Dinner at Iki Ramen vol.II (Iki Ramen, Los Angeles CA): This was from magnum and was firing from the get-go with deep tones of freshly baked bread, golden grahams, nougat, brioche, nectarines, red apples, nougat, spiced pears, vanilla bean, and yellow flowers. The Medium bodied feel is rich, deep, and balanced with crisp, high acidity. The feel is gorgeous and flowing with a lot of texture that leads into a lengthy finish. This is a real beauty and shows off the joy that is a Rare with age.
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Cuvee Holiday: Paired with seared halibut, baby roasted carrots with plum butter sauce, pumpkin seeds and orange zest. Lots going on with dish but orange paired nicely and butter helped stand up to richness of wine
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From magnum. Felt very youthful with some oxidative notes, good acidity and integrated bubbles. Yellow apples, lemon, brioche, nuts, and a good finish.
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I liked this, but don't get the big hype. It showed quite young still, nutty, lemon, lots of toast, some hints of oxidative notes, quickly disappearing mousse. Lovely wine, but not complex, intense and long enough to warrant a higher score.
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BYOB dinner NOTK (Rotterdam, NL): From magnum, beautiful label. Still feels young. Medium intensity with some oxidative notes, brioche, firestone, toast, nutty, lemon. High acidity, long (wet stone) finish
Not overly complex but the lemon & wet stone driven finish made me long for a second glass
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Don't understand the buzz around this. I thought this showed young but without a lot of complexity or interest compared to Taittinger Comtes, let alone Cristal. Yes it's "cheap" for a prestige cuvee magnum, but IMHO you can do better elsewhere for the $$s
Sunday hangout at Domaine (Chicago, IL): From magnum. Perfectly mature and in an outstanding spot. Just the right balance of fresh acidity and mature fruit, with the proper richness and ample weight and concentration on the palate. Not a far stretch of the imagination to expect this to age gracefully for many years, but it's so delicious now there is definite value in opening them.
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Half Century Magnum Lunch (La Trompette) (London): I have a few of these and most are the last release. This batch are original release with the red band around the neck and hence have a good few years more in bottle. Deep, rich, smoky, soft, open and delicious as always. A real hedonistic, crowd pleasing fantastic champagne. On next days reflection I feel the later releases might just have that extra freshness and excitement.
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Magnum Mike's Half Century Blow Out (La Trompette): This was lovely - a hint of bruised apple, a bit of sweetness on the end. If the Taittinger was intense and highly strung, this was a bit scandalous and badly behaved. A party that started with this could well end up with a visit to the police station.
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Magnum Mike's Magnificent Half Century (La Trompette): Magnum. Smoky and vinous on the nose, with hints of exotic wood and gravy; it reminded me of a mature white Burgundy. Concentrated and substantial on the palate, and pretty generously dosed, with the flavour of beurre blanc and a bitter, saline finish. This wasn't as popular around the table as the Comtes, but I loved its depth of flavour and slightly sleazy charm.
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This is in a really great spot now. Pale golden and much more ready (complex) than the '08 (which will also be great given enough time). Ginger, exotic spice, fleshy fruits, great minerality, very long and balanced.
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Vrai Champagne 2023 (Brad and Marcia's house): Drank a small pour at a tasting. This was stellar and consistent with my experience of the 2002 rare. Vibrant with fresh dough, pear and green apple
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New Years Day: Champagne Vrai, Sixth Annual Edition (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light plus gold color. Small glass. What a great bottle. Blew the socks off a bottle we had 6 months ago. Autolytic, fresh, brioche, sea breeze, almond, lemon, quince, very long. Stood up to the '08 tonight and with the age and large format, I preferred this just slightly at the moment.
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Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. From magnum. Lots of fresh and poached pear with impressive richness, depth, and power that really lingered. Surprisingly great for this generally good vintage.
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Darker gold, very aromatic lots of tertiary notes, hazelnut, ginger snap, yeasty, peach pit; excellent effervescence, and still a nice mellow aspect to it; rich, full on the palate with med+ lift and long finish. Canlis m&d 65 anniversary
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Good learning - this was a total baby killing. Out of a mag. Need to hold onto these for a lot longer. Esp on the heels of wines that do have more age this came across as more one-dimensional and basic but I think it's really that it just hasn't opened up yet enough.
