This was the outlier of the 4 Cristals. It was the only one showing some golden hue and it was my least favorite of the flight. I found the balance to be challenging, kinda rough and lacking the polish of the others. I just found the mouthfeel, acidity and energy to not be in synch. Finishes rough with minerality. I may be the outlier here in terms of how this was received at the table but I just was not wowed by it.

This is good, but it's not in the same class when measured alongside the 2008 and 2009 in the flight we did last night. The 2006 shows some sea air, white pepper and a dried herb aroma. It's got a roundness, a plump quality with a distinct pineapple fruit. Finishes withy dried lime, citrus peel and a touch syrupy in the finish.

Served alongside the 2009, both blind. We had the 2006 and 2002 late release also in the flight but neither of those can compete with the 2008 and 2009 in my opinion. The 2008 has a pounded rock aroma, with white flowers, tropical fruit and some toast. The core of the wine for me showed slate, golden apple and the sexy richness that for me is the 2008's profile. While this does have some of the citrusy/rocky tones that make the 2009 outstanding, the 2008 just seems to convey a citrusy, gorgeous power that should make for a long timeline of enjoyment. I still preferred the 2009 for the sheer pleasure it imparts now, but the 2008 is not far behind.

This beat the 2008 for me, and the fight was fair as they were served blind, side by side. The freshness on this is spot on. Juicy pear, citrusy tangerine and a salty tone to the fruit was my first impressions. I sipped on it some more with air and the balance is stunning, The richness level here is moderate, finishing with a lemon, curd-like tone. What impressed me here was the concentration and the aspect of slate and lime that really shined through as it warmed up. In sum, this doesn't have the richness and power of the 2008 vintage, yet for me it represents another excellent showing where I simply prefer the 2009 for the beauty, balance and presence. The 2009 continues to be one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever enjoyed.

This was my least favorite of the four Flaccianello we did as a combined flight (included 2010, 2012 and 2015). The 2006 started out with what I perceived to be an oaky, clovey nose. The fruit seemed raisiny to me, with a fig note, too. I thought, hmm, this may turn out to be too ripe for my tastes. With air, this started to gather an older world quality, with aged notes of cedar, spice box, etc. Overall, this was fine but it was crushed by the quality of the 2015.

Of the entire flight (2006, 2012, and 2015), this had the best aromatics to me. Intensely fragrant with an exotic tone to it, even a hint of metal shavings as it aired out. Chewy, spicy with lots of power and plenty of tannin. Powerful and concentrated. One other impression I had was something that Carol Schrader called 'eucalyptus', which I thought was a great call. For me, it was more like a dried olive that had turned to a powder. What a unique and cool wine this was.

This was the tangiest wine of the four (included was the 2006, 2010 and 2015). Spicy with dark red fruit and a bit of cocoa showing through. The finish was long and fresh, conveying a rich, tangy quality that I really appreciated. With air and more time in the glass, the red cherry notes came through beautifully.

I had this back in 2019, and I thought the wine then had a lot of power. Last night, it was poured again, this time part of a flight of three other Flaccianello (the 2006, 2010 and 2012). All were served blind side by side so I had a chance too sit with all 4 wines and evaluate them carefully. For me, this was the star wine of the flight. I was sitting next to Viet Ly and he mentioned a lavender flower quality, something he also framed by the word 'soapy'. We had some discussion at the table about it, with some consensus about a kind of lavender resin, if that makes sense. For me, it was just like a dried floral note that I really dug. This started out juicy and with air, that quality transformed into something more concentrated and powerful, like the bottle back in 2019. There is the core of red fruit here, but also a shading of black, that is joined by a tarry kind of black quality. Finishes with a dusty tannin. Really enjoyed this.

Served blind. With the density and color of the wine, as well as how polished it was drinking, it made me think of 2012. I've had that vintage several times so it seemed like the right guess. Aromatics of black olive and some dried purple flower. Shows plush, and this tells me the wine is hitting the apex of its drink window, too. A touch tarry, with rosemary and dark fruit. Drinking great right now.

Some graham cracker on the aromatic, along with some chocolate that is framing a spicy red fruit. I also picked out what I thought was cinnamon and spice cake. One other comment at the table came from Carol Schrader, who seemed to really nail the finish with her remark about 'fresh jam'. It's dead on as it tasted like a red/black fruit that has been spooned out of the jar. This seemed to be drinking pretty well last night, in a good spot.

Served blind. Carol Schrader brought this to our dinner, with a smile too as she has a deep connection to the wine. I believe she said this was the first CCS made, and it has some of the Las Piedras blended into it. This was richer styled with good acid and lots of blue fruit (which is what I found as well on the 2014 CCS that was poured blind at an event we did a few weeks ago). It also showed an inky coloring around the inside of the glass and a terrific freshness for a wine that has already pushed past 15 years of age. Thomas sure did make some ageworthy wines in his Schrader craft.