May 1, 2024 - Not sure of base year but whatever the latest release since this was on a restaurant list. Drank 3 btls and all bright, cruncy, lovely berry fruit, totally delicious and more-ish. Love these.
April 18, 2024 - Blind Champagne Tasting (Basanti in San Juan Capistrano, CA (South OC)): Bottle bale shows L16 so I assume that is the base year. The cork had a 20 on it so perhaps that is the disgorge year. Juicy style. Lime flesh, flint, some light smoke and seemed pretty accessible to me, showing well.
April 17, 2024 - April Basanti (blind): Blind. A bit of flint on the nose. Very juicy apple, a tad of wood, lively lemon zest (maybe a bit of pith too) on the finish. Liked this.
April 17, 2024 - Wednesday Champagnes at Basanti: Clean and fresh on the nose with young, cut apple qualities. Focused and stony with long acids. More cohesive than my last go. I do wish I knew more about the base vintage and disgorgement information. I know its from the 2021 release. I'm on the fence with this wine and would like to compare vintages for a better picture of what this producer does.
March 31, 2024 - 2020 release, Base 2017. Another excellent bottle of this. A gentle, easy to love style that has grace and depth. So well balanced and good with food or on its own.
March 29, 2024 - Drank over 4 days. Wow.
March 9, 2024 - Hawker night at Caroline's: Normally a big fan but this was a miss for me, some funkiness and wooliness on the nose that I did not enjoy.
March 9, 2024 - Hawker Food Night: Base on 2017 with reserve from 2016. Aromas exploded out of the glass, red apple, spice, citrus, tropical fruits. Fantastic palate with laser focus acidity.
February 21, 2024 - If I may pillage Edith Wharton writing of poor Lily's worn-out dresses in "The House of Mirth" - "...long unerring lines, the sweep and amplitude of the great artist’s stroke..." Coming down to earth, this is simply round in all the right places. Enjoyed out of Lehmann stems, this bottle was sublime and a great reminder that the first duty of a wine is to give pleasure.
January 22, 2024 - Such a beautiful, seamless champagne. Rich and oxidative but had a steely acidic spine. Nutty and mineral at the same time with pure, crisp red apple fruit. More imperious with air as it put on weight. One of my favourite producers for striking the perfect balance between house and grower.