Frenchy's Grower Bubbly Event In the OC
Todd Frenchy's Place
Tasted September 16, 2018 by Frank Murray III with 336 views
Introduction
Split these into two flights, as one flight was poured not blind, the other blind. We did the unblind wines first, with time to talk and share thoughts. We then transitioned to the blind flight, with 3 stations being used, with one station having 3 wines, and the remaining two stations have 4 wines each. We spent about 15 mins at each station, which personally for me went too fast. When I get into a mode where I am scoring (each person had to rank each wine from 1 to 5, the latter being the best score), I want to spend more time but I was alone in wanting to slow down so I kept up my pace, and then after the station scoring was completed by everyone, I went back to retry a few of the wines to confirm my TN impressions.
My 2 best WOTN were the 2012 Marie-Courtin Effloresence, which is a zero dose PN wine made in used barrique. I really dig her as a producer and I have begun over the past year to buy more and more of her range. I got to meet 'her', that being Dominique Laurent, when we visited Marie-Courtin back in May. She is talented, full of energy and her wines across the range are excellent. I am hooked. She farms just a small hillside parcel in Polisot, which is in the south (Aube) and she farms everything clean, without dosage. Find and get the wines if you are able.
The other WOTN for me was the 2010 Gimmonet Special Club, which I liked just a little bit less than the Marie-Courtin. It held its own across 10 other wines and while I didn't get the group scoring totals down for all the wines when Frenchie read them off, I do think like the Marie-Courtin that it finished low in the total points. These two wines just are built IMO less for the broader market and palate, yet when I tasted both, I knew for me, for what I like, I had found some great, well-made classy champagnes. To each is everyone's own palate, these two were my best of the night, along with the Ruppert-Leroy 2013 Cognaux and the Moncuit Les MSO, both that were in the first flight, done unblind.
Thank you again Frenchy for doing such a cool event, for pulling this all together. Well done, and a fantastic evening.
Flight 1 (8 notes)
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Pierre Gerbais Champagne Rosé de Saignée
France, Champagne
2013 vintage, disgorged 10/2017 and zero dosage. This was from the bottle from May that I brought back from the winery. Good depth and fruit imprint, with a savory, tangy red fruit, finishing with a strawberry note and zippy acidity.
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Guy Larmandier Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé Vertus
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
No back label data. Zesty with cherry, red berry lime skin and dosed or made in a style that is a little sweet for me. FWIW, from what I can research on this wine, it is primarily Chardonnay given its Bdb Vertus setting, yet it has some Pinot blended in to give it the color.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Robert Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged 09/2016. Lovely stuff, well built with a good wrapping of bright lemon, fresh sliced green apple, some lemon curd and a floral nose, which is the jasmine-like thing I enjoy. Really delicious and for me was the best of 10 or so bubblies that were served non-blind.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Marion-Bosser Champagne Premier Cru Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
No back label info. To me, this came off as simple, with the 7-Up soda tone that I don't care for in champagne. Sweet stone fruit and lacking enough acid to support that fruit and whatever dosage was added.
Flight 2 (11 notes)
White - Sparkling
2012 Marie Courtin Champagne Efflorescence Extra Brut
France, Champagne
Poured blind. This was the 4th bottle of this wine I have had the last few months. For me, this was my WOTN, just beating out the 2010 Gimmonet Special Club. I don't recall last night the final scores but I do think this Courtin finished towards the bottom, yet when I tasted it, I had a pretty good idea that I had found the wine in my glass? Why, because it stood out with such great balance, mineral, red berry/black cherry quality and a citrus core that flowed perfectly from start to finish. And what further impresses me about this bottle is that it stood out for me without any label bias. Yes, I knew it was part of the 11 that were served but my notes really tell the story of finding for me the jewel among the lineup. So across different settings and contexts, this wine continues to impress.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Poured blind. This bottle was voted the WOTN by the tasting group, although I didn't have it composed that high (my WOTN was the 2012 Marie-Courtin Effloresence). Base of minerality, berry, big energy, rocky with apple sauce and lime. Overall, this showed well and I would like to try something leaner in the Hebrart range, to see how those show. Does the winery make such a thing?
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Christophe Mignon Champagne Brut Rosé Pur Meunier
France, Champagne
Poured blind. Interesting, as I had a bottle of this earlier in 2018 that had a newer dosage date than the one had last night. The back label info from last night said disgorged 10/2015, with a base of 2011 and 2012, where as the bottle from earlier this year had the 2013 vintage replacing the 2011. Pounded rock aroma, red apple, zesty, strawberry, bready, with peach and a moderate dosage, which I think is true for the Rose having some dosage, as opposed to the zero philosophy on the others in the range? In sum, I like the blend with the 2013 and the better intensity of that later disgorged bottle too. I suspect it's the 2013 component that livened it up better.
White - Sparkling
2010 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Special Club Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay
France, Champagne
Poured blind. This finished for me 2nd place behind the 2012 Marie-Courtin Effloresence of the 11 champagnes we tasted. And further, I am puzzled by Gimmonet, as I have previously owned this wine and decided I was moving on after finishing the final bottle several months ago. I can't store the damn things very easily because of the bottle shape and moreso, I just didn't find the wines to wow me. However, last night's bottle was terrific. Crushed rock aroma, citrusy with good length, showing a pure lime quality and lovely balance. All the parts seemed to fit well together and it had enough richness to not steer me off. Not sure I will go back to buying these as I have found some other houses I like more but I will say last night's bottle showed some good stuff.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Brut Nature Cumières
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Poured blind. And, I am not certain this was the bottle we drank in the tasting but knowing what as available locally to purchase, I assume this was it. Disgorged 09/17, zero dosage. I last tried this a few years ago, and presuming these likely would be 2 different disgorgements, I lile the bottle last night far better than a few years back when I started to pay attention to the dosage levels and how they worked with my palate. The bottle from 2016 was too lean for me, yet last night's was citrusy with some honeyed edges, and while some lean tones, it did show fruit, tone and the right level of balance for me within a zero dose presentation. Enjoyed this.
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