4/18/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Drank over two days. Excellent iteration of the reserve, after being disappointed by a few other vintages recently. A dark, golden color, with ample carbonation. Red apples, roasted nuts, and some faint autolytic notes. Drinking well now, and well stored bottles will hold well for many years in the cellar, it seems.

4/5/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Drank over two nights. Beautiful golden color with a nice bead, though the bubbles could have been finer. Red apples, pastry crust and autolytic notes carried both days. Near the end of day two, the dosage became noticeable, and this started to feel just a touch too sweet. Overall, a nice wine that will do OK with some cellar age, though I find J Scram Noirs/Reserve to do better closer to release rather than extended time in the cellar.

3/29/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Drank over two nights, sealed between pours and overnight with a champagne stopper. Poured a pleasant golden hue, but with surprisingly large bubbles that dissipated relatively quickly. On night one, not showing much. Acidity and dosage seemed well balanced, but not a lot of depth or length. Hints of apples and nuts, perhaps some citrus, but generally fairly faint. One night two, the baked apple became more pronounced and pleasant, though oxidative notes really started to show. By the end of the bottle, it became quite oxidative and sherry-like. Hopefully this was just an off bottle.

3/22/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

PnP, drank over two nights. Still very fresh and herbal. Nice acidity, moderate tannins, alcohol well balanced. This was my last bottle, but I am reminded that Alban consistently produces wonderful wines.

3/10/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Not quite flawed, but this aged far faster than expected. For being 15+ years old, it drank more like a 30+ year old bottle. The cork came out with barely a whisper, but there was still carbonation in the bottle. Dark golden color, plenty of butterscotch notes, but not a lot of fruit. On day 2, the oxidative notes became more pronounced, but this was still quite drinkable. For the first 2-3 years after I received the bottle, it sat in passive storage in my basement before being moved into a cellar three years ago. I'll chalk this up to an off bottle with less than ideal storage, and hope the next bottles show better.

3/9/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

After 10 years, this is still going strong. Pulled it out of the wine cellar (55º) and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to chill just a bit more, which was unnecessary. Drank over two hours. Still some light carbonation as if it were bottled yesterday. No hints of alcoholic heat, just delicious, rounded chocolate and roasted flavors.

3/3/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Very good acidity, but not over the top. Herbal, tapenade, an a little meaty. All in all, a very nice washington syrah that is not at all like the powerhouses from Cayuse and other Washington producers. Very enjoyable.

2/23/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Drank over two days. Four years on the lees, 8g/L dosage, 100% chardonnay. Poured a light straw color with a mousse that resembled soap bubbles more than a typical champenoise-style sparkler. Fortunately, looks are deceiving and the mouthfeel was nothing of the sort, with the more typical tiny bubbles ever present, although not as creamy/full as the J Schram variants. Typical of most Schramsberg BdBs, green apple and citrus right out of the gate. Over time, this also gave some autolytic notes. On day two, the green apple turned to yellow/golden apple and fresh cooked pastry also appeared. Over the course of the bottle, the dosage was somewhat noticeable, so I find myself wondering how this would be with say, 5-6g/L instead of 8. In any case, this was quite nice two years post disgorgement and I assume it will continue to develop over the coming years. I expect I will not touch my remaining bottles for a few years.

2/15/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Brought to dinner with several people and no detailed notes were taken.
From magnum and very much open for business, however.

2/9/2024 - qtsam11 wrote:

Drank over two days. Poured a light straw color with fine bubbles and a slight haze. The first smell is of a natural wine, which this is not. After reading comments from the winemaker, it may be a signature of reduction? Most prominent to me was the lime (and a little lemon) and a bit of pear, both of which really started to come through on day two. While obviously very different, it reminded me of a young Moet Grand Vintage. 5 g/L dosage.

