Rich and voluptuous with a fine but full bead. Buttered brioche and movie theatre popcorn on the palate but with a fine laser beam of acidity. Drinking great. One of my all time favorite champagnes. I wouldn't wait to drink more. In fact I can't wait to drink more!
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Wow! A beautiful age, with persistent but gentle bubbles. This is super concentrated, still fresh with some lemon, but lots of complexity, honey, almonds, almonds, toasty brioche. Very long and very delicious. Perfect now!!
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I’m surprised to see the recent auction price of this wine so high, as these were probably around $100 on release, now 4x? Even so, this was on fire tonight and a smashing example of Comtes as it reaches its apex. Toasted almond, lemon curd, with mushroom developing in the background, this was very impressive and ready to drink. It made me want to check in on 06… this was served alongside a 2002 Bollinger LGA and Tattinger was the better wine
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This is great... it seems fully mature but maybe still with some surprises still to be revealed? Nose of rich lemon tart and antique shop. On the palate slightly heavier than when last tried in 2020, but the wine still combining richness and lightness in a subtle and satisfying way. Its pleasing viscosity perfectly balanced by the firm, acidic backbone. Like a pair of voluptuous breasts held in place by a strict French corset... Get some...
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Nose of candied orange, almonds and roasted lemon. A very fine mousse. Very elegant and almost low key, but deep and complex. Very long with some chalk on the finish. Great stuff. Still some upside.
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From magnum. This was in a great point of early maturity, balancing the bright primary racy fruit (which seemed a little unlikely at 21 years old) with a light patina of age, drawing out notes of light honey, spiciness and adding a general richness and the fruit taking on a slightly dried note. Powerful and intensely flavored, but very well balanced by the high acidity. Long and very complex through the finish. Balance is really the key with this and it really has everything you could want in a Champagne. The mousse was still quite youthful and (at least in the larger format) this seems like it has the structure ti hang in there for another 20+ years.
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Dinner with the wine group - La Tache Dinner (Cindy's Place): Light golden, excellent color; aromatic, brioche, fantastic aromas, lemon oil; palate is medium bodied, standard dosage but well integrated, lemon-lime, brioche; long finish. Lovely Taittinger. 94 Day 2: Still a lovely, classic, tete-du-cuvee champagne. Enjoyable, balanced, not necessarily unique in style but impeccably done.
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This was one of the best 75cl bottles of this vintage, perfectly in the zone of intense tertiary aromas, the integration and harmony that comes with age, with a fresh fruit core and lots of tension and zest. Great presentation.
TN: Intense and layered on the nose and palate with a medium to long finish. Precise aromas of toffee, nutty notes, brioche and butter, as well as fresh and baked apple, with a hint of minerality in the background. Fine mousse and good round acidity that keeps the tension high. Very harmonious and balanced.
Decanting: No decanting necessary.
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Taittingers Comtes blanc night (Noize, London): An absolute banger of a Comtes. Ripe yellow fruits on the palate but held together with great balancing acidity and length. I seriously underestimated this in its youth. Really, really good. WOTN vs 99/00/02/04/06/07/08/11/12
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Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Galit - Chicago IL): So much green and yellow apple with plenty of lemon, this is so bright and vibrant and long. This wine just keeps getting better, or perhaps I just didn't fully appreciate its potential in its youth. Upside from here.
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No notes taken. From magnum. This bottle was outstanding, hyper precision, superb complexity with citrus, orchard fruit, minerality and the signature toasty, caramel, brioche notes which are at the core of the broad aroma spectrum. vVery good freshness and tension and a perfect balance. There are more complex Champagnes out there but in terms of hedonistic pleasure, this is at the top and out of the magnum, the 2002 has that extra freshness.
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Tasted blind, from Magnum. Rocky mineral notes, smoky layer, toast and brioche, sweet notes of vanilla and lemon grass. An emanating cloud of fruit flavors such as citrus and orange zest. The palate is smooth, fresh but light and felt weightless. This had incredible linearity to it with precise aromas and was drinking fantastically – but the complexity and intensity were not quite up there with the best in class.
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In a great place right now. Golden hue in color - notes of perfectly ripened apples, a little toastiness and some secondary notes. Fresh and focused and a long finish. Elegance personified in a glass of champagne. Wonderful pairing with fluke crudo, pan roasted sablefish, seared scallops and cod.
Held this bottle for 10 years and we savored every sip of it.
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I finally opened one. Initially, the wine was too cold so I let it warm up a bit and I was rewarded. Loads of peach, pear and citrus flavors. Truly a delight.
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Open early and let rest for about 2 hours. Really started to shine with air. Amazing mousse with bright brioche nose and full and lingering finish. Showing on point tonight and right up there with the best of them.
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Duel of 2002 Dom Perignon vs Comtes de Champagne. Six months ago the Comtes (97pts) edged out the DP (95pts) thanks to higher complexity and sharper acidity. Reversed roles this time: The DP (96pts) won against the Comtes (95pts), thanks to a better definition, sharper acidity, better overall freshness and balance. Impressive linearity. The Comtes showed more seductive with intriguing tertiary development but lost its tension in the glass (92/93 in its weakest moments). Nevertheless, great vintage for both wines.
TN: Intense aromas, expressive on the nose, through the palate into the finish displaying nice brioche, butter, bakery aromas, citrus, some baked apple and hints of pear aromas. Not as complex as the best bottles I‘ve had from this and other than right after serving, not as well contoured as the best bottles (rated up to 98pts) and the DP 2002 in the next glass. Fine mousse, round and fine, a crowd pleaser for sure. 94/95pts in the best moments. Only 92/93pts after some time in the glass.
Decanting: No decant needed. Best right at the start.
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Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. Great nose is charmingly mature, palate has more zip. Very good depth. A wine I have always truly enjoyed, but others have seemed to enjoy much more.
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Nose: peach, nuts, honey, brioche, white chocolate Notes: One of the classy champagne that is still relatively affordable. This is in every sense a delicious champagne, very soft and easy palate. A very intense and complex Champagne, I fact this is one of the most excellent 2002s I've had for quite a while. It is unfortunate for the Krug 2002 tasted side by side as this Taittinger was a definite win and probably have won by miles! This wine is quite ready and has aged beautifully. Drink: now+ Rating: 93
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BBM in Atlanta: A vintage of CdC that I adore, but tonight's bottle didn't move me. I think champagne must have been the last thing on my mind, as we had seventeen BBMs on tap.
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This was my favorite bottle of Comtes I've opened recently, besting at the moment the outstanding '96, '04, '06 and '08. It has everything I want in a champagne; intoxicating aromas and flavors, elegance, balance, texture and long finish. Creamy lemon and orange, ginger, mineral. The cut and bead perfectly balance the lushness. This and Ruinart must be two of the BdB's of the vintage.
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Light gold plus color. Split bottle over 2 hours. We opened this bottle to toast a recent milestone that was a long time coming. "02 CdC has been a benchmark Champagne for me, so this was particularly satisfying to mark the moment. The essence is that of purity and harmonious expression of all that Champagne is and can be. The nose is gorgeous, showing such a burst of sea air, followed by ocean spray, roasted almond, gorgeous toast, brioche, green orchard fruits, fresh torn croissants and blissful mineral notes. The palate is lifted and has that featherweight quality, dancing across the senses; savory, nutty, pear and green apple, with wisps of melon and citrus, brioche, toasted nuts, ultra fine on the mousse with an exquisite blend of stone and delicate chalk, ocean, and immense length. What a beauty that one can't put down. 97+ to 98pts.
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Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Part 2) (Chicago, IL): Drinking fantastically well; this wears a moderate bit of age now. Still a touch of white grape, likely from the ripeness of the vintage, but otherwise this has started to develop a little bit of brioche and mushroom. The acidity isn't pronounced, but this shows excellent balance among the different components. In a great spot now, but plenty of future potential still. For my taste, I may just start cracking a few of my own bottles.
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Showing gorgeous on the nose with opulence and power. Caramel, popcorn and honey with just that bit of salinity on the bouquet. Palate slightly underwhelming but really delicious with good depth and complexity. A little oxidative with yellow apples, yellow plums, brioche and jasmine flowers following the bouquet. Finish was excellent and definitely a rocker of a bottle.
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Yvelin's birthday at Kolabo: Wonderful toasty and creamy nose and some sweet honey and caramel notes. Typical green apples that I get from Comtes, this was much more hedonistic than the 2004 which I think still remains my favourite Comtes in terms of balance. Still very pleasurable and my favourite of the three champagnes.
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Exceptional nose right out of the bottle of honeyed popcorn, caramel and brioche. Slightly underwhelming on the palate after the nose. It’s has complexity but not the depth that the nose promised. Overall an excellent champagne, worth the price tag.
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Mostly Giacosa dinner (RPM Italian, Washington D.C.): Perfectly ripe nose displaying decadent sweet yellow fruit with a hint of white, lemon curd, apple, honeysuckle, brioche, sweet spices and limestone. Excellent concentration, generous sweet yellow fruit, very fine generous mousse, rich and sweet but also elegant and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long decadent yellow fruit driven finish with brioche and honey at the end. With air, there is a clear mature white Burgundy nose. Perhaps slightly mature than the bottle from November, 2020. It is drinking incredibly, beautifully expressing the 02 ripeness.
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PnP. Absolutely stunning with just a few minutes of air. Fully integrated flavor profile and acid, tightly wound mousse that continues to open in the glass, finish of citrus zest with a touch of puckering acid that lingers and calls you back for another sip. This is absolutely in the zone right now.
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Tasted side by side with the Dom Perignon 2002. Both wines are now in a beautiful drinking window, open and ready, charming and harmonious. The Comtes (97 pts) edged the DP (95 pts) out thanks the a higher complexity and a touch sharper acidity. Anyway, both wines are great today and should get better over the next few years.
TN: Very expressive nose and palate with lots of bakery/brioche notes, butter, some toffee/caramel notes along minerality, fresh golden apple, citrus fruit and even some slight hints of flowers. Quite complex and very well defined. Very good, round acidity which cuts through the richness and keeps the wine light. Very harmonious and balanced with a nice creaminess and a fine mousse. Good length. Quite complete from A to Z. 97+ pts.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary. Needed just a few minutes to start singing.
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Chris’s 1st Growth Series — Haut Brion (La Trompette, London): Nicely rich on the nose. Toasty and full. Mid weight. A touch of creaminess and some honey. Lovely but lacks some energy through the mid palate and finish cf a previous bottle five years ago or indeed the 04 last week. ****
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Lots of vibrancy and intensity with zingy acids and delicious lemony flavors. The finish is complex with notes of chalky minerals and golden spices. There is a slight pasty quality which suggests to me this isn't fully integrated yet and should be left in the cellar for 5+ years but everything seems in place for a fine evolution. 93+
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Outrageously good. On CT, shows as being on the early side of the drinking window. I disagree, as for me it seems in its prime. Resolved on the palate (e.g. acidity folded in) but lively in a way it might not be 10 years down the road. If I had another bottle, I’d probably wait 5 years for the comparison. But…that’s what I said about this bottle, and it’s my last.
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Light gold color. Split bottle over 3 hours. Brought this to Meritage to celebrate my wife's last day of work. Congrats my love, well done. There is no better wine to celebrate with than the '02 Comte Champagne, it has been nothing short of brilliant. Tonight's bottle was equally stunning and worthy of our celebration. Simply blissful, the gloriously aromatic nose explodes from the glass in a wave of ultra fine bubbles bursting forth with intense and pristine sea breezes, warm tart Tatin, fresh cut green apple, apricot and almond nuthorns, toasted and so lifted. The palate is riveting, crisp and vivacious, wonderfully toasted, almond cream, fresh apple, brioche, pear, nougat, penetrating yet featherweight as it caresses the tongue with crystalline stony minerality, and finishing with wisps of Mandarins and passion fruit on a very long finish. This is a wonderful, complete, and jaw dropping wine. 98pts.
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So good. Just so good. Lemon confit, pastry, quince, a hint of honey, and an exquisitely fine bead. Balanced, measured, almost delicate, yet with stuffing and persistence. We went through this much too quickly.
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Annual Xmas Lunch (incl. Yquem 01): I’ve had this three times this year and this bottle - although the youngest and hence “weakest” (others were rated 98 and 96 pts) - showed again, that the 2002 Comtes is slowly getting into the zone. The first tertiary aromas are emerging slowly and the wine gets rounder without losing its freshness and sharpness. My guess is, that it will take another 3-5 years until it hits is first maturity plateau. No shame in popping one today, though.
TN: Medium+ expressive nose with toffe, caramel, burnt sugar, citrus, apple and minerality. On the palate this is wonderfully fresh and light with the right amount of creaminess, a bit more intense and expressive than on the nose with lots of apple, citrus, lime, a beautiful minerality layer. Gets more expressive by the minute, gaining intensity. Could be a bit more layered which more cellar time will take care of.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary but a short 30 minutes in a Champagne decanter should help.
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Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): In 00/02/04/06 vertical. The richest of the flight, possibly still tight and not fully forthcoming, but less pleasure right now vs 2000. That is the only bad thing I could say, this is big and powerful. Easy to enjoy, a Champagne to cellar without worry.
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Wow. Beautiful mature nose of brioche, honey, lemon curd and flowers. Rich on the palate but also fresh with bracing acidity and great balance. Flavours match the nose alongside a subtle note of coconut. Energy and drive on the honeyed yet fresh and lifted finish. This is sensational.
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Tasted blind. Toasted brioche, layers of caramel, almonds, ground hazelnuts. Fresh pear fruit and smoky layers. Crisp and fresh acidty. A really nice Comtes that combines both primary aromatics with beautiful aging notes. However, the last few sips started to lack some structure 1h after openening which kept me from going higher in the scoring. Quality wise this felt pretty much on par with 2006 and 2008, but with more toasty notes and a thinner mineral layer.
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Still too young, There’s a breezy wheat-y quality that’s quite attractive. Rather slight on the mid palate just now but the energy bodes well if it can fill out more. No one in the group went back for seconds except me but I took thirds and fourths.
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Bottle vs mag - lighter than the 04s in the prior flight. More reduced. Broad, rich and complete on the palate with lots of oyster shell. Bottle outshone the mag this time.
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Disgorged June 2012. White citrus fruit and brioche, with a slightly sweet finish. Richer than the 2006, but still lacey, with a creamy texture. A very fine mousse, with fine bubbles that essentially dissipated quickly. All the elements -- flavors, body, acid -- were in lovely harmony. The paucity of bubbles was a bit unexpected and may have been a sign of advanced age or possibly just that the cork seal wasn't tight. Delicious and loads of relaxed fun.
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This was another glorious bottle of this wonderful CdC vintage. While not as mature as the last bottle two months ago (98 pts), this bottle had many of the traits of that masterpiece but with a slightly lower level of complexity, precision and creaminess. Still, a fantastic Champagne which imparts so much hedonistic pleasure and will only get better from here.
TN: The wine exudes alluring aromas of citrus, freshly baked bread, nougat and burnt sugar out of the glass. It’s a nicely precise and intense, very harmonious and inviting nose. Layered on the palate with citrus, apple, brioche, nougat, toast, burnt sugar, some nuts and minerality. Very good precision and intensity. Superb structure and texture. So fresh and round, vibrant and full of tension, very fine mouss, no hard edges, without weight, yet with poise and a creamy structure as well as a long and expanding finish.
Decanting: Not decanted and followed over 2 hours. It needed 5-10 minutes in the glass to open up and gain weight and improved further with some air. A short decant would have been good.
Glass: Lehmann Grand Champagne
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These are drinking excellently right now and there is definitely more upside to come. Creamy, rich, textured, dense, and has good acid and citrus to tie it together nicely. Wonderful brioche and toast. Fresh and clean, good tension, but overall still open, warm, and inviting. 93 - 94.
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So different than any of the other Y2K decade versions. Full blown, but no hint of being over-ripe or over-the-hill. Brilliant orchard and citrus fruit and dense floral and mineral qualities, plus that Comtes glycerin mouthfeel. This screamed for food (and we fed it well)! A big success for the vintage.
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Lovely sourdough note on the nose with citrus zest. Palate has warm lemon curd and buttered toast with a solid backbone of acidity. Lacks some excitement at this point.
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Superb. Creamy, dense, weighty, rich flavours, but still youthful and highly energetic overall. Will clearly go a long distance. Lemon lime details but moreover full and complete.
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11 of 24. Haven’t had this in several years. Pretty youthful color. Fine mousse, aromas of white fruit, brioche and crushed stone. Wonderful mouth feel, balanced with lively acidity, ripe fruit and excellent finish. Well done
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This was the first bottle of this vintage I’ve had which has entered a mature stage with lots of creamy caramel and nutty notes. Clearly the best bottle yet and just so irresistible, this bottle is a strong reminder not to touch any 2008s for at least 10 years. This wine was quite perfect with lots of complexity, a wonderful precision and a fresh yet wonderfully soft and creamy structure.
TN: Intense, sexy nose full of caramel, brioche, nutty notes, citrus. Very precise and harmonious. Sensational palate with layers of brioche, bakery, toast, caramel, nutty aromas, underlying a nice citrus and apple component that helps to lift the creamy structure together with a perfectly integrated acidity. Far from being on a downhill path this wine is fresh and light, full of tension and creaminess and with a long and beautiful finish.
Decanting: No decanting needed.
Glass: Lehmann Grand Champagne
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Must have been drinking too much artisanal champagne as of late... I just couldn't get past the dosage on the 2002 Comte. Drank one glass and got bored.
Celebratory End of Year Wines; 12/24/2020-12/31/2020 (Home-Where Else??): Medium yellow, short lived bead. A beam of lemon and hay on the nose. Moderate dosage, creamy medium weight. Focused lemon, soil, and a fascinating salted brown butter flavor with a hint of caramel. This is fantastic Champagne with only the earliest hints of maturity. A bit less residual sugar would take it to the realm of perfection.
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Year end Champagne lunch (Singapore): All wines tasted blind. Very popular right off the bat with excellent citrus flavors, acacia. Lively, crisp but not too sour. In a very good spot.
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Chatterbox Falls charter, no notes, more powerful and tighter knit than the ‘00 with toasty brioche taking a back seat to the yellow citrus profile right now. Weighty and powerful. Excellent, try and hold off a while longer. 93 - 94.
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Saturday lunch gathering (Bethesda, Maryland): Almost identical showing to the last bottle. The color is lighter than the 00. Expressive youthful nose displaying generous pure white and yellow fruit, granny smith, pear, lemon curd, honeysuckle, once again showing noticeable spearmint, cool mountain stream and limestone. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of generous sweet yellow and white fruit, very fine generous mousse, rich and generous but also focused and precise, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long generous pure yellow and white fruit driven finish with mint and honeysuckle at the end. As much as I enjoy the 00, this is purer and fresher. This remains incredibly fresh, absolute joy!
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Pale golden with tiny bubbles. Fresh aromas of apple, honey, green grapes, and yeasty bread. A lifted style with brightness and concentration. Has plenty of time left for those looking for more depth and richness. It’s vibrant now and tasting great.
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Brings lots of pleasure. 18 years old and still quite young. Some brioche but also lots of citrus. Will wait two to three years for the next bottle. Easy to drink with a lot of satisfaction. Bravo
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Drank at Charlie's last nite. Such a lovely, balanced champagne. Nicely concentrated, lovely aromas of white fruit, brioche and crushed stone. The palate echoes the aromas. Well-structured with a solid acidic core, ripe fruit and excellent, long long finish. Still a tad young perhaps, but great as always!
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This is just roaring to go in comparison to a bottle of 02 Krug we had earlier in the night. Aromas of baked and toasted with a great balance of acidity and age. just explodes on the palate. 94/95
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This is so charmingly easy to drink. It has a wonderful balance, good concentration and intriguing aromatics. It doesn‘t have the complexity of the best Champagnes out there but easily deserves 94/95 points and is always a crowd favorite.
TN: Fresh brioche, bakery, toasty aromas, yellow fruit, hints of crushed rocks on the nose and palate. Good intensity, precision, good concentration and a good structure with very good but well integrated acidity and fine bubbles. Not the most luxurious and soft structure yet as this bottle showed still quite young but already soft enough.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decant needed.
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Purchased upon release. First of 6 bottles. Initially tasted tart and seemed very young. Fifteen minutes, things settled down. Really good. Impeccably balanced and delicious. No hurry here. The score will go up with another 3-5 years.
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A small gathering with COVID safety measures (Reston, Va): Unbelievably fresh example displaying generous yellow and white fruit, granny smith, apple tart, pear, lemon curd, mint, white chocolate, white flowers, cool mountain stream and limestone. Excellent concentration, very finely layered fresh white and yellow fruit, perfect harmony, precision and balance, generous fine mousse, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long generous fresh white and yellow fruit driven finish with white chocolate and a hint of mint at the end. This incredibly fresh example if flirting with perfection.
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This drank quite young. If tasted blind, I might have guess it was a 2008. Steely notes of lemon, yellow and green apple, crushed shells, and ginger. On the second day, it showed more age, with refined flourishes of depth and maturity. Perfectly balanced and a real treat.
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The count strikes again! A very intense, expressive yet pure nose of buttery richness, brioche/bread type notes with lemon custard mixed with a woodsy, underbrush inflection. The midpalate is fat, and while generous at this point, the material is still being held back in reserve a bit; a sign of a young wine, yet! The combination of both power and finesse is really striking. would love to follow this over the next 5-10 years, as there is no sign of cracking up anytime soon.
I would say not as fat or soft as the incredible '06 right now but more fresh, elegant and shows more potentnial going forward. 94+.
