Rockstar Champagne... like, all of them
E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR
Tasted Wednesday, September 17, 2014 by David Paris with 1,614 views
Introduction
The seventh 15th anniversary event put on by E&R, this time Stephanie, who has worked there for 7 years now, drove the selection as Champagne is really her "thing." The E&R team has visited 23 of the 24 producers they were pouring here today, so they know these wines intimately well!
Admittedly, Champagne has never been my "thing." I do enjoy them, but for me, rarely does a Champagne set itself apart from the rest. Even the best to me aren't all that great in the world of wine. So take my scores with that grain of salt... All of these wines are the Crème de la Crème of Champagne, most of which have cellartracker scores in the mid 90s... unheard of for such a lineup. My scores are generally about 4 points below the cellartracker average. So yeah, it's apparently still not my thing even after having the best of the best. My cellar reflects this, too, with only a few bottles of Champagne among all the Burgundy and Barolo. One would think I'd love Champagne because I love cutting, mineral driven whites... go figure.
Flight 1 - Blanc de Blancs (6 Notes)
Flight 2 - Noirs et Blancs (6 Notes)
Flight 4 - Rosé (6 Notes)
2006 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Vieille Vigne de Cramant 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Very rich, lush aromas. Some nice minerality. Pretty, nice and cutting. Very very soft texture. Some nice fruit is present on the palate, including apples but also some red fruit. Nice minerality, too. Very nice luscious body fills the palate on the finish. Very zippy lingering acids. Quite sharp, but very nice.
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2006 David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Apôtre Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
I didn't much care for this wine the last time I had it and again it's a little pedestrian. Some stringency to the aromas, including bitter minerality. Overall though it's not very deep in aromatic complexity. Nice luscious apple note on the palate and a solid creaminess. Lovely acid, but again there's this astringent apple seed... like I'm chewing on an apple core. A little more wateery on the finish, with some apple meat, minerality, and soft acidity.
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2004 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Vénus Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Nice soft, creamy, and smooth aromas. Very soft and smooth on the palate, nearly frothy. Lovely red apple note. Not too much depth, though. Lovely dial up of acidity on the finish that totally takes off and launches this wine to a better place than it was letting on with the nose. Wonderful lingering acidity and minerality that's quite meditative. Nice, but I enjoyed the 2002 a bit better.
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2002 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne
Really bready, yeasty aromas. Some barrel funk, too. Pretty interesting. Really rich, soft palate, with tiny bubbles. Smooth and rich oaky notes, offering creamy apple flavors. Nice depth. Slightly puckering minerality on the finish, which is very tart and quite gritty. Ripping finish.
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2002 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
Luscious and creamy aromas... they are light, but at the same time hugely elegant. There's even some slight notes of marzipan or sweetened hazelnuts. Rich and smooth palate, with incredibly lovely texture. Really sets itself apart from the rest with the elegant texture. While it's pretty, there's still not much in the way of flavor depth. The finish is a little light as well. Elegant, soft and creamy, with some mineral notes. It's again quite pretty, but I seek more depth. I think this really just needs more time. Score is for enjoyment today (and even that it may be a little high), but this is a baby and I can see being absolutely stunning in a few decades.
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2002 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Very deep and luscious aromas. Heavier notes, including some paint remover or lacquer thinner. Strangely funky and not very nice... Soft and nutty palate, which is creamy and smooth with solid minerality. Quite nice. Puckering finish, showing notes of some gummy candy. Soft tart lemons and deep minerals.
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