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with medium, steady beading. Nose of toast, yellow pears, yellow apples and camphor. Flavors of lemon, green apples and yellow pears. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
Jose Rodriguez Memorial Dinner
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Always nice drinking older wines. From a magnum. Drank at Owami. Everyone enjoyed this Champagne. Toasted hazelnuts, green apple, and saline/oyster on the palate with chalk and citrus. Very tasty, with a nice finish. Easy 94, but I would recommend drinking up within the next few years, if you want effervescence and fruit!
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Magnum. Popped and poured. Nice vigorous bead. Nose shouts out Dough, yeast, dough …. Real enjoyable. Apple and pear on the palate with just a little bit of “fink” that adds complexity. Acidity is spot on keeping the wine really well balanced. Very very good.
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A Celebration of Jose; 5/19/2022-5/21/2022 (Madison, WI): Lots of bread dough on the nose, no sign of oxidation, with passing exotic perfume. Citrus moves forward on the palate. Very vinous but without sustained heat. Really nice Champagne, RAD likes. Beautiful bottle in magnum.
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Nose: Toast, pear and seashell with hints of chalk
Palate: Lots of toast, brioche, tart apple, poached pear and a hint of lime. Also showed a fair amount of saline/oyster shell and chalk. Finish was medium.
Flavors were good, but effervescence faded after about an hour in the glass. 94+ for my palate.
Bordeaux and Sushi (Billy Sushi, Mpls, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank a glass plus from magnum. There's a nice toastiness on the nose, ripe golden fruits, dough, and chalk. The palate is full on and rich, rather round, baked golden apple, apple peel, oxidative, chalk, and toast. A little more to the oxidative side for my preference. Would have helped if this had a better chill on it too.
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Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Chicago, IL): From magnum. A little reductive at first, but plenty of delicious autolytic notes. Quite a ripe fruit profile with generous dosage, but also a slightly chewy texture from all the extract here. A hint more Maillard present than I would have really liked, but this is still quite good.
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So at this current state in the Fizz Biz, this is the best valued bottle that’s still available. Fact, not opinion. You have a 24 year old, vintage champagne in magnum for under $400 retail. The wine still has great fall spice, cooked apple, fruit profile, a really nice acid backbone, the nose is oxidative but generous, and it’s a striker with Asian cuisine. This is such a No-brainer for a great bottle for the dollar when prices are “going ballistic man” like Maverick and Goose going after Jester.
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January Rhônes (Chicago, IL): From magnum. A big, chunky edition of Rare, with many of the same oxidative, autolytic characteristics as a recent 2002 (in fifth). But this is a much tighter package overall -- the acidity seems to tie all the broad, ripe fruit and doughy elements all together. Almost a little chewy from the concentration. Excellent and ready to drink now; all day, every day.
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From a magnum. Very golden hue. Initially very muted on the nose. After a while, very delicate pastry cream, with some lemon. The egg note gains relevance. The wine is youthful, very. Aside from the intense color, it would be very difficult to blind guess it is a 1998 vintage. The wine is characterized more by the great balance and ethereal levity than by structure. Acidity and sweetness are very balanced. It is very long in the mouth. Only after a while in a decanter, some little burnt sugar pops out. I wonder whether it would have opened itself further with additional areation. Overall a very nice delicate but very youthful wine.
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Exceptional. A bit mute at first, it took a bit to open up. Decanted. White flowers, chamomile, pastry cream and brioche. It is all about balance and delicacy. Very refined mousse supported by fresh acidity (guests had a hard time giving it 20+ years). Plenty of fruit mid-palate weight and sweetness, but not cloying. Hints of minerality. Refined. And it goes on for minutes. Outstanding, I wish I had purchased more.
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No notes taken and had at a lunch from Magnum as all the 98s are. Lovely nose, fresh, lively palate with lots of acid and zip. Over time opens up with further richness on the nose. Excellent and in a 94-95 ballpark for me. No rush to drink. Believe this was a relatively recent release but couldn’t see any details on label.
Best champagne I’ve ever had the opportunity to try. Layers and layers of complex flavors: yeast, brioche, nuts, cheese, apple. It just keeps unfurling while the finish goes on for more than a minute.
