Community Tasting Note
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forceberry wrote: 96 points
September 17, 2015 - Pale yellow color. Somewhat sweet-toned, poised and dark-toned yet not at all heavy nose with nuanced aromas of toasty autolysis, roasted nuts, caramel, ripe citrus fruits, some red apples, a little bit of English toffee and a red-fruited touch of cherry-driven Pinosity. The wine is rich, quite noticeably toasty and robust on the palate with full body and wonderfully bold flavors of pronounced autolytic toast, apple pie crust, syrupy molasses and burnt sugar, ripe and spicy red apples, oxidative nuttiness, some sweet-toned spice, a little bit of ripe, zesty citrus fruits and a hint of oven-fresh apple cobbler. The wonderfully high acidity lends wonderful sense of structure and freshness to the wine, keeping it from coming across as excessively heavy. The mousse feels very fine, smooth and creamy. The finish is extremely long, toasty and very mineral with focused yet noticeably toasty flavors of chalky bitterness, oxidative nuttiness, maple syrup, some bright and zesty citrus fruits, a little bit of tart green apples, a hint of smoke and a touch of toffee.
Holy moly this is an impressive blockbuster of a Champagne. Despite its immense power, gravity and robust character, the wine is still remarkably vibrant and light in its feet - thanks to the spectacular acidity and crystal-clear mineral core. The wine is exhibiting some developed, nutty and slightly oxidative characteristics, but they feel more like the result of the style, not of the bottle age per se. Most likely this wine will continue to develop for many more years, probably even decades. Stunningly beautiful; not only one of the greatest Bollinger wines I've had, but also one of the most spectacular Champagnes I've tasted. So very highly recommended.5 people found this helpful 4,152 views
2 Comments
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fingers commented:
7/27/18, 7:36 AM - A supreme note for a supreme bottle!
Thanks force -
forceberry commented:
7/27/18, 9:01 AM - Thanks, pal! Writing these is a pleasure and I'm all the happier whenever they give enjoyment to others as well!