Tasted over 2 hrs, can't find disgorgement date -translucent med gold, exuberant mousse -mildly oxidative caramel quinine -med acidity, med- weight moderately complex caramel a bit of quinine, good length -mature and complex
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I believe this is 40%PN 40%PM 20%Ch, but the blend varies. Solera w/ at least 50% reserve wines dating back to the 1970’s. 50% from 2012 (or was it 2014?.. can’t find info). disg 8/2022, dosage 4g/L
PnP @ 59*, then drank over 3 days at varying temps.
Light gold. Practically no bead. This is an oxidative style, with a big nose of yeast and brown apple and, dare I say it, something slightly cheesy (only on 1st day). On the palate, lemon breme brûlée, candied fruit, dried berries, toasted nuts. This description sounds heavy, but it comes across as fresher than the solera suggests. At the end of the long finish, there is something vaguely metallic. As a whole, this gave me fruitcake vibes even though it wasn’t sweet. Pretty consistent over the three days.
If you like an oxidative and bold style, this may be for you. Not a repurchase for me; I prefer the Special Club.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Nonblind starter. Orchard fruit in abundance, with nutty overtones and chalk elements as well. Rich and nutty palate.
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I think this bottle was 2012 base, along with the included reserve wines to compose it. And the fruit ratio was a mix of PN/PM/Chard but this was info from the online offer, as there is no back label info. This had a candied/creamy lemon, apple cobbler and some decadence, along with fresh strawberry. I enjoyed this, showing well.
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ESTG Northern Rhône: Mmm, frothy and fresh, a very fine and creamy Champagne, great way to start out, and a few of us had our curiosity piqued by this producer.
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The Return: The Monthly Big Group Comes Back (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Light gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. This was an about face from my last experience. I really enjoyed this one. Dried apricots, honey, almond, cinnamon, autolytic, ginger nose. The palate shows more baked apple pie crust, ginger, leesy and medium full bodied or better. 91+ to 92pts.
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Our first experience with this cuvee from Jose Michel, a producer we both liked quite a bit. I had to read up on this unusual blend, and wasn't sure what to expect or how to treat it. Went with serving in GGG stems on the cold side and allowing to warm as we went. At first, I was struck by strong bosc pear notes on the nose and the palate, with some bready tones and a touch of lactic on the backend that blew off quickly. In the mouth, this had plenty of focused acidity, slightly coarse bubbles that smoothed out with air and time, and a very complex combination of mature and youthful notes. I think Brad Baker's note on the wine is spot on, and I agree it's not one for holding a long time. I found it benefitted from air for the hour or so we had it open, but didn't think it needed more. Quite enjoyable and interesting! It was a remarkably good match with the little bit of caviar and creme fraiche we brought out to snack on. Usually champagne nudges at the caviar in distracting way at some point in a bite/sip - not enough to stop me liking them together, mind you - but this pairing was seamless.
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Notes from 3 hrs open. Lovely oxidative style, but good freshness to complement. On the nose: honey, marzipan, lemon oil, a shimmer of copper. On the palate, lovely mousse, fantastic acidity, very focused on the palate, with floral honey and lemon. Very clean finish.
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Much like my last go with this wine. This time I got a more cohesive look. The more complex solera notes seemed more integrated with the freshness of the young wine. I wouldn't call it harmonious but it mostly works. Reminiscent of Bollinger Special Cuvee with the more woody, oxidative type of thing married to brighter, fresher expression. Held up great over night. Good stuff.
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I'm not as enthused as some forum members are about this Champagne. Much of the hype comes from the fact that this bottle has vintages dating back to the 70s, but I definitely felt that the vast majority of this blend still came from 2011.
I liked the nutty and apple notes, and while there was some nice acidity, it was ultimately not very exciting and became more of an afterthought. I didn't think this wine was very complex and didn't think it was worth the tariff and glamour. A moderately interesting experience at best. Save your money and put it towards a serious Champagne.
Really over-delivers at this price point. Super interesting and complex wine. You get a bit of oxidative note but definitely not oxidized; not even as much as simple Bollinger.
I’m loving this purchase.
