(blind) Light brioche on the nose. very light. slightly reductive? underripe.
Seems classic extra brut. 5g dosage (re-confirm in a bit since it's my first sip today) - actually 7.5g. high acid. medium-minus autolysis - not a ton of time on the lees. Clean, reductive style.
Giesen dealcoholized NZ sparkling brut Blind terpenes on the nose - smells like a mini lychee jello. kinda weird nose. some maybe vegetal/sulfur notes? Insane mousse - it just puffed up completely in my mouth. I felt like a pufferfish. Non-alcoholic. finishes sour - malic. Not super sweet - maybe 3-4g Pretty 1-dimensional. It's a beverage. 32g/L - way higher than I thought.
(blind) Yellow apples. Just ripe. not a ton of autolysis on the nose. Feels a bit more on the oxidative side, stylistically. quite oxidative on the palate. Reminds me of a less-funky-but-still-a-little-funky dry british cider. Light alcohol - 12% (correct). Very high acid. Very slight brioche on the palate. Mostly driven by oxidative apples. It's nice, but feels maybe a little 2-dimensional. Maybe over the hill? Zero dosage
USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Livermore Valley
(blind) Distinct papaya on the nose. (thiols?). Ripe papaya. Something slightly overripe / dank. Some maybe reductive bitter notes. Weird bread-like hints. Sweet. 20-40g/L. Feels charmat method. Has decent acid but it's just so sweet. Flat midpalate. I think this has normal alcohol (12% - close -actually 12.5%)...my cheeks feel a little warm - though it could be acid or sugar. The sugar gives it body. It's not pleasant. 70. Not a fan of this. $85, 100% chardonnay. surprisingly this is champagne method and aged in french oak.
(blind) Medium gold color - it has a ton of color for a non-rose champagne. Smells utterly bizarre. Caramel-toffee? Werther's butter toffee. Weird puffy mousse that puffs up. funky cottony texture. No alcohol. Feels totally dry (actually 25g/L!) Sour finish - mixed malic and tartaric. Empty on the palate. Unpleasant and an incredibly bad texture. Notes from PY: Source it from languedoc - trying to make it a really big wine. They oxidize it a bit as they age it. Maybe a perpetual reserve to add depth. They make wine then take alcohol out. Lots of effort went into this. But I don't get why.
(blind) Medium autolysis on the nose. Apples. Interesting nose - nice blend of green/yellow apples and brioche.
8g dosage (actually 4g/L) Long finish. impressively long acid. Yellow apples on the finish. Really lovely and evolving.
This feels like a good champagne in a neutral or slightly oxidative style or maybe with extended lees time or age. Generous brioche on the palate. Sweet but has long acid to balance.
88 - though that could be due to the unpleasant last two.
12.5% alcohol. blend.
chardonnay, pinot, and a hint of meunier. 50% perpetual reserve, 50% 2020.
Cool that it's california. On re-tasting, it has a little more ripeness than Champagne, on re-tasting. Maybe a touch simple.
(blind) rotten vegetables on the nose. some off-aromas. Sulfur? it's really bad. Sweet - 20g/L disgusting. Non-alcoholic. Rotten vegetables. my mouth feels cottony. Acid is malic. This is just horrid.
very pale color. Rotten, vaguely papaya nose. Some reduction - burnt things - maybe struck match. Not terrible. 10-15g/L RS. So unpleasant. So painful. rotten papaya. that cottony texture Non-alcoholic. My face is just grimacing and I can't do anything about it. . It's really challenging.
(non-blind) 11.5% alcohol. High acid. Lovely hints of dry cider. Orange wine adjacent. Very long finish. I’m a fan of this. Really refreshing and interesting at the same time.
NV Devaux Champagne Coeur des Bar Blanc de Noirs Brut 88 Points
France, Champagne
(blind)
Light brioche on the nose. very light. slightly reductive? underripe.
Seems classic extra brut. 5g dosage (re-confirm in a bit since it's my first sip today) - actually 7.5g. high acid. medium-minus autolysis - not a ton of time on the lees. Clean, reductive style.
Medium alcohol - 12.5%
Quite nice.
