Champagne at Red Slate

This "event" consists of champage tasted at Red Slate Wine Company in Portland throughout a week. One night had 2 glass pours, and another night was a formal tasting of grower champage. I've grouped the notes together because I feel that it puts the 2 glass pours in a more full context. I love champagne tastings because it's a type of wine that's a bit out of my price range for experimenting. David from Red Slate always delivers some interesting picks, and it's always fun to taste grower champagnes that aren't available at every supermarket shelf.

• 1998 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Palmes d'Or 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  (11/13/2009)

  Great rich apple tart scents along with a hint of lemon drops. This is fun to just smell! It's very light and bright right away and the bubbles just leap out onto the palate. There is a nice creamy apple note early. The acidity is strong and it takes up most of the room while some apple flavors linger politely on the couches. The wine is pretty dry over all with a hint of something rougher on the finish. I tasted another splash a bit later out of a white wine glass, as opposed to a champagne glass, and it was significantly better. Everything was more integrated and enjoyable. If I could've tasted more out of the larger glass, my score would probably be higher.

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• 1999 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  (11/13/2009)

  Baked down apples make up most of the nose here along with hints of peaches and biscuits. This champagne is totally enjoyable, soft, and mellow. The bubbles are gentle and give the wine a very rich feeling. The apple flavors deliver in spades on the mid palate along with some strong but balanced acidity that builds into some overall structure later. Some acidity and apple flavors go long on the finish wrapping things up very nicely. I drank a splash of this out of an Oregon pinot noir glass as well, which was a totally enjoyable experience I would recommend trying if you have a chance.

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• NV Château Martinolles Blanquette de Limoux 87 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Blanquette de Limoux

  (11/19/2009)

  Bright lemons appear on the nose with some apple scents, but it's all kind of faint. Some barely ripe pear flavors show up and the apples come in full on the palate delivering both fruit and peel flavors. The bubbles are direct, and some orange peel flavors come in on the finish.

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• 2004 Thierry Triolet Champagne Les Vieilles Vignes 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  (11/19/2009)

  This wine has a big nose with lots of baked apple, stones, and lemon meringue coming through. The bubbles blow up on contact with the palate. Some red apple flavors come through, but the wine starts out pretty austere. Full acidity is in effect all the way through and it even persists beyond the fruit on the finish. The flavors fade quickly on the finish, but linger lightly for ~ 10s, which is nice. All the acidity makes it pretty juicy on the mid palate as well. 89-

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• NV Jacques Lassaigne Champagne Les Vignes de Montgueux Blanc de Blancs Brut 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  (11/19/2009)

  This has a cool nose for a champagne, reminding me of roast pork loin cooked with lots of fresh sliced apples along with some honey and flour scents. The wine is kind of gentle on the palate, and it walks a nice middle road between rich and brisk without being boring. Some very nice apple flavors come through, and the wine becomes creamy across the mid palate. The bubbles are light and even as well. I'm not seeing fireworks, but this is still rock solid. 90+

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• NV Jose Dhondt Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  (11/19/2009)

  Crisp nose here with green apples and mineral notes that seem to be carried immediately on the bubbles. Some crisp green pepper scents show up as well making for an interesting nose. It's bright right away with bubbles and acidity rising up to take over on the mid palate. A rich apple note graciously appears on the brief finish providing a nice contrast to the crisp start. 89+

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• NV Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Clos 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  (11/19/2009)

  The nose is full of crisp peaches and shows some darker honey scents as well. Nice apple flavors show up up front. The bubbles blow up the mid palate like crazy here, it really caught me off guard! The flavors evolve for quite a ways out, and they really get good mileage out of the different grapes used in this wine. The acidity is mouth watering on the finish, and a hint of guava and young peach appear near the end of things. 90 points, but it's got a lot of nerd value for including so many older champagne varietals in the blend. This is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris!

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• NV Hugues Godmé Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (11/19/2009)

  Great nose here with lots of apple pie and mineral scents. This delivers some full and bright apple flavors that start out heavy and ripe. Then, on the mid palate, the acid comes into full bloom and everything becomes crisp and clean while maintaining the great fruit from before! Everything wraps up with a mouth watering finish containing some nice minerality. Rockin' 92-

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• NV Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé 89 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (11/19/2009)

  Strawberries, cherries, and a hint of cream make up the nose. Big, juicy, strawberries come through in full force on the palate. Some pie crust evolves on the middle and the strawberries hang in there through the finish. Very nice and consistent all the way through.

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It was fascinating to see the difference larger glassware made on the vintage glass pours, and I think the Godme was the best blanc de noirs I've ever tasted.