Terres et Vins de Champagne 'a Portland
E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR
Tasted Friday, May 17, 2013 - Saturday, May 18, 2013 by David Paris (dbp) with 1,253 views
Introduction
From E&R's email: "Terres et Vins, conceived by the talented (and now quite renown) young wine growers, Raphaël Bérèche and Aurélien Laherte, began as a grassroots response to the omnipresent voice and methodology of the large and powerful brand name houses that have long dominated the market for Champagne. The small growers of Terres et Vins work differently: with an emphasis on their land. In some cases this means working with organic or biodynamic methods, but in all cases it means working in an overall conscious way that allows the land to flourish through the vines and, in turn, making wines that express the vineyards.
"Not-your-average-tasting, Terres et Vins features some of Champagne's most talented and innovative wine growers and acquiring an entry pass has become increasingly difficult since the inaugural event took place in April 2009. We have attended numerous "wine salons" and have not been more impressed by the quality of a line-up or convivial spirit than we were by Terres et Vins. In fact, we were so invigorated by the experience that it inspired us to create our own at-home version of the Terres et Vins event! If you have been following our Champagne route, you may recognize that the group includes a number of our very favorite growers whose wines we have excitedly stood behind for as long as we have been able to obtain them. There are those gems, and there are others."
Flight 1 - Day 1 (20 Notes)
Flight 2 - Day 2 (20 Notes)
Definitely some nice standouts today. The Bereche et Fils Champagne Reflet d'Antan and 2004 Georges Laval Champagne Cuvée Les Chênes were both reveleations in different ways. And then there were the highly sought after Leclapart wines that just did not make sense to me.
NV Pascal Doquet Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
(5/17/2013)
Really enjoyed this today. This offered luscious, vibrant spiky sweet minerality on the nose. Quite decedent with that mineral laced sweet fruit aroma. The palate shows a soft, really nice mouse. Creamy and beautifull in texture, offering luscious strawberry and apple. More pleasing fruit flavors on the finish and nicely coating of the palate. Really good. I wonder if I particularly enjoyed this one because it was the first of 40? *shrug*
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NV Pascal Doquet Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Quieter than the rose, showing soft minerality. Nice apple core on the palate with good sweetness of fruit, some gravel notion, and overall fairly pretty. The finish is nice and soft, but gets into some intense minerality as it lingers.
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NV Benoît Lahaye Champagne Rose de Maceration 88 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
This was 2009 base. Soft and creamy aromas, offering some apples. A bit gritty and minerally on the palate, almost a lean metallic notion. The finish is quite metallic again, but this fades after a bit offering some more pleasing flavors.
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NV Benoît Lahaye Champagne Grand Cru Brut Nature 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(5/17/2013)
Nice soft fruit on the nose. Palate is vibrant red fruits with some salty, quartz minerality. Nice. Finish is soft and elegant, offering nice length and minerality.
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NV Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(5/17/2013)
Nice apples and general vibrancy on the nose. Really nice, luscious body and flavors, with a pleasing sweetness without too much coating grittyness that can come with Extra Brut wines. More grit on thee finish, but nice vibrancy and a bit cutting rockiness.
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2008 Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée du Goulté Blanc de Noirs Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(5/17/2013)
Soft with nice fruit aromas. The palate is really expressive of bright red fruits and offers penetrating depth. Really seamless and elegant, showing some lemon flavors. The finish is pretty with lemon acidity erupting, leaving the mouth puckering. Nice structure here. 90+
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NV Francis Boulard Champagne Les Murgiers Brut Nature 82 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Really horribly stinky. Smells like manure, soil, and bacteria. Taste is much better, but still offering that earthy flavor, with Worcestershire sauce, general funk, and a bacterial notion. Nasty finish of shit, funk, dirt, and all not in a good way. I like my wine earthy, but this tastes like it had some bacterial contamination flaw. The distributor tried it and assured us it was showing correctly.
