this wine: 91 Points
1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Noisette, Portland, OR): Scents of caramel, a touch of hazelnut, some mineral elements, and an interesting bit of red cherry skins show on the nose, while a ghost of Madeira scent suggests the age of the wine. Juicy apples start things out on the palate, with the age bringing caramel flavors along with it. The bubbles feel round like soda bubbles, but the flavors are delicate across the entire palate. A slight herbal edge adds complexity from the mid-palate onward. Drink it with intent. There's complexity here that I think would be easy to miss with too much food or conversation.
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2/24/2014 - Pknut wrote:
I was privileged to have tasted the '99 Taittinger Comptes only three weeks ago, and both the '99 and the '90 are cut from the same cloth. Both show an amazing degree of finesse and class, both are subtle and yet show wonderful nuance and detail. This '90 was obviously the more advanced of the two, yet very much alive, with light bead and still plenty of acidity, very lithe like the '99. The palate shows an array of color, from clear fruit to white fruit to golden baked fruit, with a hint of vanilla creme soda. Just a lovely Champagne showing great finesse and class. Thanks, Sarah. At Rothmann's with Sarah and Jonathan.
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2/8/2014 - traill wrote:
11/02 lovely rich. 5/03 v.g. and v. rich. 2/08 wonderful
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1/1/2014 - ggj wrote: 95 Points
Fabulous, with the boys at Atlas
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1/1/2014 - ggj wrote: 94 Points
Excellent and ready to go, like most 1990 Champagnes. With the Cataldos and the Roberts.
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12/31/2013 - kmforster Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding. Kicked off NYE with this and some caviar -- now that is a celebration! The tasting notes from others cover it. If you can find this, buy it (or call me and I will).
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12/6/2013 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Magdelaine, Malconsorts and more (North End Grill, NYC): A wow from the first sip, and this just keeps getting better with time and air. There's a lovely, complex aroma with ripe fruit, brioche, vanilla cream and more savoury nutty and truffled elements, and a really seamless, polished palate presence. There's a gentle but persistent effervescence and bright acids that keep it very fresh, and it's drinking stunningly well right now with the fruit still vibrant and youthful, but augmented by a lot of more savoury mature elements. A really fantastic Champagne.
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11/29/2013 - ggj wrote: 95 Points
Bouchon in Las Vegas
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9/29/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 95 Points
Same as before
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9/25/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 95 Points
Star of the evening
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8/29/2013 - bconly wrote: 96 Points
Opened for a very special occasion, and it fit the bill for sure. Perfectly mature, with plenty of brightness up front. Finish is nutty and old and long. Medium effervescence remains. Drink now and for the next 5-8 years.
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8/3/2013 - magnusguy Likes this wine: 95 Points
A stunning wine with a great future. While rich and yeasty with fine brioche notes, it is still bracingly alive with white fruits and delicate vanilla notes. I've never had a disappointing bottle of Comte.
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8/3/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 96 Points
Delicious. Changed in glass. Went with all the food.
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5/25/2013 - stadler Likes this wine:
Verticale Comtes de Champagne Taittinger (Palais Brongniart, Paris, France): Robe jaune d'or soutenu, bien limpide et avec de petites bulles. Nez d'humus, voire de torréfaction. Belle acidité au palais, un fruit blanc gourmand, des amers et cette fine aspérité finale encore une fois, signe du terroir.
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4/12/2013 - robertek wrote: 94 Points
Still young from this magnum. But very complex and oh so delicious.
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3/8/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Awesome Champagne! Absolutely glorious. This is drinking really well.
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1/6/2013 - fclarity wrote: flawed
Tasetd blind from a perfect looking bottle, this wine had a deep gold color with clear rims. The high intensity nose showed sherry, lemons, and apple cider.
In the mouth, this wine had excellent acidity and a fine mouth feel. However, the bottle appeared to have suffered from excess heat as it should not have looked and tasted this advanced.
I have not had this wine before but based on other notes I now wonder if this bottle was more representative than I thought.
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12/31/2012 - Vinotas wrote:
I wanted to splurge for NYE, so when a friend told me she'd found these at a local store at a decent (if not inexpensive) price, I jumped on it.
Opened about an hour before dinner (grilled grass-fed beef, leeks, eggplants and romaine), it was slightly reticent at first, with a lovely golden color. There was a coiled energy just under the surface that promised more to come if I was patient. And my patience was rewarded, with lovely aromas of brioche, cafe au lait, lemony honey, dried fruits, soft mushrooms and bright minerals jumping from the surface of the wine. The mouthfeel was just as nice, carrying those flavors through on a fascinatingly beautiful rich and creamy frame full of lively and tiny bubbles that ended in a long, palate-coating finish. Fruit, secondary notes, minerals and acidity were all in balance here, a really gorgeous bottle.
I read on CellarTracker that some folks have said their bottles were advanced, but this was in perfect condition for its age.
Happy New Year!
