excellent - lovely richness combined with laser focus. So drinkable. Confected grapes initially before opening up to gingerbread. Not very broad - but long and very mineral and acidic finish. Solid 95
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No notes taken. This needed a lot of air in the glass to open up more and become rounder and more harmonious. In the end it was quite good although still not reveling a lot. I guess this will need another 10 or 20 years to blossom into a the great Champagne it possibly is. I usually pass on new vintages of this cuvee. I don‘t find it interesting to buy something that needs decades to just come out of its shell, let alone to reach peak maturity. 93/94
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A finely chiseled and detailed wine, starting off humble and then building increasing presence. Fruit of lime and citrus with some orange zest complexity. Caramel and toffee notes. Mineral flavors of steel. After a while adding smoke, Cognac and blood orange. Electric acidity with additional nutty complexity on the palate. This may well be one of the best bottle of Champagne I’ve had to date (i.e. comparable to the likes of 2008 Krug Cos Du Mesnil, 1996 Krug, Sélosse Substance dég. 2016, Cirstal 2008, 2012).
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This is vintage of this Champagne that started my obsession with french fine bubbles. Its been around 5 years since i had it the first time and it was as good as i remember. So well balanced and still with the acidity to hold up for a couple of more years though i dont think it will get better.
Brioche, caramel but with the freshness from green apple. Still one of the top 3 best Champagnes i have drank including lots of prestige Champagnes from top years. 98 P
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Needed about 30 min to open up. Toasted nuts up front leads you to a well balanced, precise and fully integrated finish. This is in its prime and should drink well for a decade plus.
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2010 disgorgement, firing on all cylinders if you like rich yellow fruit, honey, hint of acidity/tension, bit of autolytic notes but not the tertiary mushroom/funk notes yet.
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Golden in color. Not a ton of pop with opening the cork. This has a beautiful, mature nose. It's honeyed and oxidative with brioche, marzipan, orchard fruit and florals. This is becoming more vinous with age, losing the bead of its youth. On the palate, it's chalky and deep, with terrific overall balance. Fiinely detailed and focused with a seeming contrast of a subtle yet bright bead. More orchard fruit, nuttiness, and florals all come together really well with beautifully balanced dosage. Finishes chalky and long with terrific fruit and florals. At this phase, it is not a show stopper, rather a wine of harmony and understated grace. It speaks quietly yet deserves your attention. One of the better bottles of this I have had. I've had quite a bit of bottle variation with this wine even among similar disgorgement dates, but this was a winner. Showing well in a mature mode, but I'm not sure I see further aging benefiting this.
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Champagne study (Chicago, IL): Huge question mark from me on today's bottle. It feels inordinately fresh in that there seems to be very little development overall, but at the same time this seems to be lacking, well, flavour. Just really high acidity and a relatively hollow palate. None of the mushroom, oxidative stuff -- merely a thin, high-acid (and slightly anonymous) champagne. Very weird showing.
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Annual SAC event @ French Consulate (French Consulate in NYC): More nutty in style, almost a bit bitter in style but not in a bad way but kindof an interesting and makes you stop and take notice way. It's a tasty wine. Showing some age which of course I like.
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This was an exceptional bottle of an exceptional cuvee. Structured, sophisticated and complex with almond flavors. A previous bottle seemed over the peak but this was fresh. The flavor profile was similar to aged Dom P with less mushroom notes. Loved it and a fantastic bday wine!
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A little Las Vegas hospitality (Las Vegas, NV): Been a while since I crossed paths with a bottle of this; I can't say that this has grown on me though. Very much a typical bottle of older Goisses, amply mature with the dirty funk that has you asking if it's corked or not. Some rancio, nutty notes, as well as oxidative flavours that remind me of dry sherry. Umami to the extreme and even though there is acidity, it doesn't feel integrated overall with the palate. To be honest, I find myself becoming less and less convinced about Goisses these days...
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(aveugle) La magnifique couleur or trahit l'âge respectable, le nez est très expressif, noisette, épices douces, et aussi un peu de pomme. La bouche attaque très large, puis se resserre aussitôt pour proposer une acidité haute, qui lui donne une incroyable fraîcheur. Grosse persistance, certains pourront (en chipotant) regretter un léger manque de gourmandise pour que le plaisir soit total. Super bouteille en grande forme. 93+
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Much better than the previous bottle, this one displayed explosive gas on opening so much that I spilled it. Light gold. The oxidation is right on the edge, adding a brown apple nuance. Good power and energy. If you wait one more day it might be too old to enjoy, though.
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Almost no pop with the cork. Some oxidative notes on the nose, yet still with a fine bead and excellent balance. A vinous bottle of Champagne, with excellent balance and clarity. Like drinking Chablis with fine bubbles. Still, I suspect this was not a proper bottle. I have had quite bit of variation in my bottles of this, and while really very good to outstanding, not one of the better bottles. 90
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What an interesting wine the 96 Clos des Goisses is, showing a unique palate of gooseberry, pluot, cream. Balancing freshness and oxidative maturity (perhaps leaning a bit toward the latter) this is really nice though for my taste it would be reasonable to consume them in the near future. 94-95
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Nose: Soars out the class's with lemon creme, peach, apple tart and a rich toffee note. Color was beautiful yellow/amber. Palate: Very precise and nuanced wine wine. It is bold, but does not force itself up on you. Layers of brioche, apple, lemon pastry, caramel and berries. Finish: Long and powdery. You could drink this all day.
This was a beautiful wine served after the 1988 Pol Roger Winston Churchill.
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Fantastisk doft av jäst, kola och fläderblommor. Efter en stund i glaset kommer lite mer citrus och kanderade stenfrukter. Jättefin mousse, knäckigt, massor av tropiska frukter, med röda och gröna äpplen och ett långt avslut. Skyhög syra vilket fick mig att gissa på Philipponat 96. Det här är så fantastiskt gott och komplext och växte mer och mer med tid i glaset. Ingen tvekan om att den dricker bra nu men ingen stress med att öppna flaskor om ni har. Det var tufft att välja WOTN för mig mellan den här och Krug, men Krug drog sista strået.
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From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a deep yellow center, light bubbles, and a clear rim. The medium intensity nose put forth baked apples, ginger, citrus, and minerals.
In the mouth, this wine was crisp but light bodied at first. It needed at least 45 minutes of air to develop its attractive stoney flavors and long finish.
Other tasters have mentioned oxidative notes. I didn't exactly get them in my bottle. The ginger/caramel flavors were similar to oxidation but I view these as the unique element of the Goisses flavor profile.
If you are looking for the crisp clean style of Cristal, this wine is probably not for you. I think this is at it peak. While it will hold at this level for 5+ years, I would be looking for excuses to pop these.
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I'm an unabashed fan of 96 Goisses - I think its right up there in terms of the vintage and I'd certainly give it the nod over Salon, which has underwhelmed whenever I've had it. This bottle is no different. Notes of lemon creme, sherbet, coffee and a bit of red apple on the nose. On the palate it has that gorgeous candied qualitiy that I love in mature white Burgundy, but with plenty of citrus cut and the last glass tastes of key lime pie. It was a brilliant aperitif and match with Christmas Day crab cakes though it shows no signs of decline. Drink now, enthusiastically, or hold.
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This is all baked apple and vanilla notes. It's deepened and gained a lot of weight with age, but still has a crystalline quality that keeps it lifted. Full, vibrant, and intense palate which comes across more citric than I expected from the nose. I've been a bit disappointed in some of the '96s lately, but this isn't one of them; it's drinking very well, but I think I may like it better in a few years.
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Slightly golden in colour. A mature and developing nose with lots of bruised apples. The palate however is fresh with searing acidity. Initially, this was very lean but quickly becomes more balanced with time. With time, this got better and better. I enjoyed this as it became warmer also.
From BV. Just a classic medium aged champagne.
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For lovers of old champagne only. Medium deep gold, distinctly oxidative on the nose, less so on the palate. Mousse appropriate for age. Unusual fruit, as usual for Goisse, deep and complex. Held well in the glass. Definitely challenging but if you appreciate mature flavors, you will be fascinated. But drink today, not tomorrow.
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SMD at Yan (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): A solid champagne, but this lagged behind both Krug 2002 and the Cristal 2008 on the same flight. The nose here was very advanced, with honey and caramel, and then oxidative shades of browned apples swirling around a core of cherry flesh, fresher apple and spice aromas. The oxidative notes put me off a bit, but past that, this was actually a really nice nose. The palate was very solid. Grippy, deep and powerful, this had a wonderfully sinewy seam of lemon juice and minerality running through a mouthful of bright citrus and green apple notes, somehow drinking younger than the nose led on. On the midpalate and beyond, some of those meaty, earthy notes started to drift out as well, before a sharper, more defined notes of citrus zest reasserted itself on a long, precise finish. Very nice. Lots of cut and energy on this - a true 1996 - but this somehow was not deliciously complete as the Cristal nor effortlessly strong as the Krug. Still though, very good and drinking fairly well now.
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The 1996 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses is one of the most refined and powerful Clos de Goisses I have tasted. Tightly packed array of ripe citrus, and orchard fruits. Generous brioche and nutty profile. Maturing nicely, some savoury mushroom flavours on the mid-palate. Full bodied yet the acidity is refreshing and clean. Very satisfying with good length. (91-92/100)
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Nice earthy, bready, mushroomy nose with some aged notes, not a lot of fizz. Well-balanced, medium bodied, really nice complexity on the palate but not a lot of power, medium finish. This was a secondary market purchase in 2008, disgorged April 2006. Excellent, ready to go now, has years to go.
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1961 vs 1982 Bordeaux (Boston): From magnum. I have not had this in 10+ years. It has developed beautifully. Ripe apples. Soft on the palate. Long finish.
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Mixedtape Chef: Palate of toasted bread, caramelized pear, with gula melaka tertiaries. Rich. Aged - tasted older than it should in my view. Precise and structured. Good stuff. Enjoyed this tonight.
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The 1996 Clos des Goisses is firing on all cylinders tonight, powerful and complex, with baked apple & pear, citrus blossom, marzipan, and chalk on the nose. Concentrated fruit and a killer mineral streak are supported by good acidity and a fine bead. Excellent!
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Straw golden color with faint bubbles. Nose smoky, brioche. Palate smoky in a great way, broad stone fruit with some lemon, good acidity. In a perfect spot, great complexity yet still vibrant, have to imagine it's just starting to hit its peak. 95 pts
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2010 disgorgement. Better on Day 2 and recommend drinking at cellar temperature. This wine is still very, very young with a coiled texture that improves with time and air. In a middle phase with richness, honey, and acidity but limited autolytic/tertiary notes. Will let my 2nd bottle sleep for awhile longer.
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Had to try this given the disparity between Brad Baker's comments and the mostly superlative notes in CT from palates I trust. Brought as a starter for the BWE gathering in DC.
It didn’t taste under-ripe or too advanced or acidic to me, but this is my first bottle of the 1996 and I don’t drink Clos des Goisses regularly so it’s not easy to place in perspective. I found a nice earthy, bready, mushroomy nose, not a lot of fizz, and a well-balanced, medium bodied Champagne with a bit of maturity, really nice complexity on the palate but not a lot of power, and a medium finish. This was a secondary market purchase in 2008, disgorged April 2006. I thought it excellent and it garnered a lot of positive comments from other bubble-heads present. I think it has years to go.
Then we compared it to a bottle of 1996 Krug, which was bigger and rounder and more powerful yet beautifully balanced and complex. The Krug was a consensus preference but presumably going for a somewhat different style.
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Light gold colour. Vigorous mousse. Darker fruit profile. Rich, deep with lots of 96 acidity. Better and better with air. Rich, caramel, sweet. Gorgeous.
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The Goose has finally landed. Really quite stunning in its precision and perfect balance, easily soaring above an octet of pre-Y2K vintage champagnes. Light to medium weight, ethereal and complex. Just starting its secondary stage of development, many years of life.
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Only had this cuvée a few times in other vintages, where I was not impressed and perhaps felt it was a bit clumsy. This however was lovely with the strong acidic backbone I associate with the vintage and very good balance.
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Opened two bottles, one was corked, the other drinking just about the same as last time (in 2014). Still fresh fruit with prominent brioche. A very well made bottle that benefitted from the great year in 96.
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Bringing down the curtain on a great Thanksgiving weekend with this beauty. Lemon, red apples, yeast, lovely balance between the sweetness and the acidity and at a great stage in its development. Another terrific bottle, five years following the last one.
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I've been saying for a while that I need to get some Clos des Goisses in my cellar, and this is about as convincing a reason as any. Just a phenomenal bottle of Champagne with rich fruit, savoury mushroomy and earthy notes, dough, and tarter/higher toned citrus flavours all coming together into a wine that's powerful yet remarkably light and finessed. The balance here is incredible, and the finish goes on and on. Fantastic Champagne.
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HDH Bordeaux Auction; 11/9/2018-11/10/2018 (Chicago, IL): Nice mushroom qualities on the nose here -- it's so obvious the pinot inflection here. But then that 1996 acidity comes out and really brightens up everything. Tons of very nice freshness here, with a bit of tart lemon juice that seems to help cut the umami and richness on the palate. Really incredible and rich texture, with a lovely broadness thanks to the pinot.
