Disgorged December 2021. Cherry pit, bitter almond, under ripe nectarine, yellow apple, raw dough, slight honeysuckle. Coarse and fleeting mousse. Rich and concentrated base wine with good complexity. Long length. I really like the dosage level here, it balances the acid really well, with a little to spare, giving it a more rounded and rich style. And given that it is -15 degrees, something richer is very welcome.
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Pours a medium-pale copper with a mousse that fades quickly. Large bubble. Rich nose - almonds, cherries, lemons and toasted brioche. Medium heavy bodied, nice lift, perfect amount of acidity, and a rich palate. Palate follows the nose. There are what I perceive to be dusty and chalky tannins that presist though the finish. Finish is filled with minerals, sweet cherries, and a bit of dough. I end up with sticky lips after a few sips.
Overall, a good and rich linear bubbly. I think I would prefer this as a Brut Nature - it seems the base wine has enough richness to carry these bubbles.
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Meyer lemon juice and zest, mandarin orange, fresh-baked bread, crunchy baguette crust, apricot, peach, watermelon, crushed granite minerality, macadamia nut, and a splash of almond liqueur. Medium-plus to high acid that is both lively and rounded and creamy on the palate. A lot of complexity and intensity. The dosage is just a touch higher than my personal preference.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Disgorged April 2012. Cherry and apple, with earthy clay and dried peach undertones. Fine bead. Flavors of bruised red apple and lemon curd with doughy and yeasty tones in the finish. Excellent.
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Deg. 2012 so has some extra age to it. Nice nose of gunpowder and peach. Medium mousse. On the palate stonefruit pit, a touch of red berries but also grapefruit, quite bitter. Does not have the freshness to balance the bitterness. Alright but much prefer the BdB from the same producer.
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Disg 9/2010. This wine was heavily discounted and I picked it up for absolutely nothing. Suspect because of its long disgorgement day but the wine did not disappoint. Full-bodied Pinot fruit with exotic hunting tones and autolysis. I wish I had more of this bottle especially at this price
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Dinner with Friends (E&S Fish Company): Disgorged April 2012. Showing plenty of red berry pinot fruit along with mineral amd pear qualities. Fine bead with flavors of red fruit, apple, rose water, stone and blanched almond.
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Disgorged July 2015. The Pinot influence is obvious here. Red berry, citrus, quince, and kiwi aromas are delineated and pronounced. Stout and full bodied, structured and firm, vibrant and sturdy. The juicy loquat palate is energized by a pin-prick bead, racy acidity, and a hint of saline. Crushed rocks on the long finish. Clean, taut, and refreshing.
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Color - lt straw Nose - fairly bland Mouth - large bubbles, a weird sensation as if you were getting a mouth full of foam when you were not. Not a great champagne. Very bland.
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I'm right at the community average with a 90. A touch oxidative, but still very refreshing with strawberry notes, bread and a touch of spice. Easy to drink now.
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Easy drinking bubbly. Golden yellow with toast, lime, and granny smith apples. Streaking acidity with moderate mousse. Not overly complex, but tasty to sip on.
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light golden, luscious nose with yellow apples and tropical fruits, good mouth-filling mousse, lots of fruit on the palate with notes of blueberry. Not the perfect plain aperitif but very good accompanying something to eat.
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This opened up a little tight but developed over time, gradually showing layers of fruit and mineral, especially on the finish. Very well balanced, this went down quickly, while still managing to pull you in to think about it. My favorite aspect of this wine was the complexity and length of the finish.
Me - 90, Wife - 92. This was not a leesy style, which I prefer, but the golden color and vibrant flavors swayed my wife.
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Second Sunday Group: 2010 California Merlot (Our house): Served nonblind to the group as everyone arrived. Honey crisp apple, ginger, vanilla cream soda and biscuit notes. Fine bead with bright acidity and flavors of honeysuckle, ginger, pear, apple and brioche.
A currently available release, disgorged in April 2012.
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Very tasty bubbly. Nice nose of fresh bread, crushed oyster shell, sea breeze, and hints of pear and strawberry. The palate has fresh strawberry with saline hints and underlying minerality. Overall this is very good Champagne for the price.
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2nd time I have had this but with different disgorgements (this was 4/12). Opened by Allred. Really like this grower producer. Probably the best producer in the Aube. This is one of his 3 basic brut champagnes and is usually a blend of 3 vintages. 100% Pinot Noir. Notes of toast, yeast, nectarine and bing cherry. Moderate bead with some tartness on the finish. 90 points.
