Last bottle of 2002. Bc of a change in ownership, this was left on the lees for a full 10 years.
Nose of roasting cashews and hazelnut and a high degree of toast. Medium-full bodied, this is quite zingy on the palate with lemony acidity and some minerallity on the finish. Lemon curd, toast and roasted nuts round out the palate. Still nice, this is definitely on the downswing and should be consumed soon. 90
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Deep yellowish/gold color, showing its age. Fantastic nose of toasted brioche slathered in pit fruit preserves. Powerful, but mellowing with age on the palate. Toasted nut and smoke flavors dominate the fore-palate, but the finish is loaded with salinity! Fantastic stuff, as always! 92 Drink now-2020
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Rich, toasty, yeasty, creamy hints of light lemon - wonderful blend, greatly to my taste. Enjoyed with Sevruga, sour cream, home-made blini, hard boiled chopped egg and chives.
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Pretty shrunken cork. Mid gold - a touch darker than the '95 Blanc des Millénaires I had earlier. Mild nose, but amazingly similar profile: pastry (albeit less of this), baked orchard fruit, a touch of mushroom. This one is advanced for its age. Quite full and round in the mouth, a plum note, generous fruit, creamy-chalky and really delicious, if a tiny bit restrained. This is really good for the price, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Another 5-10 years of life in this. Besserat is a really impressive producer. Disgorged October 2011. [Composite cork + cage; 12.5% abv; Champagne Direct, £39.95].
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Medium yellow color, this has always been a unique Champagne, having spent 10 years on the lees (if I'm remembering correctly what the winemaker told me). Toasty, leesy nose, but also orange marmalade and hints of candied lemon on heavily toasted brioche. This is rich and full-bodied with loads of palate presence and intensity. Great acidity, but balanced, this is just loaded with orange fruit preserves (orange and apricot). This still has plenty of life left in it, no hurry to consume. 93
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(Besserat de Bellefon Champagne Cuvée des Moines Brut) Light yellow color; reticent nose; lovely, big, tart lemon, tart lime, mineral palate; medium finish 91+ pts.
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1/1/2023 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle of 2002. Bc of a change in ownership, this was left on the lees for a full 10 years.
Nose of roasting cashews and hazelnut and a high degree of toast. Medium-full bodied, this is quite zingy on the palate with lemony acidity and some minerallity on the finish. Lemon curd, toast and roasted nuts round out the palate. Still nice, this is definitely on the downswing and should be consumed soon. 90
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12/30/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep yellowish/gold color, showing its age. Fantastic nose of toasted brioche slathered in pit fruit preserves. Powerful, but mellowing with age on the palate. Toasted nut and smoke flavors dominate the fore-palate, but the finish is loaded with salinity! Fantastic stuff, as always! 92 Drink now-2020
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10/21/2018 - PennyBarr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, toasty, yeasty, creamy hints of light lemon - wonderful blend, greatly to my taste. Enjoyed with Sevruga, sour cream, home-made blini, hard boiled chopped egg and chives.
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3/21/2018 - scyrene Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty shrunken cork. Mid gold - a touch darker than the '95 Blanc des Millénaires I had earlier. Mild nose, but amazingly similar profile: pastry (albeit less of this), baked orchard fruit, a touch of mushroom. This one is advanced for its age. Quite full and round in the mouth, a plum note, generous fruit, creamy-chalky and really delicious, if a tiny bit restrained. This is really good for the price, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Another 5-10 years of life in this. Besserat is a really impressive producer. Disgorged October 2011. [Composite cork + cage; 12.5% abv; Champagne Direct, £39.95].
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2/14/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium yellow color, this has always been a unique Champagne, having spent 10 years on the lees (if I'm remembering correctly what the winemaker told me). Toasty, leesy nose, but also orange marmalade and hints of candied lemon on heavily toasted brioche. This is rich and full-bodied with loads of palate presence and intensity. Great acidity, but balanced, this is just loaded with orange fruit preserves (orange and apricot). This still has plenty of life left in it, no hurry to consume. 93
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