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2/17/2012 - paul195 wrote: 91 Points
Medium gold color, looks and presents as 10 years older. Lots of yeast and brioche on the nose. Fine, lively effervecense with a creamy texture. Some sherried/oxidative notes in both nose and palate. After a hour or so in the glass much of the oxidative notes faded.
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2/1/2012 - dcwino wrote: 91 Points
A lot of brioche, oxidative note, toffee, honey and anise. It seems slightly advanced. This particular bottle displays piercing acidity and quite dry finish.
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7/10/2011 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium gold, lots of bubbles. Deeply secondary with notes of dried apricot and all sorts of aldehydes. Very rich and strangely filling, as if it were food instead of wine. Seems 10 years older than it is, yet clearly not flawed in any way.
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2/20/2011 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is the best '90 Comtes I have had in quite a while. I thought it might be fading, but this pristine bottle, from Acker retail, was in superb condition. Medium gold, correct mousse for age if perfectly stored. Emphatically flavorful; somehow it tastes "gold." All sorts of delicious buttery French breads, a touch of honey, citrus in the background with perfect acidity and lingering finish. Elegant and powerful. Stunning.
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1/7/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Totally Over the Top Lunch and Tasting (Tocqueville Restaurant - New York NY): Also showing lots of age, with all toasted bread character, short on fruit, short on acidity. At least this bottle was well past its prime, but that's not uncommon for many 1990s.
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7/29/2010 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Nos of yellow apple, biscuits, quite evolved a hint maderised... in the month, yellow apples, apricot, lacking a bit of freshness
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5/28/2010 - Tartiflette wrote: 93 Points
Very golden in color. Nose of toffee and caramel. Taste is caramel, citrus and chalk. Long, long aftertaste. If I have to say something bad about this wine, then it lacks fruit. But never the less a very good CdC. The '88 is better though.
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4/4/2010 - sdr Likes this wine:
Distinctly gold in color, deeper than the '82 version I had two weeks ago. More advanced on the palate as well with a definite note of sherry on the finish. But the mousse was lively so I have no doubt it was well stored (Acker retail). Nutty and rich, a food wine for sure.
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2/11/2010 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
Yellow gold. Good toast...advanced with a bit oxidative with some caramel notes. Nice balance.
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12/2/2009 - Michael Mortensen wrote:
Tydeligt oxideret. Interessant og egentlig lækker nok, men helt klart ikke en sund flaske.
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10/11/2009 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
Had this wine along with J Selosse Initiale. I actually preferred the Selosse. Nice mousse. Citrus nose and lots of acid. Creamy. I think this wine will improve with time.
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6/23/2009 - sdr wrote: 96 Points
Superb champagne surely at its peak. Gorgeous bouquet of just-baked pastry, orange peel, nectarine and a hint of smoke. Medium weight, round and supremely elegant. Perfect juicy acidity. Active mousse and lively with the complexity that only comes with time in the bottle. Gets better as it warms in the glass, always a good sign. While certainly a fine accompaniement to food yet it's so good and so complex that it's worth contemplating on its own.
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3/25/2009 - sdr wrote: 92 Points
Golden, very mature aroma of wax, orange peel, honey and porcini. Good mousse for age, full bodied, powerful finish. Spendid in its own way but bordering on oxidative, even though well-preserved.
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2/27/2009 - Paul Lin wrote: 95 Points
In spite of the questionable provenance of this wine (I found it at Whole Foods), this wine was drinking beautifully tonight. Gorgeous and mature aromas of truffles, brown mushrooms, honey, caramel, graham crackers, pastry crust, sweet corn, and pretzels. Rich and zesty on the palate with refined notes of green and black tea, caramel, and honey. This is a stately wine. 95-96 points.
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2/27/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Krug, Krug, Comtes: Provenance on this was a bit in question but it still gave a great performance. A sherried quality is immediately noticeable but didn't seem to mar the nose which was intoxicating with its rich caramel butterscotch goodness. Though the fruit still seems bright it did lack a midpalate almost giving it a disjointed quality. The finish is still strong and tart as well as the fruit up front being strong. Given better storage this is most likely a knock out versus our only very good.
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8/9/2008 - sdr wrote: 92 Points
Now bordering on oxidation, this wine demands to be drunk now - but with great pleasure. Deep in color, powerful old chardonnay fruit, gently bubbly. Hints of dark nuts and cardomom. Very interesting indeed. I do not believe Comtes is a champagne that can go for a very long distance.
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7/2/2008 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Dinner with some very old Seguin Manuel burgundies (One-O-One, Knightsbridge, London): Oxidative nose, but finely textured and vigorous. Some thought the second bottle less fresh, but it seemed to me pretty similar, a touch leaner, and with a hint of earthiness.
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4/8/2008 - sdr wrote: 94 Points
From Vinfolio recently, this bottle was clearly in excellent condition and consistent with previous wonderful experiences. Just what champagne should be as an adult in its prime. Lovely fragrance of citrus and hazelnut, round, smooth and affiirmative in the mouth without being loud or too aggressive. Almost luscious but not sweet; Barry, K and I drained the bottle in record time at 32 East.