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Elégant, crémeux (brioché), fin, étiré, j'ai retrouvé ce que j'aime dans cette cuvée sur ce 2002 net et impeccable, sans trace de fatigue, et même avec encore du potentiel ... Le style est toutefois assez classique, on est pas sur ces champagnes modernes et artisanaux, peu sulfités et très typés terroirs, vivants et dynamiques. La caresse des Comtes, bien que subtile et séduisante, se montre à mes yeux plutot traditionnelle, "old school", fidèle à un style qu'il faut imprativement sauvegarder (une marque?). Bref ça manque sans doute un peu de vie, mais dans le genre, on aime sa délicatesse.
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Medium yellow color with fine bead; at first nosing this is very floral and mineral-driven, a profuse lemon creme slowly emerges and dominates. A touch woodsy, chalky with great vinosity. Complex, rich yet still quite fresh. Exceptional finish keeps drawing you back in for more. Exceptional champagne, classic and in a great place now. No rush to drink up though.
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Rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated. This bottle drank beautifully tonight. Robust, rich and ripe, yet elegant just the same. Lemon and apricot flavors, brioche and some early oxidative notes. I loved it.
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SO'd for 30 min, as it warmed up, beautiful creamy lemon & toast; likely the finest bottle of champagne I have ever had! My wife wanted to pass on 2 great reds to just keep sipping this
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High-energy mousse. Bright&lively citrus notes with green apple. Secondary flavors present but subdued. Lovely foil to Ad Hoc fried chicken and herbed potato salad dressed with vinegar and olive oil.
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It's Friday, I'm in love, even though this was Saturday. This cuvee never fails to impress, it is charming, sexy, feminine, dignified with a glimpse in it's eye and promises of days of wine and roses; lot's of boudoir going on here, but in a less obvious way than Dom P. #Søndagsseancer
Rauno and Adithi's Valentine's Day Dinner (Wellington, NZ): A pair of superb Champagnes served non-blind, the 2002 in magnum. An almost equally beautiful and multi-layered bouquet - as the 2004 - just, perhaps, a tad richer and more opulent. Much different on palate. Much more open and approachable. Characteristic 2002 richness and ripe fruit. Real depth, concentration, structure, power and length. Yet - compared with the 2004 - quite open-textured and harmonious. On its optimal drinking plateau now, I'd think, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it stayed on it for 10+ more years. Brilliant!
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UWS Leap year dinner (@ CdW and KvdK): Beautiful and great bubble. Complex, minerals and beautiful acidity. No more notes, but this is truly a beautiful and great wine.
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2002 Tete de Cuvee Champagne Tasting Volume II (Jan's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over 2 hours plus. Drank as part of a lineup of '02 Tete de Cuvee Champagnes. This happened to be the first '02 of the night as I wanted to flight our two BdB's together to start out. What a stunner this turned out to be. My definitive WOTN and group WOTN as well. This was absolutely explosive on the nose, a total wow nose from the start. Bursting with sea air, fantastically toasted, brioche and toffe with a tremendous floral overtone of acacia; with dough, honey, almonds and white orchard fruits. With a nose like that, the palate has an awful lot to live up to and that it did, with literally no fall off. Also stunning on the palate, this has immense power and penetration, great acidity that maintains a striking freshness and there's that signature elegance despite the intensity. Amazing, so autolytic, deep, pear, chalk, lemon and tart apple that simply resonates on the 45 second plus finish. WOTN.
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Full yellow, still lively. Some early caramel maturity. Medium weight. Fantastic back end acidity, lemon, and minerality. Superb and approaching full maturity.
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I was a little skittish after the last bottle, which had turned. Not so the case with these two beautiful bottles. Thesewere a great foil to the two gorgeous 1995 Oeno I drank over the same holiday period. Where the Dom was lemon, these Comtes were nearer the apple and apple peel spectrum, and possibly richer. Here I tasted rich, sweet, not cloying in any way, apple flesh and baked pie dough. The swallow was so gentle and lovely, easygoing. But it was still rich and full. I think the wine was pretty opened up. There was also that pretty, barely dark mineral that I have gotten with Comtes.
All in all it this was a joy to drink and is in a nice place to drink now and into the future.
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Made the rookie mistake I always do with older vintages of champagne: did not let it warm up or breathe enough before drinking. First glass was a bit boring and acrid as a result.
After about an hour, 30 mins of that out of the fridge, it sparked to life in all its complex glory: yeast/toast on the nose, lemon zest, brioche and slight honey on the palate. Great length and acidity suggests perhaps another 10 years. Just need to remember to let this one sit for a bit after opening.
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Lemon, apple, yeasty bready aromas. Increasing richness and depth as it ages, great intensity and balance. Richer and fuller than last bottle but still incredibly precise and balanced. Medium-long finish. Still on the upswing, expect further improvement as complexity develops over the next decade. A huge hit with the entire group. Outstanding.
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Taittinger's 2002 Comtes de Champagne is a profound wine that is just hitting its stride. Light golden in color and sporting a brisk tiny bead, it is full-bodied, intensely aromatic and delivers a wonderfully complex flavor profile. Lemon curd, almond, stone fruit, brioche, rosemary and crushed rock aromas are followed by similar flavors that are supported by a vibrantly acidic yet creamy-textured mouthfeel. Layered in the middle and concluding with impressive length, this is a tour de force for Taittinger that rivals the '96. Tasted from a well-cellared 750 cc bottle, it is still very youthful. Those holding comparably-cellared bottles (or magnums) will be able to enjoy this over the next two decades. Drink now-2040.
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Gaja White Truffle Dinner (Osteria Langhe - Chicago IL): Very rich with a bready, leesy character that seems to be getting more pronounced as its gets older. Rich with very good weight, lemon, lemon peel and apple aromas and flavors. Probably would have been better if served colder.
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Nice Asian sweet sour city’s aromas. Bright with fine bubbles good citrus flavors with a bitter lime finish. Nice depth. Seems a touch older than expected.
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French Wine Dinner with NY Wine Friends (The Vine - New York NY): Complex combination of ripe orchard fruit with maturing and earthy notes with lots of concentration and nuance. I tend to like Comtes on the fresher, younger side and this is reaching the end of that drinking window (for me).
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This was really good and out performed the Krug 163eme. Sadly no in depth tasting note as drank at BV deepvali open house, but I recall this being very fresh and lively. Good citrus notes and acidity. In a great spot now but clearly will last and age gracefully.
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Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2002. Herlig rik nese på den unge siden. Brødbakst, autolyse, krydder og epler. Nydelig intensitet og flott dybde. Fantastisk munnfølelse - mulig den beste i smakingen. Frukten brer seg ut og danser i munnhulen. Vibrerende friskhet. Elegant, kraftfull og leken. Stor kompleksitet. Svært ung, men ingen skam å drikke nå. Vil utvikle seg pent over mange år. Helt superb presis finish, hvor mineraliteten nesten føles som tanniner. 95p
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Gourmetklubbens fyrtiotredje middag (A+N, Sundbyberg): (Disgorged in December of 2011, dosage 9 gr/l) Sweetness on the nose showing butterscotch, acacia honey and some flowers. Opens up with flint and hazelnuts in a delicious way. Palate is smooth with a lovely butterscotch note on the mid before a lovely lime citrus acidic sweetness on the nice and lengthy finish. Typical Comtes sweetness on the finish enhanced by the vintage character (Best 2017-2037)
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2002 Vintage Champagne horizontal (Elystan Street, London): Last wine of a spectacular evening. And even though the palate was tiring and the memory is foggy I think I thought something along those lines: Acacia honey, roast nuts, brioche - sublime balance and very good ageing potential. The best BdB of the night.
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24k gold color. Mixture of fat and tiny bubbles with a reticent nose. Lemon pound cake with slightly bitter almonds and deliciously sweet lemon mineral water. Wonderful champagne, a top five for me.
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More forthright and linear than the sinuous, floaty 2004. Substantial weight and sherberty mousse. Creamy, fat, well defined. Pleasure giving in the most direct way imaginable.
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Had the Krug, Dom Perignon and Comte Champagne, all in 2002. They were drunk over 6-8 hours. The difference (and cepage) was evident. The Krug had the most layered nose but was quite restrained and not so wild and toasty as the ie 1996 or 2000 is. The DP was very charming and had an open nose, easy to drink. The Comte stole the show! The most sexy nose, like a Meursault from Coche. The most creamy palate. Wow! None changed much during 6 hours.
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Dinner with Friends (Osteria Langhe): Preferred this slightly to a '04 Dom Ruinart served side by side. Gorgeous full nose. Palate has plenty of ripe, round orchard fruit and toast. Dense and energetic. So long. Terrific.
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Deep nose which is slightly tropical, a hint of hazel nuts, complex; creamy, balanced, quite high dosage, intense, a hint of bitterness in the finish, big bodied.
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Friendsgiving Burgundy Dinner (Scottsdale, AZ): From magnum, vibrant and taut, mineral backbone with a touch of yeast. Undoubtedly great Champagne but young, at least in magnum. Absolutely recommended.
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Classic, vibrant nose of brioche and crisp citrus. Palate repeats citrus/pinapple, quince, almonds - great energy and focus. Great nuance and secondary notes, a complex champagne.
I am not a champagne guy - I like it but just dont have as much experience with it. To my admittedly less trained palate, this was really good. Would have guessed the wine was much younger, seems to have a long arc ahead of it.
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Lemony citrus, apple, bready aromas. Richer and fuller than last bottle but still incredibly precise and balanced. A huge hit with the entire group. Outstanding.
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Always consistent this was very good. Yeasty, lemon, leesy, fresh and energetic. The CDC always performs and this was no exception. Great tension and verve in this wine. Long way to go.
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Cashews, dried apricot, Meyer zest and yeast on the nose.
Palate a bit tight on the PNP of yeasty dough, small green apples, flinty minerals— opening to reveal some apricot, dried yellow apple and- (asserted by others)- dried pineapple notes. (The sweeter pit fruits and nuttiness emerge with time- and peer pressure - certainly.)
Rich and satisfying, but not cloying. A worthy drink, though I find Heidesecks tastier per dollar, per se.
It may be a personal palate prediliction, or some unconscious anti-Tait bias, but this is a vint which my companion/s routinely rate more highly than do I.
Upside here I believe. 93-94 points.
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Very solid wine, drinks very nicely now and definitely has the stuffing to go for long. Reminded us a lot of the 2000 we tried last week ( Papies 93) with that lovely honey touch, ripe fruit and yeasty element. A bit more vibrant of course than the 2000 but i we can be critical given this is a 2002 we expected a lot more difference. Still will not disappoint. 94
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A bit of sulfur on opening but once that blew off the wine showed a nice mix of lemony citrus, apple and fresh bread. A little tight at first. Opened up within 30 minutes to be a big wine but still young, Excellent
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Great showing packed with green apples and freshly baked bread. Impressive intensity and amazing to drink. The acidity cleans the palate very nicely with a solid aftertaste. Still has a slight touch of bitterness. Very impressive.
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The '02 has the unabashed power of the vintage, which comes across as a darker fruit character that I normally see in CdC combined with ample autolytic notes. It's full-bodied, weighty, and with an aggressive dosage that needs time. Possibly the largest-scaled CdC I've ever had, but a great wine. I wonder if this might evolve a bit like the '90, and possibly be at its best in 5-10 years.
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Semiblind Tasting of 17 Champagnes from the great vintage 2002
Not difficult to detect if you know CdC is in da house. Roasted nuts, Vanilla, butterscoth. feels riper and more evolved than the Krug, great acidity and nearly perfect balance. Very drinkable at the moment. Last bottle in November 2017 a little bit fresher. A phantastic champagne. In my Top 3. 97
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Yet another holiday dinner with amazing wines (Black Salt, Washington D.C.): Gorgeous and elegant. Served with Prince Edward Island oyster and caviar, the density and precision of this wine never fails to impress. Over time, it develops beguiling orange rind and lemon aspects and turns more vinous and less (deceptively) light. I have one more bottle left. Sad.
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(Disgorged in December of 2011, dosage 9 gr/l) Still light yellow, almost greenish, colour with a stream of amazingly small bubbles that lead way for the wonderfully youthful nose showing flint, citrus, minerals, stone fruit, hazelnuts and peach flower notes in such a lovely way. Palate is smooth and silky with a well balanced fruitiness and filled with lime mineral acidity and with a very intense and long lime juicy bitterness and with a lovely saltiness on the lips... This is such a great champagne right now! Very nice performance and even better than last bottle we had a couple of nights ago! This is already very available and at the same time shows so much potential for the future and is a definitive keeper for decades longer! Best 2017-2037.
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Dominik und Peter konnten es nicht glauben, daß ich diesen Jahrgang vom Comtes de Champagne noch nicht im Glas hatte. Wie es zu erwarten war: ein Gigant. Geröstete Macadamianüsse, etwas Vanille und Honig. Großzügige Frucht, sehr ausgewogen. Auf in die nächsten 2 Jahrzehnte. Danke Belkis für das Mitbringen dieser seltenen Flasche. 97+
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Just as stunningly good as during previous tastings. Completely adorable, vibrant and totally open for business. The 02 Comtes delivers an amazing experience tonight. The nose reveals a completely integrated and velvety impression with ripe elegant fruit, minerals, sweet brioche and medium toast.The nose is very elegant, yet it has both power and a gentle touch. The palate is perfectly integrated. Acidity and fruit are both balanced and integrated. With a length on the finish lasting a minute or more this is a wine which deserves a lot of merit. Conclusion is still easily drawn: the 02 Comtes is the best Champagne I have ever tasted. (score is 98+)
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Game dinner with friends: Beautiful and creamy bouquet with white fruits. On the palate good citrus, minerals, beautiful acidity, dry, soft bitterness and focused. Overall a beautiful and refined wine with refreshing acidity and a great future.
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From magnum. Quite youthful, even beyond what one would expect in this format. Results in a wine with slightly more sweetness and slightly less complexity than one would want. Consumed over the course of an hour. Should be upside here but this bottle was a long way away. 92-93
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I've never had a bad bottle of the '02 Comtes and this was no exception. Lovely, balanced, persistent finish and round, rich mid-palate. Some toasty yeasty notes, and even a bit of what Jonathan called "cleaning fluid," though he meant it in a nice way. Delicious, as always, even better with a few hours in the fridge under a champagne stopper.
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Stellar Comtes! Complex and loaded with white floral, green apple and slight toast (brioche) aromas and flavors. Slight mineral chalk on the finish. Structured but without weight.
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Pale straw. Wonderful poise and line. Some creamy development around a firm crunchy core, but just so balanced, poised and effortless. Lovely now for its early development without loss of youthful energy, though years in hand. *****
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Wine meet - Lars @ St Paul de Vence: Superb. It is a big champagne and at the same time incredibly elegant and vibrant. Brioche, citrus, apple and white flowers.
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Penfolds Grange Vertical (Sixteen, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is slightly coiled, but it is deep and balanced with greed and red apples, almonds, mineral tones, pears, yellow florals, baking spices, and some roasted nuts.
Taste: Medium bodied with high acidity. The acidity is fresh and crisp while the feel is balanced and deep along with green and red apples, almonds, minerals, yellow florals, and roasted nuts.
Overall: This felt like there is more that it will give down the road. While it was showing well, it felt like it was holding back at this time. Another 3-5 years should reward to the upside.
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A big, relatively dark Comtes. Deep autolysis character, with more mineral and saline-driven flavors. Broad on the palate. Still very young, but a really good wine.
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The lesson about great Champagne. We started dinner with a 2011 Mount Eden Chardonnay, followed by a 2009 Terre Nere Pre-Phylloxera Don Peppino, 2006 Lillian Syrah, 2011 Sine Qua Non Dark Blossom and then a 2005 Joseph Phelps Insignia. After that we ended the full blown hedonism with a Star Trek crescendo - the 2002 Comtes - and what a crescendo it was! Doctor Spock dancing away with Captain Kirk to the tones of ABBA. The Champagne just stood out as one of the best wines of the whole evening. Do not let yourselves be fooled, Champagne can actually work well as a dessert as it breaks the velvety mouth coating chain from heavy reds. If you try this at home - be sure not to have a sweet dessert first, then it will not work as well...
So, back to the 2002 Comtes which is a totally lovely, vibrant and mind boggling effort. The nose reveals an integrated velvety impression with rich deep and elegant fruit. There is also a profound minerality accompanied by classy brioche and medium dark toast. The nose is of course elegant and totally refined, yet there is an element of power as well. Integration is very close to perfect and acidity and fruit are integrated and balanced. With a length on the finish lasting some 55+ seconds, I cannot help but fall in love with this wine. It may provide a Warp speed like experience tonight, but it is done with total refinement and elegance. Perhaps the best Champagne I have ever tasted. Bravo!
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Ungdommelig nydelig nese med saftige røde epler, florale elementer og litt steinmineraler. Meget bra, men fremtiden kommer nok til å utvikle flere detaljer og få frem noen lekre modningstoner. Særdeles ren og elegant. Med litt tid i glasset får vi en flott mousse og en lekker munnfølelse. Bare ungdommen på smak også med konsentrert ren, rik frukt og en superb nerve. Dette holder høy kvalitet. Stor fart i utgangen og holder en oppvisning i syre og mineralkickboksing. Sitter lenge. Meget bra vin som trenger en 5-10 år for å vise sitt sanne potensiale. Gir likevel stor glede i dag. 93-94p for nå.
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Really amazing crisp, citrus sharpness. Tight, tiny bubbles in the glass, and a amazing bouquet of citrus and floral on the nose. Still a little tight, but incredibly enjoyable even now. Could probably last another decade or two in the cellar, if desired, to develop secondary flavors.
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East Bay Burgundy Club Year End Blowout (Casa Gary & Ross): Well utterly delicious. Served with the cheese at the end of the meal and no worse for it. Started off a little reductive / synthetic camembert smell but that quickly blew off - lovely yeasty almost briochy but not in a sickly way...
Truly wonderful stuff. And as always, an incredibly generous offer from our kind hosts.
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Really quite amazing. This champagne is in a great place right now, and it still has plenty of life in it. The nose had hints of bread and citrus. The finish was really elegant and smooth. You weren't overwhelmed by citrus or yeast, but both were present. I can't wait to try again in another 5 years.
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Friday Dinner at Home with Friends (Our House, Hong Kong): Drank in medium-sized white burgundy glasses to accompany a light raspberry and meringue desert. Light silver-yellow colour. Very vibrant and persistent small beads of bubbles. Nose is lots of fresh-yeast new baked bread and raised notes of lemon zest and crushed whole lemons. Palate is white wheat (like Weissbier), chalk and a very distinctive pettilance on the mid-palate. Really fresh but starting to take on more toastiness and greater reverb on the finish in the 12 months since I last opened a bottle. Lovely as it is, in this vintage I think it is one to stick out of reach in the cellar for another 5 years or at maximum revisit one bottle annually if you can. 92+
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Lovely young Comtes, just as you would expect at age 14 from a terrific vintage. Extremely energetic, high toned, coiled spring, in the lemon peel register, poised and ready for takeoff. Surely more depth to come as it ages and very promising, but delightful even now as Comtes always is at every stage of its evolution.
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there is a big difference between tasting and drinking this wine While tasting the extreme olfactory and taste wealth are apparent When drinking it is weightless and smooth Isn't that how it should be?
Dinner at passage 53 in Paris
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My last btl and same btl as R&Ler. Always always a stunning BdM and 02 was an exceptional year. Wishing I still had one or two more! One of the most complex and classiest of champagnes you drink. Always worth the money.
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First Growths at Capital Grille (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. This is another one of those wines that you immediately recognize as great. There is no doubt, no confusion, this jumps out of the glass on the nose and palate. It has the intensity on the nose with a great toasted, yeastiness, with depth and complexity, pear and citrus abound. The palate has that nuance, but what really strikes you is the balance of power and elegance; the elegance that is Comtes, but with the power of the '02 vintage. Just so nice and so good. Hard to describe, but this is now just hitting peak IMO. 95+ to 96pts.
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Domaine Chicago party: From magnum, and still as good as I remember it being. Super clean and crisp, with some lovely yellow fruit flavours. Great freshness, with a lovely touch of ripe apples on the finish. Pretty large scaled, this is bound together with a firm spine of acid.
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Drinking superbly. Taking on a hint of toasty development. It has notes of fresh bread, citrus and white peach. It is creamy and precise, with loads of mineral and the crunch of a green apple to finish. A Champagne of great finesse.
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[IWFS-Vic Top Burgundy Grand Crus Dinner at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Melbourne] Pale golden straw color. Vigorous mousse, persistent minuscule beads. Brioche nose over green apple bouquet imbued with mineral, chalk, white flowers, white peach, pear, citrus peel, almond, spice & toast notes. Delightful, well-proportioned, mineral-infused & medium-bodied, but seemingly light & buoyant despite quite intense orchard fruit flavors with complex nuances; perceptibly marked by some racy acidity with great precision & focus. Long lingering finish.
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Served with grandson Keegan's 2nd Bday celebration. Unfortunately, the Bday boy was close to bed time and a little squirmy for people trying to enjoy a stellar champagne. Maybe I'll go with NV Champagne for his 3rd :). Still great but lots of distractions.
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Davids btl tonight. This wine consistently is one of my favorite Comtes. Some may see this is a bit more overt than most Comtes but I love it! While posting the note I see that CT says I have 2 more and I'm really excited about that. As always the most beautiful of tiny bubbles, elegance, class and depth with another gear over most vintages and some extra fruit. Love it! Only over shadowed by our no name producer 1990 Puligny Montrachet tonight.
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En helt fantastisk årgång av Comtes. Gummi, citrusfrukter (mandarin?), mineraler. Fin syra och bra balans. Än så länge inga mognadstoner men fullt njutbar redan nu.
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Lovely balance but not showing the energy and joy of the last bottle I tried 9 months ago. Still, very good and I have no doubt it will be great with time.
