Consistent with previous bottles and drinking well now. Autolytic, nutty and soft citrus notes with solid acidity. This is at peak without any potential upside in my opinion.
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I've read a few notes suggesting this may be past its prime, but this bottle (and my last bottle about a year ago) seems to be in the perfect drinking window (for me) with no signs of falling off a cliff anytime soon. Autolytic, citrus and nutty notes with fine bubbles. It has the energy and acidity that I would expect from the vintage and its age. Excellent.
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Clear light yellow, light mousse. Bread dough, lemon cream, apple and dead yeast nose. Dry creamy dry lemon and brioche flavours. The finish is pretty resolved.
At peak or declining slightly.
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Tasted side by side with the 2004 Veuve Brut and I enjoyed this better. Fuller bodied, more complex, and had a wonderful yeasty baked bread on the finish, which I like.
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Last bottle of 6 and 3 yrs since last btl. Surpisingly clean and fresh, no real signs of this being on its way downhill. Not very complex though, but still a very refreshing purity to it. Like it a lot.
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I've held on to my last bottle for a while now. Figured it was time. Been open about 3 hours now. Nose is showing some age and maturity - it's got crisp lemon fruit and some spice/ginger but also a bit of sweetness - caramelization. Lots of ginger and the combo of that with the sweetness is nice. A bit of creaminess as well. maybe some white florals and honeysuckle. Enters creamy on the palate - tiny bubbles and the mousse is mature and nearly soft - just a touch of bite. I really like the combo of flavors on the palate and the mouthfeel - bright citrus, lemon, with spicy ginger and caramel and vanilla - not quite the creamsicle thing but a really nice melange. The finish is more caramelly and more bitter from the mousse - a bit disjointed - the melange from the palate separates. I mostly dig this, maybe a bit over gingery but I tend not to judge Champagne to harshly so whatever. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16-16.5/20.
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Consistent notes, but for my preference, it's time to drink up. Not falling off a cliff tomorrow, but not seeing the stuffing for another decade of positive ageing, either. 12,0% abv. recommended
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Agree with other recent notes, this is a well aged, ready to go wine that offers a nutty, toasty, well integrated nose and palate; the bubbles are starting to fade. Lovely wine (A-)!
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Pale amber in colour, bubbles starting to fade. Lovely and nutty toasty flavours on the palate. Enjoyable although I wish I'd tried it a bit younger. Drink Up.
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2004 tête de cuvées blind (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Some high-toned almond thing on the nose here. Really nice white fruit; quite lean in character. I guessed this was a blanc de blancs based on the more linear character here. Not too complex, but drinking nicely and fairly pleasant.
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My last bottle. Wish I had more, but I think this is really in it's late peak now. The Nose is just gorgeous and wafts brioche, dough, caramel apple, raw sugar, lemon peel, and cardamom. Great maturing aromatics. The palate continues to have great balance with a kiss of dosage an great, fresh acid. Long finish replaying much of the nose. Still not yet showing any nutty oxidation, but the bubbles are getting a little less dense.
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Vinetasters: Special Clubs (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Definitely in a similar vein to the previous wine, this has a nice biscuity element here that is very pleasant. Rich and complex, with some really bright acidity. The palate's texture is a little more full and rounded, and the biscuity elements are less overt on the palate than on the nose. Very tasty stuff. Fully mature for my palate. My 3rd, group's 3rd.
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Eclectica at Table, Donkey and Stick (Chicago, IL): A fairly underwhelming performance here. This seems to be aging far faster than it ought to, especially given the high acid vintage. Shows some browned apple, which is also concerning. Overall, a little flat and boring.
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Golden in colour. Ripe/bruised apples, brioche, vanilla on the nose. Fine mousse. Bruised apple, lemon drop flavours. Some vanilla and caramel. Nice creaminess, long finish. Really nice complexity.
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SpRhones at Borough (Borough, Mpls, MN): This bottle continues to sing along nicely. Light golden color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. There's a nice yeastiness upfront, pear, mid weight, satiny texture, lemon, lemon cream, well delineated. Very nice 92+pts.
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Energetic nose with lemon and baked bread notes. Palate is similar with citrus and autolytic characters. Solid acidity, cut and balance with a drying finish. If tasted blind I'd guessed this to be a BdB as it comes across very Chardonnay dominant. Really good now and just starting to enter it's early drinking window. Excellent.
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Perfekt flaske. Finnes ikke noe bedre enn en flaske som begynner med litt brune epler og strammer seg mer og mer opp utover kvelden. Flott balanse mellom syre, frukt, bakst og mineraler. Sitter lenge.
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New Years Day: Vrai Champagne (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Small pour, tasted this right after the 2005. Both are similar in style but I find the '04 to be a notch better. The '04 is brighter with more crisp green orchard fruits, lemon, lemon cream, and more acid and freshness. 92+ to 93pts.
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Medium gold colour with lively mousse. The nose is a beautiful mix of bread dough, citrus and almond. On the palate we get lemon curd, pear, nougat, almonds and hints of caramel. The medium+ body gives a slightly creamy texture which is nicely balanced with the cut of the back-end acidity. At a perfect place right now but will last many years more. www.advinetures.ca
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Lemony and biscuity with an exotic touch of lemon grass to otherwise classic chardonnay flavors with the perfect amount of bottle development--this is just arriving in the zone I love best. Aged, not old.
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Old World Wines at Spoon & Stable (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1+ glass over 30 minutes. This was elegant, crisp, lemon, lemon curd, mineral nose; delicate chalk, apple, apple skin, lemon cream, medium body on the palate. Very good again. 92+pts.
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Really awesome bottle from this grower. A steal at $67 CAD when it came out a few years ago. It felt mature but not tired, lovely and rich. The nose blasts from the glass with plenty of barley sugar, strawberry tart, white chocolate, caramel, cardamom, blanched walnut, and butterscotch. The palate is fat and rich with adequate acidic cut. I like champagne with dosage, but this felt just a touch sweet for me. I'd peg it at 12g/l, though professional notes put it at 8 g/l. Overall excellent, and no reason not to drink now unless you prefer nutty oxidation which the bottle does not yet have.
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Neb-fest: Nebbiolo & Truffle Dinner (Chicago, IL): Nose had a bit too much earth and funk for my tastes. Palate was fuller bodied with lots of baked fruit and brioche stuffing. Would have enjoyed more with a cleaner aroma.
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Just a wonderful special club from Chiquet in this vintage. This is still young and tight, but still has wonderful balance between fruit, toast, and acidity. I will hold these for now while I finish my 2000 Chiquet Special Clubs which are drinking perfectly now.
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Fortryllende nese med saftige epler, fruktyoghurt, blomster og søt gjærbakst. Flott intensitet - nydelig! Nydelig kremet mousse som gir en smooth munnfølelse. Konsentrert, ren, frisk og elegant i munnen. Flott nerve i vinen og den er superb balansert hele veien. Drikker meget bra nå, men ingen hast i det hele tatt. Lang finish hvor mineralene og syren viser seg frem.