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NV Giesen Alcohol Removed Marlborough
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Giesen dealcoholized NZ sparkling brut
Blind
terpenes on the nose - smells like a mini lychee jello. kinda weird nose. some maybe vegetal/sulfur notes?
Insane mousse - it just puffed up completely in my mouth. I felt like a pufferfish. Non-alcoholic. finishes sour - malic. Not super sweet - maybe 3-4g
Pretty 1-dimensional. It's a beverage.
32g/L - way higher than I thought.
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NV Charles Dufour Champagne Bulles de Comptoir #12 Cache dans L'Evidence 89 Points
France, Champagne
(blind)
Yellow apples. Just ripe. not a ton of autolysis on the nose. Feels a bit more on the oxidative side, stylistically.
quite oxidative on the palate. Reminds me of a less-funky-but-still-a-little-funky dry british cider.
Light alcohol - 12% (correct). Very high acid. Very slight brioche on the palate. Mostly driven by oxidative apples. It's nice, but feels maybe a little 2-dimensional. Maybe over the hill?
Zero dosage
"cache dans l'evidence"
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2018 Murrieta's Well Blanc de Blanc 70 Points
USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Livermore Valley
(blind)
Distinct papaya on the nose. (thiols?). Ripe papaya. Something slightly overripe / dank. Some maybe reductive bitter notes. Weird bread-like hints.
Sweet. 20-40g/L. Feels charmat method. Has decent acid but it's just so sweet.
Flat midpalate.
I think this has normal alcohol (12% - close -actually 12.5%)...my cheeks feel a little warm - though it could be acid or sugar. The sugar gives it body. It's not pleasant.
70. Not a fan of this.
$85, 100% chardonnay. surprisingly this is champagne method and aged in french oak.
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2022 French Bloom Blanc de Blancs 60 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon
(blind)
Medium gold color - it has a ton of color for a non-rose champagne.
Smells utterly bizarre. Caramel-toffee? Werther's butter toffee.
Weird puffy mousse that puffs up. funky cottony texture.
No alcohol. Feels totally dry (actually 25g/L!)
Sour finish - mixed malic and tartaric. Empty on the palate.
Unpleasant and an incredibly bad texture.
Notes from PY: Source it from languedoc - trying to make it a really big wine. They oxidize it a bit as they age it. Maybe a perpetual reserve to add depth. They make wine then take alcohol out.
Lots of effort went into this. But I don't get why.
$120???!!!!
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NV Westborn Perpetual Reserve 01 88 Points
USA, California, North Coast
(blind)
Medium autolysis on the nose. Apples. Interesting nose - nice blend of green/yellow apples and brioche.
8g dosage (actually 4g/L)
Long finish. impressively long acid. Yellow apples on the finish. Really lovely and evolving.
This feels like a good champagne in a neutral or slightly oxidative style or maybe with extended lees time or age.
Generous brioche on the palate.
Sweet but has long acid to balance.
88 - though that could be due to the unpleasant last two.
12.5% alcohol. blend.
chardonnay, pinot, and a hint of meunier.
50% perpetual reserve, 50% 2020.
Cool that it's california. On re-tasting, it has a little more ripeness than Champagne, on re-tasting. Maybe a touch simple.
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NV Château La Coste NOOH 50 Points
France, Vin de France
(blind)
rotten vegetables on the nose. some off-aromas. Sulfur? it's really bad.
Sweet - 20g/L
disgusting.
Non-alcoholic. Rotten vegetables. my mouth feels cottony. Acid is malic.
This is just horrid.
by far the worst NA wine of the tasting.
$33
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NV BOLLE 55 Points
Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
(blind)
very pale color.
Rotten, vaguely papaya nose. Some reduction - burnt things - maybe struck match. Not terrible.
10-15g/L RS. So unpleasant. So painful. rotten papaya. that cottony texture
Non-alcoholic. My face is just grimacing and I can't do anything about it. .
It's really challenging.
0.5% alcohol.
Undrinkable.
$30.
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NV Charles Dufour Coteaux Champenois Blanc Vin de Comptoir 91 Points
France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois
(non-blind)
11.5% alcohol. High acid. Lovely hints of dry cider. Orange wine adjacent. Very long finish. I’m a fan of this. Really refreshing and interesting at the same time.
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