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(Disgorged in April 2006, 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay) Lovely yellow colour with a stream of very fine bubbles leads way to the wonderful maturing nose showing a hint of deeper notes of dark chocolate, vanilla and petroleum before yellow plums, spiciness and minerality take over in a very lovely and pleasant way. Smoothing palate with acidic red apples at first in the glass, then showing cream and opens up with oxidative notes of plums on the very long and very intense finish. This is the third time I’m having this over the last two months, but only tonight did I have the possibility to really meditate over it for dinner and afterwards. Matched with a creamy pasta with black trumpet mushrooms, this was perfectly delicious! (Probably best 2016-2036)
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Medium gold color, with a fairly lively mousse. Lots of apples, and this was elegant and fresh, but it just didn't move me. Not much going on other than apples, and more apples. Disappointing in the context of what it should be.
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Fresher and brighter than the Krug, with less autolytic character. While the Krug had more depth, breadth, and structure, this had clarity, lift, and pinpoint precision while still having impact and more subtle force. Citrus and apple fruit, with fine texture, with great clarity and focus. A fresh, clean, Champagne that beautifully couples a sense of lightness with hidden power. Drinking at peak. Loved it. The best bottle of the '96 CdG I have had.
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2001 Red Burgundy Retrospective (Chez Hugo - Baltimore): Expressive nose displaying lemon curd, baked apple, marzipan, strong white chocolate, brioche and limestone. Excellent concentration, packed dense yellow fruit, medium fine medium abundant mousse, bright acidity, good mineral presence and a long lemon curd and white chocolate driven finish. The almond and white chocolate expression is fascinating.
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Substantially darker than the '96 Chetillons served next to it. Big wine. Mature, darker citrus flavors and Caribbean spice notes, with some more oxidative tones that add a nice element. Really structural, which counterbalances and lifts the flavors well. This is more ready to drink than a number of other '96s.
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Henri Jayer & Disciples (15 USW): Magnum. A pristinely fresh example, extreme chalkiness and minerality, lemon lime spritz, and searing acid. On the nose I’m missing the creaminess and toast I was I’ve found here in the past, although it does come though on the palate a little better. I find the acid a little abrasive this time. Came back to the bottom third of this magnum the next day and enjoyed a subtler showing with more yellow fruit weight. Clearly has everything to go the distance and gain complexity.
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Medium yellow color. Hints of oxidation. Butterscotch. Carmel. Toffee. Great energy. Comes off nicely aged. Lots of verve. Brioche, hints of nuts and yeast. Has a nice perfume that come right out of the glass. Great showing.
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Nice fizz when poured, medium gold color. Nose had a bit of funk to start, mellowed into brioche/yeast. Mellow and elegant palate of orchard fruit, nuts. Light fizz post the pour. Very nice, would drink over next few years
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Starts out with a tremendous amount of acidity and a bit of funkiness on the nose. It took all of 3 hours to unfurl. The acidity became more balanced and the fruit and sweetness intensified with air. Like the 85 Krug, this also needed time to show its best. A very nice way to start and end the meal.
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Lovely gold color. Toasted bread, with some honey (but completely dry), and still lively acidity. Drinking nicely now, but do not save it too much longer.
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Champagne 96 tasting, wine nr5. Best votes (1), Worst votes (2) out of 13. Golden colour. Mature nose with nougat, yeast, roasted nuts, ripe fruit. Big nose, slightly oxidized in a nice way. Round mature mouthfeel, medium acidity, rich flavors with red fruit, bread, cheese. A little plump and tired, lack in elegance. Drink now. 91p
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David Pope's 60th (Medlar, London): Evolved, oxidative nose. Significantly fuller. Meaty and vinous with a slice of two of ginger. Finishes surprisingly freshly, but could see this being too evolved for some. ****
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Medium gold. Very good but probably just over peak. It tastes very similar to the 96 DP but doesn't have quite the structure. Orange flavors but no sign of oxidation as others noted.
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Wonderful, slightly darker color, a little oxidation which highlight all the great future of this wine. Delicious and lasting both in the glass and on the palate. Buy for the future.
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I's 50th (The Medlar, London): June 2007 disgorgement. Mid to full gold, slightly burnished. Love full and ripely mature nose. Very smooth and mellow. A touch of ginger and though it is starting to show a slight oxidative hint, I don't find it as mature as some do. Smooth and rich. Finishes well, just lacking a bit of zip at the end. ****
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Mostly Champagne at Andy's Thai Kitchen (Chicago, IL): Found this showing tired. The nose has oxidized notes of sherry and caramel that are prominent. Bubbles on the palate are quite muted. Still has decent acid and lift. This bottle appears to have past it's peak.
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A bit disjointed at first. Oxidative, darkening fruit tones. Rich, full palate; a big Champagne. Rounds out nicely with air and comes together a bit. Not totally consistent with my last bottle.
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Very interesting "intellectual" champagne, it requires attention to enjoy. Lively mousse. No identifiable aromas, yet somehow pleasant. Medium full body, excellent mouth feel, intriguing. It feels like it will age very well. Difficult to understand but enjoyable.
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April 2006 disgorgement. Bold baked apple notes. Big Champagne. Rich, leesy wine with a really firm, pronounced structure. Some sherry and mature notes that add a richness rather than detracting, but that I also don't remember in this wine and they make me wonder whether this bottle is as young as it should be; either way, showing really well.
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HDH Burgundy Auction; 4/1/2016-4/2/2016 (Chicago, IL): Massively nutty and sherried (but not oxidized nor over-the-top). Nutty and saline, there's almost a touch of Selosse-like oxidative character. The palate is painfully dense and powerful, and the same nutty salinity. The acidity will strip the enamel from your teeth. Hugely structured, though there's a touch of lovely sweet and ripe fruit behind it all that adds a really compelling element of interest.
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24-Hour Tampa Blitzkrieg; 2/27/2016-2/28/2016: Fresh, creamy, croissant dough. Vanilla. Tremendous palate- young and sharp with intense effervescence. Excellent finish with honeyed cereal grains. Awesome to drink right now but too young. Will obviously continue to go for a decade. Really interested in finding some older vintages of this to try out now.
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Yowzers. Alive with citrus acidity but rich bake-shop aromatics and a touch of savory mushrooms add complexity. There is a sense of sweetness and super concentration on the palate but everything is in a gorgeous balance. Profound and huggable at the same time. One of the best bottles of Champagne I've had.
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Have had some variation with this but this is another great bottle. Toast, ginger, green pear, nuts, florals and stone. When this is on it's definitely one of my favorite '96s as the high acidity is perfectly balanced by the sheer density. It's like if either was out of whack this would feel austere or fat but thankfully it's neither and the result is a fantastic Clos des Goisses of tremendous intensity, energy and balance. Great now and a long life ahead. Loved this.
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Zachys Holiday Auction - Winter 2015 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): Can taste the age on this - in a much better place than the '05. It's pure freshness - like dew on a spring morning. Hints of toast, but not as pronounced. Drank next to the '96 Salon and this isn't that, but it's also not the same price point.
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It has been a while and looking at my previous TN and the CDG has moved quite a bit along it's evolutionary curve. Rich and very vinous, this for me is a very special Champagne that requires attention. There are deep mature notes here that combine an earthy element with a high toned note of orange or kumquat marmalade, spice (ginger?) and smoke. This was served along side with Gosset's celebris 2002 after a nice Latour Corton Charlie 97 and before the reds. Patience was greatly rewarded as the wine went through a kaleidoscope of flavor changes with air and just kept getting smoother and softer with air with the last sip being the finest. I may have to revisit this soon ( in very small company to assure a more extended observation) as this champagne deserves a meditative experience. For a larger dinner crowd I would recommend serving this towards the end of the meal and allow this to open up. Unique, exotic and exquisite. A very memorable wine that is always a treat.
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Keith's Blind Challenge 2015 (The Medlar, London): Blind. Mid to full straw. Quite an oxidative evolved nose with a touch of aldehyde. Good acidity, nice and bracing despite the evolution. Think this is a Pinot-rich 96 starting to creak. The room seems sceptical about 96 putting it older, but Ray volunteers C de G if that is the vintage, and adds the disgorgement date for good measure. ****
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Year 3 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does 96 Chamapgne (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): This pours a moderate golden yellow. The nose on this wine was so very mineral and floral via loads of crushed rock, yellow fruit, gun powder, daisy, orchid, tulip, ginger and honey. High acid and low dosage as expected with a medium plus finish. Very nice champagne and interestingly brings many of the same traits I look for in white burgundy.
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Year 3 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does 1996 Champagne (Langdon Hall - Andrew Little's Rooom (Also known as the Red Room)): Wow....oh wow.....unreal nose of liquified flowers galore followed by waves of honey, ginger, hazelnut, thyme honey, sweet strawberries and minerals. Palate is so svelte.....flowers, flowers, flowers, honey, ginger, mineral , a myriad of nutty and autolytic flavours that end in a note of fresh cut strawberries. Finish is beguiling....stunning....never ending. Amazing champagne.
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This bottle was fully mature and really outstanding. The champagne is tart and dry, but has developed a soft nose of cirtus and brioche with attractive hints of walnuts. Rather long finish, very fine bubbles. My last bottle, and I wish I had bought more.
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Seeing some fairly significant bottle variation with this wine as this was much closer to my note from February '14. This showed far more mature, oxidative notes than a couple of more recent bottles. Still excellent but not quite as fresh.
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Controversial. Some liked, and others not as much. A big and structured wine. Toast, ripe apple, spice. Not sure this was a perfect bottle when compared to CT notes.
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Another fantastic bottle of this wine. Everytime I have it you get that same beautiful dense mousse on the palate but tons of bright acidity. The 96 is so burly and powerful, I think it'll be drinking well for awhile. The 02 is also super tasty but more acidic and less broad
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Such a treat. Wonderful aged notes. Rich brioche, mousse, caramel. Nice acidity but balanced. In a perfect spot right now. Best champagne of the night easily.
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Blind. Mid to full straw. Good stream of very fine bubbles. Moderately rich on the nose. Full on the attack, slightly oxidative, a nice balance between mature Pinot-led fruit and a fresh acidity. Guess this is a 96. Serious. The PN is maturing quickly but it holds it's shape nicely. A pinch of ginger. Positive finish. Long. ****
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Dinner with the guys (Hakumai @ International Plaza): Wow wow... This surely reminded me of the '96 Krug - A burly wine, built for the ages! Very "compact", one could definitely sensed the tension and intensity (packed to the brim with ripe citrus/lemony fruits) beneath, awaiting to be unleaded with time/ageing. Palate-staining with a long finish. Great!
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Raveneau Dinner (Young and Mid-Aged Wines) (Les Nomades - Chicago IL): Consistent with other recent bottles. This is slowly starting to mature, showing lots of rich and powerful orchard fruit. Long and dense, not as much subtlety and nuance today vs how much I really adored this wine when tasted multiple times around 2006-2008.
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Served next to 96 Krug. Both were great with some preferring one over the other but no consensus winner. This one was lighter on its feet with more acid, more citrus and no hint of oxidation. Bisquity and rich without ever being cloying. Very good wine that can hold for quite a while longer.
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Stunning wine. Had a bottle of this a few months ago and this was noticeably fresher and more youthful. Incredible acid structure matched with amazing depth. A great Clos des Goisses with a long life ahead.
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2nd time I had this wine. First time a few months ago it was super tight but this bottle was a lot more open on the palate. Orthodox and correct with good balance and finesse. Very nice but I thought i was drinking 96 Dom P...
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Casual Dinner with Friends (goosefoot - Chicago IL): Ripe apple and pear aromas and flavors with just a hint of lemon peel near the finish. Starting to show some earth but still reasonably fresh. In its peak drinking window, even if perhaps not quite as great to me vs a few years back.
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Light yellow in color, initially Granny Smith apples, gradually added butterscotch and caramel. Intense palate with loads of youth and intensity, ripe citrus fruit with a bit of Mazipan, fine bubbles and very fresh acidity. An intense yet very fine and young champagne, will be even better in 5years plus.
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Taste: Full bodied with a real classy feel and tart medium+ acidity. The acidity is certainly still showing and there are flowing tones of white fruits, peaches, brioche, mineral tones, and some baking spices.
Overall: This was an absolutely gorgeous bubbly. It displayed a lot of poise and class with really good depth and layering. This has a long way to go, but it is stunning right now.
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Last had a bottle in 2007, and this is worlds apart. Showing some oxidative notes, toast, apple (more like a cider quality than fresh apple). Fresh and lively in the mouth, but not particularly complex, and lacking distinction. Drank this over the course of about three hours, and it didn't change much. Frankly, a bit disappointing. (Disgorged December 2006)
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Still excellent with loads of fruit but much more evolved than I would have liked. Inconsistency isn't fun - if all my bottles tasted like this I would say drink up.