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Was in the mood for Krug, but decided to check in on one of these, since I'm drinkin solo tonight. First time with this champs...have heard good things about this MV cuvee. Base wine is 2011, with back vintages of 71,75,76,82,84...20% chard, 40% PN, 40% PM. I believe 40% of the wine is from the fresh 2011 base, and the rest equal parts reserves. WAY fresher than I thought it would be! Starts out poppin with bursting bubbles of fresh citrus and ginger...tart and sour lemon and green apple skin, saline minerality...then you have this subtle faint ox, sautéed apples in butter, peanut brittle, white truffle nuance in the background...creamy and very elegant, especially as the bubbles dissipate, and the citrus calms...really turns engaging and complexing. If you let the wine sit in the glass for a bit, the freshness takes a back seat to some very intriguing honeycomb, subtle sherry, musty old cellar, peach cobbler, spiced apple cider notes...becoming more delicate and fragile like an old wine, but not at all falling apart. Another splash from the bottle awakens the freshness again like a shot of adrenaline...which I am finding I like more in this wine. I'm keeping a stopper in the bottle as I go through it...preserving the freshness as much as I can. I REALLY like this! Not as rich and captivating as a Krug, but pleases in a similar MV way for me. The QPR is outstanding as well!
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Opened by Allred. This wine is a blend of older vintages (1971, 1975, 1976, 1982 and 1984) together with some 2011 and released in 2018. The cepage is 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. 4 g/l dosage. This was a lovely champagne with a fine bead. Notes of citrus, chalk and a hint of iron. This only had a slight oxidative note which did not detract from the wine in my opinion. Long lingering finish. I wouldn't leave this in an open bottle too long. 94-95 points.
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Opened by Allred at Vino Me's with dinner. Second time I've had this. While I can appreciate what they are doing with this bottling, I find myself always caught up in the oxidative notes of the older vintages that are part of the blend.
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Notes of apple, pear and honeycomb. Cooked apple, ginger and nutty tones with a bit of an oxidative quality too that I find slightly distracting. Not as bright as a previous bottle.
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Apple and bright orchard fruit tones with nut and marshmallow qualities underneath. Much more fresh than other notes had me expecting. A very nice way to start the evening.
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This bottle was firing on all cylinders. Interesting mix of freshness and aged character that kept me coming back for more throughout a night of tasting.
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Another wine that has been offered a bunch of times and so we have some bottles and wanted to make sure it is something I want to continue to buy. Not quite as interesting as the Legras we had right before it, but still a nice champagne. Seemed to get better in the glass as it opened up. Will continue to keep an eye out.
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Presented way younger than expected, given the age of the base wines. This was a very enjoyable bottle, not showing any signs of oxidation. The nose was very pinot-driven, with some classic earthy funk. The palate was bright and toasty. Was expecting a touch more acidity. This was very fun to drink.
This bottle showed much better than my first bottle. At least it started strong and stayed, unlike the first bottle that stated strong and got weird. This still showed that aged champagne note with some slight oxidative notes along with bread notes. Rather thick, it shows rich lemon and green apple. The Meunier comes through. Stayed really vibrant throughtout. Great energy.
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Dinner at Jade Court (Chicago, IL): Whoa. Super weird wine. Can't tell if it's interesting or good, but probably a fair bit of both. Tons of apple and aged champagne notes, but also a huge amount of fresh minerality and acidity. I love the tension between the two here, and the aged elements give this some serious complexity to go with the fresher youthful tones. Super fun stuff.
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Came out of the bottle initially tight. Not very expressive. 10-15 minutes later I was getting lightly spiced aromatic golden apples. More toasty yellow apples on the palate. Just enough richness to keep it from being lean. There is a bitterness that is on the very edge of everything. Some hints of wood. Pretty good. I was worried reading some of the other notes but I enjoyed this. Matching expression on night 2.
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Interesting. Really nice nutty aromas, mostly almonds. Perfect light effervescence. I found the palate to be a little short. Really mild nuttiness, good citric acid. Some red fruit qualities. Not much complexity but enjoyable and the sweetness is right. Like others seem to be suggesting: nice, tasty, interesting (especially with the background of the vintages contained within) but perhaps better value out there.