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HDH auction tasting at Tru (Chicago, IL): As I remembered, this is a huge powerhouse. Super powerful and rich with sweet and sappy white fruit. Perhaps not the most elegant and lithe champagne, this is impressive in its large-scaled stature. The acidity is still very potent, and forms a big spine that holds everything together.
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This drank beautifully tonight. Notes of green and yellow apples, white flowers, candied ginger, and crushed minerals. Expressive on the plate without losing refinement.
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An unbelievably good wine. Totally adorable, vibrant and totally mind boggling effort. Just as expected, the 02 Comtes delivers an amazing experience tonight. The nose exhibits an integrated velvety impression with ripe elegant fruit, minerals, sweet brioche and medium toast.The nose is certainly elegant and utterly refined, yet powerful and massive. The palate reveals a close to perfect integration and certainly adds to the overall impression. Acidity and fruit are balanced and integrated. With a length on the finish lasting some 50-55+ seconds this is an incredible wine which deserves all the positive adjectives I can write. With this said, the conclusion is pretty easy: the 02 Comtes is certainly the best Champagne I have ever tasted.
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Bottle Vs Magnum Vs Jeroboam (67 Pall Mall): Crisp slight nose with some toasted brioche and almond. Opening up in the glass. The magnum slightly more complex. Mag-94 Bottle-93
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Noticeably softer and more rounded nose and palate than the other glass. Very different. Quite a bit more advanced with less aggressive acidity. I guessed bottle but it was the mag. This fooled nearly everyone.
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Very fresh, young and quite dry on the finish. No colour difference between the 2 glasses. Lots of sweet yellow fruit. I guessed mag as it was so much younger than the 2nd glass but it was the bottle!
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Lost Thursday Wine Lunch - Blacksalt (Blacksalt, Washington DC): This particular bottle flirts with perfection. Expressive decadent yellow fruit driven nose, apple tart, lemon curd, a hint of butter scotch, smoke, brioche and just like the last bottle from March, very floral. The fat smoky sweet fruit reminds me a top 1er cru twenty year old Meursault Exceptional fine abundant mousse, decadent sweet yellow fruit driven palate impression, mineral, perfect amount of acidity and seamless long finish that ends smoky and sweet. This bottle is drinking perfectly, decadent yet very precise and polished. Definitely the best Champagne of the night. I highly highly recommend.
This is a beauty. So much fun to drink. Just a tiny bit behind the Dom and Ruinart tonight. Agree with Kevin's point that it showed a slight bit less fizz. I'll drink this wine anytime and have a couple myself. Thanks Jimmy!
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Drank at our last nite in Anguilla. Pale straw color, very expressive nose of brioche, some citrus & perhaps peach. Donna thought she noticed buttered toast. Creamy, mousse, wonderful tiny bubbles with great freshness & fairly tart acidity. Nice minerality too. I noticed a bit more citrus this time around than in other tastings. Still, I love this champagne, and will no doubt continue to improve in bottle for several years to come.
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Dinner at Home (Our House, Hong Kong): Drank in Burgundy wine glasses after a brief opening. Lively mousse that quickly dies down to limpid, languid slow-rising streams of very tiny bubbles. Colour is very light straw-gold colour. Nose is immediate fresh, doughy brown bread straight out of the baker's oven, tons of yeast. Palate is extremely fresh and refreshing crisp green apple acidity and a nice honeysuckle and Epsom Salts then chalky end that, in turn, moves into a subdued but yet-to-be-released length and resonance on the finish. This is sophisticated, refreshing and elegant Champagne.....definitely the least evolved of any of the top 2002s that I have drank. I shall hold back the rest of my case for another year or so before checking its evolution. Impressive stuff. 92+
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Once the bottle was opened the room filled with the scent of this beauty! Absolutely lovely stuff - hitting its peak now and will stay there for a very long time I am certain.
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This is a big styled champagne and definitely needs more time to settle in. The nose oozes with ripe pears and apples. The palate largely follows along with some minor toasty notes. Nice tart finish. Would be good to revisit this in 3 years.
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Rieslings, Rhones, Richebourg, and more at The Bristol (The Bristol, Chicago): A touch coiled at first, but this really opens up with air, and becomes much more complex as it warms up a little without ever losing any of its focus or vibrancy. Layers of ripe pears, apples, doughy and brioche notes, and a chalky minerality beneath, with plenty of acidity and lively effervescence balancing the richness perfectly. It's a big wine, but still retains great elegance and finishes long. Rather primary now, but this should be amazing with time.
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Salil does Chicago; 4/16/2015-4/19/2015 (Chicago, IL): Oops. Way too young (I'll chalk -- no pun intended -- this one up FOR SCIENCE). This is one of the biggest and broadest champagnes I've had in a while. Slightly sweet, with notes of ripe pear and golden apple. Extremely dense on the palate as well. Slightly sweet but absolutely electric with the acidity. I loved the chewy chalkiness on this wine. Tons of upside here.
2002 Champagne and Burgundy dinner with Eric (Chez Billy Sud - Washington DC): Excellent freshness and elegance. Fresh apple, a hint of brioche, strong presence of mineral and strong floral note. Fine mousse, airy yet decadent palate and very precise clean finish. It is very enjoyable but will improve at least for another decade adding denser yellow fruits, honey and sweet spices.
Haut-Brion dinner: Still very young, and a brilliant wine, vraiment blanc de blancs with all the tell-tale notes of a rich chardonnay, vanilla, butter, almonds, woven together by firm backbone of minerals and acidity. This has years to go, but it is approachable now.
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Yellow colour with an amazing stream of extremely fine and tiny bubbles creating a wonderful rich bouquet. The nose is still very youthful and needs several more years in the cellar to develop it's maturity. First there's a mixture of sea shells, oysters and then it opens up with mature Coulommiers cheese and then there's the typical vintage flavor of honey sweetness and acacia flowers. Wonderful fresh palate showing lime and lemon with a very nice and long lime peel finish.
Very good sample, bought about 2,5 years ago. Very nice development since I last tried it in 2012 as well!
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Popped and poured into regular riedel white wine glasses. Sparkling yellow colour. Gosh this was so good already and had clearly come on a fair bit since I last tried it 12 months ago. Not a hair out of place. Lovely precision. Super wine.
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Nick's Spectacular Birthday Dinner (Hippopotamus Restaurant, Wellington): In magnum. Light colour, small bubbles. A fresh, precise, steely and pure nose, clearly speaking of Chardonnay. Aromas on bouquet of small white flowers, stone fruit, wet river boulder and chalk, with a whiff of baking spices. On palate, tight and very focused, with citric, malic and mineral flavours predominating. There was also toastiness, with a suggestion of almond brioche. Vibrant, energetic acidity but also showing the ripeness and richness of the 2002 vintage, that I have this fortnight seen in both the 2002 Winston Churchill and Dom Perignon. There are clear vintage characteristics shared across those three 2002s. But the Comtes has a precision and steeliness, and not quite the opulence and lushness, that sets it apart from those other two Champagnes. As a Blanc de Blancs, this a very different Champagne, I would put on about the same level as the Winston and ahead of the Dom. Excellent fruit volume and very long. Drinking beautifully now. In 4-5 years time I would expect to see greater complexity still in this excellent Champagne. Huge potential, now only 93.
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An adorable, vibrant and thrilling effort, the 2002 Comtes de Champagne delivers a true "best-of-the-best" experience tonight. The nose delivers a fully integrated almost velvety impression with rich fruit, tons of minerals, sweet brioche and white toast. A wonderful nose to say the least - so full of everything, yet so elegant and refined. The palate adds to the elegance and balance with close to perfect integration. Acidity and fruit are both there but they are kept on a short leash and none are allowed to speak up on behalf the other. With a length on the finish lasting some 55 seconds that just puts the "dot over the i", this is a marvellous wine which deserves all the merit it can get. It is certainly one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever tasted.
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Grand Champagne, très frais. Peche et pomme, amandes grillées et légèrement briochée. Beaucoup de minéralité et de belles subtulités. Excellent comme pause de rouge.
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At Frederiksminde. Still one of the best balances I have encountered in a young CHampagne. I wonder if the dosage is higher than for some of its peers. It is so enjoyable to drink now, even if the nose is very young.
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Rockstar Champagne... like, all of them (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Really bready, yeasty aromas. Some barrel funk, too. Pretty interesting. Really rich, soft palate, with tiny bubbles. Smooth and rich oaky notes, offering creamy apple flavors. Nice depth. Slightly puckering minerality on the finish, which is very tart and quite gritty. Ripping finish.
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It has become extremely hard for me to stop drinking these bottles. For my money, the Taittinger CdC is one of the very best 2002 champagnes I have been fortunate enough to consume. This has a wonderfully dense silky texture and comes across as uplifting and light, despite its richness. Flavors include citrus, oranges, peaches, macadamia nuts, and vanilla cream. Still very young, but this CdC will always drink well. A real stunner.
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Dinner at Elite (Elite Chinese Restaurant - Los Angeles, CA): This was my first time trying this, and it really blew my hair back. Tons of toasty notes that I love, and big, dense citrus tones. Certainly young, I'd love to get my hands on some of this for some long-term aging.
30e anniversaire de Vincent: Nez crémeux, champignons, cave humide. La bouche est fraiche, crémeuse, des notes de pêches, beaucoup de minéralité, avec une finale complexe, épicée. Superbe Champagne d'une grande finesse. 95 pts
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Shit vilken champagne! Detta är min stil, rökig, knäck, rostat bröd, rostade fat, lite brända toner, finfin frukt, Känns som vinet är ganska moget trots så unga år, doften är 100 smaken 97-99.
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Nose with fine perfumed white flowers, white stone fruits, green apples, tropical fruits, toast and smoky minerals. Very Chardonnay profiled nose. On the palate this has chalky fat minerals, fat citrus fruit, lime lemons, bread and tropical fruits. Surprisingly less 2002 in profile and acidity, and more developed than previous bottles I have had. Very good Comtes! (95 points for this particular bottle.)
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On the nose, Toasted bread, yeast, green apples, smoke, brioche, toffee On the palate, Apple, lemon citrus tone, mineral, smoke and hints of hazelnuts. The acidity is not as present as expected.
Long finish
94+
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Deep bread with rock in the nose. Well, well balanced same in the mouth with dark fruited lemon-lime and subtle earth, if that's possible. A long finish. Very, very nice!
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Like the 2000 that this was flighted with, this has lovely fruit apparent on the nose. On the palate, this feels drier than the 2000, with an herbal/floral component to add interest. I slightly preferred the greater richness in the 2000, but that is merely personal stylistic preference - this is delicious, refreshing champagne.
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '14 edition (Ben's (NYC)): Served alongside the 2000, and I greatly preferred this. Lots of complexity already; layers of fresh fruit, fresh baked biscuit, chalk, and sweeter doughy and floral notes all coming together seamlessly, and there's fantastic cut and precision to the flavours. On the palate it conveys both great intensity and elegance, and the finish has remarkable length. Outstanding.
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There is a combination of elegance, complexity, balance and mineral footprint that lift this one well above average. Add the long lingering finish and we are heading towards seriousness. Purity defines it, although the palate is cleaner than the nose,. Drinking well now, obviously very young.
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The best 2002 I've had, though tonight a Salon is on the menu. This was a fully delivering bottle, visually, via aromatics and on the palate. Ripe and ready, though surely will improve for many years.
A superb Comtes, perhaps only slightly eclipsed by the stellar 1996 . Yet this one may evolve to surpass even that great and prodigious effort. A very generous nose of citrus persists through extended airing. On initial opening, the palate is smooth and well-knit, despite the competition from the mousse. Even this fresh release of bubbles is never overwhelming, and the glass soon settles down to a rewarding and elegant evolution over the next 30 minutes or more. With a proper bit of breathing, it becomes virtually seamless and delightfully smooth, rich, and very generous notes of citrus, banana, and tropical fruits present themselves. Unlike the Salon of the same year, which seems completely inert in comparison, this one evolves, changes, and matures in the glass in seemingly endless variety. I can only imagine how beautiifully this will drink in 5,10, 20 years. A superb Champagne, and highly recommended.
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Lovely, but needs to be left open for a couple of hours, beginning to shut down. Not as mellow nose as I remember, but the palate is still a seamless beauty where everything is in the right place. Save other bottles for at least 5 years.
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Drank in Hong Kong Notes of apple, lemon peel and brioche. Nice mouthfeel with a long depth. Lovely stuff but I recommend you try and leave for a couple of years.
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Pretty good stuff here. There was a candied lemon peel quality, along with a baked apple, then a mix of lime acidity and some bread dough. Very balanced.
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Too young to drink and enjoy IMO. Notes of almonds, hazelnuts, green apple, yellow grapefruit, candied lemon peel, brioche, and crushed minerals. Tightly wound on the palate, but the finish is long and refined. Do yourself a favor and wait a few more years.
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This is a gorgeouely balanced, full-bodied vintage for this wine that is still primary but everything seems to be in place for great aging potential. There is bread, yeast and a copper note on the nose. Vibrant and intense with good tension between the crsip acids and the ripe lemon/chalk fruit. This flows through to a concentrated finish with complex notes of copper minerals, chalk and lemon spice. A grippy, precise and delicious bottle of champagne that will improve over time. 94+
A stunning bottle of Champagne! I loved it from the first fresh sip to the compelling last. This wine is fresh and aromatic, with mineral and baked bread, hint of citrus zest. It has a crisp and sweet taste, with hints of dried fruit skins, and zesty fruit and minerals. The nose just won't stay in the glass!
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Toronto Wine Cru - WineSpectator Off-Line Event - Champagne OL (La Palette (French Bistro)): Nose - Definitely chardonnay based. Palate - Much more effervescence that the 1998 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill tasted along side it. Initially very light, but the wine opened up and developed fruit over the evenning. Improved over the evening, from an initial 92 to a 93. But not a 94 in my view. And not a Salon, or so I'm told.
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Far too young to even rate for me, but will likely turn into something special. Lots of lemony acidity, fine bead, and showing little fruit. Not sure how much stuffing is there because it is so closed, but I think it will be very good. Shouldn't touch any of it before 2020.
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Despite its youthful acidity the easy pick of the champagnes presented for Australia Day lunch. How good are the 2002 vintages? Strong fine bead, long rich and dry. If I had any in my cellar it wouldn't see the light of day for many years yet where it would no doubt rate higher still.
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Bready nose. Drank this next to cristal which made is seem round and soft. More like a still chard. Mild citrus notes. Round stone fruit palate. Mousse is moderate and softens quickly. Good not great.
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nose; limestone, lemon zest, white flowers, and pine sap. palate; toasted brioche, spices, cream, and candied ginger. high acidity. dry very very long finish. the most bubbles I have ever seen in a bottle of champagne. tastes like a crazy good montrachet with bubbles. this has what it takes to last 30 plus years. may well get even better with time.
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Pale yellow. Crisp, fresh and youthful. Tons of minerality on the nose and palate. Also lemon cream and hints of citronella. Despite the youthful acidity this has a rich roundness to it in the mouth that makes it so pleasurable to drink now.
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In honor of son Joe's 32nd Bday at LBV. This is deserving of all the accolades others have given it. Refined and elegance defined with depth in spades. Delcious. We didn't waste a drop.
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Had this in a tasting with other flagship bottles from 2002. It was the lightest of the group and probably needs the most time to show its stuff. The balance is superb but is just way too closed off right now.
For comparison's sake, it was put up against these: - 02 Dom Perignon - 02 Dom Ruinart - 02 PJ Belle Epoque - 02 Bollinger GA - Krug Grand Cuvee - 04 Grande Dame - 98 Dom Ruinart
Tasted this alongside five other Champagners and for me this juice really stands out.
Colour: Light, yellow. Nose: Lively Boquet of a lot of Lemon, pear, peaches and apples mixed with a great minerality and a lot of white floral notes. Love that. A bit of yeast & brioche but just a hint after some time. The wine is constantly changing in the glass. I just loved that. Palate: Again minerality driven, fine bubbles, great tension & acidity and a lot of energy but still very elegant. Medium+ finish.
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What a superb champagne! We opened a magnum at noon for the traditional thanksgiving champagne toast and this blew us away. Yeasty brioche and muted peaches, pears, apples, persimmons, and nectarines. Finely textured bubbles which were actually fluffy pillows of Chardonnay. If this gets better in a few years I will be blown away. One of the best young champagnes I've tasted.
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After recently drinking a bottle of the 2004 Comtes, I thought it would be a good time to check in on the 2002. The 2002 has shown positive evolution over the past year and is currently drinking extremely well. In fact, even though I know this will be an even more incredible champagne in 5-10 years from now, it will be extremely hard to resist consuming my remaining bottles in the short term with how well this is currently drinking. At this point in time, the 2002 has a level of richness and openness that is missing from the 2004 Comtes right now. The beauty of this champagne is that it has these wonderfully rich and forward flavors, but is incredibly light at the same time. In fact, the 2002 Comtes feels like it just floats across the palate like a puffy cloud and shows a fine level of detail at the same time. Flavors include oranges drizzled with vanilla cream, bright citrus, pears, peaches, spices, minerals, almonds, and a touch of smokiness. Similar to a top notch Montrachet with bubbles. You can't go wrong with the 2002 Comtes.
BYO (Østerbro): Super intense green apple nose that is creamy and full-bodied. Lovely hint of hazelnut also. Quite intense and a dense green apple fruit on the palate that is just packed with citrus notes and plenty of acidity. A huge wine that will continue to improve.
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Truffle & Chateauneuf du Pape hunting in Provence; 11/7/2013-11/10/2013 (Crillon Le Brave): Just a glimpse at this stage of what a magnificent wine this 2002 will evolve into in the future. Still very rich and toasty, nice ripe fruit, a tension and energy tht just made us smile. We served this in white wine glasses and once it developped it was si,ple gorgeous. Do not overchill it. a humble 93 for now but with lots of potential
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Wine and Food Matching @ Ben's: Green apple, touch of toast, orange peel, touch of earth and florality with some lemon and pear. Flat out beautiful palate - the acidity gives the wine superb tension while letting the rich fruit shine. Builds and builds across the palate, finishing extremely long. Stunning.
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Maybe I had a bad bottle, maybe I was distracted while cooking - but to me this was pretty ordinary - large bubbles, not much power and just a bit "meh". And I do love my Comtes (the 2000 is drinking beautifully). I would have graded this a *long* way behind 2002 Dom Ruinart and Dom P, and even behind '02 Bolly GA. Judgement reserved, but this as a 89-90pt showing (!)
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WOW! This has everything a great Champagne should have. Beautiful fruit, fine bubbles, acidity and minerals, expansive mouth and a long finish. Great now and better with a few more years.
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Probably one of the better 02s that I've had so far. Big and muscular, dense, rich, great supporting acid. Seems tight up front but does unwind with a bit of air. This seems to me like its coiled up at the moment and needs some age. Lots of promise here, should not have any trouble ageing.
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Oj, här var det sött. Sötman svävar i lager ovanpå och vinet har gått och gömt sig. Finns en del syra men jag kan inte säga att det här vinet är ens i närheten av hur det var tidigare. Lagra. Tror det behövs minst 5 år men troligen mer innan sockret integreras och vinet växer till något annat. Drick 2004 och 1998 medans ni väntar.
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Burgundy Thursday at Tim's Mountain House: Young but delicious with notes of light brioche, peach and soft (poached?) lemon zest. I will expect much more minerality as it ages.
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Initial pop has a well rounded feel that is very inviting. Nice yeasty flavor with some floral and citrus notes. As it sat, it developed a more integrated mouth feel that I rarely get from bubbly. It got a bit more honey on the tongue. Wish I had bought more!
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Bright nose of light pear juice, soft apple, canned tuna oil, light floral notes, wet river rocks, wheat; elegant and ethereal with good metalic/stony minerals; super slick, lithe, elegant mouth with fine bubbles; perfectly weighted mid-palate with excellent intensity; lemon tarte long finish. It seems this has improved much over the last 6 months since delivery.
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Blanc de Blancs smaking (Oslo): Klar, strågul. Nydelig, mild nese med begynnende modning. Toner av dyp sitrus, autolyse, streif av tangerin og vaniljesukker. Intens, nesten kremet frukt med imponerende kraft og en ekstremt presis sitronsyre som trekker langt ut i avslutningen. Fin kornet mousse. Mild sødme. Nydelig lengde.
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nose - quince, lemon, burned sugar mouth - rich, ripe, and most impressively concentrated, with a long finish, yeasty with great citrus verve and rich all at the same time. really enjoyed this and wish I had more
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Friday lunch, sushi, 2002 Taitterger CdC - priceless. Really good juice, and a relative bargain for the quality. Drinking well young, and should be a star over time.
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Very, very good now with good potential to age. On par with the 1996 with a little less weight. Although it is lighter in weight it had very complex flavors. The remainder are going into the cellar for a few years. Comtes is one of my favs.
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Alcohol :: 12% Not sure about the dosage but I guess it is around 8g/l. This has got more earthiness, mineral as well as touch of smokiness and spiciness that distinct itself to the Fleur de Passion and Jacquesson that served in the same flight. Still quite reserve but it is deep and focus. Medium to full bodied. I thought this has a bit more energy than the passion even though the dosage could have be high. The overall harmony is awesome. Excellent grip, depth, and very fine. This will be a long lived Comtes de Champagne and is much better than the bold, lack of precision and focus 1999 vintage. 90-92
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Champagne & White Burgs at Meritage (Meritage, St. Paul): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 40 minutes. Incredibly fine, persistent bead with ample mousse. Very bright, citrus, stone fruit, fresh, yeast, minerals, all very focused. This dances across the palate, light, but with energy, it almost feels like its floating there. This was more open than a bottle I had recently. Showing lemon zest, apple, pear, quince, mineral. The balance was impeccable and the finish long and persistent. Very elegant. What a treat! 94+ to 95pts.