Dette var helt strålende i varmen.
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My first from this producer; hopefully not my last. My experience was the same as Seth Rosenberg's of March, 2015, right down to the orange notes/creamsicle. recommended
Served non-blind. At Chez Cookie, with killer hors d'oeuvres and even better company!
Delicious, rich Champagne showing good evolution. In a sweet spot with some bruised apple and hazelnut, and brioche notes. Drink now and over the next five years. 92-93 points.
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A quite savory Champagne, with stone and yeast on the nose and palate. There's not great fruit richness here, or complexity necessarily, but it was very enjoyable all the same.
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Beating the heat with Whites and Bubbles (Mott St., Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is open and perfumed with baked bread, red apples, mineral tones, pears, baking spices, and some floral tones. While the nose is open for business, it seemed to lack a next gear.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The feel is youthful and slightly lacking depth with red apples, baking spices, mineral tones, pears, and a touch of floral notes.
Overall: This bottle was slightly lacking. It is still an excellent bubbly, it just didn't have that next gear I was expecting.
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Dinner at Nude (Nude, MBFC, Singapore): A nice, stylish champagne. Subtle mineral, apple and lime zest notes made for a really attractive nose. The palate was lithe, streamlined and very nicely focused, with well-cut flavours of apple and citrus lined by lovely mineral streaks. A little sprinkle of spice then lingered on the finish. Really nice indeed, with lovely fine mousse and gently juicy acidity forming a delicious frame for all that laser sharpness. This has rounded up a bit since I last had it and it is delicious. Drinking well now, it will be even better in a few years. 70% Chardonnay 30% Pinot. Disgorged Feb 2012.
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Greet Adira and small BYO at our place (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn): I figured it was time to check in on this again, and with Hothouse spicy fried chicken - hell yes. Burly nose - yeast, mint, orange perfume, almost creamsicle, stones - powdered stones. Big and yeasty on the palate - light citrus, stones, orange mist, more stones. I didn't get detailed scores on the components, but this was in 16-17/20 territory, easily.
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Wines and friends with lovely little Adira, and Seth and Keshet; chez them: Straw. Monster nose, smells just like a bakery: yeast, flour, rising dough; then cream, orangesicle, and, interestingly, fresh-cut grass or alfalfa -- an epic nose! The palate is, somewhat thankfully, more reserved and elegant; nice sweetness, obviously a healthy dosage (love) and a matched creamy mousse; cream with a little salinity to it. But really delicate and poised, a ballerina. Lovely, long length. Excellent. Doesn't need age, it's great now, but I'm sure it will improve for a few years. Delicious wine.
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Northern Rhones (Strip Club Meat and Fish, St. Paul, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour hour or so. The nose is bright with a light airy minerality that that just kind of soared, with some hazelnut, citrus , and pear. The palate has nice depth, medium full body, creamy mousse, rich, pear, citrus peel, and very good length. This seems to be coming into its own now.
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Really powerful nose of ginger, lemon, lime, salted nuts, apple and mineral. The palate is fresh but also quite layered and dense.....spice, ginger, toasted hazelnut, biscuit and dough dominate. Finish is long, layered and pretty. Lovely champagne that is going nowhere.
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Light gold colour in the glass, with a fine, persistent bead. On the nose, lemon zest, crushed rock, grated ginger, apple, toast, tangerine and spice. On the palate, lovely balance; medium acidity and dosage just right. Finishes long with tastes of lemon peel, mineral, apple, ginger and tangerine. This has showed consistently well and punches above its weight.
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The Wine Nerds do Christmas Dinner (Dave' Place - Kitchener, ON Canada): This showed fresher than expected. Still perhaps just a tad young for my tastes. Nose is showing moderately rich notes of tangerine, fresh ginger, red apple, lemon drop, light toast and some mixed brown spices. Palate has a good bit of roundness with moderate acid and sugar. Finish is medium plus in length. Very good showing. If served blind I might have guessed blanc de blancs as this was quite fresh and linear. I have one bottle left and if it's like this one I'm going to try to hold it for another few years.
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Brioche, green apple, pear, stony minerality on the nose and palate. Well balanced with mod+ acidity, drinking great now I bet another five years will be awesome
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A Week in Osoyoos; 7/5/2014-7/11/2014 (Osoyoos, BC): Brief notes. Very young and less interesting and open than previous bottles. Hands off for 3-5 years before trying again. Really nice potential though.
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It's interesting to compare this one with the 2000 vintage, which I drunk not long ago. While still good, the 2000 is a bit tired for my taste. The 2004 still shows a lot of freshness and I have the feeling, it has a long way to go. Fine, persistent mousse. On the nose, I won't mind more yeasty notes here. (only 6 years sur lie as most small growers cannot afford to age their stock longer.) On the palate, good acidity backbone, medium plus finish with subtle mineral notes. Medium body. Well-balanced, though not particularly complex. I wonder if it's shut down for now. Must resist opening another 2004 in at least 3 years from now.
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Desmond's Birthday Dinner 2014 (Park Palace, Grand Park Hotel): 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot, disgorged February 2012. Second time round and this was just as pleasing as I found it to be a few months ago, if not even more so. There was a ring of smoky peat and rustic earthiness on the nose on first pour which blew off to show fresh aromas of green apples and lemons, with a little bit of sweet cream and then notes of green herbs and some floral accents, all lined with a lovely touch of minerality. The palate was very easy, but not in a facile or simple way. Here, creamy mousse and fresh, but brilliantly integrated acidity wove their way through very pleasant flavours of green apples and sweet, juicy lemons. There was certainly some depth on the wine, but it was very gently borne, with a lovely clean precision to it all and a midpalate nicely traced by a line of minerality. It had a nice, gentle finish, with a quiet unassuming length as it glided away with a touch of spice and more of those florals picked up on the nose. This was a very pretty Champagne indeed, and really approachable in its youth too.
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Bottle disgorged February, 2012. This bottle was phenomenal but did not take notes at time of drinking. The mousse very effervescent and had elements to make me think it will age for a long time. For now it was almost too young but so good I understand wanting to drink it young. This will improve even with age.
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Asher's 1st Birthday (Alex's place): 60% Chard, 40% Pinot Noir. I really enjoyed this – it was quite a perfect balance of approachable attractiveness and fresh precision. The lovely nose was a promising start, with mushroom, cream and yeasty, biscuity notes floating around a core of red apples and sugarcane aromas. Nicely complex for such a young Champagne. The palate had a nice round fleshiness to it as well, with a fine mousse cosseting orangey tones of ripe mandarins, kumquats and limes on a very appley base. This was all so nicely integrated that it slipped down wonderfully, with each glass finished in record time. It was almost deceptively easy though, for beneath the slightly ripe, round flesh, there was actually a really defined, almost linear backbone to the wine which stretched from the attack, through the midpalate and into the finish where a lovely lick of mineral that stretched on into a long, lingering tail. It may have lacked some depth and scale to be a truly great Champagne, but this was very nice indeed. We were all very taken by it. It has the balance to age pretty nicely in the midterm, but its drinking so nicely now that I would hardly wait unless I had several cases to work my way though.