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More advanced than my previous blue form the same source. SOme oxidative notes, but bright, fresh and clean on the palate. Fine bead, excellent texture and lovely fruit-acid interplay. The palate delvers more than the nose. I will probably start drinking these sooner than I had expected, based on this bottle if it representative of the rest of mine. Another TN to follow soon on another blue. Still outstanding, but below expectations. 90pts
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A great bottle. Nothing out of place, or advanced, simply a great champagne from a great vintage showing extremely well. Lemon, granny smith apple, a hint of smoke, plenty of yeasty depth across the palate and a long finish. A wine to almost make you wish you were alone at Christmas so you didn't have to share it.
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A very delicate, inviting nose. Sweet fruit, almost candy-like and a load of dark chocolate and nougat. Complex and also fresh. What a combination! Very multi-faceted taste. Medium-fullish body. Incredibly complex and long. Aromas dominated by dark chocolate and nougat, but also dense fruit. Incredible acidity. In a very nice drinking window. Really open, but will last for years. Tasted blind against a lot of other 1996's, this was placed on top-three.
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I lack sparkling vocabulary, so here goes a feeble attempt. golden color with a beautiful nose, apples, and minerals more than toast, and a little oxidative, but still managing to stay bright and mouthwatering. There is a freshness and focus here that commands your attention. Excellent texture and depth. Outstanding, at peak and more-ish. 94 pts
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A fabulous champagne (out of magnum) that is still young and in need of additional ageing. Deliciously crisp with great chalk/limestone flavors and a kaleidescope of tropical fruit and mineral notes. It is a regal champagne that is really fine and pure and even though it's deeply complex and concentrated, it has a gorgeous soft elegance to it that's enchanting. Fabulous juice. 95+
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Very powerful aromatics. Baked lemons and apple, mineral, white floral, very yeasty. Great fruit on the palate with a wonderful texture. Acidity has toned down a bit. Long, powerful finish. I really like the place this is in right now.
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Birthday Celebration (Perennial Virant - Chicago IL): Apple and pear to start, followed by lemon and lemon peel middle to finish. Long long, very powerful and dense. I haven't had this wine in a couple of years and it is starting to lose the incredible freshness from before, and like most 1996s is starting to show some mid-life maturity.
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Keith's Blind Challenge 2012 (The Square, London): Blind. Fizz. Mid straw. Very smooth and quite rich nose. A touch oxidative. Slightly chalky and quite minerally on the attack. An intensity to it. More linear, quite tight. Needs time. ***(*)
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"Clos" dinner chez Rasoul (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – This is a massive wine in all aspects: nose, palate, weight, intensity. Big nose with lots of toast, citrus and orchard fruit. On the palate it’s weighty and powerful with loads of acidity and minerality. What this lacks in elegance it makes up in power. Finish is long commanding. While this is an excellent bottle of bubble, I can’t help but think given the press I was slightly underwhelmed. Perhaps I’m just a whore for blanc de blanc. Drinking well now, tons of time left to improve. Excellent. 92+
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A citrusy overlay on a remarkably extracted pinot noir dominant champagne. Dry honey notes on the palate.Fresh as a daisy. Tiny bubbles still profuse. Unusually dry. Remarkably focused. Drank it in part with a roasted veal chop. More than held its own. 1996 was a remarkable vintage for Champagne, and I thought that especially true for pinot noir. I think this wine very much supports that view. In its way reminds of another truly remarkable pinot noir dominant champagne, the 1988 Piper Rare.
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Blind tasting at JK & KK's place: Tasted double blind. Yeasty on the nose with ripe pear-apple. A creamy sweetness comes out later: caramel with air. Ripe again lots of pear on the palate, nice smooth_sharp bubbles. Minerals and a hint of sweet vanilla creme. Acid and lemon in the finish. I guessed Champagne, from 1995-2000, and finally guessed 1995 mid-level cuvee. When this was revealed, I had to say that I thought the wine was a little developed for a 96 of this cuvee, and I was not all that impressed. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.
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Wines blind 2/2/2012 (Battery Park City): Tasted double blind. The color of urine, deep gold with a hint of orange. Frizzed on pour. Huge, gigantic roasty-toasty nose of chestnuts on the roast with a background hint of pink bubblegum. Big, frizzy flavors of moderately oxidized trebbiano (think old Emidio Pepe but a bit less mineral and oxidized), a little sour, and not very complex. Good weight and medium finish. This doesn't have the delicacy or the filigreed texture I expect from top Champagne, but the nose is really magnificent. This really is a Goethean wine. Wickedly dry. The last bits of my glass were full of big tobacco on nose, cigars not ashes. I thought this wine was domestic U.S.A. due to its rusticity.
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1996 est un grand millésime en Champagne, ayant produit des vins extrêmes à la fois dans leur concentration, leur maturité de fruit et leur acidité. Le nez est pâtissier : amande, praliné, noisette... et semble minéral car il évoque la craie. L'attaque est franche, le vin fluide, la bouche est superbe, très longue grâce notamment à l'acidité en finale qui le rend viril. J'adore cette acidité que Mr Philipponnat qualifie d'extrême. Ce dernier ajoute que c'est un champagne qui peut encore se garder trente ans.
C'est l'un (le?) des plus beaux champagnes que j'ai pu boire.
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This was my first encounter with the 1996 Clos des Goisses and let me tell you, it was one of my most memorable wine experiences of all time. This is surely one of the very greatest champagnes from the 1996 vintage. It had an incredible depth of flavor and richness. It was also very powerful. However, the richness and power were held in perfect check by the acidity. The flavors included a wonderful natural pinot sweetness, dark minerals, oranges, citrus, pear, peaches, biscuits, cookie dough, strawberries, cream, spices, orange marmalade, caramel, honey, and grapefruit. Just an incredbile champagne experience that was just shy of perfection. I can't wait to taste this in about 10 years when it will likely be even more integrated and sublime. Do whatever you can to get some of this. This was the April 2006 disgorgment.
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Not at all what I remember from the last time I had this bottle a few years ago. Quite advanced aromas for a 96, and very disjointed. Noticeably alcoholic, with a touch of resin. disappointing.
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Tiny bubbles emerge from medium yellow wine. Nose has great scents of biscuit, honey, and flint. Medium full body continued to improve over the four hours wine was open. Extremely complex on the palate with all the great champagne components of biscuit, saline, creme brule, and almond. Wine finishes with exceptional acidity.
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Pichon Dinner - Lalande vs. Baron (Palena - Washington, DC): Great tones of brioche, vanilla cream, lemons and lime on the nose. Very deep nose that, over time, really developed structure. Impressive palate that had nice weight and seamlessly integreted tones of white florals, subtle lanolin, baked bread, vanilla and lemon peel. Finish was nice and taut with great energy. Impressive wine.
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Pichon Baron vs. Pichon Lalande @ Palena (Washington DC): I was guessing 1990, round fruit expression, baked apple, lemon tart, medium caramel, yellow and red fruit, and a hint of oxidation. It seemed pretty mature but enjoyable. I hope this will get better definition with time but not so sure.
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October 2005 disgorgement. This is a bit of an odd one. I really like it but if I'd been served it blind, there is no way I'd have pinned it as as a 1996. The color is more advanced than I expected, and the nose has similar evidence of advancement, with some sherry/nutty elements but also some peach/pear notes that keep it onside. On the palate, there's a lovely candied pineapple note with the same hint of pear and sherry. Ultimately I think this reminds me of a well-aged bottled of Krug NV (no bad thing in and of itself) and I can't see where this will go with further age (as in will it get better?). I do like it, but given the vintage I thought I'd get something completely different from a 1996 Clos de Goisses. No regrets though.
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This is a powerful wine which has a long life ahead of it. Nose was muted for the first couple of hours due to the bottle being too cold. Palate has excellent freshness with granny smith apples, caramel, and biscuits.....all in balance for a long powerful finish.
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A beauty. Massive concentration. Fresh apples, æblegrød, great mallic acid biting at the cheekbones. Coffee and corn. At present the nose seems a bit restrained, but the mouthfeel and concentration are absolutely beautiful. A powerful wine.
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Oj, vilket vin är tanken som slår en direkt. Massor med olika nötter, solmogna frukter och choklad blandat med mineraler och under alla dessa dofter, kryddor och örter. Väldigt hög syra men inte på något sätt nåt som vinet inte klarar av, citrus förstås men också äpplen och choklad. Fin struktur och lång, lång eftersmak. Drick nu och ha en spännande flirt , lagra och drick om 10 år och du får gå hela vägen. Valet är ert.
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October 2005 Disgorgement. WOW! Intensely vinous, excellent weight, very dark pinot flavours. Mineral streak comes out with some decanting. Fruit in the white range and holds the power and the minerality nicely in balance. Very, very serious champagne.
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Rich, very vinous, needs time in the glass; Turkish delight, toasted nuts, red frit, apple; well-balanced, quite big, ripe acidity. Seems completely ready.
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December '08 disgorgement - This was the most acidic bottle of any '96 Champagne that I have had. I will have to take a bunch of Tums to make it through the night. Beyond the acidity there was some sour lemon and some butterscotch. In fact, it drank a lot like a scotch ale. Much different than the last bottle I had.
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"Champagne, Chablis and a Touch of Red" Dinner (HIX Oyster and Chophouse, London): golden yellow color, vibrant small bubbles. nutty nose. it the mouth though this seemed to show a touch of sherry along with the nuttiness that took away from the sharp straight line of acid , the backbone. the bottle seemed a bit advanced to me and one or two others at the table who have had this before said this was not a good bottle. it was a shame as this tipple seemed to have a lot of good citrus and acidity, and was very well balance, just seemed a bit off. oh well , just have to wait for the next one
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Semi-Blind White Wine Tasting (Casa Roberts): July Disgorgement, from magnum. Very fine mousse. Green apple and under-ripe strawberry (or the white part of the strawberry) with some interesting raspberry and nutty notes -- raspberry almond danish? Extremely young. Medium (+) acid level is quite refreshing and the finish is nearly as long as any sparkling wine I've had. Very young, but it will be tough to keep my hands off the other two mags...
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Semi-Blind Whites (Our House -- Philadelphia): Young. Very young. Acidic. Crisp. Good fruit. Citrus, apple and some raspberry. A touch of yeast. Very good finish. This has 20+ years, easily.
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Very clean, extremely dry... cirtus and brioche aromas on the nose, flavorful with a tangy, slightly bitter aftertaste. Extremely promising with (much) more time.
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The Big "Four-O": 40+ Wines for 40 Years: Same as the previous night's bottle - Aggressive mousse, but tiny and slow bubbles. Yeast and walnuts on the nose. Rather sweet on the palate with ripe peach, red apple and some nuts. Relatively short finish.
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Aggressive mousse, but tiny and slow bubbles. Yeast and walnuts on the nose. Rather sweet on the palate with ripe peach, red apple and some nuts. Relatively short finish.
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the first bottle of this that i have found enjoyable. all previous experiences have been with a wine showing tightly closed/unyielding. this had a nice vibrant acidity. kevin felt it was slightly oxidized, but i did not. i feel it's just that this needs years to come around, and we got a little peek tonight.
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G6 (Dave): Slight oxidation on the nose. Golden yellow color. Tastes of caramel, apple, lemon and lime. Nice mid palate depth. Strong minerality on the long elegant finish. If memory serves me, these wines all tend to have this oxidized quality. Is this the house style?
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Took quite a while to open up and still never reached the level of the bottle opened a year or so ago. Still very good, but perhaps going through an awkward phase.
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Clos des Goisses Vertical (Chicago, IL): July '06 disgorgement. Fine, streamlined and really well balanced Champagne. Especially aggressive mousse for CdG, but all yeast and citrus, and probably the least winey of the '96-99 series. Not that it necessarily follows, but also the best of that time period - really good.
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April disgorgment. 4th of July at the cabin. Very young and fresh. A little tight but the power is here. Lemon Apple and a hint of sea air on the nose. Some nice almond paste notes as well. very delicate and flowery yet very complex and structured at the same time. With more air it increases in complexity and more mineral & smoke come out..Very young and very promissing
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1995 Bordeaux Showdown (Azuma): Doughy, citrus, talc, raspberry and with some time in the glass some light nutty characters. The palate is undoubtedly powerful, with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. Great length. As it had time to breath in the glass it unwound and just got better and better. Bursting with potential, I was glad to try this young and I hope I have another encounter with it when it has aged.
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This is certainly among the best champagnes I've ever had. Loads of fruit and acidity and the finish just goes on and on. Will certainly improve with additional bottle age but it's already drinking very well.
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Store tasting. CRAZY and over the top aromas of jasmine, buttered pear, honey, and lavender. Very intense minerality with a very long finish. Fatiguing! Call me a wuss but I couldn't have more than a glass of this.
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Bracing with loads of acidity and tons of fruit with great complexity and depth. Long finish. Will be a great Champagne but won't peak until about 2020 and I would recommend hands off until 2015. Good now but will be profound later.
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G7 (Sea Saw, Scottsdale): A whiff of vinegar on the nose. Tastes of pears, almonds and walnuts. Rich. Very tight and closed on the finish. This wine was showing much better six months ago.
