May 21, 2023 - Henri Bloem-Bloemendaal Spring tasting: A bit yeasty in the start (I like that), followed by moderate sweetness in the midtaste, nice body, balanced, but the finish is of modest length.
November 24, 2017 - Golden straw colored. Aromas of green apple and proofing dough. Mouth is round and rich with plenty of intensity and flavors of yellow fruit.
December 25, 2015 - Lighter style with fresh, subtle fruit taste; slight yeast; nice bubbles; easy to drink; good QPR for Champagne substitute.
August 8, 2014 - Meetup - 2009 Burgundy Masterclass (Christos's place): Fresh with good acidity and fruit. From Magnum.
June 20, 2013 - Mid yellow with vigourous mousse, dissipating fast. Looked to have some age. Nose of fresh baked bread and toasted hazelnut. No oxidative elements. Some pineapple and cream, along with more nuts and a kick of citrus towards the end. Very easy drinking.
February 14, 2013 - Slightly disappointing. This bottle had a ton of funk on the nose and it wasn't the interesting kind. My guests described it as "old bologna" which I think you can infer is not what you'd like your wine to taste like. On the palate, it was slightly bitter and had very little in the way of fruit. Some air time actually toned down the aggression, but its not a bottle I would choose to drink again.
January 11, 2013 - I do like old white wines and this is slightly oxidized. Marzipan and honey with some fine but scarce bubbles....it's in the end of life but interesting anyway. 88+
September 1, 2012 - OK, not alot of fruit and a little sweet for my taste.
August 24, 2012 - Two bottles were subject to an experiment. One stored upright and the other on its side for two years under the same cellar conditions. On opening, the upright bottle's cork was still in good shape, but was much more difficult to work out and kept a nice triangular shape. The sideways bottle's cork which had been immersed was shriveled and damp, and never rebounded to the nice triangle.
Now to the important stuff. The upright bottle seemed younger and fresher, even though there was discernibly less bubble action. The sideways bottle had taken on a nice nutty quality, a quality which seemed to us to be a product of maturity.
Conclusion: the upright bottle kept a better seal, the cork staying firm enough and moist enough through bottle pressure alone, aging slower. The sideways bottle's cork, saturated and shrunken, allowed more O2 exchange and sped up the aging process. The one factor we couldn't explain was the more carbonation in the sideways bottle. Strange.
And now I don't know how to store the good stuff! Upright for longer life? Sideways for quick maturity? Is this one test enough to decide? For me, for now, definitely not, but maybe a repeat is necessary.
August 23, 2012 - Two bottles were subject to an experiment. One stored upright and the other on its side for two years under the same cellar conditions. On opening, the upright bottle's cork was still in good shape, but was much more difficult to work out and kept a nice triangular shape. The sideways bottle's cork which had been immersed was shriveled and damp, and never rebounded to the nice triangle.
Now to the important stuff. The upright bottle seemed younger and fresher, even though there was discernibly less bubble action. The sideways bottle had taken on a nice nutty quality, a quality which seemed to us to be a product of maturity.
Conclusion: the upright bottle kept a better seal, the cork staying firm enough and moist enough through bottle pressure alone, aging slower. The sideways bottle's cork, saturated and shrunken, allowed more O2 exchange and sped up the aging process. The one factor we couldn't explain was the more carbonation in the sideways bottle. Strange.
And now I don't know how to store the good stuff! Upright for longer life? Sideways for quick maturity? Is this one test enough to decide? For me, for now, definitely not, but maybe a repeat is necessary.