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Yellow color with aromas of dough, apple and clay adding hints of ginger and pear. Fine bead with good acidity and flavors of citrus, cherry and stone. Paired nicely with shredded Berkshire pork shoulder gỏi cuốn.
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Disgorged in April 2012. Light golden color with notes of yeast, brioche, baked apple, honey, marshmallow and caramel. Fine bead with dough, marshmallow, caramel apple and almond.
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Drank next to a Blanc de blanc from 2000 with two of the starters on the new years eve dinner. The starters we had with the Champagne were: 1. Fried Scallops served with collard, roasted onions and a sauce of lemon butter. 2. Gratinated lobster (mushrooms and sweet sherry sauce)
The subtle color from the Pinot noir grape was visuable when compared with the Blanc de blanc. The nose was not as strong as the Blanc de blanc, but it had a long after taste on the tounge. It was also a bit sweet on the tounge which was very good together with the gratinated lobster.
Nice bargain which will mature with a few more years in the cellar!
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I love this champagne. Rich and mushroomy, but still showing crisp acidity. Deeper than it is bright. Wish I hadn't had to open two bottles tonight, but people were slurping it down!
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The bubbles are tiny, numerous, and slow moving and the color is deep gold. The smells are of Pinot Noir, almonds, fresh biscuit, and honey. The tastes are strawberry, honey, clove, stony minerality, butterscotch, orange zest, almond, and toasty notes. The finish is both zesty and foamy and sails on in a lengthy finish. Nice and complex bubbly.
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A&F's Post-Confinement Party (Asia Grand, Odeon Towers): This was such a yummy NV. Blanc des Noirs, and you could tell it too, from the deep nose where ripe lemony scents and sweet apple aromas were wed to masculine notes of earth, smoke, spice and yeast, to the the powerful, fleshy palate with its savoury inflections of chicken essence and white meat swimming alongside big, ripe flavours of sweet apples, berries and cherries. Maybe a bit lacking in finesse, a bit short of precision, but boy this was so yummy and friendly that it was easily forgiven. A stream of rather less-than-fine bubbles carried the wine into a nicely balanced finish where fuzzy pear flavours and a slightly honeyed sweetness mingled. This bottle seems to have a bit of age on it and was drinking very nicely. While not perfect, I really enjoyed it.
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Lots of limestone with monolithic acidity. Has some bread sweetness. A little unsettled but has strength. Actually I preferred this over the blanc de blanc. This has a little more depth.
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This was absolutely superb. Tiny bubbles with a medium gold colour. Had the light precision of a bdb but the power and weight on the follow through of a bdn. Simply gorgeous and a point.
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This is the real thing. 100% Pinot Noir, it is rich and concentrated, and just keeps sending flavors across the palate. The color is golden honey. The nose is creamy, yeasty, citrus, earth, minerals, and nuts. Healthy and strong upon entry. Great little super active bubbles. All kinds of red fruit, especially cherry, but also some lighter colored fruits, especially apricot and orange rind, with lemon and other citrus. Some of those non fruit, supporting flavors like nutmeg, caramel, brown spice. There are layers that produce different flavors as this wine crosses the palate. This one is not especially crisp, but more bodied, and lingering.
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Polar opposite to the 02 Agrapart BDB served alongside it (which was the idea!). Slightly darker colour. Rich nose and overtly showy palate of darker, bruised apples. Very earthy. 6 to 2 in favour of this over the BDB.
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Some pear and straw on the nose. Crystal clear and nice yellow / straw color. Predominantly strawberry yielding to yeast, some sweet baked bread. Sweet, smooth, really tasty. Tasted after open an hour and a half, and the fruit has faded and the yeasty baked bread taste has really come to the forefront. But almost tastes like a well-aged, yeasty rose. Really like it.
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Shared with friends at a party. Popped and poured. Deep, red flavours with clear evidence of cool pinot noir flavours very evident. Powerful, quite full bodied and universally adored.
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I brought this over to a friend's house to celebrate receiving her Masters, and all three of us who shared the bottle really enjoyed it. Immediately on the cork pop even before pouring we could smell the heady aroma of red berries and bread dough- definitely a festive nose. The yeast came through rather strongly on this throughout, but beyond that constant we got something slightly different every time we took a sip. Definitely complex stuff, but fun to drink, too. The most interesting thing was that we weren't having anything to eat with it, but it seemed to shift between being completely dry and having a perceived bit of honeyed sweetness and apricot notes coming in then the acidity would shine through and then the bread again with an edge of citrus pith. I don't have a vast amount of experience with Champagne, but this really made an impression on me. The only things I found a little disappointing were the bubbles themselves, which were rather coarse and then didn't stick around very well. Disgorged 2010- I'd like to wait for a few years on the second bottle I have, but my other friend who was there is graduating in May and wants me to pop it then, so I guess I'll just have to pick up some more.
