Champagne, Loire and Sushi Tasting

Wednesday all-you-can-eat sushi dinner. Met up with Alex, Roger and Zack.

Overall, somewhat disappoint given the price. Price aside, all well-made sparkling wines of light and elegant styles.

• NV Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Ultradition 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  Good brioche in the nose. Good amount of red berries, perhaps from the 60:30:10 PM:C:PN composition. Normal fineness for bubbles. All in all a satisfactory champagne.

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• NV Laherte Frères Champagne Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut

  France, Champagne

  Okay, what I am going to say may be a bit harsh. 100% PM: may not be my favorite style. Good amount of red berries, like strawberries and raspberries in the nose, with some brioche in the background. However, it is a bit too apple-juice/cider-like for me. Some length in the finish. Tentative 87/100. I know from past experience that an apple-juice-like nose may be an indicator of the need for time to open up.

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• 2022 Laherte Frères Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Bouzy 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Lovely Blanc de Noirs. From 100% Pinot Noir grown in richer soils. Creamy oils in the nose slowly turn into apples. Great minerality and structure. The palettes do evolve on the tongue. Paired with some sushi: no chemical reaction; the wine simply disappeared like a cloud.

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The sandy-soil-grown Anjou wines were too dry and waxy for my taste. I prefer the schist-grown Savennières with richer and opener nose. Yes, I am a sucker for floral notes.

• 2023 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou Blanc 88 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou

  A bone-dry chenin blanc with a classic sandy-soil expression: stony, some wood (like actual wood, not barrel influence), and slightly waxy. I wished for some more elements in the wine.

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• 2022 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou à Françoise... 89 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou

  Compared to the normal Anjou Blanc, aged for 12 more months in wood, and I definitely tasted it. The nose was surprisingly Burgundy-like: uplifting crushed rocks, but no cream/butter. It has a more substantial structure and waxiness, but still carries the sandy-expression: bone-dry racy acidity.

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• 2021 Thibaud Boudignon Savennières Clos de la Hutte 91 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières

  Impressive rich nose of white flowers and citrus that comes from the schist-rich soil, as opposed to sand. Mineral-water like minerality. Impressive structure and layers.
  
  This might be a weird comparison, but it reminds me of the Cuvee Albert riesling from Albert Mann: floral notes, white and almost pink, minerality and fruits. This wine is nice too, but it speaks to how Albert Mann has a lot of value going for it.

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The sushi dinner was great~~