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France 2013 - Champagne
Reims
Tasted April 14, 2013 - April 15, 2013 by godx with 626 views
Flight 1 - Dinner at Restaurant Café de la Paix (3 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Jacquart Champagne Brut Mosaïque
86 points
Very light colour. Smelt and tasted like a BdB. A little tight, did open up a tad to give some youthful citrus notes and hints of dough. Nice acidity and very fresh. Needs a few years. Good. 86+
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Red
2010 Domaine Jean-Marc / Thomas Bouley Volnay Vieilles Vignes
87 points
Youthful nose showing darker red fruits and hints of spice. Palate was quite rich with a somewhat weighty mouthfeel for a Volnay. Not a Volnay of elegance or finesse. Got better with time in the glass although the palate seemed more like 2009 in style than 2010 to several of us at the table. Some oak on the nose that needs time to integrate. Give this 3-5 years. Good. 87+
Red
2010 Château de Bel-Air Lalande de Pomerol
87 points
Bigger nose with darker fruits and a rich and weighty profile on the palate. Some warmth on the finish but overall well balanced and drinking quite well for its age. Sweet and softer tannins with decent acidity. Could use a few years. Good 87+
Flight 2 - Pierre Peters (8 notes)
Our visit was with Rodolphe and what a great way to start off the trip. He explained that his vineyards are located primarily in the area of the Côte des Blancs, and more specifically in the villages of Mesnil sur Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize. He described them like this: Mesnil is grey, stone character, precise, mineral, built to age and straight. Oger is white, elegant, white fruit, apple, pear and white peach. Avize is orange, not elegant, fuller bodied, rich, ripe grapefruit, ripe tangerine and apricot. Cramant is brown, autumn leaves, dried flowers, sweet spices, easy citrus and ripe lemon. We spent nearly three hours with Rodolphe and it was a blast. Pierre Peters has quickly become my favorite grower champagne and meeting Rodolphe only strengthens that.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Pierre Péters Champagne Cuvée La Perle Blancs de Blancs
88 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. 60% vintage, 40% reserve, similar blend as cuvee reserve. Young nose with bright citrus and fresh dough. Crisp on the palate with tart citrus and nice minerality and decent length. Oldest vintage in this 1988 and youngest is 2009. Drinks well now. Very good.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
89 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. 2g/sugar. White pear nose, citrus and a touch of dough. Palate is medium plus in weight and fairly fresh with excellent acidity and a stony finish. Drink or hold. Very good.
White - Sparkling
2008 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru l'Esprit
91 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. White flowers and crisp lemon notes on the nose with incredible tension on the palate. Vibrant and energetic in the mouth with fantastic acidity and a fine and lively mousse. While this isn’t soft, it certainly isn’t aggressive either. So much tension, tartness and acidity on the lengthy finish. This is like Puligny with bubbles. Rodolphe said this will be the wine that goes into the 2008 magnums. Best wine so far. Very young and needs 5-7+ years. Excellent. 91+
White - Sparkling
2006 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons
90 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. Expressive nose with orchard fruit, floral and citrus with hints of saline and leesy notes as well; most complex nose yet. Generous and ripe, but balanced, with a rounded and fresh mouthfeel. Very good acidity, but not as much as the previous 2008 L'Esprit. Hints of bitter almonds on the palate which Rodolphe says will turn into hazelnuts with proper aging. He also says he doesn’t believe this 2006 will age as long as the 2008 Chetillons. This 2006 drinks well now and should continue to do so for 7-10 years. This is a blend of 3 parcels, vinified separately, and each year the best blend is chosen. Should gain a few points over the next 5 years or so. Excellent. 90+
White - Sparkling
2005 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons
90 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. Similar nose to the 2006 but perhaps a touch less complex at this stage. More nuttiness here with hints of toast. Mousse isn’t as creamy as the 2006 and there’s a nice bitterness on the finish. A tad more fruit forward. Solid acidity. Rodolphe doesn't seem to like this 2005 very much, but I do (although I seemed to like it more last year when I tasted it). Drinking quite well now although giving this a few years should be rewarded. Excellent. 90+
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Pierre Péters Champagne Brut Rosé for Albane
89 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. 90% 2010 base with 10% reserve. Nice salmon colour. Hint of funk (very nice) along with pink grapefruit, tart raspberries and a touch of floral. Entry is soft and somewhat creamy then you are hit with tart strawberry flavours with pink grapefruit and cranberries on the lively finish. Needs time. Very good. 89+
White - Sparkling
1997 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons
91 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. Served blind. Complex nose: toasty, hazelnuts and soft citrus. Rich but not heavy on the palate with decent acidity and a tart, almost greenish finish that was very pleasant. Rodolphe suggested roasted green beans and I think he is bang on. There was also a nice smoky note on nose. A well-balanced wine that could benefit from a few more years of age, but man this was good today. Excellent. 91+
White
2010 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
92 points
Tasted at Pierre Peters. Crisp and ripe nose with the all the classics: sea breeze, crushed oyster shells, etc., along with orange rind and riper citrus fruit. On the palate this was surprisingly open and generous with riper citrus fruits and great acidity. A very lengthy finish and great balance. This is incredibly young, but shockingly expressive open right now. I’d like to try this again in 10-15 years when it should be pushing a mid-90s score. Excellent 92+
Flight 3 - Gaston Chiquet (6 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Gaston Chiquet Champagne Insolent Brut
86 points
Tasted at Gaston Chiquet. Lighter floral nose with notes of fresh pear juice. A bit sweet on the palate with decent acidity and a shorter finish. Has some crispness to the mousse. Drink now. Good.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Gaston Chiquet Champagne Premier Cru Tradition Brut
88 points
Tasted at Gaston Chiquet. Disgorged September 2012 (2009 base). Creamy nose with dough and lighter citrus notes. More complex than the previous wine. Rounder on the palate with a creamy and soft mousse and a nice bit of tartness on the finish. Very youthful. Needs time. Very good. 88+
White - Sparkling
N.V. Gaston Chiquet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs d'Aÿ
89 points
Tasted at Gaston Chiquet. Disgorged February 2012 (2008 base). Best nose yet with yeasty, citrus and green apple aromas. Lighter on the palate with a fresh and energetic profile. Excellent with decent length. Again this is very young and will need 3-5+ years. Very good. 89+
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Gaston Chiquet Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé
85 points
Tasted at Gaston Chiquet. Disgorged August 2012 (2009 base). A blend of 40% Pinot Mugnier, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Onion skin pink colour. Creamy strawberry nose with a fruity palate and tart finish. Should benefit from a few years but I’ve never been a fan of this wine. Good.