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Quite a deep golden colour. Intense mousse and still plenty of acidity through to a dry finish. Slightly autolytic nose with honey, marmalade, brioche and hints of spicy Christmas cake on the palate. Very nice and superb qpr.
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light and clean, uncomplicated. Not much mousse or toasty notes, fruit forward, great for summer outdoors or with light appetizers. A casual every-day type of sparkler
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Nice NV Blanc de Noirs that went quite well with seafood appetizers. I like the red fruit twist that it has due to the fact that it is a Blanc de Noirs. Nice medium+ finish. Overall, great value and very enjoyable.
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Opened by Squireljam in Michigan. Drank as a starter while watching the sunset. This was a crisp and rather clean champagne. Some nutty notes with light citrus flavors. 90 points.
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Pale yellow. Medium body. Citrus (lemon lime), papaya, and a little celery. Very chewy and fleshy; it could have used a little more of an acidic bite. Still, it was tasty and went down nicely.
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Balanced for my tastes between toasty, fruit and the right dash of honeyed sweetness. Much better on the pop than it was 2 years ago. Lacks a bit of precision, but outstanding QPR @ $22 via auction.
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very rich style. nose of flowers, honey, and cherries. in the mouth full bodied and rich. You cant help but stop and take note when it hits the palate. Good complexity. Very different in style from a blanc de blanc.
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Round but with a good edge of acidity. Caramel. Red fruit on the nose. Honey and mushroom, nicely developed. Unsure of disgorgement, but held bottle a little over 18 months. Very good.
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Chateauneuf de Pape Tasting (Urbana, Washington, DC): Pale golden color, almost strawlike. Nose was full of almond paste, pecans, and graham crackers. Brisk acidity and very fresh with a very nice long finish. Really nice glass of champagne.
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A fitting wine for Deb's 40th, and head & shoulders above the other bubbly. This was quite excellent. Such a shame that my father poured it all 'round and saved none for himself!
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Hmm, really nice wine, rich and round with great mouthfeel and lots of flavors. Not incredibly complex but this is a favorite of mine in the under $50 category. Touch low in acid for me but that's a quibble - it drinks well and has very nice BdN typicity.
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For me, this lacked personality and complexity. No real "pop" to it. Update: Much, much better after significant time in the glass. This becomes honeyed, rich, etc. A very different and much better wine....90-91 points. Note to self...put the remaining bottles away for a few years.
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I love this BdN. Very rich and dry; the pefect pairing with Paella. Pinot fruit, a little yeasty bread, perfect mousse. I like a food-friendly sparkler with red-fruit flavors, ample acidic cut and fizz, and just a little doughy spice from aging on the lees. For me, this is the perfect NV BdN. An added thanks to JJ Buckley for the awesome pricing!
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I like my bubbly brut, but, whoa. This was screechingly dry, with nothing to redeem it, and not at all how I remembered it. Where's the body? Where's that toasty bread? What happened? Perhaps this was due to bottle variation, but this wasn't showing well, at all.
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Purchased a half bottle from the wine list at Niche Restaurant to sip before dinner. Pale golden color. Aromas of toast, grapefruit, citrus, yeast and a strawberry & floral note. Nice texture, with flavors of dough, citrus and almond. 90-91.
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Surprisingly golden colour with very fine bubbles. Rich nutty flavour that builds with air. This is champagne with a kick - it has weight and some power. Everything is as I like it except for a dry note on the aftertaste, but this seems to go after some time. vg
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Disgorged 9/02. A very flavor packed Champagne. This sings out with biscuits, nuts, and orange led citrus. Not for the light Champagne lovers. This has got swagger and mathces excellent with food. A great bottle for the price.
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Non-dosage bottling. Since the last time I drank this it almost burned a hole in my stomach I added some sugar by way of orange juice to this bottle. Pretty good.
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This is solid champagne with a rustic style. It tastes rather like Pinot with bubbles. This champagne could be improved by a reduction in the size and strength of the mousse. Otherwise it is quite a nice Champagne. A decent value under $35 pb.
