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Comments on my notes

(23 comments on 18 notes)

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Rosé - Sparkling
2012 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Rosé Champagne Blend
7/4/2020 - BSA wrote:
89 points
From memory. I had a rather impressive bottle of Heidsieck Rose Reserve 2012-base last weekend, which perhaps was not a fair benchmark to this bottle at present (the CHRR clearly overshadows this Pol Roger today). To me the PR was a bit lean, lacking the substance of fruit that I would expect from such a recent vintage and certainly the depth of the CHRR (which of course reflects the reserve wines in the latter). I also felt acidity was a bit on the high side, so it comes across as a bit out of sync. I enjoyed it quite a bit as a drink now, but overall it was a bit unimpressive. Perhaps I had too much expectations. Bought this bottle to try, but seeing now that I already have some bottles of this in my cellar I guess I will have the opportunity to check in on developments as it surely needs another 2-3 years to get in shape. 89-90 now.

  • BSA commented:

    7/14/20, 10:47 AM - I am a bit lazy so only do notes on a fraction of my bottles, but in December 2016 i wrote on 08: Young and lifted rose. Strawberries and dried roses dominate the nose. Same comes through on the palate together with mix of red fruits. Hints of developed notes. Wine gets only better with time in the glass. Great overall balance. Very good concentration and spine. Finish is fine also. Lovely already. Promising for sure. Next bottle in 2-3 years. 91-92p for now.

Comment (See all 2 comments)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Champagne Blend
6/30/2019 - BSA Likes this wine:
95 points
Cork said D71.., which my research tells me means disgorgement in Q4 2017 and a 2006 (70%)-2004-2002 blend (apparently L-P GS #23). Huge presence both on nose and, particularly, palate. Intensely perfumed, multi faceted. Fruits and mature aromas are fiercely battling for your attention. I call it a draw! Fantastic structure in the mouth. What a depth! If only the dosage had been a little lower, (the ripe fruits do not need much support in that departement, me think) I would have scored it 1-2p higher. Believe this would be best with at least 5 more years of cellaring, but do not necessarily think this one is for the long haul. Perhaps 10+ years max?

  • BSA commented:

    7/9/19, 7:19 AM - According to "The code breaker’s guide to unlocking champagne" (by Tyson Stelzer, see https://www.tysonstelzer.com/code-breakers-guide-unlocking-champagne/) the two digits represent the year (inverted) and the first letter (A–D) is the quarter – so, as was the case for my recent bottle, D71...disgorged in the last quarter of 2017. I cross-checked with some other sources, but I did not note that down - which I should have in restrospect.

  • BSA commented:

    4/4/20, 10:48 AM - SEE my earlier comment. According to "The code breaker’s guide to unlocking champagne" (by Tyson Stelzer, see https://www.tysonstelzer.com/code-breakers-guide-unlocking-champagne/) the two digits represent the year (inverted) and the first letter (A–D) is the quarter – so, as was the case for my recent bottle, D71...disgorged in the last quarter of 2017. I cross-checked with some other sources, but I did not note that down - which I should have in restrospect.

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White - Sparkling
N.V. Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve Champagne Blend
3/21/2020 - BSA wrote:
91 points
Reg. btl. 2015 base. Disg. 05?/2019. Bit too fresh and lacking sync on day one. Much better balance on day 2. Nice complexity, smooth and refreshing. 90-91p for now, with def potential. Will pick up some mags here for sure.

  • BSA commented:

    3/22/20, 12:26 PM - Aaaah, thanks. Put that as private note ... updated. Anyways: regular btl, 2015 base. Disg. 05?/2019. Not 100% sure I read off the
    lot code right

Comment (See all 2 comments)
Red
2005 Chateau Musar Bekaa Valley Red Blend
10/8/2018 - BSA wrote:
flawed
Awful rotten cale and horse dump.

  • BSA commented:

    10/9/18, 7:36 AM - He he, yes from my records I have had 31 bottles of 2005 Musar last three years. 22 of those have been 375ml, with only 3 spoiled bottles. All my 9 regular ones have been in good shape.