Hospice Auction Wine Night (Samish Hill, Bellingham, WA): This was an outstanding magnum. Served too cold, it blossomed with air and warmth. Less doughy and exuberant than the 2002, but possessing more charm and elegance. A kaleidoscope of scents and flavors; citrus, apricot, brioche, fruit blossoms and more. A little reduction. This will last for decades.
Year end Champagne lunch (Singapore): All wines tasted blind. From Magnum. This was very popular at our table. Seductive nose with brioche, yellow fruit, complex, Krug style. Creamy palate with good dosage but also fresh. Very complete and grand. 96+
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Well, it was stunningly PERFECT for a Modified COVID Wedding Celebration!! There was one comment that it has "aged a bit much" but perhaps my storage for the past decade was less than perfect. I found just a hint of floral with the exact sweetness with every drop to be treasured. Truly a moment that will always be remembered.
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Informal dinner. No notes taken. From magnum. This was even better than the last time. Although it could be a tad more expressive, it it such a big treat to drink with a broad array of aromas from bakery, smoke, toast, butter to apple and citrus with some hints of minerality and just tiny first bits of oxidation shining through. Very good, soft and round acidity, very fine mousse. Strong presence and good length. An absolute winner, loved by everybody. Easily one of the better and more seductive Champagnes I’ve had. 96/97 points.
En magnum – This 1998 Rare magnum is still reductive and primary. Young and refreshing citrus and white tree fruits. Yeasty brioche toast, elegant chardonnay fruits with bright acidity. This should be able to age for another 2 decades easily. (89/100)
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gold, clear, brown sugar, gingerbread, apricots, licorice, bruised fruit, citrus & tropical fruits, dust, stone, acidity attacks first but with weight, bubbles aggressive and clear
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Exquisite. This stood taller than many excellent wines ('95 Krug, '01 Solaia). From magnum, lot code on the neck was L15***. 2015 disgorgement?
Not as dark as I was expecting and still packing solid effervescene. Incredible amount of flavors but what stood out to me was smoky ginger. Yummy. Quite possibly the best champagne I've had. Drink or hold.
From a recently released bottle now only showing on the label "Rare" (no Piper-Heidsieck. Lot code L19xx something which could indicate release in 2019. Cork confirmed this - it was completely young and soft.
Much too early to drink this release now - at least without opening well in advance or decanting. But aside from that a very clean and precise, delicious champagne with lively bubbles, good acidity, well balanced dosage and no mature notes what so ever.
Will store my remaining bottles which have same release date stamped on bottle neck. 95+ potential.
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From magnum (in fact only produced in magnums) at a walkabout tasting. No formal notes but for me the champagne of the night. Lovely tension, some butter notes, great balanced and simply a complete glass. Should have further potential to age although quite sublime today indeed. better then the 02 (from memory) and the 06 (sampled side by side).
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New Year's Champagne Madness (Casa Gill): From Magnum. Even better than the 02...mirroring those flavors, but adding more honeyed notes. Still stunning acidity on the palate. Maybe my second favorite btl of the night.
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Very silky balanced. Slight notes of Almond, with light yeast and Honey suckle. The wine did not disappoint. I have one more bottle and I think I am going to let sit for another 5 years. I think the wine has it in it.
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Wine & Dine Vol XI (Florhof (Zurich)): Fine and complex nose with brioche, some minerality and burnt sugar with a pretty laid back, more citric type of fruit. Velvety bubbles and a good balance on the palate made this fizz great fun to drink. In my limited experience no doubt one of my top experiences with champagne - only surpassed so far by the very same Cuvée Rare, but 2002 vintage which I had recently (-> see previous tasting story).
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Wine & Dine Vol. XI (Zürich): From Magnum. I had this cuvée, the 2002 vintage however, for the first time a week earlier and it was clearly the best Champagne that day among 20+ others tasted (no CT notes, but this would have been a 97+). This bottle confirmed that great impression. I’m in love with the intense and complex aromatics, especially the dominating crème brûlée/burnt sugar, toasty ones. For most friends at the dinner it was the first encounter with this wine and everybody loved it. The 2002 is still quite widely available and in my opinion a steal.