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1/12/2024 - ehaav Likes this wine: 91 Points
Disgorged December 2021. Cherry pit, bitter almond, under ripe nectarine, yellow apple, raw dough, slight honeysuckle. Coarse and fleeting mousse. Rich and concentrated base wine with good complexity. Long length. I really like the dosage level here, it balances the acid really well, with a little to spare, giving it a more rounded and rich style. And given that it is -15 degrees, something richer is very welcome.
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12/11/2023 - mhuhnke Likes this wine: 88 Points
Bright and crisp. Yellow, apple, and pear notes. Very slight Yeasty notes. Showed no sign of aging yet. Not complex. Easy, quaffable drinker.
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6/12/2023 - FransS wrote: 89 Points
Dégorgé July 2020; friendly, balanced, pure, starting a tad too sweet, but lost its sweetness in the taste.
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3/25/2023 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 90 Points
Disgorged Jan 2022
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2/5/2023 - ChateauShiny Likes this wine: 90 Points
December 2021 disgorgement at 6g/l dosage.
Pours a medium-pale copper with a mousse that fades quickly. Large bubble. Rich nose - almonds, cherries, lemons and toasted brioche. Medium heavy bodied, nice lift, perfect amount of acidity, and a rich palate. Palate follows the nose. There are what I perceive to be dusty and chalky tannins that presist though the finish. Finish is filled with minerals, sweet cherries, and a bit of dough. I end up with sticky lips after a few sips.
Overall, a good and rich linear bubbly. I think I would prefer this as a Brut Nature - it seems the base wine has enough richness to carry these bubbles.
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12/26/2022 - BottleScholar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Meyer lemon juice and zest, mandarin orange, fresh-baked bread, crunchy baguette crust, apricot, peach, watermelon, crushed granite minerality, macadamia nut, and a splash of almond liqueur. Medium-plus to high acid that is both lively and rounded and creamy on the palate. A lot of complexity and intensity. The dosage is just a touch higher than my personal preference.
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12/1/2022 - Northcraft Likes this wine: 88 Points
Delicious and well rounded!
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8/28/2021 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Disgorged April 2012. Cherry and apple, with earthy clay and dried peach undertones. Fine bead. Flavors of bruised red apple and lemon curd with doughy and yeasty tones in the finish. Excellent.
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10/11/2020 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2010 Bordeaux (aka Bal Masqué) (R&D's): April 2012 disgorgement. Bruised apple on the nose and palate. Hints of roasted almond as well. Getting a bit long in the tooth.
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5/31/2020 - JaynPam Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice, soft bubbles. Good fruit. Lacked some of the yeast flavors I enjoy in a champagne but that is not a flaw, just a stylistic preference.
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1/5/2020 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 89 Points
Best bottle yet. Clear signs of maturity with a soft, golden expression but still feeling fresh. Nice!
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1/4/2020 - cassel wrote: 87 Points
Somewhat thin and lacking the fruit I enjoy in a Blanc de Noir.
Ok bottle but not comparable to other grower champagnes recently tried.
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10/29/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Disgorged 2018. Big rich pinot fruit showing of a tasty strawberry fruit character. 8 g/L RS. Works it out at $50 but wish it was cheaper.
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8/17/2019 - Puteljen! wrote: 88 Points
This came across as fruitier and more balanced thn previous bottles. Quite nice.
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7/12/2019 - Puteljen! wrote: 86 Points
Deg. 2012 so has some extra age to it. Nice nose of gunpowder and peach. Medium mousse. On the palate stonefruit pit, a touch of red berries but also grapefruit, quite bitter. Does not have the freshness to balance the bitterness. Alright but much prefer the BdB from the same producer.
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5/26/2019 - Puteljen! wrote: 86 Points
From a case bought back in 2012. A bit thin and acidic. Lacking fruit but still not showing any secondary notes. Not bad but neither very good.
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10/27/2018 - Noelle H Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fuller bodied bubbly. Ripe red apple skin, berry scones and spice. Lots going on here - this wine could definitely hold up to some weighty dishes.
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1/24/2018 - MissHighwater wrote: 90 Points
yellowy gold in colour, this has aged very well. Nutty and complex. Soft mousse.
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12/11/2017 - oropeza Likes this wine: 88 Points
Soft fruit, some chalkiness, fleshy, shorter finish... good 'middle notes'... nice.
