Russell's Pebbles Fizz Offline

Thanks to Russell for his generosity here, Alex for hosting and Jamie for the Bouchard and to all for their food, company and insights. A top night.

• 2004 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Rubis

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Pale salmon. Yeasty, savoury almost marmitey nose. tart red fruit on the attack. Seems highest acidity on the finish. Lack the experience to know how this will evolve but it seems clasy if not quite to my taste. **(*1/2)?

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• NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut Rosé

  France, Champagne

  Pale apricot. Quite a prickly nose, red fruit and some oxidative richness. A touch of spice, some meaty flavours on the mid-palate. Really quite complex. I like this very much. ****

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• NV Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Brut Rosé

  France, Champagne

  Mid-salmon. Full, red fruit nose. Fresher and seemingly fruitier than the Selosse. Fruitier and fresher nose. More frivolous. A touch of savoury on the finish. Simpler than the others but not disgraced by any means. This is the summer quaffer verses the smart food wine Selosse. ***

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• NV Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Cuvée Prestige Blanc de Blancs

  France, Champagne

  Quite a full, slightly yeasty nose. Follows through to the palate, a slightly chalky minerality. Really quite interesting. Top ***

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• 2004 Bonnaire Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  More savoury nose; another meaty, marmitey one. Good attack. A little on the short side. Initially not quite convinced but it pulled together on the glass. Decent. ***

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• 2002 Guy Charlemagne Champagne Grand Cru Mesnillésime Vieilles Vignes Blanc de Blancs

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Quite a rich, spicy nose. Still very young. Classy but very tight and linear at the moment. **(*1/2)

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• 2002 Champagne Le Mesnil Champagne Grand Cru Sublime Blanc de Blancs

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Another spicy nose, almost some ginger here. Quite rounded and muildly exotic. Decent length. A very nice drink but a notch below the other two in this flight. ***

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• 2002 Lilbert-Fils Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé Cramant

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Less rounded at the moment, still really quite taut, linear and mineral. A fine chalkiness. Very tight but very classy. Needs another decade. **(**)

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• 1998 Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Some spice on the nose, quite rich and oxidative. A bit clipped on the mid-palate but round, quite rich and decent length. A good food wine. ***

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• 1998 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Special Club

  France, Champagne

  Slightly curious nose. Really quite sharp, lean, mean and ungenerous. Not for me. **?

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• NV Bérêche et Fils Champagne Brut Réserve

  France, Champagne

  Slightly fuller, pinker colour than the other bereche here. Quite full and young. Some spice amongst the richness. A little exuberant. 11/2009 disgorgement. **(*)

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• 2002 Bérêche et Fils Champagne Brut Millésimé

  France, Champagne

  Spicy nose, more linear and restrained than the NV. More saline and savoury, almost an umami quality here. Nice bit. Good. **(*1/2)

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• NV Bérêche et Fils Champagne Reflet d'Antan

  France, Champagne

  Gorgeous nose, all sorts of aromas here, mainly out of a patissierie. Orange blossom, marzipan and then a good whiff of banoffee pie to the fore. A little loose and flabby on the palate though, lacking some focus. Certainly not as good as the bottle Rupert brought to the Ledbury in January. 11/2009 disgoregement. ***

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• NV Tarlant Champagne La Vigne d'Antan

  France, Champagne

  Chalky, mineral nose. Quite lean. Rosewater top-notes. Curious. ***?

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• NV Tarlant Champagne La Vigne d'Or Blanc de Meuniers Extra Brut

  France, Champagne

  Similar chalkiness. Struck match character too. Finishes ok initially but then pulls up short. Again curious. ***?

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• 1995 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Big, yeasty, meaty nose. Quite robust. A food wine. Lacks elegance but I like it. ****

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• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée

  France, Champagne

  A really strong struck match, sulpherous nose. Haven't come across this on previous bottles. Bonfire night around the fire, cordite hanging in the air. It does blow off a bit. Good depth and richness on the palate, but i can't get past the nose at the moment. ***1/2

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• 2002 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs La Parcelle Côte de Béchalin

  France, Champagne

  Quite a lush nose, very floral, exotic, passion fruit and goodness knows what else here. Light, fresh, elegant. Beautiful poise and balance. Stunningly lovely and really quite a revalation. Wow. *****

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• NV Jacques Selosse Ratafia de Champagne

  France, Champagne, Ratafia de Champagne

  Gorgeous orange colour. Rasins in cognac spring to mind, but there's marzipan, spices, and a rum-like richness and complexity. An oddity. Sweet, oily, unctuous palate but fresh and balanced at the same time. Wouldn't want more than a glass at a time, but ****

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Standout for me was the Roses de Jeanne Parcelle - my bank manager won't be thanking you Jamie! The other top wines for me were the Selosse rosé and ratafia, the Lilbert 02 and the Moncuit 95. The Krug was ok, but for me the first dissapointing bottle I've had of the GC in that it was merely good. Based on this first taste, Tarlant appear not to be for me.