12/8/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Going from distant memory here as this was consumed ~7 weeks ago. I recall this being rather uninspiring and a bit tired. Compared to the 2006 Reserve I had a few weeks later, this was nowhere near as fresh or interesting. Perhaps it had suboptimal storage in my basement before moving to the cellar. Typical bruised red apple and nutty notes, lacking in any significant effervescence or depth. I recall thinking the dosage was noticeable, though the wine was still very dry. I'm torn between whether this was an off bottle or characteristic of the vintage (perhaps a bit of both). I have one more bottle remaining and will check in within the next 2-3 years.

12/27/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

After being disappointed by an uninspiring and perhaps a bit tired 2010 Reserve a few weeks back, I had low expectations here. I am happy to report those fears were largely alleviated. This was quite alive and fresh out of the gate. The bottle poured the characteristic deep gold color wine, laden with fine perlage. Red apples, stewed fruits, some fig, dark berries and a hint of nuts and toast all came through at one time or another. This is a rich and powerful wine (though not as powerful as say, Bollinger), but acidity felt a bit muted and dosage about right. The butterscotch and mushroom notes have not yet developed, so this wine still has a good life ahead of it. Well stored bottles can easily last several years.

12/24/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Drank over two days. On day one, poured half into a decanter where it say for four hours and then drank over another 3-4 hours. My palate is neither sensitive nor sophisticated, so I lack some (most?) of the taste recall that even average folks possess. Right out of the gate, it was clear this wasn't some garbage Napa vanity project with overripe fruit. Wonderfully herbal and savory, smooth and nearly fully integrated tannins and a very pleasant acidity. Unsurprisingly, there was little evolution throughout the night, with the last sip just as lovely and lively as the first. On day two, I didn't even bother to decant, I just poured straight from the bottle. Similar results on day one, with the fruit continuing to show well and not overpower the savory, herbal notes. I enjoyed this tremendously and am glad to have a cellar full of Bella Oaks. As others have noted, with this being a 2017, it drinks well now and it seems like it has the stuffing to go for many, many years. It will be at least 3-5 years before I revisit this wine.

12/22/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

I really wanted to love this, but I just couldn't get there. The bright green apple notes have faded a bit, but are still predominant. Some ginger on the backend. Surprisingly very few autolytic notes, despite the extended less aging and bottle age. On day one, the dosage was evident and the wine was quite singular, in fact it tasted like a BdB from say 2015, no indication of its age or extended less aging. On day two, it rounded out a bit with the apple becoming less dominant and with crystalized ginger and fruits becoming more noticeable.

11/24/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Didn't take detailed notes, but very characteristic of other J Schram roses. The off vintage provided some great acidity; compared to the 2013 I had a few weeks back, more acidic but less full. With the meteoric rise in sparkling wine prices, this continues to represent a great value compared to some of the big house vintage roses in Champagne.

11/23/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Striking. Still very young. Wonderful fruit, some almonds/hazelnuts, light toast and a slight leesy richness is balanced perfectly by the acidity. Opened on Thanksgiving, knowing it was young to see how it was doing, and it clearly outclassed the 2010 Dom. Amazing now, but so much more to go. Will try to hold off on the remaining bottles for a few years so this develops further.

11/24/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Typical DP flinty/smoky notes. Nice acidity, but the fruit was not nearly as present as the 2014 Cristal we drank alongside this. A good showing from an off vintage, though to my unsophisticated palate, it is drinking about the same as the 2009 Moet Grand Vintage, currently. That will change in time, so I will hold off for a few years before checking back.

11/23/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Nice, but very young. Needs more time in the bottle.

11/10/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Drank over two days. Cannot provide much, if any notes other than noting on day two it gained weight and richness that was not at all present on day one. A seared duck breast would have been fantastic with this wine.

10/20/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Oxidative on the nose with some bruised fruits and autolytic notes. Some lemon/orange pith. Moderate acidity and dosage does not feel out of balance. A bit thin overall on the palate, Not overly complex, despite the extended lees aging. I've seen this compared to Bollinger and I just don't get the comparison. Overall, this was OK and something I would be fine opening for guests that don't drink a lot of champagne. For my own consumption, I won't be buying this again since there are far better champagnes out there at this price point.