Taste: Medium bodied with very noticeable medium/high acidity. The structure is extremely youthful as are the tones of red and green apples, lemon zest, minerals, crushed rocks, and white florals.
Overall: This is a very youthful special club. I would like to see where this is in another 5 years. It's a youthful and beautiful wine right now that does seem like it has a great future.
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Opened by Mark. Considered the first grower/producer in 1919. This estate owns 23 hectares of premier and grand cru vineyards in the villages of Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay. Their vineyards are planted with 20% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 40% Chardonnay. However, this wine is made up of 60% Chardonnay from Dizy and 40% Pinot Noir from Hautvillers and Aÿ. 14 cases of this wine were imported into the US. Pale yellow with a strong bead. Notes of lemon zest and brioche. Cliquey wines have been described as chiseled and this was no exception. Clean finish. Still young and could use more aging. 92+ points
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At this point I guess I could call this my house champagne. Although it won't be for much longer if I keep up this consumption pattern. Especially considering that the 2004 Chiquet Special Club seems to be disappearing from retail given its small production numbers. As usual this had incredible depth and tension. On the palate pungent lime citrus flavors immediately jump out, followed by tangerines, oranges, honey, ginger, crushed rocks, and a touch of cream. This is coming along very nicely even though it is still very young.
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Really fine bubbles; aged nose- seemed older than '04, structured yet soft palate, not yeasty or oaky, apple, pear, and a chalky minerality on the finish. Very soft in comparison to the '06.
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As usual, this is a superb young Special Club from Gaston Chiquet. As I have said before, this is the best Gaston Chiquet champagne that I have had the pleasure of drinking. The silky and creamy richness along with vanilla spice and oranges are sublime. Please see my previous reviews for additional details.
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The 2004 Chiquet Special Club continues to get better and is my favorite Special Club bottling from the 2004 vintage so far. This has such a vigorous depth and vibrant tension to go with its creamy mousse. I get flavors of lime citrus, oranges, tangerines, ginger, honey, lemon meringue, crushed rocks, flint, and a touch of yeast. This is a fabulous champagne that will continue to open and improve for at least the next several years. Go get some now before this disappears from retail.
Aromas are light. The palate is soft, creamy, and a little sharp, like a razor. Tight and puckering finish, though at the same time smooth and creamy. Nice stuff.
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Brought to Riverpark for my part of my birthday dinner. Expressive and sharp nose of crisp green apple, bread/yeast, meyer lemon and tangerine, spice, a touch of candied ginger. Some creaminess comes in and out. Similar on the palate, quite young with an aggressive mousse. The citrus, apple and spice really show here, again, notes of a nice creaminess come in and out. Adds a nice chalky (both in flavor and some in texture) notes as the wine moves into the finish, and the chalk and citrus dominate a solid finish. Not quite as good as the last time I had it, but still excellent. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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Disgorgement September 2011 - 4391 - L-SC04-12. Citrus zest, mandarin oranges, golden apple, chalk, ginger, honey, and Thai basil. Fine bubbles, creamy mousse and extremely well balanced. Beautiful and complex 30+ second finish. A bit young for my palate, will not be touching another bottle for a minimum of 2 years.
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This was a nice step up in quality after a bottle of Billecart Salmon brut rose kickstarted the New Year's eve festivities. As usual this wonderful Special Club showed flavors of creamy red apples, chalky minerality, oranges, tangerines, ginger, toast, spices, flowers, and honey. A real treat, especially at $54 per bottle. This might be my current pick for best champagne value on the planet. Not sure what else I would recommend at this price point.
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Christmas Champagne Bash with friends (At home): One of the best bottles of the night, this showed off flavors of bright oranges, creamy red apples, chalk, yeast, bread, honey, flowers, and spices. I can't get enough of this champagne. Still very young.
A lovely champagne. Light color, fine bubbles, creamy mousse. Bouquet has the finest hint of yeast, with light apple and grapefruit. It is has grapefruit tanginess on the tongue, with good mouth feel. While outstanding, I feel it struggles to live up to its price. For $45, it would be an excellent QPR.
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Loved this. Great grip with nicely toasty tones. Had great depth, verve and complexity. One of my favorite champagne producers, it was fun to try the 2004 vintage.
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Lovely. Crisp, clear....no syrupy taste. A mild apple/citrus taste that I suspect will put on weight over time. A medium bodied Champagne that is quite refined, if not overpowering and in your face. I would wait a year or two before really digging into this.
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Resistance is futile! I just can't keep my hands off my 2004 Gaston Chiquet Special Club stash. Even though this is still extremely young, it seems to have improved ever so slightly in the last few months. In fact, this was probably the best bottle that I have had so far. The 2004 Chiquet Special Club has an extremely vigorous and creamy mousse, with flavors of citrus, tangerines, oranges, a touch of honey, lemon meringue pie, minerals, crushed rocks, and a touch of yeast. This is already a wonderful champagne and will likely be sensational with a few more years of age.
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As mentioned in my previous notes, this is still extremely young, but is already showing that it is one of the best Gaston Chiquet champagnes ever made. The bubbles just explode from the glass at a relentless pace, showing the vibrant energy in this Special Club bottling. Though the nose is still a bit closed, the flavors on the palate include oranges, tangerines, lemon pie, yeast, spices, minerals, chalk, and a nice creaminess that builds on the finish. Hard to resist today, but being patient with this one is bound to be rewarded.
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I just can't seem to keep my hands off of these even though I know how young this still is and how much it will improve over the next several years. This bottle was a little more tight than usual, but was still lovely with flavors of oranges, tangerines, and citrus to go with medium/high acidity and chalky minerality. There is also a nice creaminess that builds as you let each sip linger in the back of your mouth. A wonderful effort by Gaston Chiquet. It is impossible not to like this.
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Each time I have this Special Club from Gaston Chiquet it seems to get even better. As previously noted, this is still extremely young, but is one of the most promising champagnes I have tasted all year. It has wonderful vibrant yellow fruit flavors (including oranges and tangerines) to go along with a tense and chalky core. This also has a tremendously creamy texture while being very delicate at the same time. The best Gaston Chiquet champagne that I have ever tasted and the best 2004 Special Club on the market in my view (at least so far).
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As previously noted, I am having a very tough time keeping my hands off these bottles of 2004 Chiquet Special Club. While still extremely young, this is still in a great spot for current drinking. It has wonderful delicacy and balance to go with a strong citrus and cream element. It is also drenched with piercing minerality. Just a wonderful champagne that has nowhere to go but up.
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This is really a very nice Special Club offering from Gaston Chiquet. It is extremely fresh, vibrant, and loaded with minerals. It also has a very high level of precision to go along with its delicate yellow fruit flavors. At present, this is also extremely young and a little bit steely, but given another couple of years in the cellar, this has the potential to be one of the best Chiquet wines made. The challenge will be leaving these alone in the mean time since they are already so tasty. I had the regular NV Chiquet BdB last week and this Special Club just blew that wine out of the water.