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This ended up being our choice for a Valentine's day champagne and as usual, we were not disappointed. The beauty of this young Comtes lies in its weightlessness and how it just floats across the palate like a fluffy cloud. The balance, precision, and delicacy of this champagne is also off the charts and its flavor profile is very detailed. Flavors include vanilla cream, white flowers, oranges, tangerines, peaches, bright citrus, nuts, chalk and minerals. Now I have to figure out how to keep my hands off my remaining bottles.
Clear, straw yellow, with bubbly rim, and beautiful tiny bubbles from multiple sources. Clean, med - intensity, aromas of toast, pralines, wet clothes,ripe grapefruit. Dry, med alcohol, med + acidity, low tannins (can feel those white skins!), med - body, perfect effervescence, with further tastes of lemon, tofu, unripe melon, banana, and hazelnut. Perfect balance between creamy and bubbles. With a floating finish that never ends. Love this!
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now you're talking champagne. what great bottles. really lovely, fine nonstop bubbles. nose of lemon, orange, apple with nice fragrant fresh-baked dough. the palate is tremendous in depth and complexity. lovely fruit with good dose of acid, mineral, wood and bread dough. just sits on the palate like fine silk shirt. seamless into the finish with great taper.
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Ouch! This is so young, it's an abortion! I get some yeast, hints of mint, apples, lemon and orange. Very fine mousse and a slightly sweet palate with ginger, unripe pears, grape and orange. A light cream softens the impression some. Lots of minerals and a nice touch of smoke in the finish. Opens up a wee bit with air (gave it 2h) but mainly remains tight.
Obviously very high quality, but needs 4-5 years at least. 92-93 points now, but potential for 95+
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I had a bottle of this wonderful champagne for the first time last week. In fact, it was so good that I just couldn't resist cracking another bottle. Once again the 2002 Comtes demonstrated why it is so special. Not only did it have beautiful precision and delicacy, but its flavors of white flowers, light cream, oranges, tangerines, citrus, spices, nuts, and minerals showed an incredible level of detail for such an obviously young champagne. In addition, this champagne felt nearly weightless, which is an incredible accomplishment for Taittinger. This will turn into something special with an additional 10 years of bottle age. Who knows, it could eventually turn out to be better than the stellar 1995 and 1996 duo.
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I decided to pop my only bottle of the 2002 Comtes to see if it could live up to all of the hype. Suffice it to say, I am now a believer as well. The beauty of this champagne lies in its sheer weightlessnes and incredible balance despite its richness. This just floats majestically across the palate and shows an incredible level of detail that is not seen very often in even the best tete de cuvee champagnes from the best vintages. The flavors include a mix of juicy red apples, poached pears, oranges, tangerines, pastries, white bread, cream, white flowers, spices, chalk, minerals, nuts, and smoke. This has an enormous amount of potential and could become a 97 point champagne with 5-10 years of additional bottle age. However, the 2002 Comtes is still hard to resist today despite how youthful it is. This is the best Blanc de Blancs that I have tried from the 2002 vintage. Looks like I will have to track down a few more bottles.
Had the Dom Perignon 2002 and Taittinger Comte de Champagne 2002 side by side. The DP was broader and wilder on the palate, with more pronounced acidity poking through on the palate. More fizzy and less integrated at this time. The Comte was absolutely fabulous and the better wine. More "winey" on the nose, like a young Meursault, and the way it sat on the palate was one of total harmony. It just don't have any hard edges, even at this early stage. The fruit is broad and multilayered, balanced by elegant and well integrated acidity. One of the best young champagnes I have tasted!
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From magnum: was expecting big things and wine was very good, but not quite at high level I had expected relative to the high pro scores. Pretty aromas of biscuit, flora, and apple. The Champagne has fine tight bubbles and comes accross young and fresh with an impressive chalky mineral component at its core. A bit tart and sharp, but loads of white clean fruits to offset most of the sharp attack. My guess is the wine will balance out nicely with more time in cellar.
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Toast, hazelnut, pears, flowers, lemon peel and honeysuckle open to a refreshing, fresh, concentrated, ripe, sweet, spice, green apple and citrus filled wine with elegant textures and a long, creamy, fat, rich finish. Generally speaking, I'm not wowed by Champagne, but this bottle blew me away! It's one the few Champagnes I tasted that is so good, I am going to buy some to lay down.
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nose; limestone, lemon zest, white flowers, and pine sap. palate; toasted brioche, spices, cream, and candied ginger. high acidity. dry very very long finish. the most bubbles I have ever seen in a bottle of champagne. tastes like a crazy good montrachet with bubbles. this has what it takes to last 30 plus years. may well get even better with time.
End of Year Sparklers, Mostly Champagne; 12/29/2012-12/30/2012 (SF Wine Trading Company): Medium yellow. Lightly frothy. Musky aromatics and a surprisingly oaky aspect. Fuller than I expected. Dry, lactic, a touch of caramel and a long, limestone finish. If you took the sparkle out of the equation, this had the structure and feel of a Cote de Beaune Grand Cru, let's say Batard-Montrachet for example. Remarkable in that regard, but I found the amount of wood to be too much (and quite unusual for a Comtes); I hope that it becomes more subdued over time.
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Vad har hänt här. Vinet har slutit sig och blivit än mer blygt. Inte vad jag hade väntat mig. Frukten och mineraler finns där men det måste till värme och tid för att den ska öppna sig. Smaken är mer syrarik än den flaskan jag drack sist men den har fortfarande socker som inte är integerad ännu. Skärpan finns där i bakgrunden. Den här flaskan känns kanske som den bästa jag druckit då balansen är bättre och vinet lovar mer. Flaskvariation eller provarvariation, jag vet inte :-)
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Gold straw. Reticent nose, it's a little too cold. Brioche, copper and steel filings; quite mineral. Warming, it now shows more -- hazelnut butter, macadamia nut; honeysuckle. A fascinating and deep nose. The palate is quite structured, with great acidity, but with notable ripeness, too -- it is quite fat for a young Comtes. A lovely, fine mousse. There is a wealth of deep, caramel fruit, wow! Fabulous; marzipan, almost sweet in its v v long finish, where again the structure shows -- on the finish it is even a bit hard. This is probably the finest young Comtes I have ever had. Excellent. In 20 years it will really be something...
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2002 Champagne Tasting (Jan's House): A bit disappointed after seeing glowing reviews. Spice, minerals, wafer, grapefruit and apple. This lacks the depth and complexity of all the other wines. Medium finish and just not showing like a $150 bottle of Champagne should taste like. Not seeing the 98 from Parker at this stage.
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Top Rated 2002 Champagne Tasting (Jan's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 60 minutes. Very tiny bubbles, tight, mint, floral, orange, citrus, yeast, dense minerality. The palate is mineral driven now, tight, light, citrus, tart, lemon zest, chalky. A little bitter on the finish. This did improve more in the glass, but it still was a disappointment given some recent glowing reviews. 92+ to 93pts.
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Monopole Champagne Extravaganza: Light pear tart, creamy, airy, with minerals and steel; long tart fruity finish with light bread; young and understated, this did not show as well as I thought it would at our annual Champagne tasting; but has intensity and pedigree.
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Just what I expected from Comtes at age 10 from a very good vintage. Quite pale, lively stream of very small bubbles. Faint pleasant bouquet of light citrus and baby powder. Delicate but not dull, lively acidity but not overdone, flavors all in the citrus peel range. Clean, classic, ethereal and elegant. A few more years to fill out will yield a beautiful champagne.
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Maybe the 02` Taitt is showing more at this stage than the 99` and 00`; it just jumps out of the glass and gives and gives, but you know there is even more to come with age; I can wait.
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Has it all in balance, minerality, acidity, length, concentration and elegance, quite an acrobat that should best be drunk 2014-2032! Imagine it will gain another 2 points already in 2-3 years.
Thought the use of new oak for 15% (but only a few months) was barely noticeable which I find excellent!
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Crush's Annual Champagne Gala 2012: Quick note (18 wines in an hour). Started out shy on the nose. Over time showed a very focused nose of spice, toast, citrus - lemon/orange. Enters the palate soft and explodes like a grenade. Bright and focused with unmatched drive. Tight yet creamy mousse with orange, lemon, spice and minerals. Lively yet creamy - probably will end up with some creamsicle in the future. Finish is creamy with sweet citrus, spice and malt balls. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
95 points with room to grow. Big for a Comtes, with a rich open nose of citrus, apples, and vanilla oak, medium to full bodied on the palate with large bubbles that toned down with time. Rich on the palate, long finish, classic acidity and zip. Can't get over how big this is. All the structure is there for long term aging, and this is more approachable than the '96s. I'd say similar to the '95 but fruitier.
An excellent vintage of this great champagne. Quite intense and rich at this early point with fine flavors of yeast, lemon zest, citrus and spice. Finishes tangy and complex with superb density along with notes of chalky minerals and young hazelnut. Has that intense sourball thing going on. To me, this is a great, young Comte that should be another classic but it really needs 5+ years to calm down. 94+
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Le Salon du Vin de la Revue du Vin de France 2012 (Brussels): Complex floral bouquet with some yeast and a pleasant acidity. Well-balanced and round on the palate, the ripe fruit gives almost a sweet sensation to the wine. Rich and multi-layered.
What a lovely champagne this is. I now have had it twice over the last couple of days and I love it. It is Comtes de Champagne as it best. Clean flirty fruit and texture with white flowers and cream. I need to stock up on this if possible. Very sensual. This is by far the best Comtes de Champagne since the fantastic 1996.
Private Chef dinner at Yann's new place (Flatiron District, Manhattan, New York): Light gold. Very spicy on the nose and very fruit forward: bright meyer lemon and orange, critrus zest, candied ginger. Very elegant with class to burn with a wonderful sweetness and creaminess. Really gorgeous on the palate - again with the lemon zest and orange and the spicy-sweet candied ginger. Really filling, yet light on its feet. Very persistent finish. This needs some time to resolve but will be flat out amazing. Maybe not a luscious and hedonistic as the 02 Bolly Grande Annee, but more sophisticated. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
Very excited to try this as Comte is one one of my fav btls of Champagne and, I own a couple 02s. Did not disapoint. This was more focused and brighter than the Bolli Grand Anne with layers of minerality and fruit in spades. Loved it! This should be on every wine lover's bucket list!
Light yellow colour with a steady stream of fine tiny little bubbles. On the nose there's freshly crushed stones and minerals. After a while tones of citrus and gooseberries and a hint of sweetness shows up to finish of a very nice start. The palate shows some sweetness in the finish but it's very well integrated with the freshness of it's youth.
There short finish is somewhat disturbing and takes off a point from the overall score. Hopefully this will change with some more bottle age.
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Very elegant. Minerals, gunpowder and citrus on the nose. The structure of this wine is so delicious with it´s creamy texture and complex layer upon layer taste of lemon, biscuits, wet stone, whipped cream and coffee. All of this wrapped up in a very elegant toasted finish. Super!
One of the best young champagnes I've ever tried, but probably wont appeal as much to those at the Krug and Bollinger end of the spectrum. Magnificenct nose that changes by the minute and melliflous palate. Goes on and on and should cellar well for 20+ years.
Till att börja med, Comtes 2002 är betydligt mer slutet än dess föregångare (framförallt 1998) som alla varit charmörer som unga med mycket mineraltoner och citrus. Med 02an får man söka beytdligt mer, det är inte alls lika öppet eller mineraligt. Det finns en hel del frukt och faktiskt någon tendens till honung som förvånade mig lite. Som ofta på unga Comtes flyter sockret lite ovanpå. Inte i klass med DP men det finns där. Syran i BdB balanserar bättre en högre sockerhalt men det vore intressant att dricka Comtes som var med 5g istället. Inte helt integrerad smak men 2002 är klast den bästa Comtes sedan 1996. Fruktdrivet. Ett vin som ska ligga men om man bjuder på det idag så får man nog ligga ändå. Det är trots allt ett vin som förför.
Delicious juice! Citrus, lemon juice and white stones on the nose. Crispy texture with sharp but well integrated acidity. Amazing fruit content, dense and long finish. Amazing balance and overall quality. This is certainly young but has all the power and precision to go far. Another great 2002 Champagne.
4/11/2024 - cnichelson Likes this wine: 98 Points
Rich and voluptuous with a fine but full bead. Buttered brioche and movie theatre popcorn on the palate but with a fine laser beam of acidity. Drinking great. One of my all time favorite champagnes. I wouldn't wait to drink more. In fact I can't wait to drink more!
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3/29/2024 - empire80 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! A beautiful age, with persistent but gentle bubbles. This is super concentrated, still fresh with some lemon, but lots of complexity, honey, almonds, almonds, toasty brioche. Very long and very delicious. Perfect now!!
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2/10/2024 - jviz wrote: 95 Points
I’m surprised to see the recent auction price of this wine so high, as these were probably around $100 on release, now 4x? Even so, this was on fire tonight and a smashing example of Comtes as it reaches its apex. Toasted almond, lemon curd, with mushroom developing in the background, this was very impressive and ready to drink. It made me want to check in on 06… this was served alongside a 2002 Bollinger LGA and Tattinger was the better wine
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2/2/2024 - CatCreptIntoCrypt Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is great... it seems fully mature but maybe still with some surprises still to be revealed?
Nose of rich lemon tart and antique shop. On the palate slightly heavier than when last tried in 2020, but the wine still combining richness and lightness in a subtle and satisfying way.
Its pleasing viscosity perfectly balanced by the firm, acidic backbone. Like a pair of voluptuous breasts held in place by a strict French corset...
Get some...
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1/28/2024 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose of candied orange, almonds and roasted lemon. A very fine mousse. Very elegant and almost low key, but deep and complex. Very long with some chalk on the finish. Great stuff. Still some upside.
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1/16/2024 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
No detailed notes, but this was exquisite. So good I almost regret sharing this with a big party.
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12/1/2023 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 96 Points
From magnum. This was in a great point of early maturity, balancing the bright primary racy fruit (which seemed a little unlikely at 21 years old) with a light patina of age, drawing out notes of light honey, spiciness and adding a general richness and the fruit taking on a slightly dried note. Powerful and intensely flavored, but very well balanced by the high acidity. Long and very complex through the finish. Balance is really the key with this and it really has everything you could want in a Champagne. The mousse was still quite youthful and (at least in the larger format) this seems like it has the structure ti hang in there for another 20+ years.
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11/22/2023 - grub94 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Agree with Seafood Manor's note earlier this December. Classic Taitt CdC.
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9/24/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with the wine group - La Tache Dinner (Cindy's Place): Light golden, excellent color; aromatic, brioche, fantastic aromas, lemon oil; palate is medium bodied, standard dosage but well integrated, lemon-lime, brioche; long finish. Lovely Taittinger. 94
Day 2: Still a lovely, classic, tete-du-cuvee champagne. Enjoyable, balanced, not necessarily unique in style but impeccably done.
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9/3/2023 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
This was one of the best 75cl bottles of this vintage, perfectly in the zone of intense tertiary aromas, the integration and harmony that comes with age, with a fresh fruit core and lots of tension and zest. Great presentation.
TN: Intense and layered on the nose and palate with a medium to long finish. Precise aromas of toffee, nutty notes, brioche and butter, as well as fresh and baked apple, with a hint of minerality in the background. Fine mousse and good round acidity that keeps the tension high. Very harmonious and balanced.
Decanting: No decanting necessary.
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8/24/2023 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 93 Points
De la pomme assez mure, du fruit blanc, fin, cremeux, bulles d’intensité moyennes mais fines, très bon et un délice de fraîcheur. 93-94
White fruit, Ripe apple, fine, classy, creamy, fairly tight bubbles, very good and deliciously fresh.
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7/21/2023 - ubercuvee wrote:
Taittingers Comtes blanc night (Noize, London): An absolute banger of a Comtes. Ripe yellow fruits on the palate but held together with great balancing acidity and length. I seriously underestimated this in its youth. Really, really good.
WOTN vs 99/00/02/04/06/07/08/11/12
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5/22/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Galit - Chicago IL): So much green and yellow apple with plenty of lemon, this is so bright and vibrant and long. This wine just keeps getting better, or perhaps I just didn't fully appreciate its potential in its youth. Upside from here.
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4/22/2023 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
No notes taken. From magnum. This bottle was outstanding, hyper precision, superb complexity with citrus, orchard fruit, minerality and the signature toasty, caramel, brioche notes which are at the core of the broad aroma spectrum. vVery good freshness and tension and a perfect balance. There are more complex Champagnes out there but in terms of hedonistic pleasure, this is at the top and out of the magnum, the 2002 has that extra freshness.
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4/19/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind, from Magnum. Rocky mineral notes, smoky layer, toast and brioche, sweet notes of vanilla and lemon grass. An emanating cloud of fruit flavors such as citrus and orange zest. The palate is smooth, fresh but light and felt weightless. This had incredible linearity to it with precise aromas and was drinking fantastically – but the complexity and intensity were not quite up there with the best in class.
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3/29/2023 - Throughthegrapevine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent CdC - limited effervescence but beautiful color, nose and palate. Well done! Near peak at age 21
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3/4/2023 - jaimetown Likes this wine:
In a great place right now. Golden hue in color - notes of perfectly ripened apples, a little toastiness and some secondary notes. Fresh and focused and a long finish. Elegance personified in a glass of champagne. Wonderful pairing with fluke crudo, pan roasted sablefish, seared scallops and cod.
Held this bottle for 10 years and we savored every sip of it.
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2/26/2023 - NPBWineGuy wrote: 95 Points
I finally opened one. Initially, the wine was too cold so I let it warm up a bit and I was rewarded. Loads of peach, pear and citrus flavors. Truly a delight.
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1/28/2023 - angryphoton Likes this wine: 94 Points
At peak for my taste, enough mature notes while still being fresh.
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1/15/2023 - viniferatu Likes this wine:
la Gloire de la Loire... kitchen prep is champagne time
superb blanc de blancs (but I have to admit that I asked "what's the cepage of Comtes?" LOL)
toasty nuts, diverse citrus, perfect pears and apples, long and penetrating finish
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1/7/2023 - shifter Likes this wine: 97 Points
Open early and let rest for about 2 hours. Really started to shine with air. Amazing mousse with bright brioche nose and full and lingering finish. Showing on point tonight and right up there with the best of them.
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12/23/2022 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 93 Points
tasted blind
distinctive nougat aromas, compared to the DP 02 this was broader and had more power and body.
this has brioche, peach, bakery, and nice vanilla notes.
nice to drink now, but can also hold for some more years
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12/22/2022 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Duel of 2002 Dom Perignon vs Comtes de Champagne. Six months ago the Comtes (97pts) edged out the DP (95pts) thanks to higher complexity and sharper acidity. Reversed roles this time: The DP (96pts) won against the Comtes (95pts), thanks to a better definition, sharper acidity, better overall freshness and balance. Impressive linearity. The Comtes showed more seductive with intriguing tertiary development but lost its tension in the glass (92/93 in its weakest moments). Nevertheless, great vintage for both wines.
TN: Intense aromas, expressive on the nose, through the palate into the finish displaying nice brioche, butter, bakery aromas, citrus, some baked apple and hints of pear aromas. Not as complex as the best bottles I‘ve had from this and other than right after serving, not as well contoured as the best bottles (rated up to 98pts) and the DP 2002 in the next glass. Fine mousse, round and fine, a crowd pleaser for sure. 94/95pts in the best moments. Only 92/93pts after some time in the glass.
Decanting: No decant needed. Best right at the start.
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12/17/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. Great nose is charmingly mature, palate has more zip. Very good depth. A wine I have always truly enjoyed, but others have seemed to enjoy much more.
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12/5/2022 - TWSA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose: peach, nuts, honey, brioche, white chocolate
Notes: One of the classy champagne that is still relatively affordable. This is in every sense a delicious champagne, very soft and easy palate. A very intense and complex Champagne, I fact this is one of the most excellent 2002s I've had for quite a while. It is unfortunate for the Krug 2002 tasted side by side as this Taittinger was a definite win and probably have won by miles! This wine is quite ready and has aged beautifully.
Drink: now+
Rating: 93
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11/9/2022 - BradE wrote:
BBM in Atlanta: A vintage of CdC that I adore, but tonight's bottle didn't move me. I think champagne must have been the last thing on my mind, as we had seventeen BBMs on tap.
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10/29/2022 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Burgundy GC BYO (Rasmus): Stunning!
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10/15/2022 - WST Likes this wine:
This was my favorite bottle of Comtes I've opened recently, besting at the moment the outstanding '96, '04, '06 and '08. It has everything I want in a champagne; intoxicating aromas and flavors, elegance, balance, texture and long finish. Creamy lemon and orange, ginger, mineral. The cut and bead perfectly balance the lushness.
This and Ruinart must be two of the BdB's of the vintage.
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9/28/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
Light gold plus color. Split bottle over 2 hours. We opened this bottle to toast a recent milestone that was a long time coming. "02 CdC has been a benchmark Champagne for me, so this was particularly satisfying to mark the moment. The essence is that of purity and harmonious expression of all that Champagne is and can be. The nose is gorgeous, showing such a burst of sea air, followed by ocean spray, roasted almond, gorgeous toast, brioche, green orchard fruits, fresh torn croissants and blissful mineral notes. The palate is lifted and has that featherweight quality, dancing across the senses; savory, nutty, pear and green apple, with wisps of melon and citrus, brioche, toasted nuts, ultra fine on the mousse with an exquisite blend of stone and delicate chalk, ocean, and immense length. What a beauty that one can't put down. 97+ to 98pts.
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9/18/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Part 2) (Chicago, IL): Drinking fantastically well; this wears a moderate bit of age now. Still a touch of white grape, likely from the ripeness of the vintage, but otherwise this has started to develop a little bit of brioche and mushroom. The acidity isn't pronounced, but this shows excellent balance among the different components. In a great spot now, but plenty of future potential still. For my taste, I may just start cracking a few of my own bottles.
