Fine and persistent mousse. Nose of white peaches and sea spray.
Citrus and yellow pit fruits on the generous palate. A hit of oxidation, though tasty, blew off, or maybe my oxidation rose to meet it...
Minerals and whiffs of yeast keep the fruit on edge, a slight salinity like fleur de sel on the attack. Plenty left in the tank here if protected. Drink/Hold 94-95 pts
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I couldn't help feeling sad when I took my first sip from this bottle of 2002 Pierre Peters L'Esprit. Not because the champagne wasn't amazing, but rather because this was the last bottle from my stash. I believe we have gone through at least 9 bottles of this in the past year. Originally my plan was to save at least 6 of them for 5-10 years. However, as my wife and I kept opening bottle after bottle and we just couldn't stop.
This is a truly captivating blanc de blancs. It is extremely wiry and seems to have what I would call a high pitched resonance and depth that can only be matched in this region by Salon. It is extremely rich, but also floats effortlessly across the palate. Flavors of lemon, apples, saline, chalk, crushed rocks, and a few spices last for at least 30 seconds after each sip. This Pierre Peters has a lot left in reserve and is clearly built to age. I cannot imagine how good this must be with 20-25 years in the cellar. It is also a value at roughly $65 per bottle. However, the value may be irrelevant at this time since I am not aware of any retailers with any more stock of the 2002 L'Esprit. That is the hard part with drinking rare grower champagnes - they become almost impossible to find the year after they are released.
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It seems that every time I have this wine it just gets better. It has lost a little bit of its effervescence and youthful freshness in the past year, but more than makes up for that with the beautiful richness and depth that is now developing. This will be phenomenal in another decade, but is already wonderful today. The balance is perfect and I get deep red apple flavors along with nuts, oranges, and white bread. This is a seriously high quality BdB and still continues to drink a bit better than the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons (however, that wine will likely catch up and pass the Millesime in the long run). If you only have 1 or 2 bottles of this, I would put them away for at least several more years in order to experience this champagne with a bit more maturity. At this point the 2002 Millesime is very difficult to find at retail.
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This 2002 Pierre Peters L'Esprit Millesime continues to drink very well and has gained in complexity since my 1 case purchase of this about six months ago. It is a wonderful blanc de blanc that has beautiful rich and slightly mature flavors of red apple, pear, cream, spices, honey, along with a bit of cofee. It also has a wonderful silky and smooth texture in the mouth. While this will continue to improve over the next decade and add even more richness and complexity, it is very open and drinking very well right now. For me this is one of the best values in the Pierre Peters lineup if you can still find it at retail in the $60 to $70 range. In fact, this 2002 L'Esprit Millesime is drinking better than the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons right now and will likely continue to drink better than that champagne for at least the next several years. However, in the long run the Chetillons will most likely turn into a better wine. So for now, drink this and continue to hold the Chetillons.
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This champagne continues to impress and has even added a touch of maturity since my purchase six months ago. It has added a bit more richness and bread characteristics along with some spices. However, this is still set off by its vibrant minerality, beautiful white fruit, and light honey/caramel notes. It still has a long way to go and I can't help but believe that this will become a very special champagne with an additional 10 years or so of bottle age. My problem is that of my original 11 bottles, I now only have 4 left. It will be increasingly difficult to keep my hands off of these going forward, but I am going to give it a try because there is no more of this left in the marketplace. Just a beautiful experience from a great Le Mesnil producer.
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After two slightly suspect bottles of this, it was nice to finally get a proper one that was firing on all cylinders again. This is just a wonderful effort with bright candied red apples, caramel, minerals, depth, and complexity. Drinking far better than the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chettilons right now and probably for the next several years before that wine catches up.
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Even though this bottle was still very drinkable and tasted better and better as it opened up, it was still slightly flawed. It had a slightly bitter side flavor that has not been present in any other Pierre Peters champagne that I have tried. Hopefully this will be the only bottle from my stash of 2002's that suffers from this issue.
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Once again this champagne was just incredible. It almost seems to keep getting better and better with each bottle. This is light and crisp, but has heavier flavors at the same time. Beautiful candied apple (in a subtle way), caramel, perfect acidity, and wonderful medium sized bubbles dance on the palate. This is the 2002 Pierre Peters to drink today. Hold the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chettilons for another decade.