TN: On the nose and palate you get intense and precise aromas of burnt brown sugar, toasted oak, toasted nuts, brioche, fresh bakery, subtle fresh stone fruits, lemons. The structure is very soft and fresh with very fine mousse.
Decanting: No decant needed.
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from a magnum. something very different and unique - never had champagne like that. extremely delicate hints of smokiness and black stones, as if filtered through silk. totally weightless and ethereal.
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Deep golden color. Nose some funk, yeasty. Palate golden nutty caramel but bright acidity. Very nice, in a good spot now I think (magnum format however). 93 pts
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Bryan's Epic Birthday Bash (Gwen): At dinner. Brief note. From magnum. Pnp. Fine mousse and bubbles. This was in a different vein from the Chiquet before it. Quite rich and toasty with lemon and saline mineralité. Hazelnuts and almond paste with time. This wine is all about the midpalate texture for me. So velvety and creamy almost like putting light-as-air marshmallow fluff in your mouth there was so much texture. Finish was medium with good minerals and slightly oxidized nuttiness.
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Very outgoing and effervescent. A decent level of ripeness, with tropical fruit and honeyed brioche notes. Still fresh in this magnum format- this will mature for many more years.
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Piper Rare masterclass (Tom C's Festival of Wine, London): All production in mags. 70/30 Chard/PN. 9.5 g/l. Tasting sample. Initially tighter and fresher on the nose than the 02 alongside, the mag effect in full force. As it opens it shows richer and slightly more tropical elements through the attack and mid-palate, tightening to a more minerally finish. A crowd pleaser with undeniable pedigree. ****
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Disgorged approximately 1.5 years ago. Caramelized pineapple, pineapple tartin, faint cardamom. A silky fruit front palate yields to acid and structure on the backpalate. Notable lack of minerality in this fresh vintage. Not as rich as the 2002. 92+
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2014 K&L Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Champagne Tasting-SF. Nose of lemon pie, touch of minerals, yeast and citrus, touch subdued, more of the same on the palate, subtle but sophisticated, very tasty, nothing outstanding but a definite touch of class that suggests it has peaked and is as good as it gets for the next 10 years, medium body, long, long flavorful finish, poured from magnum which is the best way to display a champagne.
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K&L Champagne Tent Tasting (K&L, San Francisco): Balanced ripe roast, elegant; palate is excellent, balanced, flavorful but reserved and elegant. Very nice. Ready to drink now but also has many years ahead of it. 92-93
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1/25/2024 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Toasty, full body and weight. Delicious
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1/24/2024 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Iki Ramen vol.II (Iki Ramen, Los Angeles CA): This was from magnum and was firing from the get-go with deep tones of freshly baked bread, golden grahams, nougat, brioche, nectarines, red apples, nougat, spiced pears, vanilla bean, and yellow flowers. The Medium bodied feel is rich, deep, and balanced with crisp, high acidity. The feel is gorgeous and flowing with a lot of texture that leads into a lengthy finish. This is a real beauty and shows off the joy that is a Rare with age.
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1/21/2024 - Bubbly Babes wrote: 94 Points
Cuvee Holiday: Paired with seared halibut, baby roasted carrots with plum butter sauce, pumpkin seeds and orange zest.
Lots going on with dish but orange paired nicely and butter helped stand up to richness of wine
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12/30/2023 - WST wrote: flawed
Corked but drinkable
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12/28/2023 - BurgundySimon Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Felt very youthful with some oxidative notes, good acidity and integrated bubbles. Yellow apples, lemon, brioche, nuts, and a good finish.
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12/24/2023 - Peter Spijker Likes this wine: 93 Points
I liked this, but don't get the big hype. It showed quite young still, nutty, lemon, lots of toast, some hints of oxidative notes, quickly disappearing mousse. Lovely wine, but not complex, intense and long enough to warrant a higher score.
