70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay- consistent blend throughout the levels, 18 months on lees; medium bubbles; pencil shavings, green apple, yeast, biscuit, medium plus body, rich, grainy texture, chalky finish, youthful, less focus but makes up for it in power; very good.
3-4 years on lees; larger less active bubbles; powerful yeast, lemon, chalk, almost seashell; more active foam in the mouth, rich, nutty, lemon, pencil shavings, tart red apple, some autolysis; very good.
Very fine bubbles; bread dough, vanilla, light green apple, nose is youthful and not very delineated; citrus and green apple on the palate, rounded but sharp acid, almost waxy texture, creamy finish, fresh, clean, finish is a bit shorter than the Homage; very pleasant.
100% Pinot Noir predominantly from 2003 vintage, 18 months 100% in oak, aged 7 years on lees; pale green color, very active and fine bead; green and red apple on the nose, autumnal, complex, slight vanilla and lees, perfumed; frothy and persistent on the palate with lead pencil, vanilla, round and really focused, long finish; aged characteristics but this could use another 5+ years.
More of an amber hue, fine bead less active; red apple, lots of perfume, almost seashell, orange oil, autolysis, opulent, mahogany; rich, lots of apple, walking a tightrope of balance and overdone, long delicious finish filled with orange oil and honey; very good.
Side by side with the NV Henri Giraud Fut de Chene; greenish yellow color with fine bead; vanilla, bread dough, green apple, sulfur, reductive; rich round and delicious, ripe, almost overdone for me- needs to shed some baby fat; comparison was apples and oranges as the Krug needs several more years of bottle age and the Fut was ready now; great stuff- just needs to come into its own.
10 years on lees; yellow amber color with fine bead; bread dough, oxidative, lush, exotic- very different for Champagne, nutty in almost a Sherry sort of way, citrus; almost black currant on the palate, soft acid and texture (from the bottling at lower atmospheres), dried red fruit; definitely a wow wine that is different from any Champagne I've ever had, one that you'd want to drink in a dark library with mahogany shelves, leather bound books sitting in a leather chair smoking a pipe.
Copper pink with fine active bead, color not from saignée this is blended; dough, creamy, strawberry, rich and opulent, faint Sherry note; medicinal cherry and strawberry on the palate, red apple, tart, less richness than the nose suggests, lighter body; ok.
Deep amber color with green hues; honey, nutty, Sherry like, brandy, toffee, green apple, white raisin, taut; sweet palate, apple, toffee, Sherry or Madeira like, nutty, long mahogany and apple juice finish; delicious and interesting.
NV Henri Giraud Champagne Brut Esprit de Giraud
France, Champagne
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay- consistent blend throughout the levels, 18 months on lees; medium bubbles; pencil shavings, green apple, yeast, biscuit, medium plus body, rich, grainy texture, chalky finish, youthful, less focus but makes up for it in power; very good.
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NV Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Hommage à François Hémart Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
3-4 years on lees; larger less active bubbles; powerful yeast, lemon, chalk, almost seashell; more active foam in the mouth, rich, nutty, lemon, pencil shavings, tart red apple, some autolysis; very good.
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NV Henri Giraud Champagne Brut Esprit Blanc de Blancs
France, Champagne
Very fine bubbles; bread dough, vanilla, light green apple, nose is youthful and not very delineated; citrus and green apple on the palate, rounded but sharp acid, almost waxy texture, creamy finish, fresh, clean, finish is a bit shorter than the Homage; very pleasant.
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NV Henri Giraud Champagne Code Noir Brut
France, Champagne
100% Pinot Noir predominantly from 2003 vintage, 18 months 100% in oak, aged 7 years on lees; pale green color, very active and fine bead; green and red apple on the nose, autumnal, complex, slight vanilla and lees, perfumed; frothy and persistent on the palate with lead pencil, vanilla, round and really focused, long finish; aged characteristics but this could use another 5+ years.
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NV Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Fût De Chêne Brut MV Aÿ
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
More of an amber hue, fine bead less active; red apple, lots of perfume, almost seashell, orange oil, autolysis, opulent, mahogany; rich, lots of apple, walking a tightrope of balance and overdone, long delicious finish filled with orange oil and honey; very good.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
Side by side with the NV Henri Giraud Fut de Chene; greenish yellow color with fine bead; vanilla, bread dough, green apple, sulfur, reductive; rich round and delicious, ripe, almost overdone for me- needs to shed some baby fat; comparison was apples and oranges as the Krug needs several more years of bottle age and the Fut was ready now; great stuff- just needs to come into its own.
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2002 Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Argonne Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
10 years on lees; yellow amber color with fine bead; bread dough, oxidative, lush, exotic- very different for Champagne, nutty in almost a Sherry sort of way, citrus; almost black currant on the palate, soft acid and texture (from the bottling at lower atmospheres), dried red fruit; definitely a wow wine that is different from any Champagne I've ever had, one that you'd want to drink in a dark library with mahogany shelves, leather bound books sitting in a leather chair smoking a pipe.
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NV Henri Giraud Champagne Brut Esprit Rosé
France, Champagne
Copper pink with fine active bead, color not from saignée this is blended; dough, creamy, strawberry, rich and opulent, faint Sherry note; medicinal cherry and strawberry on the palate, red apple, tart, less richness than the nose suggests, lighter body; ok.
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NV Henri Giraud Ratafia de Champagne
France, Champagne, Ratafia de Champagne
Deep amber color with green hues; honey, nutty, Sherry like, brandy, toffee, green apple, white raisin, taut; sweet palate, apple, toffee, Sherry or Madeira like, nutty, long mahogany and apple juice finish; delicious and interesting.
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