Comment (See all 2 comments)
Red
2008 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
9/17/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote:
96 points
Rich, full-bodied, deep, intense and loaded to the brim with crème de cassis, tobacco, smoke, wet forest floor and cherry pipe tobacco elements, the wine is mouth-filling, tannic, long, deep and complex. Everything about this is just great. But patience is going to be needed, as this will probably not hit its peak for at least another 5-8 years.

  • BSA commented:

    9/18/18, 7:22 AM - Thank for your insight on the 2008. On the CPC 2008, I may - this wine will not hit its peak for another how may years? Think that was left out in your note. ;-)

Comment (See all 5 comments)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1989 Château Suduiraut Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend
9/7/2018 - Grinner wrote:
91 points
Bye Bye Browns (Cryin' Lyon's): From 375ml (unlike BSA's cool 735! A Boeing bottle? Nope! It was a BMW bottle!). Cork was perfect. This was not a disappointment after the great wines before it. It's great to have a wedding year wine any time and the match with foie gras pate was outstanding. Apricot, dried pineapple, fig, caramel, and a floral note. Nice balance and length.

  • BSA commented:

    9/9/18, 11:39 PM - Ha ha, no BMW!

Comment
White - Sparkling
N.V. Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Les Crayères Pinot Noir
3/3/2018 - CADomer Likes this wine:
95 points
Wow, I absolutely love this wine. Intoxicating aromas of brioche, cherry skins, and a hint of florality. The palate is deep and rich while showing wonderful energy and minerality. Enoyed this wine in Riedel Vinum Burgundy glasses and let the aromatics soar and palate really show it's stuff. Great!

  • BSA commented:

    3/5/18, 10:36 AM - Thanks for your note. I'm a huge fan of Les Crayeres as well. Seems like you had a great bottle there. Would you happen to know the disgorgement date (and time on lees) - which would be stated on the back label? Many thanks. /B

  • BSA commented:

    3/7/18, 7:38 AM - Thanks for sharing the information.

Comment (See all 3 comments)
White - Sparkling
2002 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Comtesse Marie de France Pinot Noir
1/8/2018 - hajoha wrote:
92 points
Denne spådde jeg ikke noen lysende fremtid da jeg smakte den i 2014.
Synes den virket i overkant moden den gangen.
Der tok jeg feil gitt!
Nydelig duft av gule epler, bakverk, stein og svakt krydder.
Flott mousse.
Meget bra konsentrasjon og en spenstig nerve.
Full body.
Drikker supert nå.
Sitter lenge med en ypperlig mineralitet i finish.
Best i glasset de første 15 min, så flater den litt ut og minnene fra første flaske kommer tilbake.
Kanskje jeg ikke var helt off allikevel...?
92p de første 15.

  • BSA commented:

    1/19/18, 1:16 AM - Vi får vel se da ;-) Jeg hadde motsatt opplevelse av deg, følte bunnpunktet var første 30 min. Må innrøme at jeg i 2014 var relativt farget av Geir Gjerdum (VINEN BAK GLAMOUREN) som bl.a. sier følgende om CMdF: "Dette er en sjeldenhet laget av 100% pinot noir. En svært konsentrert og rik vin som ikke er så lett å bedømme ung. Vinene har normalt en frisk syrestruktur. Bara lagrer vinene minst 4 år på bunnfallet. Den kan kanskje sammenliknes med Egly-Ouriet Vielles Vignes, men denne er mer strukturert og elegant. Bara lager kanskje de aller mest lagringskrevende blanc de noir-champagnene som kan oppdrives. Bara insisterer (desverre) på et nokså høyt sukkerinnhold (ca 9 g/l). Dette kler ikke så godt vinene som unge men problemet er lite siden vinene må lagres lenge for å få frem storheten i dem." Han sier også at 1988 og 1982 var "fabelaktig" i 2010.... Trist dersom Bara rotet seg bort i en prgang som 2002...

Comment (See all 2 comments)
White - Sparkling
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires Chardonnay
6/25/2017 - BSA Likes this wine:
92 points
From memory. We opened three bottles. One was clearly passed its peak, two had some development left but boy this wine has moved fast forward since my previous bottle in 02/2016. It is so so lovely now but I would not risk my own bottles beyond 2020. 91-92p for the most advanced bottle.