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I like Jose Michel champagnes in general and this was an interesting trip. This opened with great promise, it had a nice toasty palate with a slight oxidative note and lemon and honey. Definitely get some on The Meunier coming through. It tasted more like a Loire Valley farmer fizz or Jura sparklet, actually. However, with air, it took on a greater oxidative character and threw a sour-yeasty note that was almost cider-like and not entirely pleasing. Verdict out. Not a great buy in the $60-$70 range.
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Vintages 1971,1975,1976,1982,1984, with a touch of younger vintage juice. 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay. Dosage 5 gr/liter Intense and toasty, but I didn't love it as much as I had hoped.
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Was excited to try this, but was a bit disappointed as the specialness of this bottling did not really come through. Don't get me wrong this is a very pleasant champagne to drink, but no more distinctive than the $30/$40 NV from a variety of other growers. Nose has a bit of toast. On the palate the mousse is fine, lemons, citrus peel, red delicious apple, a light note of brioche/nuts. Quite enjoyable but given the mix of old vintages I was expecting this to have deeper more developed flavors.
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A little seaweedy on the nose, which somewhat blew off after a while. Easily identified as a good proportion of Pinot Meunier. Lots of savory and toasty flavors here. Quite nice but I probably wouldn't seek this out again.
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Delicious and very distinctive. Well balanced and robust, this shows like a recently disgorged old vintage Champagne -- i.e., the flavors are round and deep, but the overall impression is fresh and there are no oxidative notes. Not quite as intense as some true top-drawer sparklers, but this is really very nice and something I'll buy again.
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Recent disgorgement. Light colour. Not a lot of complexity on the nose. High acidity. Clean taste. Wish I would have saved it in my cellar for at least 3-5 years further. I was worried that, being a solera wine, it would age quickly. I was wrong as it had not a single trace of maturity.
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Mix of multiple vintages. This stood out as more austere than the other champagnes. Good acidity and mousse, not much on the nose. Suffered next to the Bouchard.
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A blend of Pinot Meunier from '85, Chardonnay from '88, and a PM/Chardonnay blend from '86. Deep golden yellow, vigorous bubbles, and a foamy mousse. Aromas of plum and mushroom, extending to the palate, with the addition of an intriguing complexity found in a champagne finely balanced between youth and age. Balance is found too in the acidity, creating a full-bodied and creamy champagne that never feels heavy. One of the best champagnes I've had in a very long time.
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Christmas Dinner (At home in Tokyo): Some goldish depth to the yellow and a mousse that is full but somehow seems to move almost in slow motion – produces an interesting anticipatory sort of urgency to take the first sip. The nose produces an immediate impression of deep white plums and brioche, with a general bass-level clay kind of mineral behind it. With a search and a sniff, some apple and honey and nuts are there as well. Palate is smooth and soft, with a mousse that is not quite creamy, but certainly smooth. After more deep plum fruit and toasted nuts and butter, there seems to be a grilled mushroom kind of character on the lingering finish. Completely different to the V-F, this is all about depth and maturity. An interesting blend of base wines from ’85, ’86, and ’88, recently disgorged and having a fairly high proportion of Pinot Meunier. A clear case for what that grape can do with a little respect thrown its way.
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2/14/2024 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs, can't find disgorgement date
-translucent med gold, exuberant mousse
-mildly oxidative caramel quinine
-med acidity, med- weight moderately complex caramel a bit of quinine, good length
-mature and complex
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1/19/2024 - IrisTable wrote:
I believe this is 40%PN 40%PM 20%Ch, but the blend varies. Solera w/ at least 50% reserve wines dating back to the 1970’s. 50% from 2012 (or was it 2014?.. can’t find info). disg 8/2022, dosage 4g/L
PnP @ 59*, then drank over 3 days at varying temps.
Light gold. Practically no bead. This is an oxidative style, with a big nose of yeast and brown apple and, dare I say it, something slightly cheesy (only on 1st day). On the palate, lemon breme brûlée, candied fruit, dried berries, toasted nuts. This description sounds heavy, but it comes across as fresher than the solera suggests. At the end of the long finish, there is something vaguely metallic. As a whole, this gave me fruitcake vibes even though it wasn’t sweet. Pretty consistent over the three days.
If you like an oxidative and bold style, this may be for you. Not a repurchase for me; I prefer the Special Club.