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Dinner with Dan and Mary. We started off with this beauty. I've never tried Clos des Goisses, and now I see what all the fuss is about. What a wine! Dan described it as raspberries in yogurt -- which I thought was very apt. I couldn't get my nose out of the glass -- simply exhilarating. Very tight, seemed hard as a rock with loads of underlying material, yet at the same time was very expressive. A very intense Champagne. I'm hooked. (Disgorged December 2006)
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Dennis' summer tasting: Another great 1996 champagne. Tons of sour dough, big intensity, dark berries. It's very open, a masculine powerhouse, yet with great minerality and gun powder. A first for me. Very nice indeed! 95-96.
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Best champagne to date, I could smell this wine as it was being poured. Intense honeysuckle, apple, peach, butterscotch, more of the same on the palate with a 30+ second finish.
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Tasted April 28, 2007 at an offline. Light yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout with a light mousse. Nose of graham crackers, sherry and a touch of earthiness. Flavors of tart apples and cherry fizz. Light to medium acidity, light to medium body. Drink now or hold.
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Absolutely exceptional stuff. Powerfully toasty, yet prominently fruity at the same time. Very fine mousse. As good a champagne as I've ever had, on par with '96 Dom Perignon, which is my signature benchmark.
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Notes similar to previous bottle. An elegant champagne - the real test for this bottle was when we drank it a bit warmer later in the evening and it was soaring. Again I don't think this one is ready to show at its peak. This bottle seemed more acidic than the previous bottle probably due to the food match. I was surprised and quite pleased that someone showed up with this somewhat rare champagne.
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An interesting champagne with a unique flavor profile. Last night's bottle was consumed as a "must try it to see what it's about" as we have never had this champagne before. After reading the previous notes I expected a more high-acid presentation but this was all about complex brioche, smoke and pear flavors with a very fine mousse. It's not an easy crowd pleaser but more of an introspective champagne if there is such a thing. We drank it before there was much food and that was probably a mistake. Good potential for improvement - probably about 94 points with more bottle age. [$$$; might buy more; Next bottle in 2009]
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Immediately, an assertive citrus nose. This is wrapped in fainter apple and buttery aromas. Well-integrated, seems to be evolving along classic lines. Very distinctive palate of lime and biscuits. Quite astringent and fragrant. After a few minutes, the fruit returns to centre stage, lots of ripe apples and pears. Classic champagne, though moving towards a mature phase (this bottle is a lot more developed than the first I tried). Very self-assured, clearly high class fizz, but no easy-drinker. Plenty more development ahead, no doubt. [Disgorged Oct 2005]
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Light+ golden color with a strong mousse. Poured into white wine glass. Sea Breeze and doughy nose. The wine is huge on the palate and mouthfilling. There is significant acid, but it does not stick out. The impression to me was of a wine with incredible intensity and "concentration". Funny that I rarely see anyone mention that that term in regards to champagne, but maybe I just miss it. The wine had such intensity that it was a bit hard to sort out....almost overwhelming. More stuffing than any 96 tete cuvees I've had. Some floral, acid, mineral, light citrus and green apple. Great stuff which I hope plays out as beautifully as it seems. I love young wines, but having had some 20-25 year old Clos, I will be able to resist much consumption of this beauty.
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Gorgeous and oozing class. Citrus verve and a little scent of the bakery matched with a strong minerality and purity of focus. Low dosage, but the fruit is so ripe (owing to the warm microclimate of the vineyard) that there is still a lovely subtle hint of sweetness without being overdone. This will unfold further with time but I think it's already a wine of great beauty and well worth the price tag. It was not difficult to drain this bottle and I'd like to have more of this.
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Very difficult to "read" this infant. Powerful typical '96 acid backbone. Faint nose of seashell and chalk. On the attack, there's some interesting mineral notes that power through to the finish, but I can't say (or taste) more at this time. I'd give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it will be much more approachable in 5 - 10.
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I just couldn't wait! A delicious mid-gold colour. Plentiful mousse. Sweet, deep, smokey, yeasty nose. Yeast comes to dominate. Very mature-smelling, despite its youth. A high, stoney-mineral finish. The flavour is just the same - very balanced, mature, sweet and complex. Liquid bread, with smoke and secondary fruit. Delicious, and much more 'mature' tasting than my last bottle. Absolutely first-rate, delicious wine, in the same class as '97 Bollinger, but maybe more distinctive. I just can't shake the smokey-bonfirey overtones! Delicious, and for £50 (I got it on offer), absolutely brilliant value.
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Moderate pressure under the cork. Pale lemon colour. Intense citrus, apple and piles of whitecurrants. Fruit-driven, with a slight mineral edge. A beast on the tongue; almost overwhelming acid-fruit flavours, but holds back on the right side of drinkable. Creamy but plentiful mousse. Grapefruit, lemon, more apple, a hint of candied peel on the finish. This is, clearly, a bit on the young side. I happen to like this style - but I think others might want to wait a minimum of ten years before tasting it. My second-favourite Champagne to date.
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10/22/2023 - Neecies wrote:
WT's birthday. Not flawed, but there should have been fireworks and they just weren't there. As W put it: "dull".
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10/15/2023 - WST wrote:
A Charity event plus two days of birthday celebration; a memorable three day weekend.; 10/13/2023-10/15/2023 (Samish Hill, Bellingham, WA): I wanted a bold wine to blow away the tasting group. While I would never turn down a glass of this, I found it a bit dull. Definitely not corked, and not oxidized, just not terribly exciting. Dense, with great cut; some apricot, apple, mushroom. July 2006 disgorgement.
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9/23/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 95 Points
excellent - lovely richness combined with laser focus. So drinkable. Confected grapes initially before opening up to gingerbread. Not very broad - but long and very mineral and acidic finish. Solid 95
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4/22/2023 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
No notes taken. This needed a lot of air in the glass to open up more and become rounder and more harmonious. In the end it was quite good although still not reveling a lot. I guess this will need another 10 or 20 years to blossom into a the great Champagne it possibly is. I usually pass on new vintages of this cuvee. I don‘t find it interesting to buy something that needs decades to just come out of its shell, let alone to reach peak maturity. 93/94
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4/19/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 98 Points
A finely chiseled and detailed wine, starting off humble and then building increasing presence. Fruit of lime and citrus with some orange zest complexity. Caramel and toffee notes. Mineral flavors of steel. After a while adding smoke, Cognac and blood orange. Electric acidity with additional nutty complexity on the palate. This may well be one of the best bottle of Champagne I’ve had to date (i.e. comparable to the likes of 2008 Krug Cos Du Mesnil, 1996 Krug, Sélosse Substance dég. 2016, Cirstal 2008, 2012).
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3/2/2023 - burginner Likes this wine: 94 Points
magnum, very fresh and vibrant. Slight nutty showing age.
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1/25/2023 - dcwino wrote: flawed
Mouton dinner (La Chaumiere in Georgetown): DOA, oxidized.
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1/1/2023 - Wadstedt79 Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is vintage of this Champagne that started my obsession with french fine bubbles. Its been around 5 years since i had it the first time and it was as good as i remember. So well balanced and still with the acidity to hold up for a couple of more years though i dont think it will get better.
Brioche, caramel but with the freshness from green apple.
Still one of the top 3 best Champagnes i have drank including lots of prestige Champagnes from top years. 98 P
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12/31/2022 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 95 Points
Needed about 30 min to open up. Toasted nuts up front leads you to a well balanced, precise and fully integrated finish. This is in its prime and should drink well for a decade plus.
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9/19/2022 - Vstalam wrote: 96 Points
2010 disgorgement, firing on all cylinders if you like rich yellow fruit, honey, hint of acidity/tension, bit of autolytic notes but not the tertiary mushroom/funk notes yet.
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9/8/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote:
1996 Dinner...Top Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux (Park Ridge Country Club): Much more tired than should ever be expected, and still certainly drinkable, but underwhelming. seemed lacking energy.
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7/14/2022 - cct wrote: 94 Points
For Bastille Day, drunk with croque monsieur
April Disgorgement
Drunk over several hours.
Golden in color. Not a ton of pop with opening the cork. This has a beautiful, mature nose. It's honeyed and oxidative with brioche, marzipan, orchard fruit and florals. This is becoming more vinous with age, losing the bead of its youth. On the palate, it's chalky and deep, with terrific overall balance. Fiinely detailed and focused with a seeming contrast of a subtle yet bright bead. More orchard fruit, nuttiness, and florals all come together really well with beautifully balanced dosage. Finishes chalky and long with terrific fruit and florals. At this phase, it is not a show stopper, rather a wine of harmony and understated grace. It speaks quietly yet deserves your attention. One of the better bottles of this I have had. I've had quite a bit of bottle variation with this wine even among similar disgorgement dates, but this was a winner. Showing well in a mature mode, but I'm not sure I see further aging benefiting this.
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5/26/2022 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Champagne study (Chicago, IL): Huge question mark from me on today's bottle. It feels inordinately fresh in that there seems to be very little development overall, but at the same time this seems to be lacking, well, flavour. Just really high acidity and a relatively hollow palate. None of the mushroom, oxidative stuff -- merely a thin, high-acid (and slightly anonymous) champagne. Very weird showing.
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3/6/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): Great wine. You can tell there's age here - perhaps even a bit more than I might have expected from the year - but it's also quite fresh. Plenty of bubbles. Drinking well.
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2/23/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Annual SAC event @ French Consulate (French Consulate in NYC): More nutty in style, almost a bit bitter in style but not in a bad way but kindof an interesting and makes you stop and take notice way. It's a tasty wine. Showing some age which of course I like.
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2/21/2022 - Winetex Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was an exceptional bottle of an exceptional cuvee. Structured, sophisticated and complex with almond flavors. A previous bottle seemed over the peak but this was fresh. The flavor profile was similar to aged Dom P with less mushroom notes. Loved it and a fantastic bday wine!
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2/15/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nice age to this champagne, lots of weight on the palate so the finish was long. Great with caviar. Drink/hold
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12/21/2021 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
A little Las Vegas hospitality (Las Vegas, NV): Been a while since I crossed paths with a bottle of this; I can't say that this has grown on me though. Very much a typical bottle of older Goisses, amply mature with the dirty funk that has you asking if it's corked or not. Some rancio, nutty notes, as well as oxidative flavours that remind me of dry sherry. Umami to the extreme and even though there is acidity, it doesn't feel integrated overall with the palate. To be honest, I find myself becoming less and less convinced about Goisses these days...
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11/21/2021 - vinum bonum wrote: 93 Points
(aveugle) La magnifique couleur or trahit l'âge respectable, le nez est très expressif, noisette, épices douces, et aussi un peu de pomme. La bouche attaque très large, puis se resserre aussitôt pour proposer une acidité haute, qui lui donne une incroyable fraîcheur. Grosse persistance, certains pourront (en chipotant) regretter un léger manque de gourmandise pour que le plaisir soit total. Super bouteille en grande forme. 93+
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11/18/2021 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Awesome.
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7/17/2021 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than the previous bottle, this one displayed explosive gas on opening so much that I spilled it. Light gold. The oxidation is right on the edge, adding a brown apple nuance. Good power and energy. If you wait one more day it might be too old to enjoy, though.
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7/3/2021 - cct wrote: 90 Points
Julydisgorgement.
Almost no pop with the cork. Some oxidative notes on the nose, yet still with a fine bead and excellent balance. A vinous bottle of Champagne, with excellent balance and clarity. Like drinking Chablis with fine bubbles. Still, I suspect this was not a proper bottle. I have had quite bit of variation in my bottles of this, and while really very good to outstanding, not one of the better bottles. 90
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5/24/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:
What an interesting wine the 96 Clos des Goisses is, showing a unique palate of gooseberry, pluot, cream. Balancing freshness and oxidative maturity (perhaps leaning a bit toward the latter) this is really nice though for my taste it would be reasonable to consume them in the near future. 94-95
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5/22/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 96 Points
Nose: Soars out the class's with lemon creme, peach, apple tart and a rich toffee note. Color was beautiful yellow/amber. Palate: Very precise and nuanced wine wine. It is bold, but does not force itself up on you. Layers of brioche, apple, lemon pastry, caramel and berries. Finish: Long and powdery. You could drink this all day.
This was a beautiful wine served after the 1988 Pol Roger Winston Churchill.
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1/29/2021 - Oscaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastisk doft av jäst, kola och fläderblommor. Efter en stund i glaset kommer lite mer citrus och kanderade stenfrukter.
Jättefin mousse, knäckigt, massor av tropiska frukter, med röda och gröna äpplen och ett långt avslut.
Skyhög syra vilket fick mig att gissa på Philipponat 96.
Det här är så fantastiskt gott och komplext och växte mer och mer med tid i glaset. Ingen tvekan om att den dricker bra nu men ingen stress med att öppna flaskor om ni har.
Det var tufft att välja WOTN för mig mellan den här och Krug, men Krug drog sista strået.
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1/1/2021 - fclarity wrote: 94 Points
From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a deep yellow center, light bubbles, and a clear rim. The medium intensity nose put forth baked apples, ginger, citrus, and minerals.
