Reims
Tasted Sunday, April 14, 2013 - Monday, April 15, 2013 by godx with 630 views
Our visit was with Rodolphe and what a great way to start off the trip. He explained that his vineyards are located primarily in the area of the Côte des Blancs, and more specifically in the villages of Mesnil sur Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize. He described them like this: Mesnil is grey, stone character, precise, mineral, built to age and straight. Oger is white, elegant, white fruit, apple, pear and white peach. Avize is orange, not elegant, fuller bodied, rich, ripe grapefruit, ripe tangerine and apricot. Cramant is brown, autumn leaves, dried flowers, sweet spices, easy citrus and ripe lemon. We spent nearly three hours with Rodolphe and it was a blast. Pierre Peters has quickly become my favorite grower champagne and meeting Rodolphe only strengthens that.
This was a mistake. We were supposed to go to Le Cheval Blanc in Sept-Saulx (2, Rue du Moulin, 51400 Sept-Saulx) but somehow ended up at Le Cheval Blanc in Montmort Lucy (26, rue de la Libération - Route de Sézanne, 51270 Montmort Lucy), and what a mistake it was. When we pulled up, the restaurant parking lot was empty and so was the restaurant itself. The maître d'/server was creepy, unknowledgeable and unhelpful. The wine list was pathetic. Most of the selections didn’t even list the producer or the vintage, so we had to pick from things like ‘Gevrey Chambertin’ and ‘Cornas’. When we asked the server “what Gevrey Chambertin is this?” he would walk down to the cellar and bring up a bottle to show us, often times not even bringing the wine we asked for. He ended up going to the cellar and bringing us wines about five or six times before we finally got something acceptable. The one gem we were able to find was a 1995 Taittinger Rose, but that was it. The food was bad and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was strange and uncomfortable (made worse by the fact that we were the only people in there the entire evening). And to top it all off, this place is nearly an hour drive outside of Reims. If someone you dislike is visiting Champagne and asks you for a restaurant recommendation, send them here.
NV Jacquart Champagne Brut Mosaïque 86 Points
France, Champagne
(4/14/2013)
Very light colour. Smelt and tasted like a BdB. A little tight, did open up a tad to give some youthful citrus notes and hints of dough. Nice acidity and very fresh. Needs a few years. Good. 86+
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2010 Domaine Jean-Marc / Thomas Bouley Volnay Vieilles Vignes 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay
(4/14/2013)
Youthful nose showing darker red fruits and hints of spice. Palate was quite rich with a somewhat weighty mouthfeel for a Volnay. Not a Volnay of elegance or finesse. Got better with time in the glass although the palate seemed more like 2009 in style than 2010 to several of us at the table. Some oak on the nose that needs time to integrate. Give this 3-5 years. Good. 87+
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2010 Château de Bel-Air Lalande de Pomerol 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol
(4/14/2013)
Bigger nose with darker fruits and a rich and weighty profile on the palate. Some warmth on the finish but overall well balanced and drinking quite well for its age. Sweet and softer tannins with decent acidity. Could use a few years. Good 87+
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