  • BSA commented:

    12/21/17, 1:09 PM - Apologies, I did not really note your comment until now. I did not note down the code back then but believe they were of the same batches as my own bottles - I have L159976 4082 and L170020 5107. So this means that they are disg in 2015 and 2017 respectively?

Comment (See all 3 comments)
Red
2008 Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe Brunello di Montalcino Stella di Campalto Sangiovese
8/20/2017 - BSA Likes this wine:
94 points
So fine, so good. My third bottle in the span of two months and this was probably the highlight. 21/2 h decant is a must. Then lovely dark floral scents, bright fruit with some slight dust on the edges. Sheer and transparent though with a serious nerve and grip. Finishes long with ultra-fine tannins. Great bottle!

  • BSA commented:

    8/21/17, 11:23 AM - Prefer to keep the decanter in a fairly cool space (this time I simply kept it in the wine cellar) and then bring it to the kitchen/dinner table 15-45 minutes before consumption to reach preferred serving temperature.

Comment (See all 2 comments)
Red
2012 Ridge Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel
5/5/2017 - BSA wrote:
90 points
Gives a whole different meaning if paired with a rare steak no doubt. Without, the bit cooked dark and oakey fruits as well as the warm finish are too much to enjoy really. Brought this to a barbecue and other guests liked it more than me.

  • BSA commented:

    5/7/17, 4:42 AM - Thanks. When would you expect them to be ready, and what should I expect from my remaining bottles at that point? Thanks again.

Comment (See all 3 comments)
White - Sparkling
2000 Alfred Gratien Champagne Brut Millésimé Champagne Blend
11/12/2016 - AudunG wrote:
90 points
Quite aromatic with fresh citrus in addition to some maderized yellow fruits. A rich, fruity and generous champagne. Quite elegant too.

  • BSA commented:

    11/19/16, 10:03 PM - Takk for notat. Hva tror du om lagringsevnen?

  • BSA commented:

    11/20/16, 10:38 AM - Takk. Har 4 (av 6) flasker igjen, men har ikke smakt produsenten utover dette. Forrige flaske for et drøyt år siden, og da følte jeg det fortsatt var godt spenn i vinen. Får sjekke inn igjen om et år og se. Takk igjen.

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White - Sparkling
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires Chardonnay
2/7/2016 - BSA Likes this wine:
93 points
Got to check in on two bottles at a dinner. Definitely got a lot better with time/higher temp. Mature wine but there should be much reward for the patient. Apples, toast, citrus, minerals. Still fresh, good acidity and feist in the mousse. Complexity showing but clearly more to come. Will leave my own bottles for 2020 onwards. 93-95

  • BSA commented:

    2/16/16, 1:13 PM - Unfortunately I did not, however I would be keen to know for my own bottles. What would be the code(s) to be looking for, please.

  • BSA commented:

    2/16/16, 1:46 PM - Thanks. My bottles would all be 2015 disg then. I would very much think the ones that I had a week ago would be the same, as they were recently bought from the "same" shop (we have a governmental monopoly here) as myself and I bought mine around mid-June 2015. Cheers.

Comment (See all 4 comments)
Red
2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
10/8/2015 - BSA Likes this wine:
92 points
Tasted at dinner & up against Sassicaia 2004, the wine came across as dense, very concentrated and youthful (sipped after approx 2,5h decant). Was impressed by the power, Integrated tannins and long finish, but coupled with the ripe fruit it got a bit overwhelming to my taste. Paired really great with beef burgers though. Lots of potential left I would say. Would suggest drinking it from 2020. 92-94p

  • BSA commented:

    12/3/15, 8:47 AM - My TN on the Sassicaia is available on CT. That said, that wine showed more development. Interestingly, to me, was the somewhat transparent feel and finesse that the wine gave, while still being dense and rough on the edges. I rated the Sassicaia slightly lower (91p) now, but with the same potential on the high end. Right now I felt it lacked a bit depth and dimension. My guess is that from 2019-2020 they would be more at par in terms of development and balance.