White - Sparkling
2005 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club Brut
89 points
Tasted at Gaston Chiquet. Disgorged June 2012. Best nose yet with lovely soft citrus, yeast, minerals and green apple. Fresh on the palate with a vibrant mouthfeel, solid acidity and good length. For me the nose outshines the palate today and I think this is a few notches below the 2004 Special Club. Should benefit from a few years in the cellar but I don’t see this aging as long as the 2004. Very good. 89+
White - Sparkling
2004 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Premier Cru Millésime Or
90 points
Tasted at Gaston Chiquet. Really nice nose (even better than the 2005 Special Club) with floral, doughy and yeasty aromas coming to the forefront. Citrus and red apple notes too. A bit richer and fuller than the BdB with firm acids and a weighty yet lifted mouthfeel. Drinks well now but should develop nicely for several years. Excellent. 90+
Flight 4 - Dinner at Le Cheval Blanc (3 notes)
This was a mistake. We were supposed to go to Le Cheval Blanc in Sept-Saulx (2, Rue du Moulin, 51400 Sept-Saulx) but somehow ended up at Le Cheval Blanc in Montmort Lucy (26, rue de la Libération - Route de Sézanne, 51270 Montmort Lucy), and what a mistake it was. When we pulled up, the restaurant parking lot was empty and so was the restaurant itself. The maître d'/server was creepy, unknowledgeable and unhelpful. The wine list was pathetic. Most of the selections didn’t even list the producer or the vintage, so we had to pick from things like ‘Gevrey Chambertin’ and ‘Cornas’. When we asked the server “what Gevrey Chambertin is this?” he would walk down to the cellar and bring up a bottle to show us, often times not even bringing the wine we asked for. He ended up going to the cellar and bringing us wines about five or six times before we finally got something acceptable. The one gem we were able to find was a 1995 Taittinger Rose, but that was it. The food was bad and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was strange and uncomfortable (made worse by the fact that we were the only people in there the entire evening). And to top it all off, this place is nearly an hour drive outside of Reims. If someone you dislike is visiting Champagne and asks you for a restaurant recommendation, send them here.
Rosé - Sparkling
1995 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut
92 points
Copper/orange colour. Was a little shy at first but opened up after 20min in the glass to reveal maturing notes of red berries, earth, cinnamon and a hint of strawberry funk. On the palate its medium in weight with a soft mouthfeel, good acidity and excellent length. Rich and smooth mousse. Finish isn’t crisp but it does have some freshness and tartness which adds some lift to the supple texture. While to me this close to mature, it still offers some energy on the palate and should cruise at this plateau for several years. Excellent.
Red
2001 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge
89 points
Darker red fruit nose with some development going on giving notes of licorice and hints of leather. Dark red fruit palate with medium acidity and weight. Fairly smooth on the palate with decent length. Still a bit young for my tastes so I’d give this a few more years. Very good. 89+
Red
2000 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Les Toussaints
85 points
Nice nose with some mature notes. Lighter and a touch roasted on palate. A decent wine. Drink now. Good.
Flight 5 - Other wines (2 notes)
White - Sparkling
1999 Henri Goutorbe Champagne Grand Cru Special Club
87 points
Drank on the steps of the Reims Cathedral. Medium yellow colour. Very toasty nose with some soy notes that aren't that pleasing. In the mouth it’s got a soft mid palate that’s a little light but finishes with great acidity. I don’t see this getting any better as I feel the soy notes will only become more pronounced. Good.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Tarlant Champagne Cuvée Louis
90 points
Drank on the steps of the Reims Cathedral. A blend of three vintages (96, 97 and 98) and a 2009 disgorgement. Similar colour to the ’99 Henri Goutorbe with a similar toasty nose but sans the soy—a really nice nose. Fuller and more complete on the palate with great acidity and length. Has a bit of creaminess to the mouthfeel but remains fresh with nice tart citrus flavours on the finish. Drinking great now and should age and develop for several years. Excellent. 90+
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