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Walk-in tasting: Grower Champagne w Terry Theise @ Acker Merrall (Acker Merrall retail store, New York): For me, this was a step up from the previous bottles. Great nose, more complex than the previous wines, more complete: candied fruit, yeast, spice, sharp, lemon, minerals. Crystalline fruit and sweetness on the palate, cidery, apples, bready, sweet fruit. This is really excellent. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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Popped and poured, followed over the next 2.5 hours. This Champagne continues to amaze for the money; a polished nose of citrus rind, fresh ginger, honey, crushed rocks, florals, caramelized sugar and herbs. On the palate, super creamy mousse, with crisp acidity and slightly dry finish, that lingers in the mouth with notes of citrus, apple, mineral, ginger and burnt sugar.
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A few bottles on Wednesday (Dave's House): Popped and poured, followed over approximately 2 hours. Light straw colour in the glass. On the nose, notes of lemon peel, slate, fresh cut green apple, and with time, light notes of caramel, florals, white tea leaves, and honey. On the palate, very creamy mousse, gliding across the tongue with tastes of citrus fruits, minerals, burnt sugar, and ginger, leading to a crisp, moderate length finish. I’d expect this to improve over the next several years.
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Although I believe the 92 points I have given this champagne is a very good score, this could be one of those rare champagnes that has the chance to reach 95 points in the next 5-10 years as it continues to evolve. The 04 Chiquet Special Club is already drinking extremely well with a light, fluffy and creamy mousse that is densely packed with loads of citrus and is incredibly light on the palate.
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To echo Krugman, I was overwhelmed by the creaminess of the mousse. Yes, its still a baby, but shows great character and finesse. cookie dough, biscuit, lemon curd, and a touch of nuttiness. Simply amazing PQR so stock up as this a small production.
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This now the third bottle of 2004 Gaston Chiquet that we have consumed in the past month. While this is still very young, it is still an extremely tasty champagne today. Wonderful acidity with white flowers, salty minerality, oranges, tangerines, white bread, and a touch of cream greet you on the palate. The fruit is also incredibly pure and ripe at the same time. As this integrates over time it has the chance in my mind to become one of the best Gaston Chiquet champagnes made to this point. It is well worth its $50+ price point.
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This was our second bottle of the 04 Chiquet Special Club in the last several days and this bottle seemed even better than the first one. Even though this is clearly extremely young, it is still already an incredible champagne. This has flavors of cookie dough, vibrant yellow fruits, oranges, tangerines, citrus, honey, etc. The flavors are intense, but they are delicate at the same time with wonderful minerality and chalk. It is this contrast between the minerality and the ripe fruit flavors that make this so special. I have no doubt that this might end up being the best Special Club made by Chiquet to date. In five years this could well become a 95 to 96 point champagne.
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This special club from Gaston Chiquet is going to be something special in the long run. However, it is already very good today. I was struck by its purity and deep flavors of oranges, tangerines, citrus, cookie dough, and defined minerality. Over the next several years this will gain additional depth and it will eventually become one of the best wines ever produced be Chiquet.
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WineFanatic Champagne Offline (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – light yellow colour. Fresh nose of citrus, minerality with hints of floral and dough. On the palate very youthful and energetic with a creamy mouthfeel that’s framed beautifully by bright acidity on the lengthy finish. I thought this might be a BdB. Loads of potential here but this needs 3+ years at least. Excellent. 91+
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12/15/2023 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottles and drinking well now. Autolytic, nutty and soft citrus notes with solid acidity. This is at peak without any potential upside in my opinion.
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12/24/2022 - godx wrote: 91 Points
I've read a few notes suggesting this may be past its prime, but this bottle (and my last bottle about a year ago) seems to be in the perfect drinking window (for me) with no signs of falling off a cliff anytime soon. Autolytic, citrus and nutty notes with fine bubbles. It has the energy and acidity that I would expect from the vintage and its age. Excellent.
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8/5/2022 - coremill wrote: 85 Points
A little past its prime? Lots of mature nutty/caramel notes, getting a bit short, lacking substance and acid. Disappointing.
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3/31/2022 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Clear light yellow, light mousse. Bread dough, lemon cream, apple and dead yeast nose. Dry creamy dry lemon and brioche flavours. The finish is pretty resolved.
At peak or declining slightly.
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12/25/2021 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted side by side with the 2004 Veuve Brut and I enjoyed this better. Fuller bodied, more complex, and had a wonderful yeasty baked bread on the finish, which I like.
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3/28/2021 - JesperR wrote: 91 Points
Last bottle of 6 and 3 yrs since last btl. Surpisingly clean and fresh, no real signs of this being on its way downhill. Not very complex though, but still a very refreshing purity to it. Like it a lot.
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3/6/2021 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
I've held on to my last bottle for a while now. Figured it was time. Been open about 3 hours now. Nose is showing some age and maturity - it's got crisp lemon fruit and some spice/ginger but also a bit of sweetness - caramelization. Lots of ginger and the combo of that with the sweetness is nice. A bit of creaminess as well. maybe some white florals and honeysuckle. Enters creamy on the palate - tiny bubbles and the mousse is mature and nearly soft - just a touch of bite. I really like the combo of flavors on the palate and the mouthfeel - bright citrus, lemon, with spicy ginger and caramel and vanilla - not quite the creamsicle thing but a really nice melange. The finish is more caramelly and more bitter from the mousse - a bit disjointed - the melange from the palate separates. I mostly dig this, maybe a bit over gingery but I tend not to judge Champagne to harshly so whatever. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16-16.5/20.
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7/21/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Consistent notes, but for my preference, it's time to drink up. Not falling off a cliff tomorrow, but not seeing the stuffing for another decade of positive ageing, either. 12,0% abv. recommended
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3/6/2020 - JohnSh wrote: 92 Points
Agree with other recent notes, this is a well aged, ready to go wine that offers a nutty, toasty, well integrated nose and palate; the bubbles are starting to fade. Lovely wine (A-)!
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2/7/2020 - MissHighwater wrote: 90 Points
Pale amber in colour, bubbles starting to fade. Lovely and nutty toasty flavours on the palate. Enjoyable although I wish I'd tried it a bit younger. Drink Up.
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12/19/2019 - Paul D wrote:
Christmas Winps (La Trompette, Chiswick): Brioche, some mineral, very fine mousse, lemon, brioche richness, crisp acids, quite long.
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7/21/2019 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
2004 tête de cuvées blind (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Some high-toned almond thing on the nose here. Really nice white fruit; quite lean in character. I guessed this was a blanc de blancs based on the more linear character here. Not too complex, but drinking nicely and fairly pleasant.
