Todd Frenchy's Place
Tasted Sunday, September 16, 2018 by Frank Murray III with 337 views
Split these into two flights, as one flight was poured not blind, the other blind. We did the unblind wines first, with time to talk and share thoughts. We then transitioned to the blind flight, with 3 stations being used, with one station having 3 wines, and the remaining two stations have 4 wines each. We spent about 15 mins at each station, which personally for me went too fast. When I get into a mode where I am scoring (each person had to rank each wine from 1 to 5, the latter being the best score), I want to spend more time but I was alone in wanting to slow down so I kept up my pace, and then after the station scoring was completed by everyone, I went back to retry a few of the wines to confirm my TN impressions.
My 2 best WOTN were the 2012 Marie-Courtin Effloresence, which is a zero dose PN wine made in used barrique. I really dig her as a producer and I have begun over the past year to buy more and more of her range. I got to meet 'her', that being Dominique Laurent, when we visited Marie-Courtin back in May. She is talented, full of energy and her wines across the range are excellent. I am hooked. She farms just a small hillside parcel in Polisot, which is in the south (Aube) and she farms everything clean, without dosage. Find and get the wines if you are able.
The other WOTN for me was the 2010 Gimmonet Special Club, which I liked just a little bit less than the Marie-Courtin. It held its own across 10 other wines and while I didn't get the group scoring totals down for all the wines when Frenchie read them off, I do think like the Marie-Courtin that it finished low in the total points. These two wines just are built IMO less for the broader market and palate, yet when I tasted both, I knew for me, for what I like, I had found some great, well-made classy champagnes. To each is everyone's own palate, these two were my best of the night, along with the Ruppert-Leroy 2013 Cognaux and the Moncuit Les MSO, both that were in the first flight, done unblind.
Thank you again Frenchy for doing such a cool event, for pulling this all together. Well done, and a fantastic evening.
NV Pierre Gerbais Champagne Rosé de Saignée
France, Champagne
2013 vintage, disgorged 10/2017 and zero dosage. This was from the bottle from May that I brought back from the winery. Good depth and fruit imprint, with a savory, tangy red fruit, finishing with a strawberry note and zippy acidity.
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NV J.L. Vergnon Champagne Grand Cru Conversation Blanc de Blancs
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged 06/2016. BdB so I presume built with Chardonnay. Mint and toast in the aromatic. Creamy with green apple, lime and forward in tone. Easy to drink yet for me light on complexity. This was better than the bottle from last summer.
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2013 Ruppert-Leroy Pinot Noir Champagne Brut Nature Les Cognaux
France, Champagne
No bottle data on back label. Steely nose with an herbal note, too. Good spine and structure, carrying a lime essence into a smooth palate, finishing with same herbal note. This bottle showed much better than the one from last week.
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NV Fallet-Crouzet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
No back label data. Pours frothy. Lightly oxidative in style with a glossy, yellow apple thing and some stone fruit. Balanced well.
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NV Guy Larmandier Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé Vertus
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
No back label data. Zesty with cherry, red berry lime skin and dosed or made in a style that is a little sweet for me. FWIW, from what I can research on this wine, it is primarily Chardonnay given its Bdb Vertus setting, yet it has some Pinot blended in to give it the color.
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NV Robert Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged 09/2016. Lovely stuff, well built with a good wrapping of bright lemon, fresh sliced green apple, some lemon curd and a floral nose, which is the jasmine-like thing I enjoy. Really delicious and for me was the best of 10 or so bubblies that were served non-blind.
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NV Larmandier-Bernier Longitude
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
No back label info. For me, this showed a bit rough, with a hearty and creamy core, supported by some apple and citrus and finishing sweet for me.
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NV Marion-Bosser Champagne Premier Cru Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
No back label info. To me, this came off as simple, with the 7-Up soda tone that I don't care for in champagne. Sweet stone fruit and lacking enough acid to support that fruit and whatever dosage was added.
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