10/6/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

The American oak was very front and center on the nose upon opening the bottle, though it settled down with some air. Cherries, leather, figs. Not overly complex, but a nice value gran reserva.

9/28/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Wasn't paying much attention, so this is a worthless. But I do recall a very pleasant mineral note throughout. Not a contemplative champagne at all, but a nice bottle nonetheless, and something I would be happy to grab any weeknight, just because.

9/24/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Light salmon colored, moderate bubbles. Apples, grapefruit, and a light minerality. Good acidity. Consistent across day 1 and day 2. Nothing overly remarkable, but a good entry level sparkling rose.

7/29/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Disgorged 6/29/22 with 4g/L dosage. 55% 2019, 45% reserve wines from 2013-2018. Yellow apple and lemon/lime for the most part, with some hints of pastry, with minerality coming through at the end. To me, the mineraility was just the right amount, enough to let me know it is there, but not overwhelmingly so. Frank Murray III hit on it well earlier this month, and my tasting of the 19 base is not all that different from his perceptions of the 18 base. At $90, this seems pretty average, particularly compared to the $60 I paid for the 17 base which is amazing. I still have half a bottle, so we’ll see how this changes on day 2. Perhaps with more time post disgorgement, this will round out a little more.

7/14/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Consistent with prior note

7/13/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Consistent with prior notes.

7/7/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Decided to check in on this since I have several bottles but have never actually had the producer before. Well aware of Michel Rolland's work and (polarizing) reputation, I had a sense for what to expect. Right out of the gate, it presented as a fruit forward wine from Napa. Dark purple in the glass with flavors and aromas predominantly of blackberry and other dark fruits, with sage making an appearance after a few minutes of air. All very primary for now, this should do well with some moderate aging to let the oak integrate and let the blackberry settle down a bit. For $21, this is not bad at all and an easy bottle to drink any day of the week.

7/6/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Not sure how to feel about this one. The limitations of the vintage are very present, and in the world of Comtes, this lags behind the other vintages. But in a vacuum, this is a nice wine. Steely and minerally throughout, tropical fruits, apple and ginger, with the occasional green notes. I certainly did not hate this wine and I appreciate it for what it is. I'll hold onto other bottles for a few years to see how this evolves.

7/6/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Consistent with prior notes, with the exception that this was noticeably richer than the other wines at the table (Bolly RD, Bolly LGA, Billecart Salmon Nicolas Francois, and Comtes). Slow out of the gate and without the depth as the others, it hung around and showed quite well, being the perfect foil for prosciutto, cheese and caviar. Certainly not the finest J Schram, but one that is right down the fairway.

7/6/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Wow, what a wine. Rich and focused out of the gate. Butterscotch, toasted nuts and perhaps some coffee/tobacco/chocolate notes. All of this paired harmoniously, balanced perfectly with the 3g/L dosage. Drinking wonderfully now, but no reason to rush.

7/6/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Served blind. Very light straw color, with a bit of a green hue. At first, cold and steely, with little indication this was a Bolly. With air and temperature, this blossomed showing tropical and candied fruits and typical Bollinger richness. This is a phenomenal wine, and I understand how people have such a hard time keeping their hands off this. The few remaining bottles I have will need to be hidden, otherwise they will be gone within six months.

7/6/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Unsure of the disgorgement date. Poured a dark straw, light gold color. The nose was musty initially, but that blew off. Rich and toasty with wonderfully balanced acidity. Some butterscotch, toasted nuts and stewed fruits. Still quite fresh, this is a beautiful and amazing wine that feels like it can go for many more years. Unfortunately, served slightly too warm, and with the food and other wines at the table, I wasn't able to give it the full attention it deserved.