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9/9/2017 - Montecalvo Likes this wine: 88 Points
drank at Linda Nicholson's Party
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5/28/2017 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 94 Points
Disg 9/2010. This wine was heavily discounted and I picked it up for absolutely nothing. Suspect because of its long disgorgement day but the wine did not disappoint. Full-bodied Pinot fruit with exotic hunting tones and autolysis. I wish I had more of this bottle especially at this price
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3/24/2017 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Friends (E&S Fish Company): Disgorged April 2012. Showing plenty of red berry pinot fruit along with mineral amd pear qualities. Fine bead with flavors of red fruit, apple, rose water, stone and blanched almond.
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1/10/2017 - iwfsc Likes this wine: 92 Points
IWFSC 821 Dinner (Claudia): Lots of depth, disgorged 9/2011, hint of strawberry, delicious and long finish.
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10/20/2016 - Baron Slick wrote: 91 Points
Disgorged July 2015. The Pinot influence is obvious here. Red berry, citrus, quince, and kiwi aromas are delineated and pronounced. Stout and full bodied, structured and firm, vibrant and sturdy. The juicy loquat palate is energized by a pin-prick bead, racy acidity, and a hint of saline. Crushed rocks on the long finish. Clean, taut, and refreshing.
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4/3/2016 - MissHighwater wrote: 91 Points
This has really improved over time and now has a lovely toasty depth to it. Drinking very well now.
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1/1/2016 - Ryanmeulemans wrote:
Color - lt straw
Nose - fairly bland
Mouth - large bubbles, a weird sensation as if you were getting a mouth full of foam when you were not.
Not a great champagne. Very bland.
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10/4/2015 - gmbdds wrote: 90 Points
I'm right at the community average with a 90. A touch oxidative, but still very refreshing with strawberry notes, bread and a touch of spice. Easy to drink now.
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4/27/2015 - mye wrote: 89 Points
Easy drinking bubbly. Golden yellow with toast, lime, and granny smith apples. Streaking acidity with moderate mousse. Not overly complex, but tasty to sip on.
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4/5/2015 - asparagus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid value as always. Love the fresh, vibrant nose and palate. Definitely a re-buy.
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3/6/2015 - pea Likes this wine: 90 Points
light golden, luscious nose with yellow apples and tropical fruits, good mouth-filling mousse, lots of fruit on the palate with notes of blueberry. Not the perfect plain aperitif but very good accompanying something to eat.
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2/20/2015 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This opened up a little tight but developed over time, gradually showing layers of fruit and mineral, especially on the finish.
Very well balanced, this went down quickly, while still managing to pull you in to think about it.
My favorite aspect of this wine was the complexity and length of the finish.
Me - 90, Wife - 92. This was not a leesy style, which I prefer, but the golden color and vibrant flavors swayed my wife.
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2/14/2015 - EhrlichDY wrote: 88 Points
Big and mouth filling. Loaded with red fruit character. Large and energetic bubbles.
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2/8/2015 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: flawed
DOA. No bubbles at all, just flat and dead. Tasted like a Burgundy rose, with intense acid, but just flat.
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1/31/2015 - asparagus wrote: 91 Points
a lovely, dry champagne with just the right amount of fruit and acid. drinking well above its price point. very happy with this.
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12/27/2014 - MissHighwater wrote: 89 Points
fresh lively uncomplicated. Good value.
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10/12/2014 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2010 California Merlot (Our house): Served nonblind to the group as everyone arrived. Honey crisp apple, ginger, vanilla cream soda and biscuit notes. Fine bead with bright acidity and flavors of honeysuckle, ginger, pear, apple and brioche.
A currently available release, disgorged in April 2012.
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6/7/2014 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Very tasty bubbly. Nice nose of fresh bread, crushed oyster shell, sea breeze, and hints of pear and strawberry. The palate has fresh strawberry with saline hints and underlying minerality. Overall this is very good Champagne for the price.
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5/5/2014 - Hecht_Pede wrote: 90 Points
Evolved nicely in the glass took no notes but I prefer his Blanc de blancs over this.
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2/11/2014 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
2nd time I have had this but with different disgorgements (this was 4/12). Opened by Allred. Really like this grower producer. Probably the best producer in the Aube. This is one of his 3 basic brut champagnes and is usually a blend of 3 vintages. 100% Pinot Noir. Notes of toast, yeast, nectarine and bing cherry. Moderate bead with some tartness on the finish. 90 points.
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2/8/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
Opened by Allred at Gourmet I. Notes of yeasty bread dough with a hit of citrus (almost grapefruit). Worked well with the summer rolls. Nice.