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9/3/2022 - RobinTeo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Y's Birthday at KDN
Showing gorgeous on the nose with opulence and power. Caramel, popcorn and honey with just that bit of salinity on the bouquet. Palate slightly underwhelming but really delicious with good depth and complexity. A little oxidative with yellow apples, yellow plums, brioche and jasmine flowers following the bouquet. Finish was excellent and definitely a rocker of a bottle.
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9/3/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Yvelin's birthday at Kolabo: Wonderful toasty and creamy nose and some sweet honey and caramel notes. Typical green apples that I get from Comtes, this was much more hedonistic than the 2004 which I think still remains my favourite Comtes in terms of balance. Still very pleasurable and my favourite of the three champagnes.
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9/3/2022 - Dibbs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptional nose right out of the bottle of honeyed popcorn, caramel and brioche. Slightly underwhelming on the palate after the nose. It’s has complexity but not the depth that the nose promised. Overall an excellent champagne, worth the price tag.
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7/28/2022 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Mostly Giacosa dinner (RPM Italian, Washington D.C.): Perfectly ripe nose displaying decadent sweet yellow fruit with a hint of white, lemon curd, apple, honeysuckle, brioche, sweet spices and limestone. Excellent concentration, generous sweet yellow fruit, very fine generous mousse, rich and sweet but also elegant and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long decadent yellow fruit driven finish with brioche and honey at the end. With air, there is a clear mature white Burgundy nose. Perhaps slightly mature than the bottle from November, 2020. It is drinking incredibly, beautifully expressing the 02 ripeness.
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7/17/2022 - shifter Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP. Absolutely stunning with just a few minutes of air. Fully integrated flavor profile and acid, tightly wound mousse that continues to open in the glass, finish of citrus zest with a touch of puckering acid that lingers and calls you back for another sip. This is absolutely in the zone right now.
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6/26/2022 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
Tasted side by side with the Dom Perignon 2002. Both wines are now in a beautiful drinking window, open and ready, charming and harmonious. The Comtes (97 pts) edged the DP (95 pts) out thanks the a higher complexity and a touch sharper acidity. Anyway, both wines are great today and should get better over the next few years.
TN: Very expressive nose and palate with lots of bakery/brioche notes, butter, some toffee/caramel notes along minerality, fresh golden apple, citrus fruit and even some slight hints of flowers. Quite complex and very well defined. Very good, round acidity which cuts through the richness and keeps the wine light. Very harmonious and balanced with a nice creaminess and a fine mousse. Good length. Quite complete from A to Z. 97+ pts.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary. Needed just a few minutes to start singing.
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6/20/2022 - Oenovice Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb. Simply superb.
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3/17/2022 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Chris’s 1st Growth Series — Haut Brion (La Trompette, London): Nicely rich on the nose. Toasty and full. Mid weight. A touch of creaminess and some honey. Lovely but lacks some energy through the mid palate and finish cf a previous bottle five years ago or indeed the 04 last week. ****
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3/4/2022 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lots of vibrancy and intensity with zingy acids and delicious lemony flavors. The finish is complex with notes of chalky minerals and golden spices. There is a slight pasty quality which suggests to me this isn't fully integrated yet and should be left in the cellar for 5+ years but everything seems in place for a fine evolution. 93+
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2/13/2022 - vanpe003 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Outrageously good. On CT, shows as being on the early side of the drinking window. I disagree, as for me it seems in its prime. Resolved on the palate (e.g. acidity folded in) but lively in a way it might not be 10 years down the road. If I had another bottle, I’d probably wait 5 years for the comparison. But…that’s what I said about this bottle, and it’s my last.
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1/27/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
Light gold color. Split bottle over 3 hours. Brought this to Meritage to celebrate my wife's last day of work. Congrats my love, well done. There is no better wine to celebrate with than the '02 Comte Champagne, it has been nothing short of brilliant. Tonight's bottle was equally stunning and worthy of our celebration. Simply blissful, the gloriously aromatic nose explodes from the glass in a wave of ultra fine bubbles bursting forth with intense and pristine sea breezes, warm tart Tatin, fresh cut green apple, apricot and almond nuthorns, toasted and so lifted. The palate is riveting, crisp and vivacious, wonderfully toasted, almond cream, fresh apple, brioche, pear, nougat, penetrating yet featherweight as it caresses the tongue with crystalline stony minerality, and finishing with wisps of Mandarins and passion fruit on a very long finish. This is a wonderful, complete, and jaw dropping wine. 98pts.
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12/25/2021 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
So good. Just so good. Lemon confit, pastry, quince, a hint of honey, and an exquisitely fine bead. Balanced, measured, almost delicate, yet with stuffing and persistence. We went through this much too quickly.
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12/22/2021 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Annual Xmas Lunch (incl. Yquem 01): I’ve had this three times this year and this bottle - although the youngest and hence “weakest” (others were rated 98 and 96 pts) - showed again, that the 2002 Comtes is slowly getting into the zone. The first tertiary aromas are emerging slowly and the wine gets rounder without losing its freshness and sharpness. My guess is, that it will take another 3-5 years until it hits is first maturity plateau. No shame in popping one today, though.
TN: Medium+ expressive nose with toffe, caramel, burnt sugar, citrus, apple and minerality. On the palate this is wonderfully fresh and light with the right amount of creaminess, a bit more intense and expressive than on the nose with lots of apple, citrus, lime, a beautiful minerality layer. Gets more expressive by the minute, gaining intensity. Could be a bit more layered which more cellar time will take care of.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary but a short 30 minutes in a Champagne decanter should help.
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12/17/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): In 00/02/04/06 vertical. The richest of the flight, possibly still tight and not fully forthcoming, but less pleasure right now vs 2000. That is the only bad thing I could say, this is big and powerful. Easy to enjoy, a Champagne to cellar without worry.
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12/17/2021 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Wow. Beautiful mature nose of brioche, honey, lemon curd and flowers.
Rich on the palate but also fresh with bracing acidity and great balance. Flavours match the nose alongside a subtle note of coconut.
Energy and drive on the honeyed yet fresh and lifted finish.
This is sensational.
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12/14/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind. Toasted brioche, layers of caramel, almonds, ground hazelnuts. Fresh pear fruit and smoky layers. Crisp and fresh acidty. A really nice Comtes that combines both primary aromatics with beautiful aging notes. However, the last few sips started to lack some structure 1h after openening which kept me from going higher in the scoring. Quality wise this felt pretty much on par with 2006 and 2008, but with more toasty notes and a thinner mineral layer.
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11/23/2021 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still too young, There’s a breezy wheat-y quality that’s quite attractive. Rather slight on the mid palate just now but the energy bodes well if it can fill out more. No one in the group went back for seconds except me but I took thirds and fourths.
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8/18/2021 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Bottle vs mag - lighter than the 04s in the prior flight. More reduced. Broad, rich and complete on the palate with lots of oyster shell. Bottle outshone the mag this time.
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7/25/2021 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Disgorged June 2012. White citrus fruit and brioche, with a slightly sweet finish. Richer than the 2006, but still lacey, with a creamy texture. A very fine mousse, with fine bubbles that essentially dissipated quickly. All the elements -- flavors, body, acid -- were in lovely harmony. The paucity of bubbles was a bit unexpected and may have been a sign of advanced age or possibly just that the cork seal wasn't tight. Delicious and loads of relaxed fun.
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7/16/2021 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious now, but great potential here. Very good showing. 94-95+
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6/23/2021 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
This was another glorious bottle of this wonderful CdC vintage. While not as mature as the last bottle two months ago (98 pts), this bottle had many of the traits of that masterpiece but with a slightly lower level of complexity, precision and creaminess. Still, a fantastic Champagne which imparts so much hedonistic pleasure and will only get better from here.
TN: The wine exudes alluring aromas of citrus, freshly baked bread, nougat and burnt sugar out of the glass. It’s a nicely precise and intense, very harmonious and inviting nose. Layered on the palate with citrus, apple, brioche, nougat, toast, burnt sugar, some nuts and minerality. Very good precision and intensity. Superb structure and texture. So fresh and round, vibrant and full of tension, very fine mouss, no hard edges, without weight, yet with poise and a creamy structure as well as a long and expanding finish.
Decanting: Not decanted and followed over 2 hours. It needed 5-10 minutes in the glass to open up and gain weight and improved further with some air. A short decant would have been good.
Glass: Lehmann Grand Champagne
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6/22/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
These are drinking excellently right now and there is definitely more upside to come. Creamy, rich, textured, dense, and has good acid and citrus to tie it together nicely. Wonderful brioche and toast. Fresh and clean, good tension, but overall still open, warm, and inviting. 93 - 94.
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6/15/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
So youthful drunk alongside an excellent bottle of the '88 but all is in place for a graceful development. 93+
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6/5/2021 - bill00 wrote: 94 Points
Rich, creamy lemon custard. Delicious as always.
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5/7/2021 - WST Likes this wine:
So different than any of the other Y2K decade versions. Full blown, but no hint of being over-ripe or over-the-hill. Brilliant orchard and citrus fruit and dense floral and mineral qualities, plus that Comtes glycerin mouthfeel. This screamed for food (and we fed it well)! A big success for the vintage.
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4/26/2021 - paul195 wrote: 93 Points
12 of 24 .... see note from earlier this month
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4/25/2021 - shifter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely sourdough note on the nose with citrus zest. Palate has warm lemon curd and buttered toast with a solid backbone of acidity. Lacks some excitement at this point.
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4/24/2021 - larsth wrote: 97 Points
Wine meet – 2002 Champagne and 2006 Sangiovese @ Lars: This is always great. Fine delicate nose with brioche, nuts and citrus. Elegant, vibrant and great balance.
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4/12/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Superb. Creamy, dense, weighty, rich flavours, but still youthful and highly energetic overall. Will clearly go a long distance. Lemon lime details but moreover full and complete.
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4/6/2021 - paul195 wrote: 93 Points
11 of 24. Haven’t had this in several years. Pretty youthful color. Fine mousse, aromas of white fruit, brioche and crushed stone. Wonderful mouth feel, balanced with lively acidity, ripe fruit and excellent finish. Well done
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2/9/2021 - Cailles wrote: 98 Points
This was the first bottle of this vintage I’ve had which has entered a mature stage with lots of creamy caramel and nutty notes. Clearly the best bottle yet and just so irresistible, this bottle is a strong reminder not to touch any 2008s for at least 10 years. This wine was quite perfect with lots of complexity, a wonderful precision and a fresh yet wonderfully soft and creamy structure.
TN: Intense, sexy nose full of caramel, brioche, nutty notes, citrus. Very precise and harmonious. Sensational palate with layers of brioche, bakery, toast, caramel, nutty aromas, underlying a nice citrus and apple component that helps to lift the creamy structure together with a perfectly integrated acidity. Far from being on a downhill path this wine is fresh and light, full of tension and creaminess and with a long and beautiful finish.
Decanting: No decanting needed.
Glass: Lehmann Grand Champagne
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1/18/2021 - don_quichotte Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Must have been drinking too much artisanal champagne as of late... I just couldn't get past the dosage on the 2002 Comte. Drank one glass and got bored.
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12/31/2020 - drwine2001 wrote:
Celebratory End of Year Wines; 12/24/2020-12/31/2020 (Home-Where Else??): Medium yellow, short lived bead. A beam of lemon and hay on the nose. Moderate dosage, creamy medium weight. Focused lemon, soil, and a fascinating salted brown butter flavor with a hint of caramel. This is fantastic Champagne with only the earliest hints of maturity. A bit less residual sugar would take it to the realm of perfection.
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12/22/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Year end Champagne lunch (Singapore): All wines tasted blind. Very popular right off the bat with excellent citrus flavors, acacia. Lively, crisp but not too sour. In a very good spot.
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11/20/2020 - The Bugle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding.
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11/9/2020 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Chatterbox Falls charter, no notes, more powerful and tighter knit than the ‘00 with toasty brioche taking a back seat to the yellow citrus profile right now. Weighty and powerful. Excellent, try and hold off a while longer. 93 - 94.
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11/7/2020 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Saturday lunch gathering (Bethesda, Maryland): Almost identical showing to the last bottle. The color is lighter than the 00. Expressive youthful nose displaying generous pure white and yellow fruit, granny smith, pear, lemon curd, honeysuckle, once again showing noticeable spearmint, cool mountain stream and limestone. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of generous sweet yellow and white fruit, very fine generous mousse, rich and generous but also focused and precise, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long generous pure yellow and white fruit driven finish with mint and honeysuckle at the end. As much as I enjoy the 00, this is purer and fresher. This remains incredibly fresh, absolute joy!
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10/25/2020 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Pale golden with tiny bubbles.
Fresh aromas of apple, honey, green grapes, and yeasty bread.
A lifted style with brightness and concentration. Has plenty of time left for those looking for more depth and richness. It’s vibrant now and tasting great.
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10/4/2020 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Scores without notes from a nice night of drinking.
97 2009 Giovanni Chiappini Bolgheri Superiore Guado de' Gemoli
96 2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard
96 2009 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard
95 2014 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard
94 2013 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cœur de Vallée Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard
94 2007 Two Hands Shiraz Ares
94 2016 Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu Coteau de Vernon
93 1994 Graham Porto Vintage
93 2002 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
89 1999 Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Liesse d'Harbonville
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9/26/2020 - doncabernet Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brings lots of pleasure. 18 years old and still quite young. Some brioche but also lots of citrus. Will wait two to three years for the next bottle. Easy to drink with a lot of satisfaction. Bravo
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9/24/2020 - cephomer Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at Charlie's last nite. Such a lovely, balanced champagne. Nicely concentrated, lovely aromas of white fruit, brioche and crushed stone. The palate echoes the aromas. Well-structured with a solid acidic core, ripe fruit and excellent, long long finish. Still a tad young perhaps, but great as always!
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9/12/2020 - fatboi Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is just roaring to go in comparison to a bottle of 02 Krug we had earlier in the night. Aromas of baked and toasted with a great balance of acidity and age. just explodes on the palate. 94/95
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9/6/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
PNP at Sunday brunch, outstanding, though not as impressive as my last bottle with the lemon being more pronounced, drink or hold
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8/15/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and toasty on the palate with brioche and ripe yellow fruit. Good concentration. 92-93
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7/25/2020 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
This is so charmingly easy to drink. It has a wonderful balance, good concentration and intriguing aromatics. It doesn‘t have the complexity of the best Champagnes out there but easily deserves 94/95 points and is always a crowd favorite.
TN: Fresh brioche, bakery, toasty aromas, yellow fruit, hints of crushed rocks on the nose and palate. Good intensity, precision, good concentration and a good structure with very good but well integrated acidity and fine bubbles. Not the most luxurious and soft structure yet as this bottle showed still quite young but already soft enough.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decant needed.
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7/16/2020 - Lakersguy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased upon release. First of 6 bottles. Initially tasted tart and seemed very young. Fifteen minutes, things settled down. Really good. Impeccably balanced and delicious. No hurry here. The score will go up with another 3-5 years.
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7/2/2020 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
A small gathering with COVID safety measures (Reston, Va): Unbelievably fresh example displaying generous yellow and white fruit, granny smith, apple tart, pear, lemon curd, mint, white chocolate, white flowers, cool mountain stream and limestone. Excellent concentration, very finely layered fresh white and yellow fruit, perfect harmony, precision and balance, generous fine mousse, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long generous fresh white and yellow fruit driven finish with white chocolate and a hint of mint at the end. This incredibly fresh example if flirting with perfection.
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6/11/2020 - Paul Lin wrote: 93 Points
This drank quite young. If tasted blind, I might have guess it was a 2008. Steely notes of lemon, yellow and green apple, crushed shells, and ginger. On the second day, it showed more age, with refined flourishes of depth and maturity. Perfectly balanced and a real treat.
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6/8/2020 - Xavier94 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The count strikes again! A very intense, expressive yet pure nose of buttery richness, brioche/bread type notes with lemon custard mixed with a woodsy, underbrush inflection. The midpalate is fat, and while generous at this point, the material is still being held back in reserve a bit; a sign of a young wine, yet! The combination of both power and finesse is really striking. would love to follow this over the next 5-10 years, as there is no sign of cracking up anytime soon.
I would say not as fat or soft as the incredible '06 right now but more fresh, elegant and shows more potentnial going forward. 94+.
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6/7/2020 - Raage Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elégant, crémeux (brioché), fin, étiré, j'ai retrouvé ce que j'aime dans cette cuvée sur ce 2002 net et impeccable, sans trace de fatigue, et même avec encore du potentiel ... Le style est toutefois assez classique, on est pas sur ces champagnes modernes et artisanaux, peu sulfités et très typés terroirs, vivants et dynamiques. La caresse des Comtes, bien que subtile et séduisante, se montre à mes yeux plutot traditionnelle, "old school", fidèle à un style qu'il faut imprativement sauvegarder (une marque?). Bref ça manque sans doute un peu de vie, mais dans le genre, on aime sa délicatesse.
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6/7/2020 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium yellow color with fine bead; at first nosing this is very floral and mineral-driven, a profuse lemon creme slowly emerges and dominates. A touch woodsy, chalky with great vinosity. Complex, rich yet still quite fresh. Exceptional finish keeps drawing you back in for more. Exceptional champagne, classic and in a great place now. No rush to drink up though.
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5/27/2020 - WST Likes this wine:
Rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated. This bottle drank beautifully tonight. Robust, rich and ripe, yet elegant just the same. Lemon and apricot flavors, brioche and some early oxidative notes. I loved it.
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5/2/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 100 Points
SO'd for 30 min, as it warmed up, beautiful creamy lemon & toast; likely the finest bottle of champagne I have ever had! My wife wanted to pass on 2 great reds to just keep sipping this
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4/5/2020 - suttonri wrote:
High-energy mousse. Bright&lively citrus notes with green apple. Secondary flavors present but subdued. Lovely foil to Ad Hoc fried chicken and herbed potato salad dressed with vinegar and olive oil.
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3/7/2020 - beatles wrote: 96 Points
It's Friday, I'm in love, even though this was Saturday. This cuvee never fails to impress, it is charming, sexy, feminine, dignified with a glimpse in it's eye and promises of days of wine and roses; lot's of boudoir going on here, but in a less obvious way than Dom P.
#Søndagsseancer
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3/7/2020 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rauno and Adithi's Valentine's Day Dinner (Wellington, NZ): A pair of superb Champagnes served non-blind, the 2002 in magnum. An almost equally beautiful and multi-layered bouquet - as the 2004 - just, perhaps, a tad richer and more opulent. Much different on palate. Much more open and approachable. Characteristic 2002 richness and ripe fruit. Real depth, concentration, structure, power and length. Yet - compared with the 2004 - quite open-textured and harmonious. On its optimal drinking plateau now, I'd think, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it stayed on it for 10+ more years. Brilliant!
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2/29/2020 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
UWS Leap year dinner (@ CdW and KvdK): Beautiful and great bubble. Complex, minerals and beautiful acidity. No more notes, but this is truly a beautiful and great wine.
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2/22/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
2002 Tete de Cuvee Champagne Tasting Volume II (Jan's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over 2 hours plus. Drank as part of a lineup of '02 Tete de Cuvee Champagnes. This happened to be the first '02 of the night as I wanted to flight our two BdB's together to start out. What a stunner this turned out to be. My definitive WOTN and group WOTN as well. This was absolutely explosive on the nose, a total wow nose from the start. Bursting with sea air, fantastically toasted, brioche and toffe with a tremendous floral overtone of acacia; with dough, honey, almonds and white orchard fruits. With a nose like that, the palate has an awful lot to live up to and that it did, with literally no fall off. Also stunning on the palate, this has immense power and penetration, great acidity that maintains a striking freshness and there's that signature elegance despite the intensity. Amazing, so autolytic, deep, pear, chalk, lemon and tart apple that simply resonates on the 45 second plus finish. WOTN.
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2/15/2020 - the godfather wrote:
epic bubbles. super complex. entering secondary a great food wine
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1/26/2020 - BradE wrote:
It's been a while since my last 02 CdC, and this was terrific.
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1/3/2020 - drwine2001 wrote:
Full yellow, still lively. Some early caramel maturity. Medium weight. Fantastic back end acidity, lemon, and minerality. Superb and approaching full maturity.
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12/31/2019 - flashvictor Likes this wine: 97 Points
Delicious!!! Opened on New Year’s Eve. Did not last anywhere near midnight!
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12/28/2019 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 96 Points
I was a little skittish after the last bottle, which had turned. Not so the case with these two beautiful bottles. Thesewere a great foil to the two gorgeous 1995 Oeno I drank over the same holiday period. Where the Dom was lemon, these Comtes were nearer the apple and apple peel spectrum, and possibly richer. Here I tasted rich, sweet, not cloying in any way, apple flesh and baked pie dough. The swallow was so gentle and lovely, easygoing. But it was still rich and full. I think the wine was pretty opened up. There was also that pretty, barely dark mineral that I have gotten with Comtes.
All in all it this was a joy to drink and is in a nice place to drink now and into the future.
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12/25/2019 - Ayanami Likes this wine: 95 Points
Made the rookie mistake I always do with older vintages of champagne: did not let it warm up or breathe enough before drinking. First glass was a bit boring and acrid as a result.
After about an hour, 30 mins of that out of the fridge, it sparked to life in all its complex glory: yeast/toast on the nose, lemon zest, brioche and slight honey on the palate. Great length and acidity suggests perhaps another 10 years. Just need to remember to let this one sit for a bit after opening.
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12/21/2019 - dbg wrote:
Lemon, apple, yeasty bready aromas. Increasing richness and depth as it ages, great intensity and balance. Richer and fuller than last bottle but still incredibly precise and balanced. Medium-long finish. Still on the upswing, expect further improvement as complexity develops over the next decade. A huge hit with the entire group. Outstanding.