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I am drinking my supply of this beautiful 2002 BdB at a much faster rate than anticipated due to how well this is drinking. The only BdB I have had recently that has been slightly better than this was 97 Salon. This 2002 Pierre Peters Millesime is also drinking much better than the 2002 Pierre Peters Chetillons, which still needs another decade and is way too tight for drinking today. If you see this on the shelves, grab it as quickly as you can.
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Please see my previous note. This is an extraordinary Blanc de Blanc champagne from one of the best producers in the top Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil and in one of the best recent years (2002). This is hard to find, but is one of the most rewarding BdB's this side of Salon.
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An unbelievable blanc de blanc. So pure with unbelievable precision and defined minerality along with soft peach flavors and white bread. A slight green tint in the glass gives a hint to its Mesnil origin. This is still very young, but is already showing incredibly well. It will only get better over the next five years, but it will be hard to resisit drinking these in the near term.
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The Other Great French Blancs: Champagne and Sauternes (Wink Restaurant, Austin, Texas): Quite fragrant with pronounced powdered chocolate and some grapefruit and apple on the nose. More ripe than the Gimonnet previously tasted, this was light, crisp, dry, and holding up well. With a tight bead, the palate started with light cream, some sea salt, flowers and citrus and developed into pears and apples in cocoa, with some brandy notes. It had an excellent, light acid finish with some lemon, tobacco, and lees notes.
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Impressive Champagne, displaying bright citrus notes and floral elements. Medium intensity and excellent, sappy, lip-smacking length. Fine bubbles and wonderful mouthfeel.
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6/30/2018 - jdtonic Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Light Gold. Sent cork about 50 yards.
Fine and persistent mousse. Nose of white peaches and sea spray.
Citrus and yellow pit fruits on the generous palate. A hit of oxidation, though tasty, blew off, or maybe my oxidation rose to meet it...
Minerals and whiffs of yeast keep the fruit on edge, a slight salinity like fleur de sel on the attack. Plenty left in the tank here if protected. Drink/Hold
94-95 pts
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6/29/2013 - grenache lover wrote: 92 Points
Excellent, fine mousse, good fruit and vibrancy. A bit primary still.
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10/5/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
I couldn't help feeling sad when I took my first sip from this bottle of 2002 Pierre Peters L'Esprit. Not because the champagne wasn't amazing, but rather because this was the last bottle from my stash. I believe we have gone through at least 9 bottles of this in the past year. Originally my plan was to save at least 6 of them for 5-10 years. However, as my wife and I kept opening bottle after bottle and we just couldn't stop.
This is a truly captivating blanc de blancs. It is extremely wiry and seems to have what I would call a high pitched resonance and depth that can only be matched in this region by Salon. It is extremely rich, but also floats effortlessly across the palate. Flavors of lemon, apples, saline, chalk, crushed rocks, and a few spices last for at least 30 seconds after each sip. This Pierre Peters has a lot left in reserve and is clearly built to age. I cannot imagine how good this must be with 20-25 years in the cellar. It is also a value at roughly $65 per bottle. However, the value may be irrelevant at this time since I am not aware of any retailers with any more stock of the 2002 L'Esprit. That is the hard part with drinking rare grower champagnes - they become almost impossible to find the year after they are released.
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8/26/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
It seems that every time I have this wine it just gets better. It has lost a little bit of its effervescence and youthful freshness in the past year, but more than makes up for that with the beautiful richness and depth that is now developing. This will be phenomenal in another decade, but is already wonderful today. The balance is perfect and I get deep red apple flavors along with nuts, oranges, and white bread. This is a seriously high quality BdB and still continues to drink a bit better than the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons (however, that wine will likely catch up and pass the Millesime in the long run). If you only have 1 or 2 bottles of this, I would put them away for at least several more years in order to experience this champagne with a bit more maturity. At this point the 2002 Millesime is very difficult to find at retail.