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6/25/2019 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
My last bottle. Wish I had more, but I think this is really in it's late peak now. The Nose is just gorgeous and wafts brioche, dough, caramel apple, raw sugar, lemon peel, and cardamom. Great maturing aromatics. The palate continues to have great balance with a kiss of dosage an great, fresh acid. Long finish replaying much of the nose. Still not yet showing any nutty oxidation, but the bubbles are getting a little less dense.
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6/2/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Vinetasters: Special Clubs (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Definitely in a similar vein to the previous wine, this has a nice biscuity element here that is very pleasant. Rich and complex, with some really bright acidity. The palate's texture is a little more full and rounded, and the biscuity elements are less overt on the palate than on the nose. Very tasty stuff. Fully mature for my palate. My 3rd, group's 3rd.
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1/23/2019 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Eclectica at Table, Donkey and Stick (Chicago, IL): A fairly underwhelming performance here. This seems to be aging far faster than it ought to, especially given the high acid vintage. Shows some browned apple, which is also concerning. Overall, a little flat and boring.
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12/31/2018 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Golden in colour. Ripe/bruised apples, brioche, vanilla on the nose.
Fine mousse. Bruised apple, lemon drop flavours. Some vanilla and caramel. Nice creaminess, long finish. Really nice complexity.
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11/6/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Fairly identical to the last bottle of 10/17 judging by my notes, but this might have been even richer. Drinking it's best, exquisitely ready.
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11/2/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Clear light yellow, very strong g mousse. Great lemon, almond and white flower nose. Very dry rich lemon cream flavours and long dry finish.
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8/2/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
SpRhones at Borough (Borough, Mpls, MN): This bottle continues to sing along nicely. Light golden color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. There's a nice yeastiness upfront, pear, mid weight, satiny texture, lemon, lemon cream, well delineated. Very nice 92+pts.
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7/26/2018 - godx wrote:
Energetic nose with lemon and baked bread notes. Palate is similar with citrus and autolytic characters. Solid acidity, cut and balance with a drying finish. If tasted blind I'd guessed this to be a BdB as it comes across very Chardonnay dominant. Really good now and just starting to enter it's early drinking window. Excellent.
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7/14/2018 - Kurtjo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfekt flaske. Finnes ikke noe bedre enn en flaske som begynner med litt brune epler og strammer seg mer og mer opp utover kvelden. Flott balanse mellom syre, frukt, bakst og mineraler. Sitter lenge.
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1/1/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
New Years Day: Vrai Champagne (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Small pour, tasted this right after the 2005. Both are similar in style but I find the '04 to be a notch better. The '04 is brighter with more crisp green orchard fruits, lemon, lemon cream, and more acid and freshness.
92+ to 93pts.
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12/25/2017 - Stirling Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium gold colour with lively mousse. The nose is a beautiful mix of bread dough, citrus and almond. On the palate we get lemon curd, pear, nougat, almonds and hints of caramel. The medium+ body gives a slightly creamy texture which is nicely balanced with the cut of the back-end acidity. At a perfect place right now but will last many years more. www.advinetures.ca
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10/21/2017 - Neecies Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lemony and biscuity with an exotic touch of lemon grass to otherwise classic chardonnay flavors with the perfect amount of bottle development--this is just arriving in the zone I love best. Aged, not old.
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10/19/2017 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Light yellow with medium mousse. Lively nose, biscuit, toast, lemon and flint. Delicious dry chardonnay flavours and a long dry finish.
This is finally showing some nice secondary development. Some nice autolytic character.
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5/4/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Old World Wines at Spoon & Stable (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1+ glass over 30 minutes. This was elegant, crisp, lemon, lemon curd, mineral nose; delicate chalk, apple, apple skin, lemon cream, medium body on the palate. Very good again. 92+pts.
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1/25/2017 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
Really awesome bottle from this grower. A steal at $67 CAD when it came out a few years ago. It felt mature but not tired, lovely and rich. The nose blasts from the glass with plenty of barley sugar, strawberry tart, white chocolate, caramel, cardamom, blanched walnut, and butterscotch. The palate is fat and rich with adequate acidic cut. I like champagne with dosage, but this felt just a touch sweet for me. I'd peg it at 12g/l, though professional notes put it at 8 g/l. Overall excellent, and no reason not to drink now unless you prefer nutty oxidation which the bottle does not yet have.
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12/25/2016 - Jahull03 wrote:
Beautiful opening to Christmas dinner. Bigger than expected, yet focused enough. Lovely stage for this wine
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11/18/2016 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
Neb-fest: Nebbiolo & Truffle Dinner (Chicago, IL): Nose had a bit too much earth and funk for my tastes. Palate was fuller bodied with lots of baked fruit and brioche stuffing. Would have enjoyed more with a cleaner aroma.
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9/19/2016 - Sheila62 Likes this wine:
Just a wonderful special club from Chiquet in this vintage. This is still young and tight, but still has wonderful balance between fruit, toast, and acidity. I will hold these for now while I finish my 2000 Chiquet Special Clubs which are drinking perfectly now.
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9/3/2016 - jwsmith wrote: 92 Points
Always excellent long and lush perfect wine
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8/2/2016 - hajoha wrote: 93 Points
Fortryllende nese med saftige epler, fruktyoghurt, blomster og søt gjærbakst.
Flott intensitet - nydelig!
Nydelig kremet mousse som gir en smooth munnfølelse.
Konsentrert, ren, frisk og elegant i munnen.
Flott nerve i vinen og den er superb balansert hele veien.
Drikker meget bra nå, men ingen hast i det hele tatt.
Lang finish hvor mineralene og syren viser seg frem.
Dette var helt strålende i varmen.
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7/10/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
My first from this producer; hopefully not my last. My experience was the same as Seth Rosenberg's of March, 2015, right down to the orange notes/creamsicle. recommended
Served non-blind. At Chez Cookie, with killer hors d'oeuvres and even better company!
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7/4/2016 - futronic wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, rich Champagne showing good evolution. In a sweet spot with some bruised apple and hazelnut, and brioche notes. Drink now and over the next five years. 92-93 points.
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7/3/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 90 Points
Bright yellow, strong mousse. Intense nose of toast, pear and caramel. Slightly sweet lemon and pear flavors. Medium rich dry finish.
Seemed good but came up second best compared to the Ariston Aspasie.
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6/4/2016 - Topper wrote: 89 Points
Decent champagne. More on the bready side than showing much fruit. May get better but I can't say for sure. Not very good qpr at this point in time.
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1/24/2016 - esol wrote: 93 Points
Such a pretty, elegant, and complex Champange. Not slowing down anytime soon.
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10/23/2015 - jlm wrote:
A quite savory Champagne, with stone and yeast on the nose and palate. There's not great fruit richness here, or complexity necessarily, but it was very enjoyable all the same.
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7/28/2015 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Beating the heat with Whites and Bubbles (Mott St., Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is open and perfumed with baked bread, red apples, mineral tones, pears, baking spices, and some floral tones. While the nose is open for business, it seemed to lack a next gear.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The feel is youthful and slightly lacking depth with red apples, baking spices, mineral tones, pears, and a touch of floral notes.