In the mouth, this wine was crisp but light bodied at first. It needed at least 45 minutes of air to develop its attractive stoney flavors and long finish.
Other tasters have mentioned oxidative notes. I didn't exactly get them in my bottle. The ginger/caramel flavors were similar to oxidation but I view these as the unique element of the Goisses flavor profile.
If you are looking for the crisp clean style of Cristal, this wine is probably not for you. I think this is at it peak. While it will hold at this level for 5+ years, I would be looking for excuses to pop these.
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12/25/2020 - PJRONeill wrote: 95 Points
I'm an unabashed fan of 96 Goisses - I think its right up there in terms of the vintage and I'd certainly give it the nod over Salon, which has underwhelmed whenever I've had it. This bottle is no different. Notes of lemon creme, sherbet, coffee and a bit of red apple on the nose. On the palate it has that gorgeous candied qualitiy that I love in mature white Burgundy, but with plenty of citrus cut and the last glass tastes of key lime pie. It was a brilliant aperitif and match with Christmas Day crab cakes though it shows no signs of decline. Drink now, enthusiastically, or hold.
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11/26/2020 - psmith wrote: 95 Points
This is all baked apple and vanilla notes. It's deepened and gained a lot of weight with age, but still has a crystalline quality that keeps it lifted. Full, vibrant, and intense palate which comes across more citric than I expected from the nose. I've been a bit disappointed in some of the '96s lately, but this isn't one of them; it's drinking very well, but I think I may like it better in a few years.
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11/8/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slightly golden in colour. A mature and developing nose with lots of bruised apples. The palate however is fresh with searing acidity. Initially, this was very lean but quickly becomes more balanced with time. With time, this got better and better. I enjoyed this as it became warmer also.
From BV. Just a classic medium aged champagne.
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11/7/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
For lovers of old champagne only. Medium deep gold, distinctly oxidative on the nose, less so on the palate. Mousse appropriate for age. Unusual fruit, as usual for Goisse, deep and complex. Held well in the glass. Definitely challenging but if you appreciate mature flavors, you will be fascinated. But drink today, not tomorrow.
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10/6/2020 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
SMD at Yan (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): A solid champagne, but this lagged behind both Krug 2002 and the Cristal 2008 on the same flight. The nose here was very advanced, with honey and caramel, and then oxidative shades of browned apples swirling around a core of cherry flesh, fresher apple and spice aromas. The oxidative notes put me off a bit, but past that, this was actually a really nice nose. The palate was very solid. Grippy, deep and powerful, this had a wonderfully sinewy seam of lemon juice and minerality running through a mouthful of bright citrus and green apple notes, somehow drinking younger than the nose led on. On the midpalate and beyond, some of those meaty, earthy notes started to drift out as well, before a sharper, more defined notes of citrus zest reasserted itself on a long, precise finish. Very nice. Lots of cut and energy on this - a true 1996 - but this somehow was not deliciously complete as the Cristal nor effortlessly strong as the Krug. Still though, very good and drinking fairly well now.
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6/26/2020 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Riper, bitter palate. Much preferred Salon.
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5/20/2020 - Jammy Wine wrote: 92 Points
The 1996 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses is one of the most refined and powerful Clos de Goisses I have tasted. Tightly packed array of ripe citrus, and orchard fruits. Generous brioche and nutty profile. Maturing nicely, some savoury mushroom flavours on the mid-palate. Full bodied yet the acidity is refreshing and clean. Very satisfying with good length. (91-92/100)
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3/23/2020 - dbg wrote:
Nice earthy, bready, mushroomy nose with some aged notes, not a lot of fizz. Well-balanced, medium bodied, really nice complexity on the palate but not a lot of power, medium finish. This was a secondary market purchase in 2008, disgorged April 2006. Excellent, ready to go now, has years to go.
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1/21/2020 - mattiasjansson wrote: 95 Points
1961 vs 1982 Bordeaux (Boston): From magnum. I have not had this in 10+ years. It has developed beautifully. Ripe apples. Soft on the palate. Long finish.
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12/28/2019 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mixedtape Chef: Palate of toasted bread, caramelized pear, with gula melaka tertiaries. Rich. Aged - tasted older than it should in my view. Precise and structured. Good stuff. Enjoyed this tonight.
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12/20/2019 - rlove wrote: 94 Points
The 1996 Clos des Goisses is firing on all cylinders tonight, powerful and complex, with baked apple & pear, citrus blossom, marzipan, and chalk on the nose. Concentrated fruit and a killer mineral streak are supported by good acidity and a fine bead. Excellent!
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11/17/2019 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Disgorged 6/11. Dosage 4.5g/L.
Straw golden color with faint bubbles. Nose smoky, brioche. Palate smoky in a great way, broad stone fruit with some lemon, good acidity. In a perfect spot, great complexity yet still vibrant, have to imagine it's just starting to hit its peak. 95 pts
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7/30/2019 - Vstalam wrote: 93 Points
2010 disgorgement. Better on Day 2 and recommend drinking at cellar temperature. This wine is still very, very young with a coiled texture that improves with time and air. In a middle phase with richness, honey, and acidity but limited autolytic/tertiary notes. Will let my 2nd bottle sleep for awhile longer.
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6/15/2019 - dbg wrote:
Had to try this given the disparity between Brad Baker's comments and the mostly superlative notes in CT from palates I trust. Brought as a starter for the BWE gathering in DC.
It didn’t taste under-ripe or too advanced or acidic to me, but this is my first bottle of the 1996 and I don’t drink Clos des Goisses regularly so it’s not easy to place in perspective. I found a nice earthy, bready, mushroomy nose, not a lot of fizz, and a well-balanced, medium bodied Champagne with a bit of maturity, really nice complexity on the palate but not a lot of power, and a medium finish. This was a secondary market purchase in 2008, disgorged April 2006. I thought it excellent and it garnered a lot of positive comments from other bubble-heads present. I think it has years to go.
Then we compared it to a bottle of 1996 Krug, which was bigger and rounder and more powerful yet beautifully balanced and complex. The Krug was a consensus preference but presumably going for a somewhat different style.
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6/3/2019 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Light gold colour. Vigorous mousse. Darker fruit profile. Rich, deep with lots of 96 acidity. Better and better with air. Rich, caramel, sweet. Gorgeous.
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5/4/2019 - Pavan wrote: 95 Points
Magnificient
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4/23/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
The Goose has finally landed. Really quite stunning in its precision and perfect balance, easily soaring above an octet of pre-Y2K vintage champagnes. Light to medium weight, ethereal and complex. Just starting its secondary stage of development, many years of life.
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3/8/2019 - M.S.L. wrote: 95 Points
Only had this cuvée a few times in other vintages, where I was not impressed and perhaps felt it was a bit clumsy. This however was lovely with the strong acidic backbone I associate with the vintage and very good balance.
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12/25/2018 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
Opened two bottles, one was corked, the other drinking just about the same as last time (in 2014). Still fresh fruit with prominent brioche. A very well made bottle that benefitted from the great year in 96.
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12/1/2018 - burgcamel wrote: flawed
Bad bottle. Slightly corked and slightly oxidized.
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11/24/2018 - PJRONeill wrote: 94 Points
Bringing down the curtain on a great Thanksgiving weekend with this beauty. Lemon, red apples, yeast, lovely balance between the sweetness and the acidity and at a great stage in its development. Another terrific bottle, five years following the last one.
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11/10/2018 - salil wrote: 95 Points
I've been saying for a while that I need to get some Clos des Goisses in my cellar, and this is about as convincing a reason as any. Just a phenomenal bottle of Champagne with rich fruit, savoury mushroomy and earthy notes, dough, and tarter/higher toned citrus flavours all coming together into a wine that's powerful yet remarkably light and finessed. The balance here is incredible, and the finish goes on and on. Fantastic Champagne.
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11/10/2018 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
HDH Bordeaux Auction; 11/9/2018-11/10/2018 (Chicago, IL): Nice mushroom qualities on the nose here -- it's so obvious the pinot inflection here. But then that 1996 acidity comes out and really brightens up everything. Tons of very nice freshness here, with a bit of tart lemon juice that seems to help cut the umami and richness on the palate. Really incredible and rich texture, with a lovely broadness thanks to the pinot.
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10/30/2018 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
(Disgorged in April 2006, 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay)
Lovely yellow colour with a stream of very fine bubbles leads way to the wonderful maturing nose showing a hint of deeper notes of dark chocolate, vanilla and petroleum before yellow plums, spiciness and minerality take over in a very lovely and pleasant way. Smoothing palate with acidic red apples at first in the glass, then showing cream and opens up with oxidative notes of plums on the very long and very intense finish. This is the third time I’m having this over the last two months, but only tonight did I have the possibility to really meditate over it for dinner and afterwards. Matched with a creamy pasta with black trumpet mushrooms, this was perfectly delicious! (Probably best 2016-2036)
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10/19/2018 - canan wrote: 97 Points
10Y Weekend (Day 1) (Søllerød Kro): Wild and crazy acidity. Stunning wine. 97-98p
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9/23/2018 - xwine wrote:
Medium gold color, with a fairly lively mousse. Lots of apples, and this was elegant and fresh, but it just didn't move me. Not much going on other than apples, and more apples. Disappointing in the context of what it should be.
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9/15/2018 - cct wrote: 96 Points
2001 Red Burgundy at Chez Hugo (Chez Hugo, Baltimore): April Disgorgement
Fresher and brighter than the Krug, with less autolytic character. While the Krug had more depth, breadth, and structure, this had clarity, lift, and pinpoint precision while still having impact and more subtle force. Citrus and apple fruit, with fine texture, with great clarity and focus. A fresh, clean, Champagne that beautifully couples a sense of lightness with hidden power. Drinking at peak. Loved it. The best bottle of the '96 CdG I have had.
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9/15/2018 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
2001 Red Burgundy Retrospective (Chez Hugo - Baltimore): Expressive nose displaying lemon curd, baked apple, marzipan, strong white chocolate, brioche and limestone. Excellent concentration, packed dense yellow fruit, medium fine medium abundant mousse, bright acidity, good mineral presence and a long lemon curd and white chocolate driven finish. The almond and white chocolate expression is fascinating.
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8/10/2018 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Performed better than expected. Young and clean, but with good texture across the palate and emerging depth. Better than some other recent '96s. 94+
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6/3/2018 - psmith wrote: 93 Points
Substantially darker than the '96 Chetillons served next to it. Big wine. Mature, darker citrus flavors and Caribbean spice notes, with some more oxidative tones that add a nice element. Really structural, which counterbalances and lifts the flavors well. This is more ready to drink than a number of other '96s.
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6/2/2018 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Champagne night Part 2 (The Blanchard, Chicago IL): Darker color, slight oxidation, faboulous mouth feel, structured
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6/1/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Henri Jayer & Disciples (15 USW): Magnum. A pristinely fresh example, extreme chalkiness and minerality, lemon lime spritz, and searing acid. On the nose I’m missing the creaminess and toast I was I’ve found here in the past, although it does come though on the palate a little better. I find the acid a little abrasive this time. Came back to the bottom third of this magnum the next day and enjoyed a subtler showing with more yellow fruit weight. Clearly has everything to go the distance and gain complexity.
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1/13/2018 - Tree512 wrote: 97 Points
Finally mature. Deep and complex with the haunting length of chestnut honey I only find in the top and fully mature Champagnes.
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11/28/2017 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium yellow color. Hints of oxidation. Butterscotch. Carmel. Toffee. Great energy. Comes off nicely aged. Lots of verve. Brioche, hints of nuts and yeast. Has a nice perfume that come right out of the glass. Great showing.
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11/8/2017 - walkerjfw wrote:
Dinner with Wine Crew- Jay/Gary/Steve/RJ/Tony - Non Burgundy Pinot (Common Lot Restaurant - Millburn, NJ): First wine of the night, generous contribution from Jay.
Nice fizz when poured, medium gold color. Nose had a bit of funk to start, mellowed into brioche/yeast. Mellow and elegant palate of orchard fruit, nuts. Light fizz post the pour. Very nice, would drink over next few years
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10/20/2017 - clayfu wrote:
Something was off with our bottle, muted fruit, some acidity but didn't have the power and youthful outrage of prior bottles.
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6/18/2017 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
This bottle in much better nick. Good freshness, weighty, integrated, potent.
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6/8/2017 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Ruchottes dinner. Toasty with striking acidity.
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6/4/2017 - FYC wrote:
Starts out with a tremendous amount of acidity and a bit of funkiness on the nose. It took all of 3 hours to unfurl. The acidity became more balanced and the fruit and sweetness intensified with air. Like the 85 Krug, this also needed time to show its best. A very nice way to start and end the meal.
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3/17/2017 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank in Hong Kong
Rich brioche filled nose with a well balanced palate.
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3/12/2017 - Putte Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely gold color. Toasted bread, with some honey (but completely dry), and still lively acidity. Drinking nicely now, but do not save it too much longer.