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2/8/2014 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Yellow color with aromas of dough, apple and clay adding hints of ginger and pear. Fine bead with good acidity and flavors of citrus, cherry and stone. Paired nicely with shredded Berkshire pork shoulder gỏi cuốn.
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2/1/2014 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Disgorged in April 2012. Light golden color with notes of yeast, brioche, baked apple, honey, marshmallow and caramel. Fine bead with dough, marshmallow, caramel apple and almond.
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12/31/2013 - Cellarson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank next to a Blanc de blanc from 2000 with two of the starters on the new years eve dinner. The starters we had with the Champagne were:
1. Fried Scallops served with collard, roasted onions and a sauce of lemon butter.
2. Gratinated lobster (mushrooms and sweet sherry sauce)
The subtle color from the Pinot noir grape was visuable when compared with the Blanc de blanc. The nose was not as strong as the Blanc de blanc, but it had a long after taste on the tounge. It was also a bit sweet on the tounge which was very good together with the gratinated lobster.
Nice bargain which will mature with a few more years in the cellar!
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12/27/2013 - FLI Likes this wine: 92 Points
I love this champagne. Rich and mushroomy, but still showing crisp acidity. Deeper than it is bright. Wish I hadn't had to open two bottles tonight, but people were slurping it down!
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5/5/2013 - RayOB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Home
Great value and a wonderful Blanc de Noirs.
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2/14/2013 - oog wrote:
Smells like a blanc de blanc. More chardy. I get a rich, buttery, peanut oil smell with a little bit of lemon and barnyard.
Taste: Rancid oil note. Tart lemon. Old nuts. Funky. I'm not going to give it a grade in case this is a bad bottle but the taste is off-putting to me.
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1/21/2013 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The bubbles are tiny, numerous, and slow moving and the color is deep gold. The smells are of Pinot Noir, almonds, fresh biscuit, and honey. The tastes are strawberry, honey, clove, stony minerality, butterscotch, orange zest, almond, and toasty notes. The finish is both zesty and foamy and sails on in a lengthy finish. Nice and complex bubbly.
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12/31/2012 - RayOB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Home
Lots of fresh fruits and flowers on the nose and a wonderful taste of cherries. A really great good value champagne.
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10/17/2012 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
A&F's Post-Confinement Party (Asia Grand, Odeon Towers): This was such a yummy NV. Blanc des Noirs, and you could tell it too, from the deep nose where ripe lemony scents and sweet apple aromas were wed to masculine notes of earth, smoke, spice and yeast, to the the powerful, fleshy palate with its savoury inflections of chicken essence and white meat swimming alongside big, ripe flavours of sweet apples, berries and cherries. Maybe a bit lacking in finesse, a bit short of precision, but boy this was so yummy and friendly that it was easily forgiven. A stream of rather less-than-fine bubbles carried the wine into a nicely balanced finish where fuzzy pear flavours and a slightly honeyed sweetness mingled. This bottle seems to have a bit of age on it and was drinking very nicely. While not perfect, I really enjoyed it.
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10/17/2012 - Alex H wrote: 86 Points
Lots of limestone with monolithic acidity. Has some bread sweetness. A little unsettled but has strength. Actually I preferred this over the blanc de blanc. This has a little more depth.
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10/13/2012 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Popped cork and recorked 2 hours before serving. Dark colour with powerful almost heavy palate presence. Minimal bubbles. Time to drink up.
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7/20/2012 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
This was absolutely superb. Tiny bubbles with a medium gold colour. Had the light precision of a bdb but the power and weight on the follow through of a bdn. Simply gorgeous and a point.
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6/22/2012 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Heavy, almost blowsy nose. Palate of vibrant red fruit - cherries and blackberries. Quite a powerful mouthful! not sure that it's really my thing...
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5/20/2012 - K is for Kate wrote:
Didn't get to delve as deeply into this one, but still the same vibrant berries wafting out on opening and still just gorgeous stuff to drink.
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5/7/2012 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 91 Points
This is the real thing. 100% Pinot Noir, it is rich and concentrated, and just keeps sending flavors across the palate. The color is golden honey. The nose is creamy, yeasty, citrus, earth, minerals, and nuts. Healthy and strong upon entry. Great little super active bubbles. All kinds of red fruit, especially cherry, but also some lighter colored fruits, especially apricot and orange rind, with lemon and other citrus. Some of those non fruit, supporting flavors like nutmeg, caramel, brown spice. There are layers that produce different flavors as this wine crosses the palate. This one is not especially crisp, but more bodied, and lingering.
