Q3 - 2017 Tasting - Champagne & Caviar - OH MY!!
New York, NY
Tasted Saturday, July 15, 2017 by retired_and_roving with 521 views
Introduction
The Q3 Wine Champagne & Caviar Tasting hosted by MC2wines was a spectacular event that I was very much looking forward to. Despite my CT handle, my tastes off late have been very focused on bubbles - the more I try the more I love it! This was a great chance to taste some tremendous champagnes blind and really better understand what is driving my palate these days. We had seventeen wines and about 16 tasters on a beautiful summer day in NYC. Only made better by the extensive caviar selection we had to pair with the bubbles. Just a terrific event which has affirmed my appreciation for the complexities and pleasure of champagne.
Please refer to MC2 wines tasting story for the detailed results and bonus wine notes:
https://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=35731
Flight 1 (18 Notes)
Closing
I enjoyed all of the champagnes in the tasting (except for one which I think may have been slightly corked) and would have been happy to spend time getting to know them over the course of an evening. Given the format though, we are working off relatively small tastes and then moving on to the next bottle. After the reveal, there is the opportunity to go back and revisit favorites or any others. With the penny voting format we have 5 pennies to spend any way we choose, rather than spreading mine around I decided to vote for my top two wines.
WOTN - #17 1990 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires - my first time with this wine and it was delicious - 2nd place overall
My #2 - #10 1998 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne - purchased at auction and had not previously tasted but so happy it showed well as I have 2 more in the cellar! - 1st place overall and the winner of a beautiful vintage champagne bucket engraved for the event.
My #3 - #1 NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Le Bout du Clos - would have loved to have spent more time with this one - 0 votes cast by the group
NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Lieux-dits Extra Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Wine 1/17 tasted blind - disgorged Jan-14 unsure of vintage. The bubbles are on the lighter side and the wine has those lovely oxidative notes, so my first thought was an older vintage. Brioche, toast, honey and nuts - really lovely. My 3rd fave of the tasting, but decided to spend my pennies on the top 2 rather than spread them out today. 0 pennies voted which is a shame because for me this was delicious.
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2009 Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Wine 2/17 tasted blind - After the first wine which had a more oxidative style this tasted very fresh with low dosage. Clean and bright with lots of lemon zest and zing, but less of the richer, deeper notes that wine #1 exhibited. Paired great with the caviar. Good but middle of the pack for me - 2 pennies voted from the group.
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2002 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut
France, Champagne
Wine 3/17 tasted blind - The bubbles on this were very assertive, and it had a very racy acidity - my thoughts were clean, fresh, and linear. A perfect champagne to pair with oysters, cold seafood and caviar. Middle of the pack for me as less my preferred style - 2 pennies voted by the group overall.
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1996 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
France, Champagne
Wine 4/17 tasted blind. I was definitely the outlier from the group on this one, as I suspected this may have been slightly corked. Found the nose to be very withholding and on the palate a bit of mustiness and not much else happening. This was the 4th favorite for the group with 6 pennies voted - including my husband for whom this was his fave.
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1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires
France, Champagne
Wine 5/17 tasted blind. Great nose on this one lots of bread dough rising smells. On the palate bright and zingy, with lemon curd and then a bit of creaminess to round it out. Really enjoyed this one. Top 5 for me and for the group 5 pennies voted.
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1996 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
France, Champagne
Wine 6/17 tasted blind - Yes sorry another double note, but two bottles in a blind line up with remarkably different results. The nose on this is quite expressive with dough and lemon and the faintest touch of barnyard. The palate is not quite a expressive as the nose but still drinking very nicely. Middle of the pack for me with the group voting 1 penny.
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NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut
France, Champagne
Wine 7/17 tasted blind - Good nose with some bakery smells, on the palate picking up a bit of an oxidative note and some creaminess. Tasty. Middle of the pack for me - 1 penny voted by the group.
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1997 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne
Wine 8/17 tasted blind - This one is interesting, both bright and toasty, on the initial attack you get the acidity and lemon curd that then rounds out to the toast and creamy, brioche back palate. Very nice. 4 pennies voted by the group.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
Wine 9/17 tasted blind - the notes here say the following: "More Good Stuff - Tough decisions" - hmmmm..... implying that I like too many of these delicious champagnes including this one. Checked it off as one of many faves, but did not cast a vote for this one - the group voted 1 penny.
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1998 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne
Wine 10/17 tasted blind - Nice fragrant nose, on the palate my guess is this has some age as the bubbles are quite light and fine, it is elegant, well integrated with layers of toast and brioche unfolding on the finish. Really well rounded and delicious. My 2nd favorite overall (voted 2 pennies) and the group's favorite with 14 pennies voted.
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2004 Gonet-Médeville Champagne La Grande Ruelle Extra Brut
France, Champagne
Wine 11/17 tasted blind - very stinky (in a good way) nose on this, with a full bodied oxidative style of caramelized honey and brioche. Quite interesting and bold. First time trying this producer. The group voted 1 penny.
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NV Jacques Selosse Substance
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Wine 12/17 tasted blind - (disgorged Jan-2014) must admit I tried this wine twice and got distracted in conversation both times and failed to take notes. I have an indication that I enjoyed it, but not much else. This is a shame as this was one of the ones I brought and I was really excited to try it. Group voted 2 pennies.
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2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare
France, Champagne
Wine 13/17 tasted blind - wow upon reveal this is a really beautiful bottle! One of the higher dosage wines tasted today (I think), some nice brioche notes with just a little bit of rich sweetness on the finish - was a nice change up and I enjoyed this quite a bit. Group voted 3 pennies.
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NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Cuvée Rosé Brut
France, Champagne
Wine 14/17 tasted blind - YES - finally a rose in the line up (surprisingly the only one!). Again a nice changed up for the palate, on the nose some strawberries and watermelon, on the palate good acidity and balance and the hint of strawberry. Very enjoyable. Group voted 5 pennies.
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2005 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Avizoise Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Wine 15/17 tasted blind - seems like a grower champagne to me with a distinctive profile of high acidity and some caramelized honey notes - very interesting and popular with the group with 8 pennies voted.
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2002 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année
France, Champagne
Wine 16/17 tasted blind - Toast and caramel on the nose - want to just keep my nose in the glass. One the palate brioche, caramel, toasted honey, nuts and lemon curd - lots going on here. Top 5 for me. Group voted 2 pennies.
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1990 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires
France, Champagne
Wine 17/17 tasted blind - Wow in a line-up of stellar entries this one really stood out and was my favorite of the night. A really interesting and rich champagne - full of marzipan, toasted hazelnuts and lemon curd. It both smelled and tasted delicious! I voted 3 pennies for this and the group voted 13 pennies overall coming in 2nd place.
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NV Vilmart & Cie Ratafia de Champagne
France, Champagne, Ratafia de Champagne
Picked this bottle up at a recent tasting visit to the Domaine as I thought it would be a fun bonus bottle to bring to the tasting event. Not many of these make it overt to the states, but apparently it is a popular aperitif in the local Champagne area. Lots of acidity and lemon zest to tame the sweetness, but watch out for that 18% ABV. Nice to sip on and share small tastes with the large group after a day of tasting champagne.
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