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12/10/2019 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 98 Points
Taittinger's 2002 Comtes de Champagne is a profound wine that is just hitting its stride. Light golden in color and sporting a brisk tiny bead, it is full-bodied, intensely aromatic and delivers a wonderfully complex flavor profile. Lemon curd, almond, stone fruit, brioche, rosemary and crushed rock aromas are followed by similar flavors that are supported by a vibrantly acidic yet creamy-textured mouthfeel. Layered in the middle and concluding with impressive length, this is a tour de force for Taittinger that rivals the '96. Tasted from a well-cellared 750 cc bottle, it is still very youthful. Those holding comparably-cellared bottles (or magnums) will be able to enjoy this over the next two decades. Drink now-2040.
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12/4/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Gaja White Truffle Dinner (Osteria Langhe - Chicago IL): Very rich with a bready, leesy character that seems to be getting more pronounced as its gets older. Rich with very good weight, lemon, lemon peel and apple aromas and flavors. Probably would have been better if served colder.
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12/4/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice Asian sweet sour city’s aromas. Bright with fine bubbles good citrus flavors with a bitter lime finish. Nice depth. Seems a touch older than expected.
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11/8/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
French Wine Dinner with NY Wine Friends (The Vine - New York NY): Complex combination of ripe orchard fruit with maturing and earthy notes with lots of concentration and nuance. I tend to like Comtes on the fresher, younger side and this is reaching the end of that drinking window (for me).
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10/27/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was really good and out performed the Krug 163eme. Sadly no in depth tasting note as drank at BV deepvali open house, but I recall this being very fresh and lively. Good citrus notes and acidity. In a great spot now but clearly will last and age gracefully.
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9/22/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Paws II crisp with deep wall of tense mineral driven or hard fruits. Nice citrus lift keeps this tasting fresh and clean.
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9/2/2019 - hajoha wrote: 95 Points
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2002.
Herlig rik nese på den unge siden.
Brødbakst, autolyse, krydder og epler.
Nydelig intensitet og flott dybde.
Fantastisk munnfølelse - mulig den beste i smakingen.
Frukten brer seg ut og danser i munnhulen.
Vibrerende friskhet.
Elegant, kraftfull og leken.
Stor kompleksitet.
Svært ung, men ingen skam å drikke nå.
Vil utvikle seg pent over mange år.
Helt superb presis finish, hvor mineraliteten nesten føles som tanniner. 95p
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8/17/2019 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gourmetklubbens fyrtiotredje middag (A+N, Sundbyberg): (Disgorged in December of 2011, dosage 9 gr/l)
Sweetness on the nose showing butterscotch, acacia honey and some flowers. Opens up with flint and hazelnuts in a delicious way. Palate is smooth with a lovely butterscotch note on the mid before a lovely lime citrus acidic sweetness on the nice and lengthy finish. Typical Comtes sweetness on the finish enhanced by the vintage character
(Best 2017-2037)
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7/17/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 96 Points
2002 Vintage Champagne horizontal (Elystan Street, London): Last wine of a spectacular evening. And even though the palate was tiring and the memory is foggy I think I thought something along those lines: Acacia honey, roast nuts, brioche - sublime balance and very good ageing potential. The best BdB of the night.
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5/19/2019 - Polindz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Full citrus flavor, crisp on the palette.
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3/8/2019 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
There. Yum. Will be 94.
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2/13/2019 - Uncle John wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular once again.
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2/8/2019 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Moving the right direction, this wine continues to get better. Still quite primary, requires more time before regular consumption. 94-95
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2/1/2019 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 95 Points
24k gold color. Mixture of fat and tiny bubbles with a reticent nose. Lemon pound cake with slightly bitter almonds and deliciously sweet lemon mineral water. Wonderful champagne, a top five for me.
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1/11/2019 - Will Devize wrote: 94 Points
More forthright and linear than the sinuous, floaty 2004. Substantial weight and sherberty mousse. Creamy, fat, well defined. Pleasure giving in the most direct way imaginable.
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1/6/2019 - UTPK wrote:
Had the Krug, Dom Perignon and Comte Champagne, all in 2002. They were drunk over 6-8 hours. The difference (and cepage) was evident. The Krug had the most layered nose but was quite restrained and not so wild and toasty as the ie 1996 or 2000 is. The DP was very charming and had an open nose, easy to drink. The Comte stole the show! The most sexy nose, like a Meursault from Coche. The most creamy palate. Wow! None changed much during 6 hours.
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12/19/2018 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Friends (Osteria Langhe): Preferred this slightly to a '04 Dom Ruinart served side by side. Gorgeous full nose. Palate has plenty of ripe, round orchard fruit and toast. Dense and energetic. So long. Terrific.
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12/2/2018 - Stanthienot wrote: 85 Points
A lot of evolution on the nose. The mouth was heavy and very dry in the finisg
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11/28/2018 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Deep nose which is slightly tropical, a hint of hazel nuts, complex; creamy, balanced, quite high dosage, intense, a hint of bitterness in the finish, big bodied.
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11/23/2018 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Friendsgiving Burgundy Dinner (Scottsdale, AZ): From magnum, vibrant and taut, mineral backbone with a touch of yeast. Undoubtedly great Champagne but young, at least in magnum. Absolutely recommended.
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11/21/2018 - Charlie Carnes wrote: flawed
Dark, advanced, undrinkable. Like the 2006 I bought from another store. Perfectly stored since release. Too bad.
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11/13/2018 - walkerjfw wrote:
Dinner with "Cult Wines" hosted by Aarash G. - Great event and great people! (Soho House - Chicago): First wine of the evening, with some great passed hors d'oeuvres.
Classic, vibrant nose of brioche and crisp citrus. Palate repeats citrus/pinapple, quince, almonds - great energy and focus. Great nuance and secondary notes, a complex champagne.
I am not a champagne guy - I like it but just dont have as much experience with it. To my admittedly less trained palate, this was really good. Would have guessed the wine was much younger, seems to have a long arc ahead of it.
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10/28/2018 - dbg wrote:
Lemony citrus, apple, bready aromas. Richer and fuller than last bottle but still incredibly precise and balanced. A huge hit with the entire group. Outstanding.
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10/27/2018 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Oh. Wow. I thought the 2006 Comtes was good, but this is in another planetary system. So complex, so deep, so refined.
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7/28/2018 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always consistent this was very good. Yeasty, lemon, leesy, fresh and energetic. The CDC always performs and this was no exception. Great tension and verve in this wine. Long way to go.
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7/14/2018 - jdtonic wrote: 93 Points
Rich yellow like quality domestic chardonnay.
A fine and rather reticent bead.
Cashews, dried apricot, Meyer zest and yeast on the nose.
Palate a bit tight on the PNP of yeasty dough, small green apples, flinty minerals— opening to reveal some apricot, dried yellow apple and- (asserted by others)- dried pineapple notes. (The sweeter pit fruits and nuttiness emerge with time- and peer pressure - certainly.)
Rich and satisfying, but not cloying. A worthy drink, though I find Heidesecks tastier per dollar, per se.
It may be a personal palate prediliction, or some unconscious anti-Tait bias, but this is a vint which my companion/s routinely rate more highly than do I.
Upside here I believe.
93-94 points.
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6/16/2018 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Very solid wine, drinks very nicely now and definitely has the stuffing to go for long. Reminded us a lot of the 2000 we tried last week ( Papies 93) with that lovely honey touch, ripe fruit and yeasty element. A bit more vibrant of course than the 2000 but i we can be critical given this is a 2002 we expected a lot more difference. Still will not disappoint. 94
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6/7/2018 - dbg wrote:
A bit of sulfur on opening but once that blew off the wine showed a nice mix of lemony citrus, apple and fresh bread. A little tight at first. Opened up within 30 minutes to be a big wine but still young, Excellent
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5/11/2018 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Great showing packed with green apples and freshly baked bread. Impressive intensity and amazing to drink.
The acidity cleans the palate very nicely with a solid aftertaste. Still has a slight touch of bitterness. Very impressive.
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4/21/2018 - psmith wrote: 96 Points
The '02 has the unabashed power of the vintage, which comes across as a darker fruit character that I normally see in CdC combined with ample autolytic notes. It's full-bodied, weighty, and with an aggressive dosage that needs time. Possibly the largest-scaled CdC I've ever had, but a great wine. I wonder if this might evolve a bit like the '90, and possibly be at its best in 5-10 years.
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2/4/2018 - aquacongas wrote: 97 Points
Semiblind Tasting of 17 Champagnes from the great vintage 2002
Not difficult to detect if you know CdC is in da house. Roasted nuts, Vanilla, butterscoth. feels riper and more evolved than the Krug, great acidity and nearly perfect balance. Very drinkable at the moment. Last bottle in November 2017 a little bit fresher. A phantastic champagne. In my Top 3. 97
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1/8/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 96 Points
Yet another holiday dinner with amazing wines (Black Salt, Washington D.C.): Gorgeous and elegant. Served with Prince Edward Island oyster and caviar, the density and precision of this wine never fails to impress. Over time, it develops beguiling orange rind and lemon aspects and turns more vinous and less (deceptively) light. I have one more bottle left. Sad.
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12/29/2017 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
(Disgorged in December of 2011, dosage 9 gr/l)
Still light yellow, almost greenish, colour with a stream of amazingly small bubbles that lead way for the wonderfully youthful nose showing flint, citrus, minerals, stone fruit, hazelnuts and peach flower notes in such a lovely way. Palate is smooth and silky with a well balanced fruitiness and filled with lime mineral acidity and with a very intense and long lime juicy bitterness and with a lovely saltiness on the lips... This is such a great champagne right now!
Very nice performance and even better than last bottle we had a couple of nights ago! This is already very available and at the same time shows so much potential for the future and is a definitive keeper for decades longer! Best 2017-2037.
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12/21/2017 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
This is the best bottle yet from this first case. Crisp, focused, fine mousse, engaging and lively palate, festive, delicious, Bravo
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12/10/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dominik und Peter konnten es nicht glauben, daß ich diesen Jahrgang vom Comtes de Champagne noch nicht im Glas hatte. Wie es zu erwarten war: ein Gigant. Geröstete Macadamianüsse, etwas Vanille und Honig. Großzügige Frucht, sehr ausgewogen. Auf in die nächsten 2 Jahrzehnte. Danke Belkis für das Mitbringen dieser seltenen Flasche. 97+
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11/25/2017 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Just as stunningly good as during previous tastings. Completely adorable, vibrant and totally open for business. The 02 Comtes delivers an amazing experience tonight. The nose reveals a completely integrated and velvety impression with ripe elegant fruit, minerals, sweet brioche and medium toast.The nose is very elegant, yet it has both power and a gentle touch. The palate is perfectly integrated. Acidity and fruit are both balanced and integrated. With a length on the finish lasting a minute or more this is a wine which deserves a lot of merit. Conclusion is still easily drawn: the 02 Comtes is the best Champagne I have ever tasted. (score is 98+)
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11/24/2017 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Game dinner with friends: Beautiful and creamy bouquet with white fruits. On the palate good citrus, minerals, beautiful acidity, dry, soft bitterness and focused. Overall a beautiful and refined wine with refreshing acidity and a great future.
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10/28/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum. Quite youthful, even beyond what one would expect in this format. Results in a wine with slightly more sweetness and slightly less complexity than one would want. Consumed over the course of an hour. Should be upside here but this bottle was a long way away. 92-93
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10/28/2017 - lepetitchateau wrote: 92 Points
From magnum, this started out very young and full of potential. But for some reason it never quite got there, as did past examples.
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8/12/2017 - NYC_Maenad Likes this wine:
I've never had a bad bottle of the '02 Comtes and this was no exception. Lovely, balanced, persistent finish and round, rich mid-palate. Some toasty yeasty notes, and even a bit of what Jonathan called "cleaning fluid," though he meant it in a nice way. Delicious, as always, even better with a few hours in the fridge under a champagne stopper.
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7/24/2017 - Winetex Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stellar Comtes! Complex and loaded with white floral, green apple and slight toast (brioche) aromas and flavors. Slight mineral chalk on the finish. Structured but without weight.
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6/9/2017 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
Pale straw. Wonderful poise and line. Some creamy development around a firm crunchy core, but just so balanced, poised and effortless. Lovely now for its early development without loss of youthful energy, though years in hand. *****
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4/21/2017 - larsth wrote: 95 Points
Wine meet - Lars @ St Paul de Vence: Superb. It is a big champagne and at the same time incredibly elegant and vibrant. Brioche, citrus, apple and white flowers.
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4/15/2017 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent baby Many years in her future.
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3/8/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Penfolds Grange Vertical (Sixteen, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is slightly coiled, but it is deep and balanced with greed and red apples, almonds, mineral tones, pears, yellow florals, baking spices, and some roasted nuts.
Taste: Medium bodied with high acidity. The acidity is fresh and crisp while the feel is balanced and deep along with green and red apples, almonds, minerals, yellow florals, and roasted nuts.
Overall: This felt like there is more that it will give down the road. While it was showing well, it felt like it was holding back at this time. Another 3-5 years should reward to the upside.
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3/8/2017 - psmith wrote: 95 Points
A big, relatively dark Comtes. Deep autolysis character, with more mineral and saline-driven flavors. Broad on the palate. Still very young, but a really good wine.
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2/3/2017 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 98 Points
The lesson about great Champagne. We started dinner with a 2011 Mount Eden Chardonnay, followed by a 2009 Terre Nere Pre-Phylloxera Don Peppino, 2006 Lillian Syrah, 2011 Sine Qua Non Dark Blossom and then a 2005 Joseph Phelps Insignia. After that we ended the full blown hedonism with a Star Trek crescendo - the 2002 Comtes - and what a crescendo it was! Doctor Spock dancing away with Captain Kirk to the tones of ABBA. The Champagne just stood out as one of the best wines of the whole evening. Do not let yourselves be fooled, Champagne can actually work well as a dessert as it breaks the velvety mouth coating chain from heavy reds. If you try this at home - be sure not to have a sweet dessert first, then it will not work as well...
So, back to the 2002 Comtes which is a totally lovely, vibrant and mind boggling effort. The nose reveals an integrated velvety impression with rich deep and elegant fruit. There is also a profound minerality accompanied by classy brioche and medium dark toast. The nose is of course elegant and totally refined, yet there is an element of power as well. Integration is very close to perfect and acidity and fruit are integrated and balanced. With a length on the finish lasting some 55+ seconds, I cannot help but fall in love with this wine. It may provide a Warp speed like experience tonight, but it is done with total refinement and elegance. Perhaps the best Champagne I have ever tasted. Bravo!
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1/21/2017 - BradE wrote:
Very good as always.
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1/21/2017 - brianakrin wrote: 92 Points
rich , full bodied, no secondary flavors yet, Hold
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1/6/2017 - hajoha wrote: 94 Points
Ungdommelig nydelig nese med saftige røde epler, florale elementer og litt steinmineraler.
Meget bra, men fremtiden kommer nok til å utvikle flere detaljer og få frem noen lekre modningstoner.
Særdeles ren og elegant.
Med litt tid i glasset får vi en flott mousse og en lekker munnfølelse.
Bare ungdommen på smak også med konsentrert ren, rik frukt og en superb nerve.
Dette holder høy kvalitet.
Stor fart i utgangen og holder en oppvisning i syre og mineralkickboksing.
Sitter lenge.
Meget bra vin som trenger en 5-10 år for å vise sitt sanne potensiale.
Gir likevel stor glede i dag.
93-94p for nå.
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1/1/2017 - runandshoot wrote: 98 Points
Really amazing crisp, citrus sharpness. Tight, tiny bubbles in the glass, and a amazing bouquet of citrus and floral on the nose. Still a little tight, but incredibly enjoyable even now. Could probably last another decade or two in the cellar, if desired, to develop secondary flavors.
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12/18/2016 - lozatron Likes this wine: 93 Points
East Bay Burgundy Club Year End Blowout (Casa Gary & Ross): Well utterly delicious. Served with the cheese at the end of the meal and no worse for it. Started off a little reductive / synthetic camembert smell but that quickly blew off - lovely yeasty almost briochy but not in a sickly way...
Truly wonderful stuff. And as always, an incredibly generous offer from our kind hosts.
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12/11/2016 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
Piedmont Tasting -- Traditionalists vs Modernists 1998 & 2000: Great crispness and acidity, laser like focus, an exhilarating glass of champagne.
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12/11/2016 - Troon wrote: 95 Points
Really quite amazing. This champagne is in a great place right now, and it still has plenty of life in it. The nose had hints of bread and citrus. The finish was really elegant and smooth. You weren't overwhelmed by citrus or yeast, but both were present. I can't wait to try again in another 5 years.
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12/2/2016 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Friday Dinner at Home with Friends (Our House, Hong Kong): Drank in medium-sized white burgundy glasses to accompany a light raspberry and meringue desert. Light silver-yellow colour. Very vibrant and persistent small beads of bubbles. Nose is lots of fresh-yeast new baked bread and raised notes of lemon zest and crushed whole lemons. Palate is white wheat (like Weissbier), chalk and a very distinctive pettilance on the mid-palate. Really fresh but starting to take on more toastiness and greater reverb on the finish in the 12 months since I last opened a bottle. Lovely as it is, in this vintage I think it is one to stick out of reach in the cellar for another 5 years or at maximum revisit one bottle annually if you can. 92+
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11/24/2016 - scamhi wrote:
delicious bottle, everything perfect, still has lots of life.
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11/18/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Acker Pre-Auction Tasting Wines & In-Auction Dinner Wines (Zuma - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. From magnum. Rich and lush orchard fruit everywhere with slight yeasty brioche notes in the house style. Very good concentration, richness and length. I like where this is right now.
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10/19/2016 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely young Comtes, just as you would expect at age 14 from a terrific vintage. Extremely energetic, high toned, coiled spring, in the lemon peel register, poised and ready for takeoff. Surely more depth to come as it ages and very promising, but delightful even now as Comtes always is at every stage of its evolution.
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10/6/2016 - Levantine wrote:
there is a big difference between tasting and drinking this wine
While tasting the extreme olfactory and taste wealth are apparent
When drinking it is weightless and smooth
Isn't that how it should be?
Dinner at passage 53 in Paris
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9/11/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
My last btl and same btl as R&Ler. Always always a stunning BdM and 02 was an exceptional year. Wishing I still had one or two more! One of the most complex and classiest of champagnes you drink. Always worth the money.
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9/11/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
First Growths at Capital Grille (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. This is another one of those wines that you immediately recognize as great. There is no doubt, no confusion, this jumps out of the glass on the nose and palate. It has the intensity on the nose with a great toasted, yeastiness, with depth and complexity, pear and citrus abound. The palate has that nuance, but what really strikes you is the balance of power and elegance; the elegance that is Comtes, but with the power of the '02 vintage. Just so nice and so good. Hard to describe, but this is now just hitting peak IMO. 95+ to 96pts.
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9/11/2016 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Domaine Chicago party: From magnum, and still as good as I remember it being. Super clean and crisp, with some lovely yellow fruit flavours. Great freshness, with a lovely touch of ripe apples on the finish. Pretty large scaled, this is bound together with a firm spine of acid.
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7/15/2016 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Drinking superbly. Taking on a hint of toasty development. It has notes of fresh bread, citrus and white peach. It is creamy and precise, with loads of mineral and the crunch of a green apple to finish. A Champagne of great finesse.
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6/16/2016 - AHVinoFile Likes this wine: 94 Points
[IWFS-Vic Top Burgundy Grand Crus Dinner at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Melbourne] Pale golden straw color. Vigorous mousse, persistent minuscule beads. Brioche nose over green apple bouquet imbued with mineral, chalk, white flowers, white peach, pear, citrus peel, almond, spice & toast notes. Delightful, well-proportioned, mineral-infused & medium-bodied, but seemingly light & buoyant despite quite intense orchard fruit flavors with complex nuances; perceptibly marked by some racy acidity with great precision & focus. Long lingering finish.
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6/16/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Served with grandson Keegan's 2nd Bday celebration. Unfortunately, the Bday boy was close to bed time and a little squirmy for people trying to enjoy a stellar champagne. Maybe I'll go with NV Champagne for his 3rd :). Still great but lots of distractions.
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6/5/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Davids btl tonight. This wine consistently is one of my favorite Comtes. Some may see this is a bit more overt than most Comtes but I love it! While posting the note I see that CT says I have 2 more and I'm really excited about that. As always the most beautiful of tiny bubbles, elegance, class and depth with another gear over most vintages and some extra fruit. Love it! Only over shadowed by our no name producer 1990 Puligny Montrachet tonight.
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5/19/2016 - JOsgood wrote:
Really good stuff, perhaps a touch sweet for my taste. From mag. Can use much more time in the cellar.
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3/19/2016 - Elvis1969 Likes this wine: 95 Points
En helt fantastisk årgång av Comtes. Gummi, citrusfrukter (mandarin?), mineraler. Fin syra och bra balans. Än så länge inga mognadstoner men fullt njutbar redan nu.
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3/3/2016 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Lovely balance but not showing the energy and joy of the last bottle I tried 9 months ago. Still, very good and I have no doubt it will be great with time.
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2/19/2016 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
HDH auction tasting at Tru (Chicago, IL): As I remembered, this is a huge powerhouse. Super powerful and rich with sweet and sappy white fruit. Perhaps not the most elegant and lithe champagne, this is impressive in its large-scaled stature. The acidity is still very potent, and forms a big spine that holds everything together.
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12/31/2015 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
Fine bubbles, light brioche, nice acidity, creamy texture, persistent finish. Just festive and delicious
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12/12/2015 - BradE wrote:
A nice side by side of 02 and 04 CdC. I preferred the 02 tonight, but both were great as always.