6/24/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

2017 base, bottled in March 2018 and disgorged July 2020 w/ 3g/L dosage. Poured a pale straw color with a moderate bead. Autolytic on the nose, but that quickly gives way to bright citrus and apricot. On the palate, citrus and minerality; warming and with some air the minerality becomes more pronounced. It is crisp and refreshing, providing pleasing but not bracing acidity; the dosage feels right. All in all, not bad though not extraordinary.

6/8/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Run of the mill, right down the fairway. Simple and not overly complex, but easily a crowd pleaser and one that can disappear very quickly. A nice value as well and worth grabbing to have a few on hand.

6/8/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Drank alongside the Dehours Grande Reserve, Laherte Freres Ultratradition Brut, Vilmart Grand Cellier and Michel Arnould Tradition Grand Cru. Middle of the pack with earthy undertones. Of all the wines, this benefitted from the most air and was screaming for food. Good, not great.

5/29/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

The color was a deep copper/gold hue, much darker than I had expected. Bubbles were still there and it remained plenty effervescent throughout the course of two days. Baked red apples, a hint of marzipan and honey. Nice acidity. Not a lot of depth. Good, but not great.

5/27/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Finished the last half of a bottle I first coravined a year ago. Still fresh as the first glass. Firm tannins, nice red fruit and savory herbs. The 14.5% ABV felt well integrated, really only showing itself when there was some spice in my food. Two more bottles of this in my cellar, and I am in no rush to get to them, this feels like it has many years to go. Will probably check back in 2-3 years.

5/19/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Popped and poured from a .375. My experience with aged BDX is minimal, but that one was singing. Poured a beautiful garnet color, with some bricking around the rim. The nose is relatively muted, but what I could best describe as the smell of a wonderful old book, though not in a bad way. The palate was far more open, with hints of raspberries/strawberries, some cherry, finishing with a hint of pipe tobacco. Very well balanced, with a touch of pleasing acidity on the backend. I really enjoyed this and wish I had more.

4/29/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Part of a large dinner/gathering, so no formal notes taken. But, it was a quaffable crowd pleaser and a nice aperitif, Nicely complimenting a foie gras mousse.

4/30/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Disgorged 5/2017 with 5g/L dosage. 50% PN, 36% Chard and 14% Meunier. I last had this about 3.5 years ago, and it has evolved nicely. Toasted nuts, apricots and some grapefruit on the finish. When first opened, there was some minerality up front, but that went away with some air and as the wine opened up.

4/30/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

Consistent with prior note. Brought to a dinner and proved to be a great introduction into chardonnay for some folks who don't drink chardonnay.

4/23/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

On the nose it was undoubtedly Napa, but not in the typical bombastic everything is turned up to 11 kind of way. Very nice acidity, smooth, integrated tannins plenty of red fruit and some herbal note I couldn't quite identify, perhaps dill or sage. Texturally, it felt a little thin, certainly not chewy like I expected. There was a good amount of sediment in my bottle, though it was not problematic in the least.

4/2/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

With a few bottles in the cellar, I figured why not check in on it. Nerdy tech stats show a pH of 3.06, 9 g/L dosage, 7.5 years on the lees and about 1/3 of the fermentation occurred in barrel. From a cool vintage, I had expectations of a crisper wine than what I typically find from a J Schram bottling. My expectations were kind of met, but not really. This holds true to the richer J Schram style, featuring baked apples, marzipan and toffee. The acidity is present and balanced well, making this wine quite enjoyable. This is drinking well now, and no reason not to expect it to continue to evolve over the next several years, properly cellared. I will probably hold off a few years before cracking the next bottle, but there really is no need to wait.

4/1/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

I impulsively opened a bottle, figuring a decant was for planners, of which I am not. Immediately after sampling the first glass, I thought you myself, "I've made a huge mistake." I powered through a wall of tannins and youthful fruit for two glasses, the recorked and put the bottle in the cellar for a good night's sleep. The tannins mellowed on day two, but still incredibly youthful. Will be very nice in a few years, but if drinking in the near term, plan ahead and be prepared for a reasonable decant.