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3/9/2017 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
Champagne 96 tasting, wine nr5. Best votes (1), Worst votes (2) out of 13. Golden colour. Mature nose with nougat, yeast, roasted nuts, ripe fruit. Big nose, slightly oxidized in a nice way. Round mature mouthfeel, medium acidity, rich flavors with red fruit, bread, cheese. A little plump and tired, lack in elegance. Drink now. 91p
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2/24/2017 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
David Pope's 60th (Medlar, London): Evolved, oxidative nose. Significantly fuller. Meaty and vinous with a slice of two of ginger. Finishes surprisingly freshly, but could see this being too evolved for some. ****
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2/19/2017 - Winetex Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium gold. Very good but probably just over peak. It tastes very similar to the 96 DP but doesn't have quite the structure. Orange flavors but no sign of oxidation as others noted.
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1/28/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful, slightly darker color, a little oxidation which highlight all the great future of this wine. Delicious and lasting both in the glass and on the palate. Buy for the future.
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1/27/2017 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
I's 50th (The Medlar, London): June 2007 disgorgement. Mid to full gold, slightly burnished. Love full and ripely mature nose. Very smooth and mellow. A touch of ginger and though it is starting to show a slight oxidative hint, I don't find it as mature as some do. Smooth and rich. Finishes well, just lacking a bit of zip at the end. ****
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1/5/2017 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
Mostly Champagne at Andy's Thai Kitchen (Chicago, IL): Found this showing tired. The nose has oxidized notes of sherry and caramel that are prominent. Bubbles on the palate are quite muted. Still has decent acid and lift. This bottle appears to have past it's peak.
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1/5/2017 - psmith wrote: 92 Points
A bit disjointed at first. Oxidative, darkening fruit tones. Rich, full palate; a big Champagne. Rounds out nicely with air and comes together a bit. Not totally consistent with my last bottle.
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9/28/2016 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very interesting "intellectual" champagne, it requires attention to enjoy. Lively mousse. No identifiable aromas, yet somehow pleasant. Medium full body, excellent mouth feel, intriguing. It feels like it will age very well. Difficult to understand but enjoyable.
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4/1/2016 - psmith wrote: 94 Points
April 2006 disgorgement. Bold baked apple notes. Big Champagne. Rich, leesy wine with a really firm, pronounced structure. Some sherry and mature notes that add a richness rather than detracting, but that I also don't remember in this wine and they make me wonder whether this bottle is as young as it should be; either way, showing really well.
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4/1/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Wines Tasted at HDH Auction; 4/1/2016-4/2/2016 (Tru Restaurant - Chicago IL): Maturing Apple with nutty overtones. Somewhat powerful start, elegantly finessed finish. I liked this more when younger, but still drinking beautifully.
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4/1/2016 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
HDH Burgundy Auction; 4/1/2016-4/2/2016 (Chicago, IL): Massively nutty and sherried (but not oxidized nor over-the-top). Nutty and saline, there's almost a touch of Selosse-like oxidative character. The palate is painfully dense and powerful, and the same nutty salinity. The acidity will strip the enamel from your teeth. Hugely structured, though there's a touch of lovely sweet and ripe fruit behind it all that adds a really compelling element of interest.
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2/28/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
24-Hour Tampa Blitzkrieg; 2/27/2016-2/28/2016: Fresh, creamy, croissant dough. Vanilla. Tremendous palate- young and sharp with intense effervescence. Excellent finish with honeyed cereal grains. Awesome to drink right now but too young. Will obviously continue to go for a decade. Really interested in finding some older vintages of this to try out now.
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2/28/2016 - ubercuvee wrote:
Oct '05 disg - everything in the right place but really nothing to commend it as being one of the wines of a great vintage.
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2/13/2016 - Gott vin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Moget, Fing gyllengul färg. Brödigt!
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2/8/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
The Ultimative 1996 Champagne Tasting with Richard Juhlin (Behrens am Kai in Düsseldorf 1 star restaurant): ripe red apples, chalk, caramell, butterscotch, middle long finish, sharp acidity, not very round, needs still some time 92(95)
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2/6/2016 - MartyL wrote: 98 Points
Yowzers. Alive with citrus acidity but rich bake-shop aromatics and a touch of savory mushrooms add complexity. There is a sense of sweetness and super concentration on the palate but everything is in a gorgeous balance. Profound and huggable at the same time. One of the best bottles of Champagne I've had.
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1/20/2016 - FYC wrote:
Nice golden color. Lots of rich fruit, apple, wonderful oxidized notes. A touch of white mushroom funk. Nice body and acidity.
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12/5/2015 - bill00 wrote: 96 Points
Have had some variation with this but this is another great bottle. Toast, ginger, green pear, nuts, florals and stone. When this is on it's definitely one of my favorite '96s as the high acidity is perfectly balanced by the sheer density. It's like if either was out of whack this would feel austere or fat but thankfully it's neither and the result is a fantastic Clos des Goisses of tremendous intensity, energy and balance. Great now and a long life ahead. Loved this.
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12/5/2015 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Zachys Holiday Auction - Winter 2015 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): Can taste the age on this - in a much better place than the '05. It's pure freshness - like dew on a spring morning. Hints of toast, but not as pronounced. Drank next to the '96 Salon and this isn't that, but it's also not the same price point.
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11/23/2015 - bon vivant wrote:
It has been a while and looking at my previous TN and the CDG has moved quite a bit along it's evolutionary curve. Rich and very vinous, this for me is a very special Champagne that requires attention. There are deep mature notes here that combine an earthy element with a high toned note of orange or kumquat marmalade, spice (ginger?) and smoke. This was served along side with Gosset's celebris 2002 after a nice Latour Corton Charlie 97 and before the reds. Patience was greatly rewarded as the wine went through a kaleidoscope of flavor changes with air and just kept getting smoother and softer with air with the last sip being the finest. I may have to revisit this soon ( in very small company to assure a more extended observation) as this champagne deserves a meditative experience. For a larger dinner crowd I would recommend serving this towards the end of the meal and allow this to open up. Unique, exotic and exquisite. A very memorable wine that is always a treat.
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10/25/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Bonneau du Martray Dinner with Jean-Charles le Bault de la Morinière (RPM Italian - Chicago IL): Maturing orchard fruit with lots of power and concentration. I like the spice quite a bit here. While i like this wine a lot, I liked it better a few years back.
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9/11/2015 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Keith's Blind Challenge 2015 (The Medlar, London): Blind. Mid to full straw. Quite an oxidative evolved nose with a touch of aldehyde. Good acidity, nice and bracing despite the evolution. Think this is a Pinot-rich 96 starting to creak. The room seems sceptical about 96 putting it older, but Ray volunteers C de G if that is the vintage, and adds the disgorgement date for good measure. ****
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7/18/2015 - Wine Canuck wrote: 94 Points
Year 3 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does 96 Chamapgne (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): This pours a moderate golden yellow. The nose on this wine was so very mineral and floral via loads of crushed rock, yellow fruit, gun powder, daisy, orchid, tulip, ginger and honey. High acid and low dosage as expected with a medium plus finish. Very nice champagne and interestingly brings many of the same traits I look for in white burgundy.
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7/18/2015 - Dave Canada wrote: 97 Points
Year 3 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does 1996 Champagne (Langdon Hall - Andrew Little's Rooom (Also known as the Red Room)): Wow....oh wow.....unreal nose of liquified flowers galore followed by waves of honey, ginger, hazelnut, thyme honey, sweet strawberries and minerals.
Palate is so svelte.....flowers, flowers, flowers, honey, ginger, mineral , a myriad of nutty and autolytic flavours that end in a note of fresh cut strawberries.
Finish is beguiling....stunning....never ending. Amazing champagne.
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7/18/2015 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was fully mature and really outstanding. The champagne is tart and dry, but has developed a soft nose of cirtus and brioche with attractive hints of walnuts. Rather long finish, very fine bubbles. My last bottle, and I wish I had bought more.
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7/15/2015 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Stunning wine. Brash green apple, yeast, fine mousse. Seems quite young.
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5/6/2015 - chbeaumont wrote: 89 Points
Limited fizziness; biscuity, meaty, trace oxidative; substantial, powerful, retains freshness, vigorous; persistent. Not the subtlest, though rather impressive. (Oct 2005 disgorgement).
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4/3/2015 - bill00 wrote: 93 Points
Seeing some fairly significant bottle variation with this wine as this was much closer to my note from February '14. This showed far more mature, oxidative notes than a couple of more recent bottles. Still excellent but not quite as fresh.
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3/20/2015 - ggj wrote: 98 Points
Jean Georges in NYC
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2/28/2015 - muchomaas wrote:
Disappointing bottle bought from restaurant list. I love this wine, hoping this was just a disappointing showing.
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2/18/2015 - BradE wrote:
Tonight this wasn't on for me. Bottle, or moon phase? Will revisit soon.
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2/18/2015 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
Controversial. Some liked, and others not as much. A big and structured wine. Toast, ripe apple, spice. Not sure this was a perfect bottle when compared to CT notes.
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1/30/2015 - clayfu wrote:
Another fantastic bottle of this wine. Everytime I have it you get that same beautiful dense mousse on the palate but tons of bright acidity. The 96 is so burly and powerful, I think it'll be drinking well for awhile. The 02 is also super tasty but more acidic and less broad
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1/29/2015 - FYC wrote:
Such a treat. Wonderful aged notes. Rich brioche, mousse, caramel. Nice acidity but balanced. In a perfect spot right now. Best champagne of the night easily.
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1/18/2015 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Blind. Mid to full straw. Good stream of very fine bubbles. Moderately rich on the nose. Full on the attack, slightly oxidative, a nice balance between mature Pinot-led fruit and a fresh acidity. Guess this is a 96. Serious. The PN is maturing quickly but it holds it's shape nicely. A pinch of ginger. Positive finish. Long. ****
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1/14/2015 - Dbrane wrote:
Searing high acidity. Tight and not expressive at all. This needs many more years of aging. 10 more at least or more.
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1/14/2015 - etyc Likes this wine:
Dinner with the guys (Hakumai @ International Plaza): Wow wow... This surely reminded me of the '96 Krug - A burly wine, built for the ages! Very "compact", one could definitely sensed the tension and intensity (packed to the brim with ripe citrus/lemony fruits) beneath, awaiting to be unleaded with time/ageing. Palate-staining with a long finish. Great!
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11/21/2014 - bill00 wrote: 96 Points
Another great bottle. Packed with richness and density but beautifully balanced by the vintage's acidity. Incredible intensity.
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9/30/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Raveneau Dinner (Young and Mid-Aged Wines) (Les Nomades - Chicago IL): Consistent with other recent bottles. This is slowly starting to mature, showing lots of rich and powerful orchard fruit. Long and dense, not as much subtlety and nuance today vs how much I really adored this wine when tasted multiple times around 2006-2008.
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8/10/2014 - BradE wrote:
Favre 3.0 Friday Night.: Nice bottle, classy, a very good Goisses.
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6/21/2014 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Served next to 96 Krug. Both were great with some preferring one over the other but no consensus winner. This one was lighter on its feet with more acid, more citrus and no hint of oxidation. Bisquity and rich without ever being cloying. Very good wine that can hold for quite a while longer.
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5/10/2014 - bill00 wrote: 97 Points
Stunning wine. Had a bottle of this a few months ago and this was noticeably fresher and more youthful. Incredible acid structure matched with amazing depth. A great Clos des Goisses with a long life ahead.
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3/29/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
Wonderfully fresh with citrus and a hint of yellow apples, but I would have wished for a bit more apples and additional complexity. Still too young?
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2/14/2014 - bill00 wrote: 94 Points
Nicely mature aromatics of caramel, honeyed apple and pear and nuts. Palate is dense and rich but perfectly balanced by a high acid finish. Delicious.
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1/31/2014 - cortoncharlie wrote: 93 Points
2nd time I had this wine. First time a few months ago it was super tight but this bottle was a lot more open on the palate. Orthodox and correct with good balance and finesse. Very nice but I thought i was drinking 96 Dom P...
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9/25/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 93 Points
Delicious and complex with a long way to go. Enjoyable now. Cherry fruit, complex nose. Just really like this.
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7/17/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Casual Dinner with Friends (goosefoot - Chicago IL): Ripe apple and pear aromas and flavors with just a hint of lemon peel near the finish. Starting to show some earth but still reasonably fresh. In its peak drinking window, even if perhaps not quite as great to me vs a few years back.
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7/6/2013 - Pacalet Likes this wine: 95 Points
Light yellow in color, initially Granny Smith apples, gradually added butterscotch and caramel. Intense palate with loads of youth and intensity, ripe citrus fruit with a bit of Mazipan, fine bubbles and very fresh acidity. An intense yet very fine and young champagne, will be even better in 5years plus.
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6/1/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Celebrating Mister Fister's birthday (Maude's Liquor Bar, Chicago IL): Nose: Absolutely gorgeous and layered nose with tones of white fruits, peaches, brioche, mineral tones, green apples, and baking spices. This is very aromatic and extremely classy too.
Taste: Full bodied with a real classy feel and tart medium+ acidity. The acidity is certainly still showing and there are flowing tones of white fruits, peaches, brioche, mineral tones, and some baking spices.
