Nicely fresh, apple nose. Clean and zippy. Mellowing with air, maybe a little loose-knit but a good drinker. Upon returning to this, it feels a lot simpler in the company than upon first impression. ***
Quite rich and reasonably full. Nice and smooth and surprisingly mellow. Plenty of Pinot here. A touch of dosage too. Very easy going. Too easy maybe, but quite fun with it. ***
Circa 5 years post-d age. Rich, deep, slightly reductive nose that starts to open up to a slightly oxidative, classic Krug richness. After 90 mins this is classic, rich, vanilla, deep and long. ****
Curious nose, quite lifted and candied and confected. Note quite right. More interesting on the palate but still confected. Hi ghosh dosage? Too sweet. Something amiss. A bit simple too. **1/2?
Quite a low key, musky nose. Rich, mellow and spicy palate but feels as if it might be coming apart at the seams a little. Drink up if this is representative. (*)**
Rich nose initially, but lightens to quite a raw, mineral but slightly disjointed nose. Tightly mineral with a fine chalkiness on the palate. Opens out with air but clearly needs time. **(*)
Spicy red-fruited nose. Really vibrant red-berried fruit on the palate. Intense and distinctive. Lots of oaky spice. Creamy cinnamon and vanilla too. Redcurrants. Needs to calm down and fall in to line a bit with the oak relaxing but this could be very interesting. ****
Mid straw. A little diffuse on the nose, some mature notes towards the back end. Quite cool on the attack with a nice richness through the mid-palate. Maturing Pinot fruit, quite full, some red fruit coming through towards the finish. Lacks some finesse but makes up with gutsy enthusiasm. Almost, but not quite. A shade above last year's bottle. ***
NV Forget-Brimont Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 86 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Nicely fresh, apple nose. Clean and zippy. Mellowing with air, maybe a little loose-knit but a good drinker. Upon returning to this, it feels a lot simpler in the company than upon first impression. ***
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2004 H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé 87 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Quite rich and reasonably full. Nice and smooth and surprisingly mellow. Plenty of Pinot here. A touch of dosage too. Very easy going. Too easy maybe, but quite fun with it. ***
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2004 Champagne Le Mesnil Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Crisp, similar to the Forget-B, but more poise, and depth. A creaminess at the edges. Plenty here and lots of promise. ***1/2
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 92 Points
France, Champagne
Circa 5 years post-d age. Rich, deep, slightly reductive nose that starts to open up to a slightly oxidative, classic Krug richness. After 90 mins this is classic, rich, vanilla, deep and long. ****
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2002 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru l'Esprit Flawed
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Curious nose, quite lifted and candied and confected. Note quite right. More interesting on the palate but still confected. Hi ghosh dosage? Too sweet. Something amiss. A bit simple too. **1/2?
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2004 Duval-Leroy Champagne Brut Vintage Blanc de Blancs 92 Points
France, Champagne
This gets better and better. Very clean, pure, fresh and mineral nose. Lightly floral. Clean and classy. ****
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1996 Boizel Champagne Joyau de France 88 Points
France, Champagne
Quite a low key, musky nose. Rich, mellow and spicy palate but feels as if it might be coming apart at the seams a little. Drink up if this is representative. (*)**
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2006 Olivier Horiot Champagne Sève Blanc de Noirs En Barmont 91 Points
France, Champagne
Deep, quite burly, red-fruited nose and similar on palate. Weight, but good line and really quite long. Quite a lot here. ****
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2002 Pascal Doquet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Rich nose initially, but lightens to quite a raw, mineral but slightly disjointed nose. Tightly mineral with a fine chalkiness on the palate. Opens out with air but clearly needs time. **(*)
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2005 Lilbert-Fils Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé Cramant 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Lovely creamy, chalky minerality and finesse with a nicely developing creamy, coffee cream palate finesse and depth. ****
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2008 Roger Brun Champagne Grand Cru La Pelle 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Spicy red-fruited nose. Really vibrant red-berried fruit on the palate. Intense and distinctive. Lots of oaky spice. Creamy cinnamon and vanilla too. Redcurrants. Needs to calm down and fall in to line a bit with the oak relaxing but this could be very interesting. ****
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NV Cattier Champagne Premier Cru Brut 93/95/96 Clos du Moulin 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Mid straw. A little diffuse on the nose, some mature notes towards the back end. Quite cool on the attack with a nice richness through the mid-palate. Maturing Pinot fruit, quite full, some red fruit coming through towards the finish. Lacks some finesse but makes up with gutsy enthusiasm. Almost, but not quite. A shade above last year's bottle. ***
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1979 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé 91 Points
France, Champagne
Quite an oxidative, mature nose. Fresher and quite rich on the palate. Holding well. Depth and interest. I like this. (*)***
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NV Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Minéral Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
And it is. Fine chalky, very linear, mineral wine. Quite cool and austere. An uncompromising style. ***1/2
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