3/11/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

The first single vineyard offering from Schramsberg (or second, considering Hyde came out at the same time). I couldn't find a lot of technical info, bust based on my club shipments, I presume this was disgorged in the fall of 2012, so probably 3.5 years on the lees. 73/27 chard/pinot, 12 g/L dosage (times sure have changed!). Over ten years post disgorgement has done this wine wonders. The super bright green apple notes that were present in earlier bottles have been replaced with richer/rounder yellow/red apple, pineapple, a bit of mango and honey/butterscotch. After drinking a lot of sparklers lately with 4-8 g/L of dosage, the higher dosage stuck out here. However, it didn't necessarily feel out of balance like Schramsberg's 2010 Blanc de Noirs Late Disgorged. Perhaps the extra age post disgorgement helped integrate it a little better? This has evolved into a nice single vineyard production and was quite pleasurable to drink over time. I hope other single vineyard productions follow a similar path.

3/4/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

A real funk when first opening, but that blew off within a few minutes as it warmed up a bit. Mushroom and nuttiness prevailed on the nose. More mushrooms and nuts on the palate, but also a fair amount of baked apples, with some peach, orange/citrus pastry cream and typical leesy notes. A creamy texture was quite nice, but the overall balance just felt off with this bottle. 8 g/L of RS makes me wonder if this is a case where less is more in terms of dosage. I paired it with pan seared duck breast and grilled broccoli rabe, and it held up well in that department. While I generally love the LD bottlings from Schramsberg, this one left me wanting.

2/18/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

My first coteaux champenois, so I wasn't sure what to expect. First, that cork was stubborn, requiring vice grips to coax it out of the bottle. It poured a beautiful golden color. Not knowing what to expect, the best way to describe it was a perfectly still blanc des noirs, so I guess the name is quite accurate. No idea on base vintage or any background on the winemaking behind this. But it was a pleasant surprise and quite wonderful. Not the most complex or deep flavors, my mostly some red apple and a little bit of biscuit. Well balanced and interesting, and well worth the $40 tariff.

2/11/2023 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

Drank over two days. Served at cellar temp, with bottle vacuumed overnight. As with last time, beautiful version of chardonnay. On day one, the barrel notes were evident, but those blew off with time in the glass and were completely gone by the second day. Notes of tropical fruits, mango and melon. Crisp acidity. This is what chard should be like, and at $30/bottle, this was an absolute steal. I would put this up against just about any premier cru chablis and would be very pleased. I'm glad I have more bottles of this.

2/6/2023 - qtsam11 wrote:

2014 base (70%) with the rest from perpetual reserves dating back to 1998. Primarily meunier, filled in with chard and PN. Disgorged in November 2021, 2.3 g/l dosage. Baked red apple, a little citrus and ginger appears just briefly. Very thin in the mid-palate. The dosage seems about right, but something feels off balance, though I can’t put my finger on it. Marginally better on day 2, but not meaningfully so. For now, I’ll chalk it up to travel shock since I just received the wine this week. Hopefully the other bottles show better; I’ll probably hold off a year or now before revisiting. This is good, but not great. I paid $55 for this, which seems about right, and an quite happy to drink more at this price.

12/28/2022 - qtsam11 Likes this wine:

52%/48% Chard/PN, no information on disgorgement or dosage unfortunately. Drank over three days. On the nose, baked apple and citrus. In the mouth, these flavors expanded to include tropical flavors. On day one, there was still hints of green apple in the background, but those faded by day two. On day two, the tropical flavors, notably pineapple, mango and ginger became much more present and a good partner with the baked apple. Easily one of the most vinous of the Schramsberg sparklers, and probably one of their best single vineyard offerings. Usually, I find green apple dominating the single vineyard bottlings, but in this bottle it was in the background, and only for a day; I suspect (but cannot confirm) this is from additional time in the cellar that I haven't always given other bottles. I wish I had more bottles to see how this develops over time, because it was a very nice experience.