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5/6/2012 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Polar opposite to the 02 Agrapart BDB served alongside it (which was the idea!). Slightly darker colour. Rich nose and overtly showy palate of darker, bruised apples. Very earthy. 6 to 2 in favour of this over the BDB.
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4/21/2012 - ckinv368 wrote: 91 Points
Some pear and straw on the nose. Crystal clear and nice yellow / straw color. Predominantly strawberry yielding to yeast, some sweet baked bread. Sweet, smooth, really tasty. Tasted after open an hour and a half, and the fruit has faded and the yeasty baked bread taste has really come to the forefront. But almost tastes like a well-aged, yeasty rose. Really like it.
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1/29/2012 - Irouleguy wrote: 90 Points
Melon aromatic, hazelnut on the palate, with apple pie.
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12/22/2011 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Shared with friends at a party. Popped and poured. Deep, red flavours with clear evidence of cool pinot noir flavours very evident. Powerful, quite full bodied and universally adored.
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12/18/2011 - K is for Kate wrote: 91 Points
I brought this over to a friend's house to celebrate receiving her Masters, and all three of us who shared the bottle really enjoyed it. Immediately on the cork pop even before pouring we could smell the heady aroma of red berries and bread dough- definitely a festive nose. The yeast came through rather strongly on this throughout, but beyond that constant we got something slightly different every time we took a sip. Definitely complex stuff, but fun to drink, too. The most interesting thing was that we weren't having anything to eat with it, but it seemed to shift between being completely dry and having a perceived bit of honeyed sweetness and apricot notes coming in then the acidity would shine through and then the bread again with an edge of citrus pith. I don't have a vast amount of experience with Champagne, but this really made an impression on me. The only things I found a little disappointing were the bubbles themselves, which were rather coarse and then didn't stick around very well. Disgorged 2010- I'd like to wait for a few years on the second bottle I have, but my other friend who was there is graduating in May and wants me to pop it then, so I guess I'll just have to pick up some more.
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12/16/2011 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Quite a deep golden colour. Intense mousse and still plenty of acidity through to a dry finish. Slightly autolytic nose with honey, marmalade, brioche and hints of spicy Christmas cake on the palate. Very nice and superb qpr.
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12/4/2011 - Blcmdpa@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
light and clean, uncomplicated. Not much mousse or toasty notes, fruit forward, great for summer outdoors or with light appetizers. A casual every-day type of sparkler
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11/21/2011 - Lombardi wrote: 90 Points
Nice NV Blanc de Noirs that went quite well with seafood appetizers. I like the red fruit twist that it has due to the fact that it is a Blanc de Noirs. Nice medium+ finish. Overall, great value and very enjoyable.
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9/27/2011 - dcwino wrote: 91 Points
Mature Classified Growth Bordeaux gathering at Lavandou (Washington DC): According to Chris B, disgorged four years ago. Fine mousse, yellow fruit, decadent, very ripe and biscuit. Forward style.
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7/23/2011 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Opened by Squireljam in Michigan. Drank as a starter while watching the sunset. This was a crisp and rather clean champagne. Some nutty notes with light citrus flavors. 90 points.
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6/18/2011 - Mike Ritner wrote:
Pale yellow. Medium body. Citrus (lemon lime), papaya, and a little celery. Very chewy and fleshy; it could have used a little more of an acidic bite. Still, it was tasty and went down nicely.
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6/18/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Balanced for my tastes between toasty, fruit and the right dash of honeyed sweetness. Much better on the pop than it was 2 years ago. Lacks a bit of precision, but outstanding QPR @ $22 via auction.
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5/19/2011 - Montecalvo wrote: 90 Points
very pinot noir driven nose. fine on it's own but better with the gourmet hamburgers.
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12/4/2010 - bcmatthias wrote: 90 Points
Nice yeasty, caramel and honey with the right balance of acid and bubbles.
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10/4/2010 - Ombibulous wrote: 88 Points
Delish! Very strong flavour. Almost overpowering. Berry good (88.9).
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9/5/2010 - soyhead wrote: 90 Points
very rich style. nose of flowers, honey, and cherries. in the mouth full bodied and rich. You cant help but stop and take note when it hits the palate. Good complexity. Very different in style from a blanc de blanc.
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8/16/2010 - W.Simons wrote:
Round but with a good edge of acidity. Caramel. Red fruit on the nose. Honey and mushroom, nicely developed. Unsure of disgorgement, but held bottle a little over 18 months. Very good.
