2011 Benjamin Bridge Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs LD
Community Tasting Note
Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine:
Saturday, December 11, 2021 - Probably not posting on the right wine profile, but I wasn't able to create anything else. Mine was from the 500-bottle lot that was aged underwater for a year. Opened one of my 2 bottles and I was a little disappointed. The wine is good, but starting to decline IMHO. I believe the producer is recommending to drink this wine before 2023 and I agree 100%. I love Champagne made with oxidative notes (e.g. Bollinger, Krug, Salon...), but this one is a bit different. I just think it's past it's peak. You get aromas of dried and candied fruits (quince, dates...) and as mentioned before a touch of oxidation.
I'd love to see them repeat the experience but with a younger wine and leave it underwater for a couple of years and then release both bottles at the same time, so we can really compare both aging environments side by side.
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5 comments have been posted
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Comment posted by KillerJones:
12/11/2021 5:44:00 PM - Very interesting note, Francois. Was there any evidence of cork degradation?
I thought this 12 month experiment was a bit risky...I mean, there was all that Champagne on the Baltic seabed for a 1000 years, but that was super cold, right?
I agree - next time send out a vertical so we can compare! I have been following this online...I appreciate the intel.
Comment posted by Francois Le Mouel:
12/11/2021 5:53:00 PM - No everything was perfect, but at 10 years old, I think the optimal drinking window might have passed. I have another bottle, that I'll drink in the next 12 months for sure, so we'll see. Stay tuned!
Comment posted by Marmie11:
2/16/2023 12:53:00 PM - Thank you for this! I just ordered a bottle from their public release. It’s being shipped across the country to Vancouver. I weighed the risk, but felt the risk was worth the unique experience. I expect a 2011 blanc de noir from NS to be a bit past it’s prime, even if it’s recently disgorged, but again, the curiosity! Did you try the 2nd bottle?
Comment posted by Francois Le Mouel:
2/16/2023 8:45:00 PM - You'll be happy to hear that I drank my 2nd bottle just a few weeks ago and it was fabulous. Significantly better than the first one (fresher), with probably a few more years at its prime. It was unanimous, the quality was comparable to a prestige cuvée from Champagne. If I had to score it, I'd give it a 94-95 points. Enjoy!
Comment posted by Marmie11:
2/17/2023 3:50:00 PM - Great to hear, thank you!