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12/20/2023 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 91 Points
Gold. Nose slightly nutty/almonds. Taste still kicking, drink now. Very good
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9/24/2022 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Nonblind starter. Orchard fruit in abundance, with nutty overtones and chalk elements as well. Rich and nutty palate.
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5/1/2022 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I think this bottle was 2012 base, along with the included reserve wines to compose it. And the fruit ratio was a mix of PN/PM/Chard but this was info from the online offer, as there is no back label info. This had a candied/creamy lemon, apple cobbler and some decadence, along with fresh strawberry. I enjoyed this, showing well.
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3/20/2022 - Eric wrote:
ESTG Northern Rhône: Mmm, frothy and fresh, a very fine and creamy Champagne, great way to start out, and a few of us had our curiosity piqued by this producer.
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5/23/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
The Return: The Monthly Big Group Comes Back (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Light gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. This was an about face from my last experience. I really enjoyed this one. Dried apricots, honey, almond, cinnamon, autolytic, ginger nose. The palate shows more baked apple pie crust, ginger, leesy and medium full bodied or better. 91+ to 92pts.
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5/3/2021 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
2nd time with this wine. Similar notes as before. 92 points.
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3/3/2021 - NYC_Maenad Likes this wine:
Our first experience with this cuvee from Jose Michel, a producer we both liked quite a bit. I had to read up on this unusual blend, and wasn't sure what to expect or how to treat it. Went with serving in GGG stems on the cold side and allowing to warm as we went. At first, I was struck by strong bosc pear notes on the nose and the palate, with some bready tones and a touch of lactic on the backend that blew off quickly. In the mouth, this had plenty of focused acidity, slightly coarse bubbles that smoothed out with air and time, and a very complex combination of mature and youthful notes. I think Brad Baker's note on the wine is spot on, and I agree it's not one for holding a long time. I found it benefitted from air for the hour or so we had it open, but didn't think it needed more. Quite enjoyable and interesting! It was a remarkably good match with the little bit of caviar and creme fraiche we brought out to snack on. Usually champagne nudges at the caviar in distracting way at some point in a bite/sip - not enough to stop me liking them together, mind you - but this pairing was seamless.
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4/16/2020 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Notes from 3 hrs open. Lovely oxidative style, but good freshness to complement. On the nose: honey, marzipan, lemon oil, a shimmer of copper. On the palate, lovely mousse, fantastic acidity, very focused on the palate, with floral honey and lemon. Very clean finish.
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1/1/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 88 Points
New Years Day: Vrai Champagne, Fourth Annual Edition (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Just not my favorite producer. Very few of the JM bottlings seem to appeal to me.
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12/27/2019 - WetRock wrote:
Much like my last go with this wine. This time I got a more cohesive look. The more complex solera notes seemed more integrated with the freshness of the young wine. I wouldn't call it harmonious but it mostly works. Reminiscent of Bollinger Special Cuvee with the more woody, oxidative type of thing married to brighter, fresher expression. Held up great over night. Good stuff.
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12/21/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Lovely. Soft oxidative style with fantastic lemon custard notes. On the palate, very fresh acidity, oxidative lemon notes. So yummy.
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11/1/2019 - Satoshi Nakamoto wrote: 90 Points
I'm not as enthused as some forum members are about this Champagne. Much of the hype comes from the fact that this bottle has vintages dating back to the 70s, but I definitely felt that the vast majority of this blend still came from 2011.
I liked the nutty and apple notes, and while there was some nice acidity, it was ultimately not very exciting and became more of an afterthought. I didn't think this wine was very complex and didn't think it was worth the tariff and glamour. A moderately interesting experience at best. Save your money and put it towards a serious Champagne.
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10/27/2019 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Really over-delivers at this price point. Super interesting and complex wine. You get a bit of oxidative note but definitely not oxidized; not even as much as simple Bollinger.
I’m loving this purchase.