Overall: This bottle was slightly lacking. It is still an excellent bubbly, it just didn't have that next gear I was expecting.
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7/2/2015 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Nude (Nude, MBFC, Singapore): A nice, stylish champagne. Subtle mineral, apple and lime zest notes made for a really attractive nose. The palate was lithe, streamlined and very nicely focused, with well-cut flavours of apple and citrus lined by lovely mineral streaks. A little sprinkle of spice then lingered on the finish. Really nice indeed, with lovely fine mousse and gently juicy acidity forming a delicious frame for all that laser sharpness. This has rounded up a bit since I last had it and it is delicious. Drinking well now, it will be even better in a few years. 70% Chardonnay 30% Pinot. Disgorged Feb 2012.
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3/26/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Greet Adira and small BYO at our place (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn): I figured it was time to check in on this again, and with Hothouse spicy fried chicken - hell yes. Burly nose - yeast, mint, orange perfume, almost creamsicle, stones - powdered stones. Big and yeasty on the palate - light citrus, stones, orange mist, more stones. I didn't get detailed scores on the components, but this was in 16-17/20 territory, easily.
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3/26/2015 - Matt Neel Likes this wine:
Wines and friends with lovely little Adira, and Seth and Keshet; chez them: Straw. Monster nose, smells just like a bakery: yeast, flour, rising dough; then cream, orangesicle, and, interestingly, fresh-cut grass or alfalfa -- an epic nose! The palate is, somewhat thankfully, more reserved and elegant; nice sweetness, obviously a healthy dosage (love) and a matched creamy mousse; cream with a little salinity to it. But really delicate and poised, a ballerina. Lovely, long length. Excellent. Doesn't need age, it's great now, but I'm sure it will improve for a few years. Delicious wine.
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2/18/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Northern Rhones (Strip Club Meat and Fish, St. Paul, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour hour or so. The nose is bright with a light airy minerality that that just kind of soared, with some hazelnut, citrus , and pear. The palate has nice depth, medium full body, creamy mousse, rich, pear, citrus peel, and very good length. This seems to be coming into its own now.
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1/14/2015 - Dave Canada wrote: 93 Points
Really powerful nose of ginger, lemon, lime, salted nuts, apple and mineral. The palate is fresh but also quite layered and dense.....spice, ginger, toasted hazelnut, biscuit and dough dominate. Finish is long, layered and pretty. Lovely champagne that is going nowhere.
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12/26/2014 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
Light gold colour in the glass, with a fine, persistent bead. On the nose, lemon zest, crushed rock, grated ginger, apple, toast, tangerine and spice. On the palate, lovely balance; medium acidity and dosage just right. Finishes long with tastes of lemon peel, mineral, apple, ginger and tangerine. This has showed consistently well and punches above its weight.
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12/26/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
The Wine Nerds do Christmas Dinner (Dave' Place - Kitchener, ON Canada): This showed fresher than expected. Still perhaps just a tad young for my tastes. Nose is showing moderately rich notes of tangerine, fresh ginger, red apple, lemon drop, light toast and some mixed brown spices. Palate has a good bit of roundness with moderate acid and sugar. Finish is medium plus in length. Very good showing. If served blind I might have guessed blanc de blancs as this was quite fresh and linear. I have one bottle left and if it's like this one I'm going to try to hold it for another few years.
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11/23/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Champagne and Sushi (Sushi Fix, Wayzata, MN): Just got a very small pour of this honey. Excellent, fresh, lively, better than a year ago. Need to sample a glass of this again to really evaluate it. 92+pts.
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10/31/2014 - CelebrateLife! Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brioche, green apple, pear, stony minerality on the nose and palate. Well balanced with mod+ acidity, drinking great now I bet another five years will be awesome
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7/11/2014 - godx wrote:
A Week in Osoyoos; 7/5/2014-7/11/2014 (Osoyoos, BC): Brief notes. Very young and less interesting and open than previous bottles. Hands off for 3-5 years before trying again. Really nice potential though.
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5/31/2014 - dlcass Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yeast; a touch "clumsy"; a round style with nice appeal. Not of the focused mineral style.
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3/17/2014 - Libiamo! wrote: 90 Points
It's interesting to compare this one with the 2000 vintage, which I drunk not long ago. While still good, the 2000 is a bit tired for my taste. The 2004 still shows a lot of freshness and I have the feeling, it has a long way to go. Fine, persistent mousse. On the nose, I won't mind more yeasty notes here. (only 6 years sur lie as most small growers cannot afford to age their stock longer.) On the palate, good acidity backbone, medium plus finish with subtle mineral notes. Medium body. Well-balanced, though not particularly complex. I wonder if it's shut down for now. Must resist opening another 2004 in at least 3 years from now.
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1/17/2014 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Desmond's Birthday Dinner 2014 (Park Palace, Grand Park Hotel): 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot, disgorged February 2012. Second time round and this was just as pleasing as I found it to be a few months ago, if not even more so. There was a ring of smoky peat and rustic earthiness on the nose on first pour which blew off to show fresh aromas of green apples and lemons, with a little bit of sweet cream and then notes of green herbs and some floral accents, all lined with a lovely touch of minerality. The palate was very easy, but not in a facile or simple way. Here, creamy mousse and fresh, but brilliantly integrated acidity wove their way through very pleasant flavours of green apples and sweet, juicy lemons. There was certainly some depth on the wine, but it was very gently borne, with a lovely clean precision to it all and a midpalate nicely traced by a line of minerality. It had a nice, gentle finish, with a quiet unassuming length as it glided away with a touch of spice and more of those florals picked up on the nose. This was a very pretty Champagne indeed, and really approachable in its youth too.
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12/31/2013 - jwsmith wrote: 93 Points
Awesome wine very complex perfect balance.
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12/22/2013 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
A very small tasting pour was impressive and complex compared to the 2 NV champagnes we had.
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12/21/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (Porter Creek, Mpls, MN): Tasting pour. Very nice, lemon nose, very pure, floral. The palate also shows impressive purity, lemon curd, subtle honey, crisp minerals, light body. Good finish. 91+(+)pts.
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12/9/2013 - amateurwino wrote:
Specific notes not kept since I tasted this quickly but I liked it a lot; refreshing and crisp with a dollop of honey to make it pleasing.
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10/8/2013 - gfish wrote: 93 Points
Bottle disgorged February, 2012.
This bottle was phenomenal but did not take notes at time of drinking. The mousse very effervescent and had elements to make me think it will age for a long time. For now it was almost too young but so good I understand wanting to drink it young. This will improve even with age.