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12/5/2015 - Paul Lin wrote: 94 Points
This drank beautifully tonight. Notes of green and yellow apples, white flowers, candied ginger, and crushed minerals. Expressive on the plate without losing refinement.
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11/27/2015 - Le Monty wrote:
From mag, this was just ok. A bit flat compared to some stellar mags drunk in September.
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11/7/2015 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 98 Points
An unbelievably good wine. Totally adorable, vibrant and totally mind boggling effort. Just as expected, the 02 Comtes delivers an amazing experience tonight. The nose exhibits an integrated velvety impression with ripe elegant fruit, minerals, sweet brioche and medium toast.The nose is certainly elegant and utterly refined, yet powerful and massive. The palate reveals a close to perfect integration and certainly adds to the overall impression. Acidity and fruit are balanced and integrated. With a length on the finish lasting some 50-55+ seconds this is an incredible wine which deserves all the positive adjectives I can write. With this said, the conclusion is pretty easy: the 02 Comtes is certainly the best Champagne I have ever tasted.
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10/26/2015 - Uncle John wrote: 94 Points
What a great bottle of Champagne. Shared with 4 other couples. Beautiful crisp minerality with great complexity and a long finish.
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10/16/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dinner with Friends at Equinox (Leflaive, Lignier Bonnes Mares, Taittinger CdC and more) (Equinox Restaurant, Washington DC): Another incredible showing. Brilliant mouth feel. Very precise on the palate with notes of lemon curd, chalk, and stone. Loads of power and concentration yet silky on the palate. This did not diminish over two hours. A great CdC.
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10/8/2015 - RayOB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bottle Vs Magnum Vs Jeroboam (67 Pall Mall): Crisp slight nose with some toasted brioche and almond. Opening up in the glass. The magnum slightly more complex. Mag-94 Bottle-93
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10/8/2015 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Noticeably softer and more rounded nose and palate than the other glass. Very different. Quite a bit more advanced with less aggressive acidity. I guessed bottle but it was the mag. This fooled nearly everyone.
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10/8/2015 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Very fresh, young and quite dry on the finish. No colour difference between the 2 glasses. Lots of sweet yellow fruit. I guessed mag as it was so much younger than the 2nd glass but it was the bottle!
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9/3/2015 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Lost Thursday Wine Lunch - Blacksalt (Blacksalt, Washington DC): This particular bottle flirts with perfection. Expressive decadent yellow fruit driven nose, apple tart, lemon curd, a hint of butter scotch, smoke, brioche and just like the last bottle from March, very floral. The fat smoky sweet fruit reminds me a top 1er cru twenty year old Meursault Exceptional fine abundant mousse, decadent sweet yellow fruit driven palate impression, mineral, perfect amount of acidity and seamless long finish that ends smoky and sweet. This bottle is drinking perfectly, decadent yet very precise and polished. Definitely the best Champagne of the night. I highly highly recommend.
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8/18/2015 - AtoZ wrote:
This seemed kind of closed to me. Was decanted. Wait two years to try another.
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8/13/2015 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
This is a beauty. So much fun to drink. Just a tiny bit behind the Dom and Ruinart tonight. Agree with Kevin's point that it showed a slight bit less fizz. I'll drink this wine anytime and have a couple myself. Thanks Jimmy!
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8/13/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
The Godfather Turns Sixty: Go Big or Go Home - Rousseau, Margaux, Lynch, a Trio '02 Champagnes and More! (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Light gold color. Drank a 70ml pour over an hour. Consistent with previous bottles, typical Comtes finesse and elegance, pear, soft, plush texture, lemon panna cotta, toast, brioche, cashew. Just a bit less energy behind the slightly aged bubbles, but very stylish as one would expect. Lots of minerality and a clean lengthy finish.
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8/7/2015 - BradE wrote:
A stud as usual. Really good juice.
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6/27/2015 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at our last nite in Anguilla. Pale straw color, very expressive nose of brioche, some citrus & perhaps peach. Donna thought she noticed buttered toast. Creamy, mousse, wonderful tiny bubbles with great freshness & fairly tart acidity. Nice minerality too. I noticed a bit more citrus this time around than in other tastings. Still, I love this champagne, and will no doubt continue to improve in bottle for several years to come.
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6/10/2015 - BradE wrote:
A nice pairing of 02 and 04 CdC. As usual, I slightly preferred the 02. But both are beautiful, and truly great champagne.
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5/2/2015 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dinner at Home (Our House, Hong Kong): Drank in Burgundy wine glasses after a brief opening. Lively mousse that quickly dies down to limpid, languid slow-rising streams of very tiny bubbles. Colour is very light straw-gold colour. Nose is immediate fresh, doughy brown bread straight out of the baker's oven, tons of yeast. Palate is extremely fresh and refreshing crisp green apple acidity and a nice honeysuckle and Epsom Salts then chalky end that, in turn, moves into a subdued but yet-to-be-released length and resonance on the finish. This is sophisticated, refreshing and elegant Champagne.....definitely the least evolved of any of the top 2002s that I have drank. I shall hold back the rest of my case for another year or so before checking its evolution. Impressive stuff. 92+
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4/25/2015 - Paul Lin wrote: flawed
CORKED!
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4/23/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 97 Points
Once the bottle was opened the room filled with the scent of this beauty! Absolutely lovely stuff - hitting its peak now and will stay there for a very long time I am certain.
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4/20/2015 - Sennma wrote: 92 Points
This is a big styled champagne and definitely needs more time to settle in. The nose oozes with ripe pears and apples. The palate largely follows along with some minor toasty notes. Nice tart finish. Would be good to revisit this in 3 years.
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4/19/2015 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Rieslings, Rhones, Richebourg, and more at The Bristol (The Bristol, Chicago): A touch coiled at first, but this really opens up with air, and becomes much more complex as it warms up a little without ever losing any of its focus or vibrancy. Layers of ripe pears, apples, doughy and brioche notes, and a chalky minerality beneath, with plenty of acidity and lively effervescence balancing the richness perfectly. It's a big wine, but still retains great elegance and finishes long. Rather primary now, but this should be amazing with time.
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4/19/2015 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Salil does Chicago; 4/16/2015-4/19/2015 (Chicago, IL): Oops. Way too young (I'll chalk -- no pun intended -- this one up FOR SCIENCE). This is one of the biggest and broadest champagnes I've had in a while. Slightly sweet, with notes of ripe pear and golden apple. Extremely dense on the palate as well. Slightly sweet but absolutely electric with the acidity. I loved the chewy chalkiness on this wine. Tons of upside here.
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4/16/2015 - DonalOB Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic - nutty and slightly on the edge. Huge length. Got so much better with time in the glass.
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4/5/2015 - BradE wrote:
Absolutely delicious. Love it.
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3/28/2015 - BradE wrote:
Two more absolutely beautiful bottles of 02 Comtes. This is really good juice.
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3/25/2015 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
2002 Champagne and Burgundy dinner with Eric (Chez Billy Sud - Washington DC): Excellent freshness and elegance. Fresh apple, a hint of brioche, strong presence of mineral and strong floral note. Fine mousse, airy yet decadent palate and very precise clean finish. It is very enjoyable but will improve at least for another decade adding denser yellow fruits, honey and sweet spices.
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3/22/2015 - clayfu wrote:
If you love acid in your champagne, this is it. Perfect expression of blanc de blanc. Just bright zinging fruit everywhere.
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3/14/2015 - wineduggery Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wait half-an-hour for it to open up. Amazing creamy, bready goodness.
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2/21/2015 - beatles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Haut-Brion dinner: Still very young, and a brilliant wine, vraiment blanc de blancs with all the tell-tale notes of a rich chardonnay, vanilla, butter, almonds, woven together by firm backbone of minerals and acidity. This has years to go, but it is approachable now.
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2/13/2015 - thewiz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yellow colour with an amazing stream of extremely fine and tiny bubbles creating a wonderful rich bouquet.
The nose is still very youthful and needs several more years in the cellar to develop it's maturity. First there's a mixture of sea shells, oysters and then it opens up with mature Coulommiers cheese and then there's the typical vintage flavor of honey sweetness and acacia flowers. Wonderful fresh palate showing lime and lemon with a very nice and long lime peel finish.
Very good sample, bought about 2,5 years ago. Very nice development since I last tried it in 2012 as well!
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2/5/2015 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Popped and poured into regular riedel white wine glasses. Sparkling yellow colour. Gosh this was so good already and had clearly come on a fair bit since I last tried it 12 months ago. Not a hair out of place. Lovely precision. Super wine.
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12/20/2014 - BradE wrote:
Gorgeous, as always. Loved it.
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12/6/2014 - Le Monty wrote:
This was the best 750 of this that I have had, finally matching the level of the magnums. This is my favorite comps, exceeding the '95 in my opinion.
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12/6/2014 - BradE wrote:
For my taste, this continues to be an outstanding champagne. I'll enjoy watching (and drinking through) its evolution.
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11/30/2014 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with last bottle but this was the first bottle to assert its all Chardonnay truth, in an almost Burgundian way.
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11/23/2014 - Jhcwine wrote: 94 Points
Nov 7 TWC OL. Limited notes. Fresh, delicate, opened nicely over evening, developing delicacy, honey notes
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11/19/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nick's Spectacular Birthday Dinner (Hippopotamus Restaurant, Wellington): In magnum. Light colour, small bubbles. A fresh, precise, steely and pure nose, clearly speaking of Chardonnay. Aromas on bouquet of small white flowers, stone fruit, wet river boulder and chalk, with a whiff of baking spices. On palate, tight and very focused, with citric, malic and mineral flavours predominating. There was also toastiness, with a suggestion of almond brioche. Vibrant, energetic acidity but also showing the ripeness and richness of the 2002 vintage, that I have this fortnight seen in both the 2002 Winston Churchill and Dom Perignon. There are clear vintage characteristics shared across those three 2002s. But the Comtes has a precision and steeliness, and not quite the opulence and lushness, that sets it apart from those other two Champagnes. As a Blanc de Blancs, this a very different Champagne, I would put on about the same level as the Winston and ahead of the Dom. Excellent fruit volume and very long. Drinking beautifully now. In 4-5 years time I would expect to see greater complexity still in this excellent Champagne. Huge potential, now only 93.
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11/10/2014 - AWBryce wrote: 93 Points
Quite young for a 12 year old champers.
Fair fruit concentration in the nose. Strong bead, and fruit and acidity are well balanced. Excellent.
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10/25/2014 - Le Monty wrote:
Another outstanding magnum, never ceases to impress.
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10/24/2014 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 98 Points
An adorable, vibrant and thrilling effort, the 2002 Comtes de Champagne delivers a true "best-of-the-best" experience tonight. The nose delivers a fully integrated almost velvety impression with rich fruit, tons of minerals, sweet brioche and white toast. A wonderful nose to say the least - so full of everything, yet so elegant and refined. The palate adds to the elegance and balance with close to perfect integration. Acidity and fruit are both there but they are kept on a short leash and none are allowed to speak up on behalf the other. With a length on the finish lasting some 55 seconds that just puts the "dot over the i", this is a marvellous wine which deserves all the merit it can get. It is certainly one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever tasted.
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10/17/2014 - fontaine wrote: 95 Points
Grand Champagne, très frais. Peche et pomme, amandes grillées et légèrement briochée. Beaucoup de minéralité et de belles subtulités. Excellent comme pause de rouge.
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9/23/2014 - UTPK wrote:
At Frederiksminde. Still one of the best balances I have encountered in a young CHampagne. I wonder if the dosage is higher than for some of its peers. It is so enjoyable to drink now, even if the nose is very young.
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9/17/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
Rockstar Champagne... like, all of them (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Really bready, yeasty aromas. Some barrel funk, too. Pretty interesting. Really rich, soft palate, with tiny bubbles. Smooth and rich oaky notes, offering creamy apple flavors. Nice depth. Slightly puckering minerality on the finish, which is very tart and quite gritty. Ripping finish.
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9/12/2014 - Krugman wrote: 95 Points
It has become extremely hard for me to stop drinking these bottles. For my money, the Taittinger CdC is one of the very best 2002 champagnes I have been fortunate enough to consume. This has a wonderfully dense silky texture and comes across as uplifting and light, despite its richness. Flavors include citrus, oranges, peaches, macadamia nuts, and vanilla cream. Still very young, but this CdC will always drink well. A real stunner.
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9/10/2014 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Elite (Elite Chinese Restaurant - Los Angeles, CA): This was my first time trying this, and it really blew my hair back. Tons of toasty notes that I love, and big, dense citrus tones. Certainly young, I'd love to get my hands on some of this for some long-term aging.
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9/6/2014 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Champagne - 100 Vintage and NV Champagne; 12/15/2015-12/15/2020: Very elegant nose of flowers, peach, hawthorn and some almonds. Very fine perlage and excellent length. Very high class champagne.
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9/4/2014 - d'Artagnan wrote: 95 Points
30e anniversaire de Vincent: Nez crémeux, champignons, cave humide.
La bouche est fraiche, crémeuse, des notes de pêches, beaucoup de minéralité, avec une finale complexe, épicée. Superbe Champagne d'une grande finesse. 95 pts
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8/24/2014 - MWiking wrote: 98 Points
Shit vilken champagne! Detta är min stil, rökig, knäck, rostat bröd, rostade fat, lite brända toner, finfin frukt, Känns som vinet är ganska moget trots så unga år, doften är 100 smaken 97-99.
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8/23/2014 - Ramberg wrote: 95 Points
Nose with fine perfumed white flowers, white stone fruits, green apples, tropical fruits, toast and smoky minerals.
Very Chardonnay profiled nose.
On the palate this has chalky fat minerals, fat citrus fruit, lime lemons, bread and tropical fruits.
Surprisingly less 2002 in profile and acidity, and more developed than previous bottles I have had.
Very good Comtes!
(95 points for this particular bottle.)
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8/23/2014 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale Yellow
On the nose, Toasted bread, yeast, green apples, smoke, brioche, toffee
On the palate, Apple, lemon citrus tone, mineral, smoke and hints of hazelnuts. The acidity is not as present as expected.
Long finish
94+
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7/17/2014 - TinMan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep bread with rock in the nose. Well, well balanced same in the mouth with dark fruited lemon-lime and subtle earth, if that's possible. A long finish. Very, very nice!
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7/11/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
1982 Bordeaux Tasting and Dinner (Sunset Ridge Country Club - Northfield IL): Lots of ripe apple with lemon and lemon peel, spice notes throughout, some toasted brioche. Nicely fresh. less yeasty than I typically expect from Taittinger, even this young.
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6/21/2014 - BradE wrote:
Great as always.
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5/18/2014 - amateurwino wrote:
Like the 2000 that this was flighted with, this has lovely fruit apparent on the nose. On the palate, this feels drier than the 2000, with an herbal/floral component to add interest. I slightly preferred the greater richness in the 2000, but that is merely personal stylistic preference - this is delicious, refreshing champagne.
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5/18/2014 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '14 edition (Ben's (NYC)): Served alongside the 2000, and I greatly preferred this. Lots of complexity already; layers of fresh fruit, fresh baked biscuit, chalk, and sweeter doughy and floral notes all coming together seamlessly, and there's fantastic cut and precision to the flavours. On the palate it conveys both great intensity and elegance, and the finish has remarkable length. Outstanding.
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5/17/2014 - rSyver wrote: 92 Points
There is a combination of elegance, complexity, balance and mineral footprint that lift this one well above average. Add the long lingering finish and we are heading towards seriousness. Purity defines it, although the palate is cleaner than the nose,. Drinking well now, obviously very young.
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5/12/2014 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
The best 2002 I've had, though tonight a Salon is on the menu. This was a fully delivering bottle, visually, via aromatics and on the palate. Ripe and ready, though surely will improve for many years.
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5/7/2014 - pacificoast wrote: 96 Points
A superb Comtes, perhaps only slightly eclipsed by the stellar 1996 . Yet this one may evolve to surpass even that great and prodigious effort. A very generous nose of citrus persists through extended airing. On initial opening, the palate is smooth and well-knit, despite the competition from the mousse. Even this fresh release of bubbles is never overwhelming, and the glass soon settles down to a rewarding and elegant evolution over the next 30 minutes or more. With a proper bit of breathing, it becomes virtually seamless and delightfully smooth, rich, and very generous notes of citrus, banana, and tropical fruits present themselves. Unlike the Salon of the same year, which seems completely inert in comparison, this one evolves, changes, and matures in the glass in seemingly endless variety. I can only imagine how beautiifully this will drink in 5,10, 20 years. A superb Champagne, and highly recommended.
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4/28/2014 - UTPK wrote:
Lovely, but needs to be left open for a couple of hours, beginning to shut down. Not as mellow nose as I remember, but the palate is still a seamless beauty where everything is in the right place. Save other bottles for at least 5 years.
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4/26/2014 - DonalOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful nose and palate. Just the density and balance I expected. This can be drunk now but will certainly improve with a few years.
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4/26/2014 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
Drank in Hong Kong
Notes of apple, lemon peel and brioche. Nice mouthfeel with a long depth. Lovely stuff but I recommend you try and leave for a couple of years.
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4/23/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Pretty good stuff here. There was a candied lemon peel quality, along with a baked apple, then a mix of lime acidity and some bread dough. Very balanced.
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4/23/2014 - Paul Lin wrote: 93 Points
Too young to drink and enjoy IMO. Notes of almonds, hazelnuts, green apple, yellow grapefruit, candied lemon peel, brioche, and crushed minerals. Tightly wound on the palate, but the finish is long and refined. Do yourself a favor and wait a few more years.
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4/16/2014 - BradE wrote:
Continues to be a crowd favorite, and a standout in the great class of 02 Champagne.
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3/21/2014 - bill00 wrote: 95 Points
Similar note to recent bottles. Great again with lemon and minerals.
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3/17/2014 - Uncle John wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful once again! Great fruit and length. Became quite sweet after an hour but still amazing.
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3/8/2014 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
Just a fabulous young champagne -- fine bubbles, nice toasty nose, great freshness on the palate. Lovely finish, bravo
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2/21/2014 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a gorgeouely balanced, full-bodied vintage for this wine that is still primary but everything seems to be in place for great aging potential. There is bread, yeast and a copper note on the nose. Vibrant and intense with good tension between the crsip acids and the ripe lemon/chalk fruit. This flows through to a concentrated finish with complex notes of copper minerals, chalk and lemon spice. A grippy, precise and delicious bottle of champagne that will improve over time. 94+
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2/21/2014 - Le Musigny wrote:
Another very good bottle
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2/16/2014 - bill00 wrote: 95 Points
Similar notes to recent bottle a couple of months ago. Lots of lemon curd. Really enjoyable.
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2/16/2014 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 97 Points
A stunning bottle of Champagne! I loved it from the first fresh sip to the compelling last. This wine is fresh and aromatic, with mineral and baked bread, hint of citrus zest. It has a crisp and sweet taste, with hints of dried fruit skins, and zesty fruit and minerals. The nose just won't stay in the glass!
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2/16/2014 - Le Musigny wrote:
Consistant. great bottle.
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2/13/2014 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Toronto Wine Cru - WineSpectator Off-Line Event - Champagne OL (La Palette (French Bistro)): Nose - Definitely chardonnay based. Palate - Much more effervescence that the 1998 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill tasted along side it. Initially very light, but the wine opened up and developed fruit over the evenning. Improved over the evening, from an initial 92 to a 93. But not a 94 in my view. And not a Salon, or so I'm told.
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2/10/2014 - Tree512 wrote:
Far too young to even rate for me, but will likely turn into something special. Lots of lemony acidity, fine bead, and showing little fruit. Not sure how much stuffing is there because it is so closed, but I think it will be very good. Shouldn't touch any of it before 2020.
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2/2/2014 - Georgez wrote: 95 Points
Despite its youthful acidity the easy pick of the champagnes presented for Australia Day lunch. How good are the 2002 vintages? Strong fine bead, long rich and dry. If I had any in my cellar it wouldn't see the light of day for many years yet where it would no doubt rate higher still.
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1/18/2014 - Uglypinga wrote:
Bready nose. Drank this next to cristal which made is seem round and soft. More like a still chard. Mild citrus notes. Round stone fruit palate. Mousse is moderate and softens quickly. Good not great.
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1/10/2014 - botrytisvirtuoso1819 wrote: 98 Points
nose; limestone, lemon zest, white flowers, and pine sap.
palate; toasted brioche, spices, cream, and candied ginger.
high acidity.
dry very very long finish.
the most bubbles I have ever seen in a bottle of champagne.
tastes like a crazy good montrachet with bubbles.
this has what it takes to last 30 plus years.
may well get even better with time.
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12/28/2013 - bill00 wrote: 95 Points
Pale yellow. Crisp, fresh and youthful. Tons of minerality on the nose and palate. Also lemon cream and hints of citronella. Despite the youthful acidity this has a rich roundness to it in the mouth that makes it so pleasurable to drink now.
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12/24/2013 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
Very nice young champagne, light color, tiny bubbles, creamy texture, yeasty, festive and simply delicious.
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12/17/2013 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
In honor of son Joe's 32nd Bday at LBV. This is deserving of all the accolades others have given it. Refined and elegance defined with depth in spades. Delcious. We didn't waste a drop.
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12/11/2013 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Had this in a tasting with other flagship bottles from 2002. It was the lightest of the group and probably needs the most time to show its stuff. The balance is superb but is just way too closed off right now.
For comparison's sake, it was put up against these:
- 02 Dom Perignon
- 02 Dom Ruinart
- 02 PJ Belle Epoque
- 02 Bollinger GA
- Krug Grand Cuvee
- 04 Grande Dame
- 98 Dom Ruinart
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12/10/2013 - BradE wrote:
Good as always.
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12/7/2013 - m_arcon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted this alongside five other Champagners and for me this juice really stands out.
Colour: Light, yellow.
