30x 1955 & 1961 (mostly Bdx): A big treat to kick-off this tasting. With just a minute or two of air this Champagne started to sing and got more intense, pure and clean by the minute. Super complex, so round and still incredibly fresh and even with some slight fizz - this had it all. I would love to drink that every hour of every day. Best rating of all wines tasted tonight.
TN: Expressive nose with caramel, toffee, mushrooms and citrus notes. Inviting, precise and getting more intense by the minute. The palate opens with fresh fruit, citrus, apple, some tropical notes, minerality as well as all tertiary aromas with caramel, toffee, mushrooms. Very harmonious and balanced with a fine creaminess and a good freshness and even some very fine mousse. The precision and tension are off the charts and the length is quite impressive. A great experience.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting needed. Some unpleasant oxidative aromas quickly blew off.
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Grand 1961 vs 1955 vintage tasting (Fribourg): Big 1961 vs 1955 tastings including 10 direct match-ups and 11 individual wines from 1961. The tasting was conducted in flights of 4, single-blind and with no previous decant with all bottles opened 1h prior to start. The line-up was dominated by Bordeaux reds, but also included 5 Sauternes, 1 Champagne, 3 Burgundy reds and 1 Ribera del Duero. The following observations are worth mentioning: i) 1961 generally came across as a better vintage today than 1955, ii) the performance correlated with the 1855 classification, iii) The most outstanding wines were outside of the Bordeaux reds with Veuve Clicquot Rosé '61, Vega Sicilia Unico '61 (both 97) and La Tour Blanche '61 (96) worth mentioning, iv) Top-performing Bordeaux was Margaux (95) in 1961 and Mouton in 1955. List of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: A bit Sherry-like, toffee and dark chocolate, almonds, some caramel. Fruit pretty much in the background, maybe a bit of candid peach. Still incredibly fresh with crisp acidity and plenty of bubbles left. On the palate a more citric fruit profile, green apple and steely minerality. Unexpectedly long finish. An outstanding bubbly wine and lucky who still owns this.
Champagne and Chambertin (Marea in New york): Caramel in color, no effervescence, rich, long, Ray says he detects meatiness and that this is not at its peak. He calls Carl and I necrophiliacs, but I think it is delightful and one of my favorites that just improves with time in glass. Mike says whiff of oxidization and I can see the reference, its just not bad with this wine. A treat.
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10/17/2021 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
30x 1955 & 1961 (mostly Bdx): A big treat to kick-off this tasting. With just a minute or two of air this Champagne started to sing and got more intense, pure and clean by the minute. Super complex, so round and still incredibly fresh and even with some slight fizz - this had it all. I would love to drink that every hour of every day. Best rating of all wines tasted tonight.
TN: Expressive nose with caramel, toffee, mushrooms and citrus notes. Inviting, precise and getting more intense by the minute. The palate opens with fresh fruit, citrus, apple, some tropical notes, minerality as well as all tertiary aromas with caramel, toffee, mushrooms. Very harmonious and balanced with a fine creaminess and a good freshness and even some very fine mousse. The precision and tension are off the charts and the length is quite impressive. A great experience.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting needed. Some unpleasant oxidative aromas quickly blew off.
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9/20/2021 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Grand 1961 vs 1955 vintage tasting (Fribourg): Big 1961 vs 1955 tastings including 10 direct match-ups and 11 individual wines from 1961. The tasting was conducted in flights of 4, single-blind and with no previous decant with all bottles opened 1h prior to start. The line-up was dominated by Bordeaux reds, but also included 5 Sauternes, 1 Champagne, 3 Burgundy reds and 1 Ribera del Duero. The following observations are worth mentioning: i) 1961 generally came across as a better vintage today than 1955, ii) the performance correlated with the 1855 classification, iii) The most outstanding wines were outside of the Bordeaux reds with Veuve Clicquot Rosé '61, Vega Sicilia Unico '61 (both 97) and La Tour Blanche '61 (96) worth mentioning, iv) Top-performing Bordeaux was Margaux (95) in 1961 and Mouton in 1955. List of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
A bit Sherry-like, toffee and dark chocolate, almonds, some caramel. Fruit pretty much in the background, maybe a bit of candid peach. Still incredibly fresh with crisp acidity and plenty of bubbles left. On the palate a more citric fruit profile, green apple and steely minerality. Unexpectedly long finish. An outstanding bubbly wine and lucky who still owns this.
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9/2/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great clarity with persistent dry raspberry notes.
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11/23/2010 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Champagne and Chambertin (Marea in New york): Caramel in color, no effervescence, rich, long, Ray says he detects meatiness and that this is not at its peak. He calls Carl and I necrophiliacs, but I think it is delightful and one of my favorites that just improves with time in glass. Mike says whiff of oxidization and I can see the reference, its just not bad with this wine. A treat.
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