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9/15/2013 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Asher's 1st Birthday (Alex's place): 60% Chard, 40% Pinot Noir. I really enjoyed this – it was quite a perfect balance of approachable attractiveness and fresh precision. The lovely nose was a promising start, with mushroom, cream and yeasty, biscuity notes floating around a core of red apples and sugarcane aromas. Nicely complex for such a young Champagne. The palate had a nice round fleshiness to it as well, with a fine mousse cosseting orangey tones of ripe mandarins, kumquats and limes on a very appley base. This was all so nicely integrated that it slipped down wonderfully, with each glass finished in record time. It was almost deceptively easy though, for beneath the slightly ripe, round flesh, there was actually a really defined, almost linear backbone to the wine which stretched from the attack, through the midpalate and into the finish where a lovely lick of mineral that stretched on into a long, lingering tail. It may have lacked some depth and scale to be a truly great Champagne, but this was very nice indeed. We were all very taken by it. It has the balance to age pretty nicely in the midterm, but its drinking so nicely now that I would hardly wait unless I had several cases to work my way though.
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9/14/2013 - EMichels wrote: 91 Points
Nice; Non-descript but very enjoyable
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8/3/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Opened by VM at gourmet III. Citrus notes with fine mousse and tight bead.
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8/3/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Same notes and quality as earlier this year. 92 points.
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7/30/2013 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Chicago Rotating Wine Dinner Series - July 2013 (Chris' House - Highland Park, IL): Nice, brisk acidity and melon on the palate with some toasty notes that gave it a bit of body. As is the case with a lot of 2004s, this had really trimmed and focused fruit with nice complexity and acidic balance.
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7/30/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Rotating Dinner Series- 70s and 80s California Cabernets (Chris' place, Highland Park IL): Nose: Very fresh nose with deeper tones of red and green apples, lemon zest, minerals, brioche, and a good amount of white florals. There is a nice amount of class to this along with the freshness.
Taste: Medium bodied with very noticeable medium/high acidity. The structure is extremely youthful as are the tones of red and green apples, lemon zest, minerals, crushed rocks, and white florals.
Overall: This is a very youthful special club. I would like to see where this is in another 5 years. It's a youthful and beautiful wine right now that does seem like it has a great future.
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5/22/2013 - Dave Canada wrote: 92 Points
Drank to celebrate Greg's new baby.....gorgeous champagne
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4/13/2013 - Milos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very easy to drink; lovely apple, yeasty notes and touch of honey, not particularly refined, but very enjoyable
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3/16/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Opened by Mark. Considered the first grower/producer in 1919. This estate owns 23 hectares of premier and grand cru vineyards in the villages of Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay. Their vineyards are planted with 20% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 40% Chardonnay. However, this wine is made up of 60% Chardonnay from Dizy and 40% Pinot Noir from Hautvillers and Aÿ. 14 cases of this wine were imported into the US. Pale yellow with a strong bead. Notes of lemon zest and brioche. Cliquey wines have been described as chiseled and this was no exception. Clean finish. Still young and could use more aging. 92+ points
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2/25/2013 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
At this point I guess I could call this my house champagne. Although it won't be for much longer if I keep up this consumption pattern. Especially considering that the 2004 Chiquet Special Club seems to be disappearing from retail given its small production numbers. As usual this had incredible depth and tension. On the palate pungent lime citrus flavors immediately jump out, followed by tangerines, oranges, honey, ginger, crushed rocks, and a touch of cream. This is coming along very nicely even though it is still very young.
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2/17/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote: 89 Points
Here's one for bottle variation. Didn't drink much better than a cava.
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2/15/2013 - Rezy13 wrote: 90 Points
Really fine bubbles; aged nose- seemed older than '04, structured yet soft palate, not yeasty or oaky, apple, pear, and a chalky minerality on the finish. Very soft in comparison to the '06.
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2/15/2013 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
As usual, this is a superb young Special Club from Gaston Chiquet. As I have said before, this is the best Gaston Chiquet champagne that I have had the pleasure of drinking. The silky and creamy richness along with vanilla spice and oranges are sublime. Please see my previous reviews for additional details.
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2/7/2013 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
The 2004 Chiquet Special Club continues to get better and is my favorite Special Club bottling from the 2004 vintage so far. This has such a vigorous depth and vibrant tension to go with its creamy mousse. I get flavors of lime citrus, oranges, tangerines, ginger, honey, lemon meringue, crushed rocks, flint, and a touch of yeast. This is a fabulous champagne that will continue to open and improve for at least the next several years. Go get some now before this disappears from retail.
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1/18/2013 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
Aromas are light. The palate is soft, creamy, and a little sharp, like a razor. Tight and puckering finish, though at the same time smooth and creamy. Nice stuff.
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1/8/2013 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brought to Riverpark for my part of my birthday dinner. Expressive and sharp nose of crisp green apple, bread/yeast, meyer lemon and tangerine, spice, a touch of candied ginger. Some creaminess comes in and out. Similar on the palate, quite young with an aggressive mousse. The citrus, apple and spice really show here, again, notes of a nice creaminess come in and out. Adds a nice chalky (both in flavor and some in texture) notes as the wine moves into the finish, and the chalk and citrus dominate a solid finish. Not quite as good as the last time I had it, but still excellent. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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1/1/2013 - esol wrote: 92 Points
Disgorgement September 2011 - 4391 - L-SC04-12. Citrus zest, mandarin oranges, golden apple, chalk, ginger, honey, and Thai basil. Fine bubbles, creamy mousse and extremely well balanced. Beautiful and complex 30+ second finish. A bit young for my palate, will not be touching another bottle for a minimum of 2 years.
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12/31/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
This was a nice step up in quality after a bottle of Billecart Salmon brut rose kickstarted the New Year's eve festivities. As usual this wonderful Special Club showed flavors of creamy red apples, chalky minerality, oranges, tangerines, ginger, toast, spices, flowers, and honey. A real treat, especially at $54 per bottle. This might be my current pick for best champagne value on the planet. Not sure what else I would recommend at this price point.
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12/22/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
Christmas Champagne Bash with friends (At home): One of the best bottles of the night, this showed off flavors of bright oranges, creamy red apples, chalk, yeast, bread, honey, flowers, and spices. I can't get enough of this champagne. Still very young.
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12/21/2012 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A lovely champagne. Light color, fine bubbles, creamy mousse. Bouquet has the finest hint of yeast, with light apple and grapefruit. It is has grapefruit tanginess on the tongue, with good mouth feel. While outstanding, I feel it struggles to live up to its price. For $45, it would be an excellent QPR.
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12/21/2012 - pomerol wrote: 92 Points
Rich citric nose. Entry tastes a little older than I would think for a 2004. Nice fruit character, but a little simple. Overall still very nice.
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12/15/2012 - EMichels wrote: 89 Points
Nice medium body; Light bubbles
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12/13/2012 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
Loved this. Great grip with nicely toasty tones. Had great depth, verve and complexity. One of my favorite champagne producers, it was fun to try the 2004 vintage.
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12/7/2012 - Highlander wrote:
Lovely. Crisp, clear....no syrupy taste. A mild apple/citrus taste that I suspect will put on weight over time. A medium bodied Champagne that is quite refined, if not overpowering and in your face. I would wait a year or two before really digging into this.