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12/21/2023 - ThijsV Likes this wine: 93 Points
BYOB dinner NOTK (Rotterdam, NL): From magnum, beautiful label. Still feels young. Medium intensity with some oxidative notes, brioche, firestone, toast, nutty, lemon. High acidity, long (wet stone) finish
Not overly complex but the lemon & wet stone driven finish made me long for a second glass
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12/19/2023 - ubercuvee wrote:
Don't understand the buzz around this. I thought this showed young but without a lot of complexity or interest compared to Taittinger Comtes, let alone Cristal. Yes it's "cheap" for a prestige cuvee magnum, but IMHO you can do better elsewhere for the $$s
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11/9/2023 - StainedGlass Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a magnum. This was delicious. Rich, toasted brioche, lemon creme, touch of ginger, zesty, excellent acidity. (D's & K's wedding shower)
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10/29/2023 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Sunday hangout at Domaine (Chicago, IL): From magnum. Perfectly mature and in an outstanding spot. Just the right balance of fresh acidity and mature fruit, with the proper richness and ample weight and concentration on the palate. Not a far stretch of the imagination to expect this to age gracefully for many years, but it's so delicious now there is definite value in opening them.
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6/22/2023 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Late release magnum. Fresh, toasted white bread. Creamy, oyster shell palate. Really good. My second favourite and the group’s favourite.
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6/18/2023 - Mbad77 wrote: 94 Points
Half Century Magnum Lunch (La Trompette) (London): I have a few of these and most are the last release. This batch are original release with the red band around the neck and hence have a good few years more in bottle.
Deep, rich, smoky, soft, open and delicious as always. A real hedonistic, crowd pleasing fantastic champagne. On next days reflection I feel the later releases might just have that extra freshness and excitement.
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6/17/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Magnum Mike's Half Century Blow Out (La Trompette): This was lovely - a hint of bruised apple, a bit of sweetness on the end. If the Taittinger was intense and highly strung, this was a bit scandalous and badly behaved. A party that started with this could well end up with a visit to the police station.
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6/16/2023 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Soft, luxurious entry. Rich. Hint of treacle coming. Bit sour on the finish with a hint of mushrooms.
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6/16/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 95 Points
Magnum Mike's Magnificent Half Century (La Trompette): Magnum. Smoky and vinous on the nose, with hints of exotic wood and gravy; it reminded me of a mature white Burgundy. Concentrated and substantial on the palate, and pretty generously dosed, with the flavour of beurre blanc and a bitter, saline finish. This wasn't as popular around the table as the Comtes, but I loved its depth of flavour and slightly sleazy charm.
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2/21/2023 - gagrapes wrote: 96 Points
Delicious
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1/2/2023 - mzimberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is in a really great spot now. Pale golden and much more ready (complex) than the '08 (which will also be great given enough time). Ginger, exotic spice, fleshy fruits, great minerality, very long and balanced.
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1/2/2023 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Vrai Champagne 2023 (Brad and Marcia's house): Drank a small pour at a tasting. This was stellar and consistent with my experience of the 2002 rare. Vibrant with fresh dough, pear and green apple
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1/1/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
New Years Day: Champagne Vrai, Sixth Annual Edition (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light plus gold color. Small glass. What a great bottle. Blew the socks off a bottle we had 6 months ago. Autolytic, fresh, brioche, sea breeze, almond, lemon, quince, very long. Stood up to the '08 tonight and with the age and large format, I preferred this just slightly at the moment.
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12/17/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. From magnum. Lots of fresh and poached pear with impressive richness, depth, and power that really lingered. Surprisingly great for this generally good vintage.
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11/6/2022 - S1 Likes this wine:
Charleston Offlineorama VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Various locations): From magnum. I have yet to try a bottle of this in which there was sufficient age to resolve the sweet. This was no different, but still a great treat.
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11/6/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): It's too young still at the moment but it's got a bit of that sweet style that I think can age really well. Interested to see it in another 20 years (which is how long we'll likely need to hold our bottles for).
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8/31/2022 - peternelson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Darker gold, very aromatic lots of tertiary notes, hazelnut, ginger snap, yeasty, peach pit; excellent effervescence, and still a nice mellow aspect to it; rich, full on the palate with med+ lift and long finish. Canlis m&d 65 anniversary
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8/27/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Good learning - this was a total baby killing. Out of a mag. Need to hold onto these for a lot longer. Esp on the heels of wines that do have more age this came across as more one-dimensional and basic but I think it's really that it just hasn't opened up yet enough.
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7/21/2022 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind. Tasted from Magnum.