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NV Francis Boulard Champagne Grand Cru Brut Nature (Zero) Mailly 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(5/17/2013)
Soft, quiet aroma. Nice body, with light flavor, but pretty. Nice texture. Light finish, but a pleasing cream cheese frosting flavor that I quite like. Even feels that way.
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NV Franck Pascal Champagne Reliance Brut Nature 90 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Very light aromas. Nice softness on the palate, creamy, showing sweet fruit and cream cheese. Soft and very nice. The finish is creamy and luscious with nice minerality.
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2004 Franck Pascal Champagne Quinte Essence 90 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Mineral aromas, but the whole thing is soft and creamy. Really thick palate texture with nice depth. As its held on the palate I feel like I'm exploring down a cavern. Lovely. The finish shows nice creamy lushness. Pleasing stuff that I think will improve from here. 90+
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NV Olivier Horiot Champagne Métisse Noirs et Blancs Extra Brut 81 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Soft, light nose, not showing much. Really interesting, nice soft palate entry but after just a second or so this begins tasting like stomach acid... like I put too much faith in a burp and got some acid with it. This carries into the finish, which is also puckering and shows lean minerality. The stomach acid component is mild, but completely off putting.
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NV Olivier Horiot Champagne Sève Rosé de Saignée En Barmont Les Riceys 86 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
This was 2006 base. This is pretty funky on the nose, and smells a bit meaty, like chicken on the grill, and then I get a wet dried grass component. Funky palate, like sherry flavors. Definitely is made in an oxidative style. Also tastes of glue. Totally wild finish, and for me tastes a bit too much like bread soaked in sherry.
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NV Jeaunaux-Robin Champagne Brut Rosé 91 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Perhaps my wine of day one, but unfortunately was unavailable in this market. The aromas were soft but offered nice luscious fruit. The palate is really soft with impressive light yeastiness and a creamy texture. Creamy and elegant finish, with nice minerality and acidity that builds and builds long after swallowing. I was completely unexpecting of that due to the lusciousness on the palate, but after 30 seconds what's left is a really surprising cutting sensation on the tongue. Back to the lusciousness with another sip, and then to the cut at the end. Fun wine.
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NV Jeaunaux-Robin Champagne Selection Extra Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Soft apple aromas. Really fantastic creaminess on the palate again; soft. Really great soft finish with nice minerality again lingering at the end. Very good.
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NV Roger Pouillon et Fils Champagne Brut Réserve 90 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Stronger aromas, a bit like a sulfurous match and tart lemons. Very nice, stronger soft flavors on the palate. Yummy lingering finish.
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NV Roger Pouillon et Fils Champagne Vigneron Brut 89 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Soft, light minerals and apples on the nose. Very nice mouse on the palate, which is soft and really luscious. Tons of soft bubbles. Feels like cream. Nice minerality and sweet lemon. Good lingering acidity on the finish, but then it kind of dies. Not quite following through on the promise of the palate.
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NV Vincent Couche Champagne Rosé Extra Brut 88 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Soft aromas. Very nice palate, which is soft and a little cutting with minerals. Finish is cutting, a little creamy at the end, but not much depth.
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2002 Vincent Couche Champagne Brut Millésimé 90 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Soft, creamy aromas. Quite lean palate, but very nice, soft and luscious at the same nice. Impressive texture. Nice minerals dial up on the finish, leaving your mouth puckering. Good length, but very tight.
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NV Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Empreintes 89 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Very soft aromas; smelled like everything else tonight. Nice bubbles on the palatee. Creamy, luscious texture offering pleasing meringue texture and lemon flavor. Puckering and lean finish, showing lots of minerals and a cutting grittiness. Very nice with larger slurps.
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2008 Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d’Autrefois 90 Points
France, Champagne
(5/17/2013)
Soft and creamy aroma. Really luscious, creamy body. Light and lean in flavor. Luscious and creamy finish that lingers nicely on the senses. Very nice.
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