Overall: This was an absolutely gorgeous bubbly. It displayed a lot of poise and class with really good depth and layering. This has a long way to go, but it is stunning right now.
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5/24/2013 - xwine wrote:
Last had a bottle in 2007, and this is worlds apart. Showing some oxidative notes, toast, apple (more like a cider quality than fresh apple). Fresh and lively in the mouth, but not particularly complex, and lacking distinction. Drank this over the course of about three hours, and it didn't change much. Frankly, a bit disappointing. (Disgorged December 2006)
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5/12/2013 - Tree512 wrote: 91 Points
Still excellent with loads of fruit but much more evolved than I would have liked. Inconsistency isn't fun - if all my bottles tasted like this I would say drink up.
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4/21/2013 - cct wrote: 90 Points
July disgorgement
More advanced than my previous blue form the same source. SOme oxidative notes, but bright, fresh and clean on the palate. Fine bead, excellent texture and lovely fruit-acid interplay. The palate delvers more than the nose. I will probably start drinking these sooner than I had expected, based on this bottle if it representative of the rest of mine. Another TN to follow soon on another blue. Still outstanding, but below expectations. 90pts
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2/25/2013 - dansamsoe wrote:
Good stuff. Still a lot of acidity but drinking nicely. Not one of the best 1996s but just below Krug and Salon.
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1/25/2013 - Biglama Likes this wine: 96 Points
weer geweldig, maakt veel indruk, brioche in de neus, botertje, nog veel fruit, krachtig met veel balans, veel body, nog springlevend
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1/1/2013 - Biglama Likes this wine: 97 Points
zo kan het ook, heel verfijnd, mooie diepgang, intens, veel indrukken, prachtig, echt wel een belevenis
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12/25/2012 - PJRONeill Likes this wine: 94 Points
A great bottle. Nothing out of place, or advanced, simply a great champagne from a great vintage showing extremely well. Lemon, granny smith apple, a hint of smoke, plenty of yeasty depth across the palate and a long finish. A wine to almost make you wish you were alone at Christmas so you didn't have to share it.
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12/7/2012 - jrobs7777 wrote: 91 Points
From a magnum. Slight oxidation. Crisp, fresh orchard fruits with some subtle secondary development.
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11/24/2012 - Argrath wrote: 96 Points
A very delicate, inviting nose. Sweet fruit, almost candy-like and a load of dark chocolate and nougat. Complex and also fresh. What a combination!
Very multi-faceted taste. Medium-fullish body. Incredibly complex and long. Aromas dominated by dark chocolate and nougat, but also dense fruit. Incredible acidity. In a very nice drinking window. Really open, but will last for years.
Tasted blind against a lot of other 1996's, this was placed on top-three.
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11/11/2012 - Atreyu wrote: 96 Points
Extreme acid, showing less fruit now than on release. Acacia honey, very complex and long but ultimately unbalanced at the moment. Wait.
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11/10/2012 - lepetitchateau wrote: 96 Points
Not much of a note - but wow, this is a brilliant wine. Elements of a red wine. (Les Crayères)
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10/6/2012 - St Paul wrote: 95 Points
Lovely sweet caramel and candy tones. A bit red fruit. Very sensual and lovely. I have always loved this wine.
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8/26/2012 - cct wrote: 94 Points
July 06 disgorgement
I lack sparkling vocabulary, so here goes a feeble attempt.
golden color with a beautiful nose, apples, and minerals more than toast, and a little oxidative, but still managing to stay bright and mouthwatering. There is a freshness and focus here that commands your attention. Excellent texture and depth. Outstanding, at peak and more-ish. 94 pts
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8/9/2012 - dream wrote: 95 Points
A fabulous champagne (out of magnum) that is still young and in need of additional ageing. Deliciously crisp with great chalk/limestone flavors and a kaleidescope of tropical fruit and mineral notes. It is a regal champagne that is really fine and pure and even though it's deeply complex and concentrated, it has a gorgeous soft elegance to it that's enchanting. Fabulous juice. 95+
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8/2/2012 - MatthewF wrote:
Very powerful aromatics. Baked lemons and apple, mineral, white floral, very yeasty. Great fruit on the palate with a wonderful texture. Acidity has toned down a bit. Long, powerful finish. I really like the place this is in right now.
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8/2/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Birthday Celebration (Perennial Virant - Chicago IL): Apple and pear to start, followed by lemon and lemon peel middle to finish. Long long, very powerful and dense. I haven't had this wine in a couple of years and it is starting to lose the incredible freshness from before, and like most 1996s is starting to show some mid-life maturity.
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7/21/2012 - BaroloRob wrote: 93 Points
Heavy biscuit on day one. Day two, mild yeast notes and full bodied. Good potential with age. Wait a several more years.
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6/15/2012 - Rupert wrote: 84 Points
9th Annual Blind Challenge (The Square, Mayfair, London): Sweaty oxidative nose, but the fruit is bright, and it lacks the depth of champagne. Tart finish. Probably new world. I don't like it
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6/15/2012 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Keith's Blind Challenge 2012 (The Square, London): Blind. Fizz. Mid straw. Very smooth and quite rich nose. A touch oxidative. Slightly chalky and quite minerally on the attack. An intensity to it. More linear, quite tight. Needs time. ***(*)
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5/27/2012 - godx wrote: 92 Points
"Clos" dinner chez Rasoul (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – This is a massive wine in all aspects: nose, palate, weight, intensity. Big nose with lots of toast, citrus and orchard fruit. On the palate it’s weighty and powerful with loads of acidity and minerality. What this lacks in elegance it makes up in power. Finish is long commanding. While this is an excellent bottle of bubble, I can’t help but think given the press I was slightly underwhelmed. Perhaps I’m just a whore for blanc de blanc. Drinking well now, tons of time left to improve. Excellent. 92+
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5/13/2012 - Maverick wrote: 90 Points
need to drink more to appreciate. Not my style.
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4/21/2012 - theusualsuspect wrote: 96 Points
A citrusy overlay on a remarkably extracted pinot noir dominant champagne. Dry honey notes on the palate.Fresh as a daisy. Tiny bubbles still profuse. Unusually dry. Remarkably focused. Drank it in part with a roasted veal chop. More than held its own. 1996 was a remarkable vintage for Champagne, and I thought that especially true for pinot noir. I think this wine very much supports that view. In its way reminds of another truly remarkable pinot noir dominant champagne, the 1988 Piper Rare.
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2/2/2012 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 90 Points
Blind tasting at JK & KK's place: Tasted double blind. Yeasty on the nose with ripe pear-apple. A creamy sweetness comes out later: caramel with air. Ripe again lots of pear on the palate, nice smooth_sharp bubbles. Minerals and a hint of sweet vanilla creme. Acid and lemon in the finish. I guessed Champagne, from 1995-2000, and finally guessed 1995 mid-level cuvee. When this was revealed, I had to say that I thought the wine was a little developed for a 96 of this cuvee, and I was not all that impressed. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.
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2/2/2012 - Matt Neel wrote:
Wines blind 2/2/2012 (Battery Park City): Tasted double blind. The color of urine, deep gold with a hint of orange. Frizzed on pour. Huge, gigantic roasty-toasty nose of chestnuts on the roast with a background hint of pink bubblegum. Big, frizzy flavors of moderately oxidized trebbiano (think old Emidio Pepe but a bit less mineral and oxidized), a little sour, and not very complex. Good weight and medium finish. This doesn't have the delicacy or the filigreed texture I expect from top Champagne, but the nose is really magnificent. This really is a Goethean wine. Wickedly dry. The last bits of my glass were full of big tobacco on nose, cigars not ashes. I thought this wine was domestic U.S.A. due to its rusticity.
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1/6/2012 - sebastienjm wrote: 97 Points
1996 est un grand millésime en Champagne, ayant produit des vins extrêmes à la fois dans leur concentration, leur maturité de fruit et leur acidité.
Le nez est pâtissier : amande, praliné, noisette... et semble minéral car il évoque la craie. L'attaque est franche, le vin fluide, la bouche est superbe, très longue grâce notamment à l'acidité en finale qui le rend viril. J'adore cette acidité que Mr Philipponnat qualifie d'extrême. Ce dernier ajoute que c'est un champagne qui peut encore se garder trente ans.
C'est l'un (le?) des plus beaux champagnes que j'ai pu boire.
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12/31/2011 - Krugman wrote: 97 Points
This was my first encounter with the 1996 Clos des Goisses and let me tell you, it was one of my most memorable wine experiences of all time. This is surely one of the very greatest champagnes from the 1996 vintage. It had an incredible depth of flavor and richness. It was also very powerful. However, the richness and power were held in perfect check by the acidity. The flavors included a wonderful natural pinot sweetness, dark minerals, oranges, citrus, pear, peaches, biscuits, cookie dough, strawberries, cream, spices, orange marmalade, caramel, honey, and grapefruit. Just an incredbile champagne experience that was just shy of perfection. I can't wait to taste this in about 10 years when it will likely be even more integrated and sublime. Do whatever you can to get some of this. This was the April 2006 disgorgment.
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12/2/2011 - burgcamel wrote: 97 Points
Extraordinary! Although it's still very young, it's drinking beautifully right now.
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11/24/2011 - jlemerond wrote: 87 Points
Not at all what I remember from the last time I had this bottle a few years ago. Quite advanced aromas for a 96, and very disjointed. Noticeably alcoholic, with a touch of resin. disappointing.
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7/12/2011 - Rupert wrote:
Ridge Monte Bello 1981-1999 (Gauthier Soho): Sweet, damp wool, oxidative, the palate gentle and wimpishly sweet
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6/11/2011 - flashvictor wrote: 95 Points
Tiny bubbles emerge from medium yellow wine. Nose has great scents of biscuit, honey, and flint. Medium full body continued to improve over the four hours wine was open. Extremely complex on the palate with all the great champagne components of biscuit, saline, creme brule, and almond. Wine finishes with exceptional acidity.
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5/17/2011 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Pichon Dinner - Lalande vs. Baron (Palena - Washington, DC): Great tones of brioche, vanilla cream, lemons and lime on the nose. Very deep nose that, over time, really developed structure. Impressive palate that had nice weight and seamlessly integreted tones of white florals, subtle lanolin, baked bread, vanilla and lemon peel. Finish was nice and taut with great energy. Impressive wine.
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5/17/2011 - dcwino wrote: 91 Points
Pichon Baron vs. Pichon Lalande @ Palena (Washington DC): I was guessing 1990, round fruit expression, baked apple, lemon tart, medium caramel, yellow and red fruit, and a hint of oxidation. It seemed pretty mature but enjoyable. I hope this will get better definition with time but not so sure.
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2/21/2011 - PJRONeill wrote: 92 Points
October 2005 disgorgement. This is a bit of an odd one. I really like it but if I'd been served it blind, there is no way I'd have pinned it as as a 1996. The color is more advanced than I expected, and the nose has similar evidence of advancement, with some sherry/nutty elements but also some peach/pear notes that keep it onside. On the palate, there's a lovely candied pineapple note with the same hint of pear and sherry. Ultimately I think this reminds me of a well-aged bottled of Krug NV (no bad thing in and of itself) and I can't see where this will go with further age (as in will it get better?). I do like it, but given the vintage I thought I'd get something completely different from a 1996 Clos de Goisses. No regrets though.
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1/7/2011 - poptart_nyc wrote: 97 Points
beautiful, and just starting to drink perfectly. All the power of a 1996, but with an elegance and expressiveness with really nice toastyness.
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12/5/2010 - G Kapoor wrote: 95 Points
This is a powerful wine which has a long life ahead of it. Nose was muted for the first couple of hours due to the bottle being too cold. Palate has excellent freshness with granny smith apples, caramel, and biscuits.....all in balance for a long powerful finish.
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11/27/2010 - Michael Mortensen wrote:
A beauty. Massive concentration. Fresh apples, æblegrød, great mallic acid biting at the cheekbones. Coffee and corn. At present the nose seems a bit restrained, but the mouthfeel and concentration are absolutely beautiful. A powerful wine.
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9/18/2010 - Shorepower wrote:
Oj, vilket vin är tanken som slår en direkt. Massor med olika nötter, solmogna frukter och choklad blandat med mineraler och under alla dessa dofter, kryddor och örter. Väldigt hög syra men inte på något sätt nåt som vinet inte klarar av, citrus förstås men också äpplen och choklad. Fin struktur och lång, lång eftersmak. Drick nu och ha en spännande flirt , lagra och drick om 10 år och du får gå hela vägen. Valet är ert.
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8/14/2010 - placecarnot wrote: 95 Points
What a Champagne!! Perfect balance of power and elegance. A real gem.
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1/16/2010 - ubercuvee wrote: 97 Points
October 2005 Disgorgement. WOW! Intensely vinous, excellent weight, very dark pinot flavours. Mineral streak comes out with some decanting. Fruit in the white range and holds the power and the minerality nicely in balance. Very, very serious champagne.
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1/6/2010 - MarkR wrote:
This was an OCT 05 disgorgement. Really great champagne, deep bready flavours, yet with citrus acidity that just lifted it. Wish I had more.