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4/19/2010 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Chateauneuf de Pape Tasting (Urbana, Washington, DC): Pale golden color, almost strawlike. Nose was full of almond paste, pecans, and graham crackers. Brisk acidity and very fresh with a very nice long finish. Really nice glass of champagne.
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3/13/2010 - linserge wrote:
A fitting wine for Deb's 40th, and head & shoulders above the other bubbly. This was quite excellent. Such a shame that my father poured it all 'round and saved none for himself!
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12/31/2009 - Squirreljam wrote:
Hmm, really nice wine, rich and round with great mouthfeel and lots of flavors. Not incredibly complex but this is a favorite of mine in the under $50 category. Touch low in acid for me but that's a quibble - it drinks well and has very nice BdN typicity.
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12/24/2009 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
Disgorgement 2006. Fine, light mousse. Savory, toasty nose. Honeyed with just the slightest hint of oxidation. Very blanc de noirs.
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10/29/2009 - win wrote: 91 Points
Golden honey yellow in color, with nice brioche aromas and a clean finish with adequate acidity. Nice QPR.
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8/9/2009 - Squirreljam wrote:
nicely round in the mouth; as with the rose, mousse a bit coarse but this is a nice value in the high $30s
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6/9/2009 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
IWFSC 746th Dinner (Boka): Delicious as always with a nice toasty note.
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6/7/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 87 Points
For me, this lacked personality and complexity. No real "pop" to it. Update: Much, much better after significant time in the glass. This becomes honeyed, rich, etc. A very different and much better wine....90-91 points. Note to self...put the remaining bottles away for a few years.
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5/24/2009 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
no formal notes but has some very good body to it
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5/18/2009 - WST wrote: 92 Points
I love this BdN. Very rich and dry; the pefect pairing with Paella. Pinot fruit, a little yeasty bread, perfect mousse. I like a food-friendly sparkler with red-fruit flavors, ample acidic cut and fizz, and just a little doughy spice from aging on the lees. For me, this is the perfect NV BdN. An added thanks to JJ Buckley for the awesome pricing!
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3/10/2009 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
IWFSC 743rd Dinner (Les Nomades): Really lovely well-rounded rich champagne. A top NV.
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1/1/2009 - Jaytee wrote:
I like my bubbly brut, but, whoa. This was screechingly dry, with nothing to redeem it, and not at all how I remembered it.
Where's the body? Where's that toasty bread? What happened?
Perhaps this was due to bottle variation, but this wasn't showing well, at all.
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5/26/2008 - tarheel17 wrote:
very full-bodied, rich champagne with a deep golden color. my kind of champagne!
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5/10/2008 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Purchased a half bottle from the wine list at Niche Restaurant to sip before dinner. Pale golden color. Aromas of toast, grapefruit, citrus, yeast and a strawberry & floral note. Nice texture, with flavors of dough, citrus and almond. 90-91.
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10/6/2007 - mjayer wrote: 90 Points
On the fuller, richer side with nice biscuity notes and a lovely light golden colour. Excellent value.
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2/16/2007 - Eric wrote:
Domaine du Pegau Tasting at Wild Ginger with Laurence Féraud (Seattle, WA): A nice, rich bubbly with some definite Blanc de Noirs character. I'm more of a BdB fan myself, but this was still a nice way to start.
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11/12/2006 - Jeff W wrote:
Surprisingly golden colour with very fine bubbles. Rich nutty flavour that builds with air. This is champagne with a kick - it has weight and some power. Everything is as I like it except for a dry note on the aftertaste, but this seems to go after some time. vg
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9/3/2006 - flashvictor wrote: 91 Points
Very good bubbly with medium wieght carrying biscuit and honeysuckle.
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4/8/2006 - jamesbadd wrote: 88 Points
Disgorged 9/02. A very flavor packed Champagne. This sings out with biscuits, nuts, and orange led citrus. Not for the light Champagne lovers. This has got swagger and mathces excellent with food. A great bottle for the price.
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3/5/2006 - psmith wrote:
Non-dosage bottling. Since the last time I drank this it almost burned a hole in my stomach I added some sugar by way of orange juice to this bottle. Pretty good.
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1/26/2006 - Winetex wrote: 88 Points
This is solid champagne with a rustic style. It tastes rather like Pinot with bubbles. This champagne could be improved by a reduction in the size and strength of the mousse. Otherwise it is quite a nice Champagne. A decent value under $35 pb.
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1/7/2006 - WST wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful Blanc de Noir. Full pinot nose; not too yeasty. Crisp palate with long finish and fine mousse. Very well done.
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