London wines

Tasted Monday, April 7, 2025 - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 by melvinyeowq with 176 views

Flight 1 - SQ wines (4 Notes)

Wines at SQ private room and onboard flight to London

  • 2013 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (4/7/2025)

    Liked this a lot, very Comtes with reductive and toasty notes with slender citrus fruit unlike the richer '12 and '08. Reminded me stylistically of the older-school '04.

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  • 2007 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (4/7/2025)

    As good as the last time that I had this two years ago and quite similar in style to the '13 Comtes alongside. Still remarkably fresh with more overt gunflint reductive notes and sweetness, but balanced out by well-proportioned citrus fruit.

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  • NV Geoffroy Champagne Premier Cru Expression Brut 88 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    (4/7/2025)

    2019 base, Jan 2023 disgorgement, 4g/l dosage. Normally a fan of this grower but this was strange. Strong acetone nose that carried through to the palate, round and woolly red fruit without delineation.

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  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 171eme 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (4/7/2025)

    Noticeably more powerful and dramatic than the Comtes and Charles Heidsieck BdM I had in the lounge. I didn’t like this so much when I had it previously but thought this was much more old-school Krug than 169 and 170 which were tauter and almost grower-like. Lots of potential here.

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Flight 2 - By the glass wines at Noble Rot Soho (3 Notes)

  • 2022 Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Fac-Simile 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    (4/8/2025)

    Remarkably open-knit compared to the more structured 2020 and 2012 that I tried previously. Lifted, floral nose with remarkably pure and pretty raspberry fruit on the palate. Saline and seamless, this was an impeccably balanced champagne. So good that I could not resist getting another glass, one of the best champagnes that I have tasted.

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  • 2021 Domaine Nicolas Faure Coteaux Bourguignons Mes Gamays 89 Points

    France, Burgundy, Coteaux Bourguignons

    (4/8/2025)

    Gamay from 1973 plantings in Premeaux, 2021 was the last vintage as the vines have been uprooted. Dominated by herbal, bell pepper notes - perhaps too much stem inclusion? Good energy on the palate otherwise.

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  • 2020 William Kelley Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Etelois 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

    (4/8/2025)

    Have heard so much about these wines and was excited to try one. Had an incredibly perfumed and spicy nose, together with a velvety and concentrated palate that this could have easily passed off a top-class Vosne. Surprisingly delicate and balanced without any heat and density of the vintage. Only quibble was that this was the equivalent of 'he has hit it too well' in football, but so pleasurable and hedonistic.

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Flight 3 - Dinner at Core by Clare Smyth (1 Note)

  • 2017 Tyrrell's Sémillon Vat 1 94 Points

    Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

    (4/8/2025)

    Some reduction on the nose, palate had steely minerality that dominated the slightly tropical, honeyed fruit. Texturally delicate and ethereal with imposing length on the finish. Superb wine.

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Flight 4 - By the glass wines at Noble Rot Mayfair (3 Notes)

  • 2023 Les Horées Bourgogne-Aligoté En Coulezain 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté

    (4/9/2025)

    Ripe citrus fruit, some acidity of the aligoté that became apparent on the finish. Had the textural richness, but not the intensity or energy of the previous vintages that I have tried (but perhaps because it was from the last quarter of a coravined bottle).

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  • 2019 Lamy-Caillat Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Grande Montagne 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

    (4/9/2025)

    Similar to the Les Horées, felt this lacked a bit of energy compared to previous experiences as it was the last portion of a coravined bottle. But this had incredible concentration and dry extract as usual that blew the Les Horées away in comparison. Love these wines for being an anachronism in today's reductive winemaking era.

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  • 2007 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (4/9/2025)

    Always a pleasure to have an Allemand that is ready; this showed similarly to the '05 Reynard that I had two years ago. Unmistakably northern Rhone with savoury bacon and white pepper notes, but with sensual and almost sweet dark red fruit. Tannins were resolved and silky, just an unbelievably balanced bottle of wine.

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Flight 5 - Northern Rhones with WP folks (13 Notes)

A top line-up of northern Rhones with some northern Rhone experts from wine-pages. My personal favourites were the two Jamets by some distance, followed by the '04 Balthazar, '95 Graillot, and '95 Faurie.

  • 2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (4/9/2025)

    More open-knit than I expected and without the signature gunflint nose. The '08 acidity gave the wine a good balance and energy without sticking out. Would not hesitate to open these now.

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  • 1998 Domaine Belle Hermitage Blanc 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (4/9/2025)

    Good acidity and restraint, this was less tropical and blowsy than the usual northern Rhone white. Guessed Condrieu from a cooler vintage like '08 because it didn't have the power of a Hermitage white. Only quibble was a distracting aldehyde note.

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  • 2013 Mathilde et Yves Gangloff Côte-Rôtie La Barbarine 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (4/9/2025)

    Initially a little too modern and lacked oomph especially beside the two magnificent Jamets, but developed some pretty blue fruit with time.

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  • 1998 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (4/9/2025)

    Wasn't difficult to nail this and the '07 Côte Brune alongside as Jamets after smelling the incredible nose on both wines. Smoky and floral at the same time with violets and iodine notes, palate had youthful dark red fruit for its age. Very classy and regal, at peak.

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  • 2007 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (4/9/2025)

    Wow this was the '98 normal Côte-Rôtie but dialled up in terms of power, precision, and balance. Similar to the '98, this was pretty but sauvage at the same time and everything I wanted in a northern Rhone. Truly an iron fist in a velvet glove kind of wine, and I think Jamet's Côte Brunes are the pinnacle of northern Rhone.

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  • 2004 Franck Balthazar Cornas Chaillot 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (4/9/2025)

    Wow never had a (Franck) Balthazar this old, this was incredibly youthful with bright, pretty red fruit and a little barnyard that added character. Silky and balanced, this was one of my favourites on the night.

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  • 2006 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard 90 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (4/9/2025)

    A generous bring but unfortunately this wasn't showing well. Had the blue Allemand fruit but unfortunately was rather muddled and showed too much funk.

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  • 1996 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

    (4/9/2025)

    My contribution. I had the '95 previously and was confident that the '96 would show well, but this surpassed my expectations (I was fairly confident that this was the '91 Guigal Hermitage!). Deep, smoky nose that showed some toasty oak use; palate was powerful and structured while retaining freshness. Good Graillots always have a fantastic balance between the acidic, sour cherry fruit and the sauvage nature of northern Rhone. A blockbuster of a wine and one of my favourites on the night.

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  • 1988 Guy de Barjac Cornas 90 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (4/9/2025)

    Still very fresh for an '88 but the red fruit was thinning out for me. Solid old-school Cornas otherwise.

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  • 1997 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 89 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (4/9/2025)

    Similar to my last '97 Chave, this was disjointed with some oxidative soy notes. Didn't have the elegance or purity of fruit that I expected of Chave.

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  • 1995 Bernard Faurie Hermitage 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (4/9/2025)

    Proper old-school Hermitage that was masculine and broad-shouldered. Powerful but not excessively tannic, had a wonderful structured backbone that made this a delicious drink. One of my favourites of the night.

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  • 1991 E. Guigal Hermitage 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (4/9/2025)

    My contribution. This showed older than my two previous bottles which were austere and tannic, quite resolved with autumnal dark red fruit. No fireworks this time which was a shame, as these old Guigals can be magical.

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  • 2010 Jacques Lemenicier Cornas 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (4/9/2025)

    Heard about this producer but hadn't tried. Good, honest Cornas with meaty, inky blue fruit. Enjoyed this as a no-frills northern Rhone Syrah, but think the others at the table liked it a lot more than I did.

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