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10/5/2007 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
Lunch at Chez Bruce (Chez Bruce, London): Lunch @ Chez Bruce with david wainwright
what a nice way to start lunch-golden yellowy color, a little touch of sherry and yeast on the nose. in th emouth a zing acidity still, biscuits and a little citrus. small zippy bubbles, medium length
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9/16/2007 - shine wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful yeasty delicate flavors of apple honey and spice. A joy to drink.
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4/21/2007 - MarkC wrote: 92 Points
Good nose of fresh, yeasty bread, apple and pear. Tons of apple, cinnamon, strawberry hints. Toasty, clean finish with a lot of length.
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4/7/2007 - sdr wrote: 91 Points
At first pour, this seemed way too young; simple and primary. But as it warmed in the glass over the next hour, it displayed some of that fabulous Comtes elegance and delicacy along with deeper flavors of untoasted bread and citrus. But even another hour later the wine seemed remarkably youthful at age 17.
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2/24/2007 - JLeader wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful, vibrant champagne, with great verve. Very fine with a long life ahead.
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9/2/2006 - sdr wrote: 92 Points
Lovely winey Comtes that is fully mature by any standard (from a recent purchase at Rare Wine Co.). Just a few lazy streams of tiny bubbles. Advanced smell and taste of over-ripe oranges, dried apricot and a hint of sherry, which in this case adds complexity and interest. A champagne for meditation.
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5/6/2006 - sdr wrote: 95 Points
A recent purchase from the Rare Wine Company in Sonoma, this bottle must have been impeccably stored, as usual for this most reputable of merchants. Deep yellow, tiny bubbles in its modest mousse. Fragrant in champagne terms, with notes of orange marmalade, lemon peel and walnuts. On the palate, very mature flavor profile with a hint of sherry which in this case only adds to the complexity and interest. Full and rich for Comtes, this surely can only go downhill from here. Really beautiful well made champagne in all its glory. Who needs pinot noir when chardonnay is this profound?
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1/13/2006 - DrDave wrote: 95 Points
That bottle in the photo in front of the window was the one consumed. Hand carried from France. One of the top 3 Champagnes I've had. Brilliantly complex. From memory (drank a month ago) yeasty, toasty hazelnut, brioche, lemon, stone and mineral with vibrant fruit and fine mousse. Drank with Beluga caviar - a wonderful match. There was shockingly half a glass left in the bottle the next morning (all four of us must have just assumed it was empty and none of us checked). The last half glass at room temperature in the morning the next day was still vibrant as ever and was in fact the best glass of all (and all for me as everyone had gone home). I can still remember that last taste as if it was this morning.
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8/6/2005 - sdr wrote: 89 Points
My last bottle, enjoyed at 32 East with Greg, the Cataldos and the DBs. Almost no bubbles, but that may have been due to the pedestrian glassware. Nothing can hide the elegance and delicate balance of this wine, but it seemed a bit faded compared to previous bottles. Still a lovely gentle aperitif style champagne and we finished the bottle before any food had arrived.
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5/13/2005 - sdr wrote: 93 Points
This is gorgeous chardonnay champagne at its peak. Lovely medium gold with active bead of tiny bubbles. Open fragrance of citrus, honeysuckle and butter leads to a medium bodied wine of great elegance. The distinct, but subtle note of oxidation plays a supporting role in the background, proving that it's not always a flaw. Lingering finish. Delightful match for mesquite grilled chicken. Time to drink up.
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1/31/2004 - DChan wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic champagne that I opened to celebrate passing a particular milestone at work. It is beautiful to behold in the glass - a pale copper with zillions of the tiniest bubbles. The delicacy of blanc de blancs was readily apparent here, as well as superbly rich notes of hazelnut, brioche, and white fruits. This is very different from the '89 Krug that I love so much, but easily its equal in terms of quality.
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10/3/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 94 Points
Light yellow. This champagne had a bread-like scent too. Brillaintly structured and nicely contained by a fresh stroke of fresh, ripe fruit acid. Good intensity on the palate, super elegant and packed with finesse. Long aftertaste. Delicious!
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10/3/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 93 Points
Light yellow in the glass. Aromas of bread. Seductive and fairly forward in taste. Not monstrously complex, but thoroughly enjoyable. The was a curious beer component in the taste which I like, in spite of a general indifference to beer. The wine was quite harmonious and had a superb finish.
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12/31/2000 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 93 Points
A very attractive medium gold. Excellent, if rather excited stream of bubbles. Nice light nose: toasty and nutty with extracts of butter and vanilla, and just a hint of lime. Very fine, long, thin legs. Very creamy attack. Not overly mousseux in the mouth. Very crisp on the palate, with loads of fruit; and it's very creamy with just a nice hint of acidity towards the finish. Finishes very cleanly and with great elegance. Very Good Indeed +
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10/23/1997 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
BIRTHDAY 10/23/1997 (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Medium amount of tiny bubbles formed a lovely mousse, nose of honey, honeycomb, cashew, and brioche, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, at it's best so drink up, elegant, complex, mouth filling and sweet fruit and honey, good acid, and a long, long, long finish.
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