May 4, 2024 - Dinner with the wine group (Los Gatos): Light golden; aromatic, some brioche and cheese, lemon, pear, complex; palate is rich and full bodied, balanced dosage, excellent mouthfeel, tons of lemon and peel, fresh; finish is medium-long. Very lovely, a good time to drink these at age 22. This is better than my last bottle. 93
April 13, 2024 - Another excellent bottle of 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Rare. Most of the bottles I’ve opened have been later disgorgements. This bottle had a red neck ring, signifying an earlier disgorgement. While I haven’t had them side by side, my feeling is the earlier disgorgements are showing a more oxidative nutty profile, while the later show more dense brioche.
Citrus and honey on the attack, giving way to tropical notes, pear, coffee and hazelnut. Really dense and creamy. Historically, 10 gm/l dosage is not high, but compared to contemporary extra-brut and non-dosed wines, the sweetness is quite prominent here. This shows better when kept in an ice bucket.
March 29, 2024 - Return of the Shrimp Heads to La Belle Vie, now PS Steak in Minneapolis. 6 of us back in our beloved lounge w/ the old LBV lounge menu. CV,KB,LI,BB,JV & MA. Kevin's btl. I love this cuvee, period. Enjoyed that this has reached optimum balance between youthful zip & mature tranquility. Plenty of depth.
March 28, 2024 - Shrimp Heads Ride Again (PS Steak (Pseudo La Belle Vie, Mpls, MN)): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour, next to the '02 CNFB. This is a wow nose, so rich and toasty, full of brioche, sea breeze, toffee, butter pain grille, pear and smoke on the nose. The palate is full bodied and energetic, this still has tons of verve; pear, toast, hazelnut, honeycomb, smoke, green apple, apple peel, dense and powerful yet still lithe and blissful. In super shape, but just one left -no hurry.
March 27, 2024 - *Rich, oily bruised apples swimming in yeast. Lovely ripe flavors that make you say, that's all I want to drink. There is some sweetness for sure, but that's just a very observant comment that may be taken negatively by the overly fickle. Theres nothing out of place here if you want to experience the magic of mature, richly textured champagne that makes a statement from the first whiff to the last drop. Thanks to my friend. Drink!
March 22, 2024 - Tasted at Le Grand Tasting Paris.
From a bottle with mytik closure.
It's getting into a phase of candied, round, yet not at all tired. Wonderful. Not a wine to make you think much, but a joyful and pleasing wine.
March 10, 2024 - High/Low Blind Tasting III (Amy and Scott's house): This bottle had some high-level vanilla or almond extract, but also great elegance. Served blind alongside a <$30 NV champagne, 7 out of 11 people preferred this.
March 9, 2024 - High/Low Blind Tasting III (Eagan, MN): High Low Tasting: So easy to tell this was the more expensive and just looking at the tiny bubbles was a dead giveaway. This is outstanding with flint, lime, extoic spices, orange peel, chalk and floral notes. Super complex and medium plus finish. Nice acidty. While this will drink well for 10 plus years it is in a great window. 94/95.
March 1, 2024 - I have been holding this bottle for a friends birthday for about 5 years since we had this vintage last. Her favorite Champagne. Worth the wait. So much more complex now.
The fruits are more subtle and the toasted mixed nut buffet has taken hold. Butterscotch hard candy. Round, creamy, subdued lemon & pineapple juice, hints of lime on the long set, Bosc pear, white peach, whipped cream, brioche, some bread dough, some of the most beautiful yeastiness, what amazing, soft chalkiness, sea spray, undertones of white spice, crushed/powdery limestone, fresh, blooming Spring flowers & yellow lilies, excellent, perfect, crisp acidity, layers and layers on the well; knitted, balanced, structured, brilliantly polished, elegant finish that lasts minutes.
I’ve had some nice champagne lately and this beats everything except 02 & 96 Krug.
February 7, 2024 - Top champagne drinking beautifully well right now. Complex, with lots of coffee beans and dill in this. Got one more to pop and I probably wouldn’t wait much longer to drink it. I suggest you do the same.