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with medium, steady beading. Nose of toast, yellow pears, yellow apples and camphor. Flavors of lemon, green apples and yellow pears. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
Jose Rodriguez Memorial Dinner
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7/19/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always nice drinking older wines. From a magnum. Drank at Owami. Everyone enjoyed this Champagne. Toasted hazelnuts, green apple, and saline/oyster on the palate with chalk and citrus. Very tasty, with a nice finish. Easy 94, but I would recommend drinking up within the next few years, if you want effervescence and fruit!
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5/30/2022 - Oskiwawa wrote:
Magnum. Popped and poured. Nice vigorous bead. Nose shouts out Dough, yeast, dough …. Real enjoyable. Apple and pear on the palate with just a little bit of “fink” that adds complexity. Acidity is spot on keeping the wine really well balanced. Very very good.
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5/21/2022 - petitblanc wrote: 93 Points
A Celebration of Jose; 5/19/2022-5/21/2022 (Madison, WI): Lots of bread dough on the nose, no sign of oxidation, with passing exotic perfume. Citrus moves forward on the palate. Very vinous but without sustained heat. Really nice Champagne, RAD likes. Beautiful bottle in magnum.
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5/3/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux - Minnesota - Bordeaux and Sushi (Billy Sushi): PnP from Magnum - This Champagne is in a nice place right now. Drinking well, but at the age where the effervescence doesn't last too long (but long enough!)
Nose: Toast, pear and seashell with hints of chalk
Palate: Lots of toast, brioche, tart apple, poached pear and a hint of lime. Also showed a fair amount of saline/oyster shell and chalk. Finish was medium.
Flavors were good, but effervescence faded after about an hour in the glass. 94+ for my palate.
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5/3/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux and Sushi (Billy Sushi, Mpls, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank a glass plus from magnum. There's a nice toastiness on the nose, ripe golden fruits, dough, and chalk. The palate is full on and rich, rather round, baked golden apple, apple peel, oxidative, chalk, and toast. A little more to the oxidative side for my preference. Would have helped if this had a better chill on it too.
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5/2/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Chicago, IL): From magnum. A little reductive at first, but plenty of delicious autolytic notes. Quite a ripe fruit profile with generous dosage, but also a slightly chewy texture from all the extract here. A hint more Maillard present than I would have really liked, but this is still quite good.
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4/13/2022 - WIBA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Creamy and clean and balanced. Very enjoyable
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4/13/2022 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Bready, oxidative style.
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3/12/2022 - JohnnyBark wrote:
So at this current state in the Fizz Biz, this is the best valued bottle that’s still available. Fact, not opinion. You have a 24 year old, vintage champagne in magnum for under $400 retail. The wine still has great fall spice, cooked apple, fruit profile, a really nice acid backbone, the nose is oxidative but generous, and it’s a striker with Asian cuisine. This is such a No-brainer for a great bottle for the dollar when prices are “going ballistic man” like Maverick and Goose going after Jester.
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1/31/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
January Rhônes (Chicago, IL): From magnum. A big, chunky edition of Rare, with many of the same oxidative, autolytic characteristics as a recent 2002 (in fifth). But this is a much tighter package overall -- the acidity seems to tie all the broad, ripe fruit and doughy elements all together. Almost a little chewy from the concentration. Excellent and ready to drink now; all day, every day.
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12/31/2021 - Quiet Lion wrote: 95 Points
From magnum. Very approachable, creamy Champagne with light, tiny bubbles and no rough edges. Served at cellar temperature. Fantastic.
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12/25/2021 - atbarbar Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a magnum. Very golden hue. Initially very muted on the nose. After a while, very delicate pastry cream, with some lemon. The egg note gains relevance. The wine is youthful, very. Aside from the intense color, it would be very difficult to blind guess it is a 1998 vintage. The wine is characterized more by the great balance and ethereal levity than by structure. Acidity and sweetness are very balanced. It is very long in the mouth. Only after a while in a decanter, some little burnt sugar pops out. I wonder whether it would have opened itself further with additional areation. Overall a very nice delicate but very youthful wine.
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12/25/2021 - Andrea1975 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptional. A bit mute at first, it took a bit to open up. Decanted. White flowers, chamomile, pastry cream and brioche. It is all about balance and delicacy. Very refined mousse supported by fresh acidity (guests had a hard time giving it 20+ years). Plenty of fruit mid-palate weight and sweetness, but not cloying. Hints of minerality. Refined. And it goes on for minutes. Outstanding, I wish I had purchased more.