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12/5/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
Resistance is futile! I just can't keep my hands off my 2004 Gaston Chiquet Special Club stash. Even though this is still extremely young, it seems to have improved ever so slightly in the last few months. In fact, this was probably the best bottle that I have had so far. The 2004 Chiquet Special Club has an extremely vigorous and creamy mousse, with flavors of citrus, tangerines, oranges, a touch of honey, lemon meringue pie, minerals, crushed rocks, and a touch of yeast. This is already a wonderful champagne and will likely be sensational with a few more years of age.
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11/26/2012 - clayfu wrote:
deathly young. Intense acid and citrus on the palate. Needs time to soften up.
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11/20/2012 - Krugman wrote: 92 Points
As mentioned in my previous notes, this is still extremely young, but is already showing that it is one of the best Gaston Chiquet champagnes ever made. The bubbles just explode from the glass at a relentless pace, showing the vibrant energy in this Special Club bottling. Though the nose is still a bit closed, the flavors on the palate include oranges, tangerines, lemon pie, yeast, spices, minerals, chalk, and a nice creaminess that builds on the finish. Hard to resist today, but being patient with this one is bound to be rewarded.
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11/10/2012 - Krugman wrote: 92 Points
I just can't seem to keep my hands off of these even though I know how young this still is and how much it will improve over the next several years. This bottle was a little more tight than usual, but was still lovely with flavors of oranges, tangerines, and citrus to go with medium/high acidity and chalky minerality. There is also a nice creaminess that builds as you let each sip linger in the back of your mouth. A wonderful effort by Gaston Chiquet. It is impossible not to like this.
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10/26/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
Each time I have this Special Club from Gaston Chiquet it seems to get even better. As previously noted, this is still extremely young, but is one of the most promising champagnes I have tasted all year. It has wonderful vibrant yellow fruit flavors (including oranges and tangerines) to go along with a tense and chalky core. This also has a tremendously creamy texture while being very delicate at the same time. The best Gaston Chiquet champagne that I have ever tasted and the best 2004 Special Club on the market in my view (at least so far).
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10/23/2012 - Krugman wrote: 92 Points
As previously noted, I am having a very tough time keeping my hands off these bottles of 2004 Chiquet Special Club. While still extremely young, this is still in a great spot for current drinking. It has wonderful delicacy and balance to go with a strong citrus and cream element. It is also drenched with piercing minerality. Just a wonderful champagne that has nowhere to go but up.
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10/15/2012 - Krugman wrote: 92 Points
This is really a very nice Special Club offering from Gaston Chiquet. It is extremely fresh, vibrant, and loaded with minerals. It also has a very high level of precision to go along with its delicate yellow fruit flavors. At present, this is also extremely young and a little bit steely, but given another couple of years in the cellar, this has the potential to be one of the best Chiquet wines made. The challenge will be leaving these alone in the mean time since they are already so tasty. I had the regular NV Chiquet BdB last week and this Special Club just blew that wine out of the water.
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10/14/2012 - yofog wrote: 93 Points
Detailed, herbal, juicy, expressive, toasty, lots of energy to the orchard and slight citrus fruits.
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10/11/2012 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 94 Points
Walk-in tasting: Grower Champagne w Terry Theise @ Acker Merrall (Acker Merrall retail store, New York): For me, this was a step up from the previous bottles. Great nose, more complex than the previous wines, more complete: candied fruit, yeast, spice, sharp, lemon, minerals. Crystalline fruit and sweetness on the palate, cidery, apples, bready, sweet fruit. This is really excellent. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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9/22/2012 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured, followed over the next 2.5 hours. This Champagne continues to amaze for the money; a polished nose of citrus rind, fresh ginger, honey, crushed rocks, florals, caramelized sugar and herbs. On the palate, super creamy mousse, with crisp acidity and slightly dry finish, that lingers in the mouth with notes of citrus, apple, mineral, ginger and burnt sugar.
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9/12/2012 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
A few bottles on Wednesday (Dave's House): Popped and poured, followed over approximately 2 hours. Light straw colour in the glass. On the nose, notes of lemon peel, slate, fresh cut green apple, and with time, light notes of caramel, florals, white tea leaves, and honey. On the palate, very creamy mousse, gliding across the tongue with tastes of citrus fruits, minerals, burnt sugar, and ginger, leading to a crisp, moderate length finish. I’d expect this to improve over the next several years.
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9/8/2012 - Krugman wrote: 92 Points
Although I believe the 92 points I have given this champagne is a very good score, this could be one of those rare champagnes that has the chance to reach 95 points in the next 5-10 years as it continues to evolve. The 04 Chiquet Special Club is already drinking extremely well with a light, fluffy and creamy mousse that is densely packed with loads of citrus and is incredibly light on the palate.
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9/3/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote: 94 Points
To echo Krugman, I was overwhelmed by the creaminess of the mousse. Yes, its still a baby, but shows great character and finesse. cookie dough, biscuit, lemon curd, and a touch of nuttiness. Simply amazing PQR so stock up as this a small production.
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8/30/2012 - Krugman wrote: 92 Points
This now the third bottle of 2004 Gaston Chiquet that we have consumed in the past month. While this is still very young, it is still an extremely tasty champagne today. Wonderful acidity with white flowers, salty minerality, oranges, tangerines, white bread, and a touch of cream greet you on the palate. The fruit is also incredibly pure and ripe at the same time. As this integrates over time it has the chance in my mind to become one of the best Gaston Chiquet champagnes made to this point. It is well worth its $50+ price point.
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8/20/2012 - Krugman wrote: 93 Points
This was our second bottle of the 04 Chiquet Special Club in the last several days and this bottle seemed even better than the first one. Even though this is clearly extremely young, it is still already an incredible champagne. This has flavors of cookie dough, vibrant yellow fruits, oranges, tangerines, citrus, honey, etc. The flavors are intense, but they are delicate at the same time with wonderful minerality and chalk. It is this contrast between the minerality and the ripe fruit flavors that make this so special. I have no doubt that this might end up being the best Special Club made by Chiquet to date. In five years this could well become a 95 to 96 point champagne.
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8/18/2012 - Krugman wrote: 92 Points
This special club from Gaston Chiquet is going to be something special in the long run. However, it is already very good today. I was struck by its purity and deep flavors of oranges, tangerines, citrus, cookie dough, and defined minerality. Over the next several years this will gain additional depth and it will eventually become one of the best wines ever produced be Chiquet.
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7/25/2012 - -E- wrote: 90 Points
89/90
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6/17/2012 - godx wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes. Very nice now but much more to come. Hold 3-5 years. Excellent. 91+
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6/13/2012 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Light yellow with lots of mousse. Very tight nose at first, begins to show lots of steely citrus and apple. Very young wine with lots of upside.
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6/12/2012 - godx wrote: 91 Points
WineFanatic Champagne Offline (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – light yellow colour. Fresh nose of citrus, minerality with hints of floral and dough. On the palate very youthful and energetic with a creamy mouthfeel that’s framed beautifully by bright acidity on the lengthy finish. I thought this might be a BdB. Loads of potential here but this needs 3+ years at least. Excellent. 91+
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