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3/27/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
This 2002 Pierre Peters L'Esprit Millesime continues to drink very well and has gained in complexity since my 1 case purchase of this about six months ago. It is a wonderful blanc de blanc that has beautiful rich and slightly mature flavors of red apple, pear, cream, spices, honey, along with a bit of cofee. It also has a wonderful silky and smooth texture in the mouth. While this will continue to improve over the next decade and add even more richness and complexity, it is very open and drinking very well right now. For me this is one of the best values in the Pierre Peters lineup if you can still find it at retail in the $60 to $70 range. In fact, this 2002 L'Esprit Millesime is drinking better than the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons right now and will likely continue to drink better than that champagne for at least the next several years. However, in the long run the Chetillons will most likely turn into a better wine. So for now, drink this and continue to hold the Chetillons.
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2/3/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
This champagne continues to impress and has even added a touch of maturity since my purchase six months ago. It has added a bit more richness and bread characteristics along with some spices. However, this is still set off by its vibrant minerality, beautiful white fruit, and light honey/caramel notes. It still has a long way to go and I can't help but believe that this will become a very special champagne with an additional 10 years or so of bottle age. My problem is that of my original 11 bottles, I now only have 4 left. It will be increasingly difficult to keep my hands off of these going forward, but I am going to give it a try because there is no more of this left in the marketplace. Just a beautiful experience from a great Le Mesnil producer.
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11/22/2011 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
After two slightly suspect bottles of this, it was nice to finally get a proper one that was firing on all cylinders again. This is just a wonderful effort with bright candied red apples, caramel, minerals, depth, and complexity. Drinking far better than the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chettilons right now and probably for the next several years before that wine catches up.
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11/10/2011 - Krugman wrote: flawed
This bottle was corked. A shame since this is the second striaght bottle of this that has not performed well.
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11/2/2011 - Krugman wrote: flawed
Even though this bottle was still very drinkable and tasted better and better as it opened up, it was still slightly flawed. It had a slightly bitter side flavor that has not been present in any other Pierre Peters champagne that I have tried. Hopefully this will be the only bottle from my stash of 2002's that suffers from this issue.
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10/19/2011 - Krugman wrote: 94 Points
Once again this champagne was just incredible. It almost seems to keep getting better and better with each bottle. This is light and crisp, but has heavier flavors at the same time. Beautiful candied apple (in a subtle way), caramel, perfect acidity, and wonderful medium sized bubbles dance on the palate. This is the 2002 Pierre Peters to drink today. Hold the 2002 Cuvee Speciale Les Chettilons for another decade.
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10/4/2011 - Krugman wrote: 94 Points
I am drinking my supply of this beautiful 2002 BdB at a much faster rate than anticipated due to how well this is drinking. The only BdB I have had recently that has been slightly better than this was 97 Salon. This 2002 Pierre Peters Millesime is also drinking much better than the 2002 Pierre Peters Chetillons, which still needs another decade and is way too tight for drinking today. If you see this on the shelves, grab it as quickly as you can.
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9/24/2011 - Krugman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Please see my previous note. This is an extraordinary Blanc de Blanc champagne from one of the best producers in the top Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil and in one of the best recent years (2002). This is hard to find, but is one of the most rewarding BdB's this side of Salon.
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9/20/2011 - Krugman Likes this wine: 94 Points
An unbelievable blanc de blanc. So pure with unbelievable precision and defined minerality along with soft peach flavors and white bread. A slight green tint in the glass gives a hint to its Mesnil origin. This is still very young, but is already showing incredibly well. It will only get better over the next five years, but it will be hard to resisit drinking these in the near term.
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7/26/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 88 Points
Lemon, citrus, biscuit and chalk dominate this simple but good Champagne. It is really dry on the finish.
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12/12/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote:
The Other Great French Blancs: Champagne and Sauternes (Wink Restaurant, Austin, Texas): Quite fragrant with pronounced powdered chocolate and some grapefruit and apple on the nose. More ripe than the Gimonnet previously tasted, this was light, crisp, dry, and holding up well. With a tight bead, the palate started with light cream, some sea salt, flowers and citrus and developed into pears and apples in cocoa, with some brandy notes. It had an excellent, light acid finish with some lemon, tobacco, and lees notes.
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1/11/2010 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Impressive Champagne, displaying bright citrus notes and floral elements. Medium intensity and excellent, sappy, lip-smacking length. Fine bubbles and wonderful mouthfeel.
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