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10/24/2019 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Was in the mood for Krug, but decided to check in on one of these, since I'm drinkin solo tonight. First time with this champs...have heard good things about this MV cuvee. Base wine is 2011, with back vintages of 71,75,76,82,84...20% chard, 40% PN, 40% PM. I believe 40% of the wine is from the fresh 2011 base, and the rest equal parts reserves. WAY fresher than I thought it would be! Starts out poppin with bursting bubbles of fresh citrus and ginger...tart and sour lemon and green apple skin, saline minerality...then you have this subtle faint ox, sautéed apples in butter, peanut brittle, white truffle nuance in the background...creamy and very elegant, especially as the bubbles dissipate, and the citrus calms...really turns engaging and complexing. If you let the wine sit in the glass for a bit, the freshness takes a back seat to some very intriguing honeycomb, subtle sherry, musty old cellar, peach cobbler, spiced apple cider notes...becoming more delicate and fragile like an old wine, but not at all falling apart. Another splash from the bottle awakens the freshness again like a shot of adrenaline...which I am finding I like more in this wine. I'm keeping a stopper in the bottle as I go through it...preserving the freshness as much as I can. I REALLY like this! Not as rich and captivating as a Krug, but pleases in a similar MV way for me. The QPR is outstanding as well!
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10/7/2019 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Allred. This wine is a blend of older vintages (1971, 1975, 1976, 1982 and 1984) together with some 2011 and released in 2018. The cepage is 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. 4 g/l dosage. This was a lovely champagne with a fine bead. Notes of citrus, chalk and a hint of iron. This only had a slight oxidative note which did not detract from the wine in my opinion. Long lingering finish. I wouldn't leave this in an open bottle too long. 94-95 points.
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10/5/2019 - thelostverse wrote: 87 Points
Opened by Allred at Vino Me's with dinner. Second time I've had this. While I can appreciate what they are doing with this bottling, I find myself always caught up in the oxidative notes of the older vintages that are part of the blend.
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10/5/2019 - AllRed wrote: 86 Points
Notes of apple, pear and honeycomb. Cooked apple, ginger and nutty tones with a bit of an oxidative quality too that I find slightly distracting. Not as bright as a previous bottle.
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7/13/2019 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Apple and bright orchard fruit tones with nut and marshmallow qualities underneath. Much more fresh than other notes had me expecting. A very nice way to start the evening.
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7/3/2019 - schwank Likes this wine:
This bottle was firing on all cylinders. Interesting mix of freshness and aged character that kept me coming back for more throughout a night of tasting.
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5/19/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Another wine that has been offered a bunch of times and so we have some bottles and wanted to make sure it is something I want to continue to buy. Not quite as interesting as the Legras we had right before it, but still a nice champagne. Seemed to get better in the glass as it opened up. Will continue to keep an eye out.
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4/12/2019 - mp6283 Likes this wine:
Lovely golden color. Nice bready nose to go along with the mineral elements. Lovely
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4/2/2019 - AV2012 wrote: 92 Points
Fresher than vintage '90 we had alongside. Gorgeous with lovely complexity. Wow!
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3/14/2019 - tastark Likes this wine:
Presented way younger than expected, given the age of the base wines. This was a very enjoyable bottle, not showing any signs of oxidation. The nose was very pinot-driven, with some classic earthy funk. The palate was bright and toasty. Was expecting a touch more acidity. This was very fun to drink.
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3/2/2019 - decaturwinedude wrote: 92 Points
This bottle showed much better than my first bottle. At least it started strong and stayed, unlike the first bottle that stated strong and got weird. This still showed that aged champagne note with some slight oxidative notes along with bread notes. Rather thick, it shows rich lemon and green apple. The Meunier comes through. Stayed really vibrant throughtout. Great energy.
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1/14/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Jade Court (Chicago, IL): Whoa. Super weird wine. Can't tell if it's interesting or good, but probably a fair bit of both. Tons of apple and aged champagne notes, but also a huge amount of fresh minerality and acidity. I love the tension between the two here, and the aged elements give this some serious complexity to go with the fresher youthful tones. Super fun stuff.
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1/4/2019 - diggydan wrote: 93 Points
2nd bottle also good. This seemed to taste a tad fresher with less ox'd flavors but maybe I wasn't paying close attention.
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12/31/2018 - WetRock wrote:
Came out of the bottle initially tight. Not very expressive. 10-15 minutes later I was getting lightly spiced aromatic golden apples. More toasty yellow apples on the palate. Just enough richness to keep it from being lean. There is a bitterness that is on the very edge of everything. Some hints of wood. Pretty good. I was worried reading some of the other notes but I enjoyed this. Matching expression on night 2.
