Community Tasting Note

• JVG wrote:

  February 9, 2020 - I've been sitting on this one for quite a while, so was hoping that I didn't wait too long. Dark gold, almost amber color. On the nose, it smells like very mature Champagne done in a somewhat oxidative style. Bruised apple fruit--just a little--mixing with lots of aged characteristics: dusty cellar, toasted nuts, smoke, maybe a hint of brine. It actually has a pretty strong sherry character.
  
  But wow, great on the palate. Not all that much left in the way of bubbles, but the mousse that remains creates a gentle, smooth, pillowy texture that gives it a richness that matches and elevates the flavor profile. It's much less oxidative seeming on the palate, and it still delivers a nice punch of fresh sour apple--quite a lot of acidity. The dusty cellar characteristic is there, too, as is the nutty/toasty aspect. It doesn't overwhelm you with a riot of flavors--it's an elegant, refined, mature wine that wins you over with class and depth rather than flash or complexity. With air, it does start to show some more overtly oak-related notes--vanilla and cinnamon. The intensity seems to build as it breathes in the glass, and as that happens, and the tongue-awakening acidity and rich, smooth texture keep drawing you back for more, and the first bloom of alcohol starts to warm you from the inside out as the first glass runs dry, you find yourself completely under the spell of this beguiling wine.
  
  Just the kind of thing I love. To me, it feels like something from another time, or at least something that can temporarily spirit me away from the troubles of our own time. Heavenly.
  
  From the way it looked and the fast-fading carbonation, I feared that this was already past it, but obviously that's not the case. Still, I'd encourage you to drink this now, both because it's so damn good in its current state, and because I wouldn't want it to lose any more of its mousse.

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2 Comments

• baroloboy55-2.0 commented:

  4/18/20, 1:44 PM - Great note and glad to find a few bottles doing some cellar clean up. Your note is intriguing. Did you drink the wine by itself and what sort of food would you recommend with it? Thank you for sharing this experience and in advance for your response! Be safe!!

• JVG commented:

  4/20/20, 6:11 AM - Thanks! If I remember correctly, I drank this on its own, without food. If I were to have it with food, I would recommend either with something like a cheese plate with fruit and honey (with cheese leaning toward the mild side), or else with something mild and refined, like a white fish with a subtle sauce or a simple risotto. Personally, with understated mature wines like this that are all about nuance, I prefer to drink them without food.

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