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12/11/2021 - Mbad77 wrote: 95 Points
No notes taken and had at a lunch from Magnum as all the 98s are. Lovely nose, fresh, lively palate with lots of acid and zip. Over time opens up with further richness on the nose. Excellent and in a 94-95 ballpark for me. No rush to drink. Believe this was a relatively recent release but couldn’t see any details on label.
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12/4/2021 - Grapetimescomin Likes this wine: 96 Points
Best champagne I’ve ever had the opportunity to try. Layers and layers of complex flavors: yeast, brioche, nuts, cheese, apple. It just keeps unfurling while the finish goes on for more than a minute.
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11/20/2021 - WST Likes this wine:
Hospice Auction Wine Night (Samish Hill, Bellingham, WA): This was an outstanding magnum. Served too cold, it blossomed with air and warmth. Less doughy and exuberant than the 2002, but possessing more charm and elegance. A kaleidoscope of scents and flavors; citrus, apricot, brioche, fruit blossoms and more. A little reduction. This will last for decades.
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7/25/2021 - Hercules Likes this wine:
A truly great champagne!
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12/22/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Year end Champagne lunch (Singapore): All wines tasted blind. From Magnum. This was very popular at our table. Seductive nose with brioche, yellow fruit, complex, Krug style. Creamy palate with good dosage but also fresh. Very complete and grand. 96+
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7/4/2020 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Well, it was stunningly PERFECT for a Modified COVID Wedding Celebration!! There was one comment that it has "aged a bit much" but perhaps my storage for the past decade was less than perfect. I found just a hint of floral with the exact sweetness with every drop to be treasured. Truly a moment that will always be remembered.
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5/26/2020 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
Informal dinner. No notes taken. From magnum. This was even better than the last time. Although it could be a tad more expressive, it it such a big treat to drink with a broad array of aromas from bakery, smoke, toast, butter to apple and citrus with some hints of minerality and just tiny first bits of oxidation shining through. Very good, soft and round acidity, very fine mousse. Strong presence and good length. An absolute winner, loved by everybody. Easily one of the better and more seductive Champagnes I’ve had. 96/97 points.
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4/29/2020 - Jammy Wine wrote: 89 Points
En magnum – This 1998 Rare magnum is still reductive and primary. Young and refreshing citrus and white tree fruits. Yeasty brioche toast, elegant chardonnay fruits with bright acidity. This should be able to age for another 2 decades easily. (89/100)
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3/12/2020 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine:
gold, clear, brown sugar, gingerbread, apricots, licorice, bruised fruit, citrus & tropical fruits, dust, stone, acidity attacks first but with weight, bubbles aggressive and clear
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1/18/2020 - Javachip Likes this wine: 96 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline al tartufo, 1/18/2020 (Solare Restaurant, Liberty Station, Point Loma, San Diego CA): Magnum. Clear straw yellow with fine bead. Outstanding notes of lemon, white grapefruit, croissant, dried chamomile, almond. Fresh, crisp, pure and precise. My #2, group's FIRST PLACE in this flight.
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1/18/2020 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 98 Points
Exquisite. This stood taller than many excellent wines ('95 Krug, '01 Solaia). From magnum, lot code on the neck was L15***. 2015 disgorgement?
Not as dark as I was expecting and still packing solid effervescene. Incredible amount of flavors but what stood out to me was smoky ginger. Yummy. Quite possibly the best champagne I've had. Drink or hold.
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1/10/2020 - RolfT Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a recently released bottle now only showing on the label "Rare" (no Piper-Heidsieck. Lot code L19xx something which could indicate release in 2019. Cork confirmed this - it was completely young and soft.
Much too early to drink this release now - at least without opening well in advance or decanting. But aside from that a very clean and precise, delicious champagne with lively bubbles, good acidity, well balanced dosage and no mature notes what so ever.
Will store my remaining bottles which have same release date stamped on bottle neck. 95+ potential.