Nose: Lively Boquet of a lot of Lemon, pear, peaches and apples mixed with a great minerality and a lot of white floral notes. Love that. A bit of yeast & brioche but just a hint after some time. The wine is constantly changing in the glass. I just loved that.
Palate: Again minerality driven, fine bubbles, great tension & acidity and a lot of energy but still very elegant. Medium+ finish.
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11/28/2013 - sandwich Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a superb champagne! We opened a magnum at noon for the traditional thanksgiving champagne toast and this blew us away. Yeasty brioche and muted peaches, pears, apples, persimmons, and nectarines. Finely textured bubbles which were actually fluffy pillows of Chardonnay. If this gets better in a few years I will be blown away. One of the best young champagnes I've tasted.
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11/20/2013 - Krugman wrote: 95 Points
After recently drinking a bottle of the 2004 Comtes, I thought it would be a good time to check in on the 2002. The 2002 has shown positive evolution over the past year and is currently drinking extremely well. In fact, even though I know this will be an even more incredible champagne in 5-10 years from now, it will be extremely hard to resist consuming my remaining bottles in the short term with how well this is currently drinking. At this point in time, the 2002 has a level of richness and openness that is missing from the 2004 Comtes right now. The beauty of this champagne is that it has these wonderfully rich and forward flavors, but is incredibly light at the same time. In fact, the 2002 Comtes feels like it just floats across the palate like a puffy cloud and shows a fine level of detail at the same time. Flavors include oranges drizzled with vanilla cream, bright citrus, pears, peaches, spices, minerals, almonds, and a touch of smokiness. Similar to a top notch Montrachet with bubbles. You can't go wrong with the 2002 Comtes.
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11/11/2013 - canan wrote: 94 Points
BYO (Østerbro): Super intense green apple nose that is creamy and full-bodied. Lovely hint of hazelnut also.
Quite intense and a dense green apple fruit on the palate that is just packed with citrus notes and plenty of acidity.
A huge wine that will continue to improve.
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11/9/2013 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Truffle & Chateauneuf du Pape hunting in Provence; 11/7/2013-11/10/2013 (Crillon Le Brave): Just a glimpse at this stage of what a magnificent wine this 2002 will evolve into in the future. Still very rich and toasty, nice ripe fruit, a tension and energy tht just made us smile. We served this in white wine glasses and once it developped it was si,ple gorgeous. Do not overchill it. a humble 93 for now but with lots of potential
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11/6/2013 - BradE wrote:
Two bottles, both were terrific. Can't go wrong drinking these, even this early.
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11/2/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 97 Points
Wine and Food Matching @ Ben's: Green apple, touch of toast, orange peel, touch of earth and florality with some lemon and pear. Flat out beautiful palate - the acidity gives the wine superb tension while letting the rich fruit shine. Builds and builds across the palate, finishing extremely long. Stunning.
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10/14/2013 - ubercuvee wrote:
Maybe I had a bad bottle, maybe I was distracted while cooking - but to me this was pretty ordinary - large bubbles, not much power and just a bit "meh". And I do love my Comtes (the 2000 is drinking beautifully). I would have graded this a *long* way behind 2002 Dom Ruinart and Dom P, and even behind '02 Bolly GA.
Judgement reserved, but this as a 89-90pt showing (!)
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10/8/2013 - Uncle John wrote: 96 Points
WOW! This has everything a great Champagne should have. Beautiful fruit, fine bubbles, acidity and minerals, expansive mouth and a long finish. Great now and better with a few more years.
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9/28/2013 - tyvoodoo wrote:
Probably one of the better 02s that I've had so far. Big and muscular, dense, rich, great supporting acid. Seems tight up front but does unwind with a bit of air. This seems to me like its coiled up at the moment and needs some age. Lots of promise here, should not have any trouble ageing.
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9/22/2013 - Shorepower wrote:
Oj, här var det sött. Sötman svävar i lager ovanpå och vinet har gått och gömt sig. Finns en del syra men jag kan inte säga att det här vinet är ens i närheten av hur det var tidigare. Lagra. Tror det behövs minst 5 år men troligen mer innan sockret integreras och vinet växer till något annat. Drick 2004 och 1998 medans ni väntar.
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9/8/2013 - the godfather wrote:
Comtes was great but took a while to open up. I would stay away from it for a few years.
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8/19/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): Intensive yellow. Citrus, brioche and breadcrust in the nose. Nice play between sweetness, acidity and mineral notes. Great champagne but still to young. Drink 2017 - 2030.
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8/1/2013 - S1 Likes this wine:
Burgundy Thursday at Tim's Mountain House: Young but delicious with notes of light brioche, peach and soft (poached?) lemon zest. I will expect much more minerality as it ages.
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7/10/2013 - twon Likes this wine: 98 Points
Initial pop has a well rounded feel that is very inviting. Nice yeasty flavor with some floral and citrus notes. As it sat, it developed a more integrated mouth feel that I rarely get from bubbly. It got a bit more honey on the tongue. Wish I had bought more!
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6/29/2013 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Bright nose of light pear juice, soft apple, canned tuna oil, light floral notes, wet river rocks, wheat; elegant and ethereal with good metalic/stony minerals; super slick, lithe, elegant mouth with fine bubbles; perfectly weighted mid-palate with excellent intensity; lemon tarte long finish. It seems this has improved much over the last 6 months since delivery.
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6/8/2013 - BradE wrote:
Two bottles of 02 CdC, which continues to impress. A great wine, and a great value.
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5/30/2013 - -E- wrote: 94 Points
Blanc de Blancs smaking (Oslo): Klar, strågul. Nydelig, mild nese med begynnende modning. Toner av dyp sitrus, autolyse, streif av tangerin og vaniljesukker. Intens, nesten kremet frukt med imponerende kraft og en ekstremt presis sitronsyre som trekker langt ut i avslutningen. Fin kornet mousse. Mild sødme. Nydelig lengde.
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5/29/2013 - soyhead wrote: 95 Points
nose - quince, lemon, burned sugar
mouth - rich, ripe, and most impressively concentrated, with a long finish, yeasty with great citrus verve and rich all at the same time. really enjoyed this and wish I had more
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5/25/2013 - flashvictor Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful Champagne - this strikes the magical balance of being both full bodied yet weightless. Wonderful bubbly which continued to improve in glass.
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5/25/2013 - BradE wrote:
Another enjoyable bottle, that clearly benefits from a bit of glass time.
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5/17/2013 - BradE wrote:
Great champagne, that continues to impress.
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5/3/2013 - BradE wrote:
Friday lunch, sushi, 2002 Taitterger CdC - priceless. Really good juice, and a relative bargain for the quality. Drinking well young, and should be a star over time.
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4/12/2013 - lepetitchateau wrote: 95 Points
Well, there is not much more to say than what has already been said. Lovely wine.
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3/16/2013 - Winetex Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very, very good now with good potential to age. On par with the 1996 with a little less weight. Although it is lighter in weight it had very complex flavors. The remainder are going into the cellar for a few years. Comtes is one of my favs.
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3/11/2013 - Le Musigny wrote:
This is so good now I can only imagine how it will be in 10 years.
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3/8/2013 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 90 Points
Alcohol :: 12%
Not sure about the dosage but I guess it is around 8g/l. This has got more earthiness, mineral as well as touch of smokiness and spiciness that distinct itself to the Fleur de Passion and Jacquesson that served in the same flight. Still quite reserve but it is deep and focus. Medium to full bodied. I thought this has a bit more energy than the passion even though the dosage could have be high. The overall harmony is awesome. Excellent grip, depth, and very fine. This will be a long lived Comtes de Champagne and is much better than the bold, lack of precision and focus 1999 vintage. 90-92
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2/28/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Champagne & White Burgs at Meritage (Meritage, St. Paul): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 40 minutes. Incredibly fine, persistent bead with ample mousse. Very bright, citrus, stone fruit, fresh, yeast, minerals, all very focused. This dances across the palate, light, but with energy, it almost feels like its floating there. This was more open than a bottle I had recently. Showing lemon zest, apple, pear, quince, mineral. The balance was impeccable and the finish long and persistent. Very elegant. What a treat! 94+ to 95pts.
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2/24/2013 - Le Musigny wrote:
Great bottle. Potential is there.
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2/14/2013 - Krugman wrote: 95 Points
This ended up being our choice for a Valentine's day champagne and as usual, we were not disappointed. The beauty of this young Comtes lies in its weightlessness and how it just floats across the palate like a fluffy cloud. The balance, precision, and delicacy of this champagne is also off the charts and its flavor profile is very detailed. Flavors include vanilla cream, white flowers, oranges, tangerines, peaches, bright citrus, nuts, chalk and minerals. Now I have to figure out how to keep my hands off my remaining bottles.
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2/14/2013 - Rowchan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Clear, straw yellow, with bubbly rim, and beautiful tiny bubbles from multiple sources.
Clean, med - intensity, aromas of toast, pralines, wet clothes,ripe grapefruit.
Dry, med alcohol, med + acidity, low tannins (can feel those white skins!), med - body, perfect effervescence, with further tastes of lemon, tofu, unripe melon, banana, and hazelnut. Perfect balance between creamy and bubbles. With a floating finish that never ends. Love this!
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2/2/2013 - jc-mmb Likes this wine: 97 Points
now you're talking champagne. what great bottles. really lovely, fine nonstop bubbles. nose of lemon, orange, apple with nice fragrant fresh-baked dough. the palate is tremendous in depth and complexity. lovely fruit with good dose of acid, mineral, wood and bread dough. just sits on the palate like fine silk shirt. seamless into the finish with great taper.
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1/30/2013 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ouch! This is so young, it's an abortion! I get some yeast, hints of mint, apples, lemon and orange. Very fine mousse and a slightly sweet palate with ginger, unripe pears, grape and orange. A light cream softens the impression some. Lots of minerals and a nice touch of smoke in the finish. Opens up a wee bit with air (gave it 2h) but mainly remains tight.
Obviously very high quality, but needs 4-5 years at least. 92-93 points now, but potential for 95+
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1/17/2013 - Krugman wrote: 95 Points
I had a bottle of this wonderful champagne for the first time last week. In fact, it was so good that I just couldn't resist cracking another bottle. Once again the 2002 Comtes demonstrated why it is so special. Not only did it have beautiful precision and delicacy, but its flavors of white flowers, light cream, oranges, tangerines, citrus, spices, nuts, and minerals showed an incredible level of detail for such an obviously young champagne. In addition, this champagne felt nearly weightless, which is an incredible accomplishment for Taittinger. This will turn into something special with an additional 10 years of bottle age. Who knows, it could eventually turn out to be better than the stellar 1995 and 1996 duo.
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1/12/2013 - Krugman wrote: 95 Points
I decided to pop my only bottle of the 2002 Comtes to see if it could live up to all of the hype. Suffice it to say, I am now a believer as well. The beauty of this champagne lies in its sheer weightlessnes and incredible balance despite its richness. This just floats majestically across the palate and shows an incredible level of detail that is not seen very often in even the best tete de cuvee champagnes from the best vintages. The flavors include a mix of juicy red apples, poached pears, oranges, tangerines, pastries, white bread, cream, white flowers, spices, chalk, minerals, nuts, and smoke. This has an enormous amount of potential and could become a 97 point champagne with 5-10 years of additional bottle age. However, the 2002 Comtes is still hard to resist today despite how youthful it is. This is the best Blanc de Blancs that I have tried from the 2002 vintage. Looks like I will have to track down a few more bottles.
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1/11/2013 - stoffe_lz wrote: 95 Points
Stunning. 2020 - 2040
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1/9/2013 - UTPK wrote:
Had the Dom Perignon 2002 and Taittinger Comte de Champagne 2002 side by side. The DP was broader and wilder on the palate, with more pronounced acidity poking through on the palate. More fizzy and less integrated at this time. The Comte was absolutely fabulous and the better wine. More "winey" on the nose, like a young Meursault, and the way it sat on the palate was one of total harmony. It just don't have any hard edges, even at this early stage. The fruit is broad and multilayered, balanced by elegant and well integrated acidity. One of the best young champagnes I have tasted!
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1/1/2013 - KenK wrote: 93 Points
From magnum: was expecting big things and wine was very good, but not quite at high level I had expected relative to the high pro scores. Pretty aromas of biscuit, flora, and apple. The Champagne has fine tight bubbles and comes accross young and fresh with an impressive chalky mineral component at its core. A bit tart and sharp, but loads of white clean fruits to offset most of the sharp attack. My guess is the wine will balance out nicely with more time in cellar.
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1/1/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Toast, hazelnut, pears, flowers, lemon peel and honeysuckle open to a refreshing, fresh, concentrated, ripe, sweet, spice, green apple and citrus filled wine with elegant textures and a long, creamy, fat, rich finish. Generally speaking, I'm not wowed by Champagne, but this bottle blew me away! It's one the few Champagnes I tasted that is so good, I am going to buy some to lay down.
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12/31/2012 - botrytisvirtuoso1819 wrote: 98 Points
nose; limestone, lemon zest, white flowers, and pine sap.
palate; toasted brioche, spices, cream, and candied ginger.
high acidity.
dry very very long finish.
the most bubbles I have ever seen in a bottle of champagne.
tastes like a crazy good montrachet with bubbles.
this has what it takes to last 30 plus years.
may well get even better with time.
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12/29/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
End of Year Sparklers, Mostly Champagne; 12/29/2012-12/30/2012 (SF Wine Trading Company): Medium yellow. Lightly frothy. Musky aromatics and a surprisingly oaky aspect. Fuller than I expected. Dry, lactic, a touch of caramel and a long, limestone finish. If you took the sparkle out of the equation, this had the structure and feel of a Cote de Beaune Grand Cru, let's say Batard-Montrachet for example. Remarkable in that regard, but I found the amount of wood to be too much (and quite unusual for a Comtes); I hope that it becomes more subdued over time.
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12/24/2012 - Shorepower wrote:
Vad har hänt här. Vinet har slutit sig och blivit än mer blygt. Inte vad jag hade väntat mig. Frukten och mineraler finns där men det måste till värme och tid för att den ska öppna sig. Smaken är mer syrarik än den flaskan jag drack sist men den har fortfarande socker som inte är integerad ännu. Skärpan finns där i bakgrunden. Den här flaskan känns kanske som den bästa jag druckit då balansen är bättre och vinet lovar mer. Flaskvariation eller provarvariation, jag vet inte :-)
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12/17/2012 - Matt Neel Likes this wine:
Gold straw. Reticent nose, it's a little too cold. Brioche, copper and steel filings; quite mineral. Warming, it now shows more -- hazelnut butter, macadamia nut; honeysuckle. A fascinating and deep nose. The palate is quite structured, with great acidity, but with notable ripeness, too -- it is quite fat for a young Comtes. A lovely, fine mousse. There is a wealth of deep, caramel fruit, wow! Fabulous; marzipan, almost sweet in its v v long finish, where again the structure shows -- on the finish it is even a bit hard. This is probably the finest young Comtes I have ever had. Excellent. In 20 years it will really be something...
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12/16/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
2002 Champagne Tasting (Jan's House): A bit disappointed after seeing glowing reviews. Spice, minerals, wafer, grapefruit and apple. This lacks the depth and complexity of all the other wines. Medium finish and just not showing like a $150 bottle of Champagne should taste like. Not seeing the 98 from Parker at this stage.
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12/15/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Top Rated 2002 Champagne Tasting (Jan's Place, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 60 minutes. Very tiny bubbles, tight, mint, floral, orange, citrus, yeast, dense minerality. The palate is mineral driven now, tight, light, citrus, tart, lemon zest, chalky. A little bitter on the finish. This did improve more in the glass, but it still was a disappointment given some recent glowing reviews. 92+ to 93pts.
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12/8/2012 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Monopole Champagne Extravaganza: Light pear tart, creamy, airy, with minerals and steel; long tart fruity finish with light bread; young and understated, this did not show as well as I thought it would at our annual Champagne tasting; but has intensity and pedigree.
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12/8/2012 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just what I expected from Comtes at age 10 from a very good vintage. Quite pale, lively stream of very small bubbles. Faint pleasant bouquet of light citrus and baby powder. Delicate but not dull, lively acidity but not overdone, flavors all in the citrus peel range. Clean, classic, ethereal and elegant. A few more years to fill out will yield a beautiful champagne.
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12/7/2012 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 92 Points
Maybe the 02` Taitt is showing more at this stage than the 99` and 00`; it just jumps out of the glass and gives and gives, but you know there is even more to come with age; I can wait.
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12/7/2012 - Bisty Likes this wine: 93 Points
Extremely fruity style is the first impression.
Has it all in balance, minerality, acidity, length, concentration and elegance, quite an acrobat that should best be drunk 2014-2032!
Imagine it will gain another 2 points already in 2-3 years.
Thought the use of new oak for 15% (but only a few months) was barely noticeable which I find excellent!
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12/6/2012 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 97 Points
Crush's Annual Champagne Gala 2012: Quick note (18 wines in an hour). Started out shy on the nose. Over time showed a very focused nose of spice, toast, citrus - lemon/orange. Enters the palate soft and explodes like a grenade. Bright and focused with unmatched drive. Tight yet creamy mousse with orange, lemon, spice and minerals. Lively yet creamy - probably will end up with some creamsicle in the future. Finish is creamy with sweet citrus, spice and malt balls. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
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12/4/2012 - hubas wrote: 93 Points
Indeed a fantastic champagne with great balance and length.
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11/24/2012 - ginfizz wrote: 95 Points
95 points with room to grow. Big for a Comtes, with a rich open nose of citrus, apples, and vanilla oak, medium to full bodied on the palate with large bubbles that toned down with time. Rich on the palate, long finish, classic acidity and zip. Can't get over how big this is. All the structure is there for long term aging, and this is more approachable than the '96s. I'd say similar to the '95 but fruitier.
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11/11/2012 - dream wrote: 94 Points
An excellent vintage of this great champagne. Quite intense and rich at this early point with fine flavors of yeast, lemon zest, citrus and spice. Finishes tangy and complex with superb density along with notes of chalky minerals and young hazelnut. Has that intense sourball thing going on. To me, this is a great, young Comte that should be another classic but it really needs 5+ years to calm down. 94+
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11/10/2012 - stassivo wrote:
Le Salon du Vin de la Revue du Vin de France 2012 (Brussels): Complex floral bouquet with some yeast and a pleasant acidity. Well-balanced and round on the palate, the ripe fruit gives almost a sweet sensation to the wine. Rich and multi-layered.
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10/27/2012 - St Paul wrote: 96 Points
What a lovely champagne this is. I now have had it twice over the last couple of days and I love it. It is Comtes de Champagne as it best. Clean flirty fruit and texture with white flowers and cream. I need to stock up on this if possible. Very sensual. This is by far the best Comtes de Champagne since the fantastic 1996.
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10/26/2012 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 95 Points
Private Chef dinner at Yann's new place (Flatiron District, Manhattan, New York): Light gold. Very spicy on the nose and very fruit forward: bright meyer lemon and orange, critrus zest, candied ginger. Very elegant with class to burn with a wonderful sweetness and creaminess. Really gorgeous on the palate - again with the lemon zest and orange and the spicy-sweet candied ginger. Really filling, yet light on its feet. Very persistent finish. This needs some time to resolve but will be flat out amazing. Maybe not a luscious and hedonistic as the 02 Bolly Grande Annee, but more sophisticated. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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10/25/2012 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Very excited to try this as Comte is one one of my fav btls of Champagne and, I own a couple 02s. Did not disapoint. This was more focused and brighter than the Bolli Grand Anne with layers of minerality and fruit in spades. Loved it! This should be on every wine lover's bucket list!
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10/25/2012 - BradE wrote:
First try on this, and its great. Essence of seashell and oyster. Brilliant.
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10/17/2012 - thewiz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light yellow colour with a steady stream of fine tiny little bubbles.
On the nose there's freshly crushed stones and minerals. After a while tones of citrus and gooseberries and a hint of sweetness shows up to finish of a very nice start.
The palate shows some sweetness in the finish but it's very well integrated with the freshness of it's youth.
There short finish is somewhat disturbing and takes off a point from the overall score. Hopefully this will change with some more bottle age.
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10/14/2012 - bza wrote:
Very elegant. Minerals, gunpowder and citrus on the nose. The structure of this wine is so delicious with it´s creamy texture and complex layer upon layer taste of lemon, biscuits, wet stone, whipped cream and coffee. All of this wrapped up in a very elegant toasted finish. Super!
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9/19/2012 - Tulloch wrote: 96 Points
One of the best young champagnes I've ever tried, but probably wont appeal as much to those at the Krug and Bollinger end of the spectrum. Magnificenct nose that changes by the minute and melliflous palate. Goes on and on and should cellar well for 20+ years.
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9/1/2012 - Shorepower wrote:
Till att börja med, Comtes 2002 är betydligt mer slutet än dess föregångare (framförallt 1998) som alla varit charmörer som unga med mycket mineraltoner och citrus. Med 02an får man söka beytdligt mer, det är inte alls lika öppet eller mineraligt. Det finns en hel del frukt och faktiskt någon tendens till honung som förvånade mig lite. Som ofta på unga Comtes flyter sockret lite ovanpå. Inte i klass med DP men det finns där. Syran i BdB balanserar bättre en högre sockerhalt men det vore intressant att dricka Comtes som var med 5g istället. Inte helt integrerad smak men 2002 är klast den bästa Comtes sedan 1996. Fruktdrivet. Ett vin som ska ligga men om man bjuder på det idag så får man nog ligga ändå. Det är trots allt ett vin som förför.
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7/20/2012 - Lombardi wrote: 95 Points
Delicious juice! Citrus, lemon juice and white stones on the nose. Crispy texture with sharp but well integrated acidity. Amazing fruit content, dense and long finish. Amazing balance and overall quality. This is certainly young but has all the power and precision to go far. Another great 2002 Champagne.
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