Comment (See all 2 comments)
White - Sparkling
2008 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Bechalin Pinot Noir
11/27/2015 - BSA Likes this wine:
95 points
Simply stunning. Expressive, with ripe red fruits, some citrus and white flowers. Dough and nuttiness is in the mix, but so refined. With air (it needs air – at least 1h) the wine becomes so seamless, so harmonious, so in balance right now - all of which is in itself simply captivating. Small round bubbles making you feel you almost drinking strings of pearls (sorry - it is just incredibly difficult to explain any other way). An amazing wine. It is pure and utter pleasure to drink such a beauty. Some points to note though: It does not come across as particularly long lived (even in 2008 vintage). And in some akward way, in all its immediate beauty and harmony I was left with a feeling that the wine lacked in excitement somehow. It is fantastic to drink, but I am not drawn to taste more. By all means, it would be the perfect wine to serve a party (or basically, anyone who have not tasted the wine before) though! I feel unable to reconcile here. Maybe that is the excitement I was looking for right there. Disg. April 2015. For Norwegians: it was a perfect wine for rakfisk (that is salted and fermented trout for the rest of you). ADDED Note: 1 week later, I must admit that every day I have been thinking back on this striking beautiful wine. It was that good. In both excitement and feeling of loss of having only one bottle I opened a 06 La Parcelle (same wine) yesterday. My wife who did not get to taste the 08 immediately though it was really good. Only once over 3h I thought I felt some of the greatness from the 08. All in all it did not reach to the 08 even to its ankles.

  • BSA commented:

    12/3/15, 8:37 AM - Am afraid that I would not be a particularly reliable reference on that one, as I would have had to finish the bottle before taking the first bite of the lutefisk!

Comment (See all 2 comments)
White - Sparkling
2002 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Comtesse Marie de France Pinot Noir
11/19/2015 - Patrik H Likes this wine:
92 points
On the nose: honeysuckle, marzipan, elders, a flower field at midsummer.
On the palate: Vanilla, some citrus, nice elegant balanced honey based herb mixture
Medium + finish

  • BSA commented:

    11/23/15, 1:49 PM - Thanks for your note. May I ask how it was holding together/backbone and what do you think of further potential. Thanks again & cheers!

Comment (See all 2 comments)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Jacques Selosse Substance Champagne Grand Cru Chardonnay
10/18/2015 - BSA Likes this wine:
91 points
Deg. 22/10/10: possibly, I was too much looking forward to this bottle, and possibly I should have chosen to pair with something richer and meaty than fresh lobster & aioli. That said, we did also pair with foie gras as starter - when I guess it was showing better but still not great as I have hoped (and experienced before). My preference is to give the Substance more room to breath than the bottle only. This time I kept 1/2 in bottle and 1/2 in decanter. Still, irrespective of vessel, I felt the sherry notes overwhelmed the palate. It did however improve slightly when the bubbles were less. I have not waited this long from disgorgement, and should now probably revisit my 2013 disg. within short. 90-91p.

  • BSA commented:

    10/18/15, 11:08 PM - Poured in red burgs (Riedel Vinum), which I often prefer to richer styled wine (particularly PN dominated, of course) as I feel it gives a bit more focus to the nose than the whites (same Riedel) while giving the wine room to breath. In hindsight I would use the white burgs, I think. Hope your bottle is better and look forward to reading your notes.

Comment (See all 3 comments)
White - Sparkling
1988 Pol Roger Champagne Blanc de Chardonnay
8/16/2015 - hajoha wrote:
93 points
Fin subtil nese med modne epler, nøtter, og søtbakst. Lekker på duft.
Smooth moden munnfølelse med god konsentrasjon og flott syrespill.
Meget godt balansert og klokkeren.
Meget lang finish med syre og mineraler som biter godt.
Pol Roger i knallform, og 1988 er nok en gang en høydare.
Moden, men tåler mange år på langs.

  • BSA commented:

    8/17/15, 4:06 AM - Takk for notater. Er dette flaske plukket opp på 06/2015-slippet?

  • BSA commented:

    8/17/15, 10:07 AM - OK. Jeg fikk med meg en flaske nå på slippet. Vanskelig å holde fingrene unna... (Ser ut til at du hadde en god kveld der...)

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