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11/2/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 Points
From magnum (in fact only produced in magnums) at a walkabout tasting. No formal notes but for me the champagne of the night. Lovely tension, some butter notes, great balanced and simply a complete glass. Should have further potential to age although quite sublime today indeed. better then the 02 (from memory) and the 06 (sampled side by side).
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1/5/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
New Year's Champagne Madness (Casa Gill): From Magnum. Even better than the 02...mirroring those flavors, but adding more honeyed notes. Still stunning acidity on the palate. Maybe my second favorite btl of the night.
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12/8/2018 - dal1951 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very silky balanced. Slight notes of Almond, with light yeast and Honey suckle. The wine did not disappoint. I have one more bottle and I think I am going to let sit for another 5 years. I think the wine has it in it.
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10/27/2018 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine & Dine Vol XI (Florhof (Zurich)): Fine and complex nose with brioche, some minerality and burnt sugar with a pretty laid back, more citric type of fruit. Velvety bubbles and a good balance on the palate made this fizz great fun to drink. In my limited experience no doubt one of my top experiences with champagne - only surpassed so far by the very same Cuvée Rare, but 2002 vintage which I had recently (-> see previous tasting story).
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10/26/2018 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
Wine & Dine Vol. XI (Zürich): From Magnum. I had this cuvée, the 2002 vintage however, for the first time a week earlier and it was clearly the best Champagne that day among 20+ others tasted (no CT notes, but this would have been a 97+). This bottle confirmed that great impression. I’m in love with the intense and complex aromatics, especially the dominating crème brûlée/burnt sugar, toasty ones. For most friends at the dinner it was the first encounter with this wine and everybody loved it. The 2002 is still quite widely available and in my opinion a steal.
TN: On the nose and palate you get intense and precise aromas of burnt brown sugar, toasted oak, toasted nuts, brioche, fresh bakery, subtle fresh stone fruits, lemons. The structure is very soft and fresh with very fine mousse.
Decanting: No decant needed.
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9/12/2018 - chewiness Likes this wine:
from a magnum. something very different and unique - never had champagne like that. extremely delicate hints of smokiness and black stones, as if filtered through silk. totally weightless and ethereal.
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3/3/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Deep golden color. Nose some funk, yeasty. Palate golden nutty caramel but bright acidity. Very nice, in a good spot now I think (magnum format however). 93 pts
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3/3/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
Bryan's Epic Birthday Bash (Gwen): At dinner. Brief note. From magnum. Pnp. Fine mousse and bubbles. This was in a different vein from the Chiquet before it. Quite rich and toasty with lemon and saline mineralité. Hazelnuts and almond paste with time. This wine is all about the midpalate texture for me. So velvety and creamy almost like putting light-as-air marshmallow fluff in your mouth there was so much texture. Finish was medium with good minerals and slightly oxidized nuttiness.
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1/1/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Very outgoing and effervescent. A decent level of ripeness, with tropical fruit and honeyed brioche notes. Still fresh in this magnum format- this will mature for many more years.
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10/14/2017 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Piper Rare masterclass (Tom C's Festival of Wine, London): All production in mags. 70/30 Chard/PN. 9.5 g/l. Tasting sample. Initially tighter and fresher on the nose than the 02 alongside, the mag effect in full force. As it opens it shows richer and slightly more tropical elements through the attack and mid-palate, tightening to a more minerally finish. A crowd pleaser with undeniable pedigree. ****
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11/7/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Disgorged approximately 1.5 years ago. Caramelized pineapple, pineapple tartin, faint cardamom. A silky fruit front palate yields to acid and structure on the backpalate. Notable lack of minerality in this fresh vintage. Not as rich as the 2002. 92+
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10/19/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
2014 K&L Champagne Tasting (K&L San Francisco Store): K&L Champagne Tasting-SF. Nose of lemon pie, touch of minerals, yeast and citrus, touch subdued, more of the same on the palate, subtle but sophisticated, very tasty, nothing outstanding but a definite touch of class that suggests it has peaked and is as good as it gets for the next 10 years, medium body, long, long flavorful finish, poured from magnum which is the best way to display a champagne.
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10/19/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
K&L Champagne Tent Tasting (K&L, San Francisco): Balanced ripe roast, elegant; palate is excellent, balanced, flavorful but reserved and elegant. Very nice. Ready to drink now but also has many years ahead of it. 92-93
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