Community Tasting Notes 2

• Frank Murray III wrote:

  December 1, 2023 - Blind Champagne Tasting--Bring A Bottle That Teaches Us Something: Disgorged October 2022. No dosage. Have had a previous disgorgement of the wine, a bottle that I had bought in Epernay on a previous trip to the area, but the damn thing was corked. Decided to try again, this time with the 2018. This is a field blend, which here in the CA wine country would signify a wine that is a melange of varietals, to which is true here. This is made with all 7 approved cepages, plus some grandfathered cepage of Gros Plant and Teinturier. And from what I read, Benoit Lahaye is not clear on what the %s are, with some of the vines in this plot dating back to 1923 (which pre-dates the 1927 regulations when the approved 7 cepages were identified and the regulation of their use began). Farmed biodynamic from a plot in Bouzy, and beginning in 2009, Benoit began to isolate this plot and bottle it separately. I believe it is done in old wood (3-5 years). This begins with the first pour as quite elegant, subtle, even my thought of 'dumb' in tone. With air, and it's been just about 20 mins, it starts to fill in and what I would call 'refined', with some citrus pith, apple and stone fruit with gentle salinity. Taking to dinner to be served as part of a blind lineup so we'll see how it does, and how it might unwind with air.....pretty much the same over dinner, with a dried herb note and what another smart taster called kumquat. Enjoyed this, and appreciated what's here.

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• Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 points

  October 9, 2023 - Le Tour de Champagne Tasting (Olofskapel, Amsterdam, NL): Trade tasting, brief note. Slightly loose but attractive in style, pronounced bitters, good length.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2018
• Type White - Sparkling
• Producer Benoît Lahaye
• Varietal Champagne Blend
• Designation Brut Nature
• Vineyard Le Jardin de la Grosse Pierre
• Country France
• Region Champagne
• SubRegion n/a
• Appellation Champagne Grand Cru

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 9 (23%)
• In Cellars 26 (65%)
• Consumed 5 (13%)

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