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12/31/2018 - mp6283 wrote:
Interesting. Really nice nutty aromas, mostly almonds. Perfect light effervescence. I found the palate to be a little short. Really mild nuttiness, good citric acid. Some red fruit qualities. Not much complexity but enjoyable and the sweetness is right. Like others seem to be suggesting: nice, tasty, interesting (especially with the background of the vintages contained within) but perhaps better value out there.
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12/31/2018 - diggydan wrote: 92 Points
I like this so far. Rich and ripe tasting with good depth. Some brown apple-y ox'd flavors mixed with lemon and chalk. Nice feel.
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12/29/2018 - decaturwinedude wrote:
I like Jose Michel champagnes in general and this was an interesting trip. This opened with great promise, it had a nice toasty palate with a slight oxidative note and lemon and honey. Definitely get some on The Meunier coming through. It tasted more like a Loire Valley farmer fizz or Jura sparklet, actually. However, with air, it took on a greater oxidative character and threw a sour-yeasty note that was almost cider-like and not entirely pleasing. Verdict out. Not a great buy in the $60-$70 range.
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12/1/2018 - WST wrote:
Vintages 1971,1975,1976,1982,1984, with a touch of younger vintage juice. 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay. Dosage 5 gr/liter
Intense and toasty, but I didn't love it as much as I had hoped.
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11/25/2018 - cmueller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not what I expected, might need some bottle time to integrate. Seemed too fresh for what was in it. Needs air possibly too.
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11/3/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote: 90 Points
Was excited to try this, but was a bit disappointed as the specialness of this bottling did not really come through. Don't get me wrong this is a very pleasant champagne to drink, but no more distinctive than the $30/$40 NV from a variety of other growers. Nose has a bit of toast. On the palate the mousse is fine, lemons, citrus peel, red delicious apple, a light note of brioche/nuts. Quite enjoyable but given the mix of old vintages I was expecting this to have deeper more developed flavors.
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11/3/2016 - esh44 wrote:
A little seaweedy on the nose, which somewhat blew off after a while. Easily identified as a good proportion of Pinot Meunier. Lots of savory and toasty flavors here. Quite nice but I probably wouldn't seek this out again.
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9/8/2015 - rc@ughey Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious and very distinctive. Well balanced and robust, this shows like a recently disgorged old vintage Champagne -- i.e., the flavors are round and deep, but the overall impression is fresh and there are no oxidative notes. Not quite as intense as some true top-drawer sparklers, but this is really very nice and something I'll buy again.
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5/23/2014 - RolfT wrote: 89 Points
Recent disgorgement. Light colour. Not a lot of complexity on the nose. High acidity. Clean taste. Wish I would have saved it in my cellar for at least 3-5 years further. I was worried that, being a solera wine, it would age quickly. I was wrong as it had not a single trace of maturity.
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12/8/2012 - vindictive wrote:
Mix of multiple vintages. This stood out as more austere than the other champagnes. Good acidity and mousse, not much on the nose. Suffered next to the Bouchard.
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6/13/2008 - PeterC wrote:
A blend of Pinot Meunier from '85, Chardonnay from '88, and a PM/Chardonnay blend from '86. Deep golden yellow, vigorous bubbles, and a foamy mousse. Aromas of plum and mushroom, extending to the palate, with the addition of an intriguing complexity found in a champagne finely balanced between youth and age. Balance is found too in the acidity, creating a full-bodied and creamy champagne that never feels heavy. One of the best champagnes I've had in a very long time.
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12/25/2005 - jrufusj wrote:
Christmas Dinner (At home in Tokyo): Some goldish depth to the yellow and a mousse that is full but somehow seems to move almost in slow motion – produces an interesting anticipatory sort of urgency to take the first sip. The nose produces an immediate impression of deep white plums and brioche, with a general bass-level clay kind of mineral behind it. With a search and a sniff, some apple and honey and nuts are there as well. Palate is smooth and soft, with a mousse that is not quite creamy, but certainly smooth. After more deep plum fruit and toasted nuts and butter, there seems to be a grilled mushroom kind of character on the lingering finish. Completely different to the V-F, this is all about depth and maturity. An interesting blend of base wines from ’85, ’86, and ’88, recently disgorged and having a fairly high proportion of Pinot Meunier. A clear case for what that grape can do with a little respect thrown its way.
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