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12/31/2009 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Rich, very vinous, needs time in the glass; Turkish delight, toasted nuts, red frit, apple; well-balanced, quite big, ripe acidity. Seems completely ready.
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7/17/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
My First DRC and Many Other Treats (Mirabelle, Austin, TX): Sweet caramel on the nose and pepper (like arugula?) on the palate, which is something I haven't gotten in champagne before. I liked this. OK
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6/27/2009 - JJL wrote: 89 Points
December '08 disgorgement - This was the most acidic bottle of any '96 Champagne that I have had. I will have to take a bunch of Tums to make it through the night. Beyond the acidity there was some sour lemon and some butterscotch. In fact, it drank a lot like a scotch ale. Much different than the last bottle I had.
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6/23/2009 - reichken wrote: 90 Points
"Champagne, Chablis and a Touch of Red" Dinner (HIX Oyster and Chophouse, London): golden yellow color, vibrant small bubbles. nutty nose. it the mouth though this seemed to show a touch of sherry along with the nuttiness that took away from the sharp straight line of acid , the backbone. the bottle seemed a bit advanced to me and one or two others at the table who have had this before said this was not a good bottle. it was a shame as this tipple seemed to have a lot of good citrus and acidity, and was very well balance, just seemed a bit off. oh well , just have to wait for the next one
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6/20/2009 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Semi-Blind White Wine Tasting (Casa Roberts): July Disgorgement, from magnum. Very fine mousse. Green apple and under-ripe strawberry (or the white part of the strawberry) with some interesting raspberry and nutty notes -- raspberry almond danish? Extremely young. Medium (+) acid level is quite refreshing and the finish is nearly as long as any sparkling wine I've had. Very young, but it will be tough to keep my hands off the other two mags...
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6/20/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 93 Points
Semi-Blind Whites (Our House -- Philadelphia): Young. Very young. Acidic. Crisp. Good fruit. Citrus, apple and some raspberry. A touch of yeast. Very good finish. This has 20+ years, easily.
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5/25/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:
July '06 Disgorgement. It's already been said, awesome.
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5/24/2009 - KPB wrote: 92 Points
Very clean, extremely dry... cirtus and brioche aromas on the nose, flavorful with a tangy, slightly bitter aftertaste. Extremely promising with (much) more time.
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5/2/2009 - JJL wrote: 90 Points
The Big "Four-O": 40+ Wines for 40 Years: Same as the previous night's bottle - Aggressive mousse, but tiny and slow bubbles. Yeast and walnuts on the nose. Rather sweet on the palate with ripe peach, red apple and some nuts. Relatively short finish.
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5/1/2009 - JJL wrote: 90 Points
Aggressive mousse, but tiny and slow bubbles. Yeast and walnuts on the nose. Rather sweet on the palate with ripe peach, red apple and some nuts. Relatively short finish.
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2/23/2009 - jeff nowak wrote:
the first bottle of this that i have found enjoyable. all previous experiences have been with a wine showing tightly closed/unyielding. this had a nice vibrant acidity. kevin felt it was slightly oxidized, but i did not. i feel it's just that this needs years to come around, and we got a little peek tonight.
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2/23/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 91 Points
G6 (Dave): Slight oxidation on the nose. Golden yellow color. Tastes of caramel, apple, lemon and lime. Nice mid palate depth. Strong minerality on the long elegant finish. If memory serves me, these wines all tend to have this oxidized quality. Is this the house style?
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1/25/2009 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Took quite a while to open up and still never reached the level of the bottle opened a year or so ago. Still very good, but perhaps going through an awkward phase.
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1/2/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic....July '06 Disgorgement.
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12/20/2008 - psmith wrote:
Clos des Goisses Vertical (Chicago, IL): July '06 disgorgement. Fine, streamlined and really well balanced Champagne. Especially aggressive mousse for CdG, but all yeast and citrus, and probably the least winey of the '96-99 series. Not that it necessarily follows, but also the best of that time period - really good.
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9/19/2008 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Very fine mousse, rich and fleshy Pinot Noir style, some nutty development, lovely length, seems fully mature, perhaps lacking some energy?
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8/3/2008 - Tubbs wrote:
I don't get the hype on this wine - I found it to be good not great, certainly not near the level of Krug or Salon.
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7/5/2008 - bon vivant wrote: 96 Points
April disgorgment. 4th of July at the cabin. Very young and fresh. A little tight but the power is here. Lemon Apple and a hint of sea air on the nose. Some nice almond paste notes as well. very delicate and flowery yet very complex and structured at the same time. With more air it increases in complexity and more mineral & smoke come out..Very young and very promissing
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6/4/2008 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
1995 Bordeaux Showdown (Azuma): Doughy, citrus, talc, raspberry and with some time in the glass some light nutty characters. The palate is undoubtedly powerful, with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. Great length. As it had time to breath in the glass it unwound and just got better and better. Bursting with potential, I was glad to try this young and I hope I have another encounter with it when it has aged.
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5/31/2008 - JBVino wrote:
really good but should get even better as complexity develops...love the acidity and yeast, mineral, apple and spice flavors
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4/19/2008 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Woo-hoo!
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4/2/2008 - muchomaas wrote: 95 Points
Incredible sour apples, minerals, and wet rock. Amazingly long finish seemed to never end.
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11/23/2007 - 60ouvrees wrote:
This is certainly among the best champagnes I've ever had. Loads of fruit and acidity and the finish just goes on and on. Will certainly improve with additional bottle age but it's already drinking very well.
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11/18/2007 - Wicker Parker wrote:
Store tasting. CRAZY and over the top aromas of jasmine, buttered pear, honey, and lavender. Very intense minerality with a very long finish. Fatiguing! Call me a wuss but I couldn't have more than a glass of this.
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11/17/2007 - Tree512 wrote: 94 Points
Bracing with loads of acidity and tons of fruit with great complexity and depth. Long finish. Will be a great Champagne but won't peak until about 2020 and I would recommend hands off until 2015. Good now but will be profound later.
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10/25/2007 - jivey wrote: 93 Points
Biscuit, peach, huge pallet cleansing midpallete with lemon and mineral on the somewhat short finish.
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10/24/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
lemon, dough, minerals. more sweet and tangy vs the 91, long finish.
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10/24/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
G7 (Sea Saw, Scottsdale): A whiff of vinegar on the nose. Tastes of pears, almonds and walnuts. Rich. Very tight and closed on the finish. This wine was showing much better six months ago.
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10/24/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 93 Points
DRC Tasting with Dave Nerland (Sea Saw, Scottsdale, AZ): Young and tight. Beautiful fruit but the acidity is still holding it back. Tonight the '91 drank better but I think this will surpass it with time.
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8/26/2007 - xwine wrote:
Dinner with Dan and Mary. We started off with this beauty. I've never tried Clos des Goisses, and now I see what all the fuss is about. What a wine! Dan described it as raspberries in yogurt -- which I thought was very apt. I couldn't get my nose out of the glass -- simply exhilarating. Very tight, seemed hard as a rock with loads of underlying material, yet at the same time was very expressive. A very intense Champagne. I'm hooked. (Disgorged December 2006)
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7/26/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 93 Points
Dinner w/ Roy Piper (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Tight - needs time. Very acidic. Great balance. Beautiful wine.
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7/9/2007 - BradE wrote:
Monday Night at Alto.: Very good. Young.
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7/7/2007 - gorm wrote: 95 Points
Dennis' summer tasting: Another great 1996 champagne. Tons of sour dough, big intensity, dark berries. It's very open, a masculine powerhouse, yet with great minerality and gun powder. A first for me. Very nice indeed! 95-96.
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6/30/2007 - the godfather wrote: 98 Points
Best champagne to date, I could smell this wine as it was being poured. Intense honeysuckle, apple, peach, butterscotch, more of the same on the palate with a 30+ second finish.
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4/28/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
Cellar Diminishment & Pizza Party (Winetex' home in Austin, TX): WIML90,NOWA,WS91
Tasted April 28, 2007 at an offline. Light yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout with a light mousse. Nose of graham crackers, sherry and a touch of earthiness. Flavors of tart apples and cherry fizz. Light to medium acidity, light to medium body. Drink now or hold.
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4/21/2007 - KevinS wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely exceptional stuff. Powerfully toasty, yet prominently fruity at the same time. Very fine mousse. As good a champagne as I've ever had, on par with '96 Dom Perignon, which is my signature benchmark.
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4/4/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 94 Points
Backstreet - Pinot Noir (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Rich, nutty nose. Green apple acidity. Great, but a little sour on the finish.
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4/4/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
Phoenix eRP Offline - Pinot Noir (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Pears, wheat and lemons. Elegant finish.
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3/24/2007 - Winetex wrote: 92 Points
Notes similar to previous bottle. An elegant champagne - the real test for this bottle was when we drank it a bit warmer later in the evening and it was soaring. Again I don't think this one is ready to show at its peak. This bottle seemed more acidic than the previous bottle probably due to the food match. I was surprised and quite pleased that someone showed up with this somewhat rare champagne.
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3/24/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
Paul Pazdan Off-Line (34th Street Cafe (Austin, TX)): Not my favorite. Too much acidity reminiscent of sour apple. It's not bad though. Good mouthfeel and finish, just not exceptional last night.
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3/18/2007 - Winetex wrote: 92 Points
An interesting champagne with a unique flavor profile. Last night's bottle was consumed as a "must try it to see what it's about" as we have never had this champagne before. After reading the previous notes I expected a more high-acid presentation but this was all about complex brioche, smoke and pear flavors with a very fine mousse. It's not an easy crowd pleaser but more of an introspective champagne if there is such a thing. We drank it before there was much food and that was probably a mistake. Good potential for improvement - probably about 94 points with more bottle age. [$$$; might buy more; Next bottle in 2009]
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2/22/2007 - psmith wrote:
Total brioche. Idiosyncratic wine with yeasty, bready overtones and really firm, tense, structure. Really grows on me...delicious wine.
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2/2/2007 - scyrene wrote: 92 Points
Immediately, an assertive citrus nose. This is wrapped in fainter apple and buttery aromas. Well-integrated, seems to be evolving along classic lines. Very distinctive palate of lime and biscuits. Quite astringent and fragrant. After a few minutes, the fruit returns to centre stage, lots of ripe apples and pears. Classic champagne, though moving towards a mature phase (this bottle is a lot more developed than the first I tried). Very self-assured, clearly high class fizz, but no easy-drinker. Plenty more development ahead, no doubt. [Disgorged Oct 2005]
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1/13/2007 - Hillbilly wrote: 97 Points
Light+ golden color with a strong mousse. Poured into white wine glass. Sea Breeze and doughy nose. The wine is huge on the palate and mouthfilling. There is significant acid, but it does not stick out. The impression to me was of a wine with incredible intensity and "concentration". Funny that I rarely see anyone mention that that term in regards to champagne, but maybe I just miss it. The wine had such intensity that it was a bit hard to sort out....almost overwhelming. More stuffing than any 96 tete cuvees I've had. Some floral, acid, mineral, light citrus and green apple. Great stuff which I hope plays out as beautifully as it seems. I love young wines, but having had some 20-25 year old Clos, I will be able to resist much consumption of this beauty.
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1/1/2007 - MartyL wrote:
Gorgeous and oozing class. Citrus verve and a little scent of the bakery matched with a strong minerality and purity of focus. Low dosage, but the fruit is so ripe (owing to the warm microclimate of the vineyard) that there is still a lovely subtle hint of sweetness without being overdone. This will unfold further with time but I think it's already a wine of great beauty and well worth the price tag. It was not difficult to drain this bottle and I'd like to have more of this.
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12/22/2006 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
Very difficult to "read" this infant. Powerful typical '96 acid backbone. Faint nose of seashell and chalk. On the attack, there's some interesting mineral notes that power through to the finish, but I can't say (or taste) more at this time. I'd give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it will be much more approachable in 5 - 10.
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12/8/2006 - scyrene wrote: 95 Points
I just couldn't wait! A delicious mid-gold colour. Plentiful mousse. Sweet, deep, smokey, yeasty nose. Yeast comes to dominate. Very mature-smelling, despite its youth. A high, stoney-mineral finish. The flavour is just the same - very balanced, mature, sweet and complex. Liquid bread, with smoke and secondary fruit. Delicious, and much more 'mature' tasting than my last bottle. Absolutely first-rate, delicious wine, in the same class as '97 Bollinger, but maybe more distinctive. I just can't shake the smokey-bonfirey overtones! Delicious, and for £50 (I got it on offer), absolutely brilliant value.
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10/3/2006 - scyrene wrote: 94 Points
Moderate pressure under the cork. Pale lemon colour. Intense citrus, apple and piles of whitecurrants. Fruit-driven, with a slight mineral edge. A beast on the tongue; almost overwhelming acid-fruit flavours, but holds back on the right side of drinkable. Creamy but plentiful mousse. Grapefruit, lemon, more apple, a hint of candied peel on the finish. This is, clearly, a bit on the young side. I happen to like this style - but I think others might want to wait a minimum of ten years before tasting it. My second-favourite Champagne to date.
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