This needed just a little bit of air to get started, but it was absolutely gorgeous once it opened up into seamless tones of strawberries, baked apples, peach, jasmine, biscuits, hazelnuts, toast, pears, bing cherries, red flowers, and mineral notes. There is a bit more autolysis than I expected from a Cedric Bouchard, but this is far from an autolytic-driven champagne. The Medium bodied feel is polished and elegant with crisp, high acidity. This is a gorgeous Champagne that is chugging right along. This feels like it will age effortlessly for years to come, but it's a real delight right now as well.
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Cedric Bouchard is the gold standard for champagnes for me, grower or grand marque regardless. This bottle displayed amply why this is so: A hedonistic bouquet of honey, lanolin, limestone complemented by boisterous fruit on the palate that still manages a good degree of verve with underlying acidity.
So winemaking is top notch. My only asterisk on the above and not a gripe at all is that this vintage flirts a little too much with the sweet end of things. I prefer my champagnes in a drier style.
Dont get me wrong, Cedric Bouchard remains a firm favourite. I will be glad to have this anytime. The friends that I shared this with thought this was something special. I don't disagree.
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Best Bechalin yet. Damn, this is in a good spot. Plenty of years ahead, I hope I can resist and keep one for another decade. Anyway, very defined and structured, but an exuberance makes it both an intellectual and hedonistic treat.
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Ordered off the list at Nopa. I found this a bit more lacking compared to the bottle I had a few months ago, from the 2013 vintage. Perhaps this wasn't given enough air, or maybe it's a reflection of the vintage, but it seemed quite a bit more obtuse and green than I had expected. Still delicious -- but just not what I hope for with Bouchard. This also had the misfortune of following an excellent bottle of 2002 Dom, so perhaps the odds were just stacked against it this time.
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Monday Night Football and Grand Cru (Chicago, IL): Disgorged April 2019, V12. Very biscuity and sweet, especially for a Bouchard. I admit that I definitely like that more than usual, as I can find the wines a little too structural and not giving of much pleasure. The fruit on this is strange; there's white grape juice on the attack and midpalate, but the acidity on the finish is more tart pineapple than anything. Not sure how that transition happens. This has good intensity and I do like the chalky texture on the finish.
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Second time drinking this on a vacation, and maybe that's biasing the result but this is really tasty! Great fruity notes of green apple, citrus, but also minerality, and slight chalkiness. Loved it
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Disgorged 2019. This had a lot of earthy funk that took some time to dissipate but never totally blew off over a few hours. A little more lean that I enjoy and expect from Bouchard. Solid, not great.
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Back at 67: First Bouchard that hasn't been an unalloyed success, although still a cut above most Champagne. Quite bright and spicy, with honey and flecks of ginger and lime zest, but I couldn't help recalling the vivacious Ulysse Collin I'd had earlier in the day and I think perhaps the richness of the 2012 fruit made this wine feel a bit stolid by comparison.
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Rose petals, bread, Granny Smith, kimmeridge, high concentration, aggressive mouss in spite of low bar pressure. Long super fresh lingering taste of white fruit and minerals.
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April 2019 disgorgement. Opened then drank over 2-3 hours, probably didn't get enough air. Golden apple and ginger and berry, extremely delicate, very light in body but not dilute. Very fine mousse. Very elegant.
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I didn't take any formal notes, so I'll just copy and paste my scribble here, unedited:
lightly tropical, vinous i really know what vinous means when it comes to champagne, pure lees as opposed to toast on the nose, the deepest yellow apple, just so steely, white burgundy with bubbles, caressing mousse, crushed rocks, beautiful texture and weight, mouthfeel with weightlessness, lemon curd finish, like white burgundy with a tea strainer of chalk
(can you tell I was moved?)
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Outstanding. Wound up a bit; agree with other tasters that it will be better with a few more years on it, but a wonderful drink now still. Bouchard when its young is an interesting experience - light, fine bubbles, very vinous like an older champagne and yet still very fresh
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Disgorged April 2019. Pours a very very pale straw. Very Bouchard as there’s almost no bubble. Lots of toasty notes on the nose, a little brioche and a little sour berry. Taking a sip, the toast I was carries over a little bit, with a slight sweetness in the front of the tongue. The fruit is like on this one, or possibly just over powered. Finishes with a really nice layer of acid.
As it breathes, some underripe green apple appears on the back of the tongue. Still a bit of of smokiness on the finish. Definite difference from other Roses de Jeanne I’ve had, but would hold for a bit if you’re holding bottles.
Much better and complex 1.5 hours in, still would hold.
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Nice contrast to the Val Vilane, this was dry with white orchard fruit, yeasty, lemon zest, palate matched, more reminiscent of a BdB, still very youthful for a 2012, however disgorged in 2019. 92+
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Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Some air for a few hours already. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Thin legs. Very persistent bubbles. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of yeasty brioche, biscuit, almond nuts, rich citrus lemon, some chalky limestone, perfumy florals with air. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ almost pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of deep almond nuts, biscuits, brioche toast, rich ripe citrus lemon, honey cream mousse, emerging golden apples. Some interesting ?smoke with more air. Very very long finish. Outstanding quality. Shocked I didn't expect a Cedric Bouchard champ to have such persistent bubbles. And I actually thought this was a very well-made highish dosage champagne. Wow haha the quality of the fruit! Zero dosage. Disgorged April 2019.
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10/13/2023 - astroman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wines you should have bought by cases (San Shu Gong): Blinded. Disgorged 2019. Delicate with lovely aroma of white flower, peach. More expressive on the palate
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3/26/2023 - vindictive wrote:
Superb Never open this one first - the other champagnes could not keep up
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12/27/2022 - vindictive wrote:
Beautiful and substantial Long life ahead
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12/17/2022 - soyhead wrote:
Apr 2019 disgorgement. vinous and rich. enjoyed
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8/20/2022 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
This needed just a little bit of air to get started, but it was absolutely gorgeous once it opened up into seamless tones of strawberries, baked apples, peach, jasmine, biscuits, hazelnuts, toast, pears, bing cherries, red flowers, and mineral notes. There is a bit more autolysis than I expected from a Cedric Bouchard, but this is far from an autolytic-driven champagne. The Medium bodied feel is polished and elegant with crisp, high acidity. This is a gorgeous Champagne that is chugging right along. This feels like it will age effortlessly for years to come, but it's a real delight right now as well.
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7/3/2022 - heymamalow wrote: 92 Points
Cedric Bouchard is the gold standard for champagnes for me, grower or grand marque regardless. This bottle displayed amply why this is so: A hedonistic bouquet of honey, lanolin, limestone complemented by boisterous fruit on the palate that still manages a good degree of verve with underlying acidity.
So winemaking is top notch. My only asterisk on the above and not a gripe at all is that this vintage flirts a little too much with the sweet end of things. I prefer my champagnes in a drier style.
Dont get me wrong, Cedric Bouchard remains a firm favourite. I will be glad to have this anytime. The friends that I shared this with thought this was something special. I don't disagree.
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3/26/2022 - cadamson Likes this wine:
Best Bechalin yet. Damn, this is in a good spot. Plenty of years ahead, I hope I can resist and keep one for another decade. Anyway, very defined and structured, but an exuberance makes it both an intellectual and hedonistic treat.
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2/11/2022 - Ghoulardi wrote:
Ordered off the list at Nopa.
I found this a bit more lacking compared to the bottle I had a few months ago, from the 2013 vintage. Perhaps this wasn't given enough air, or maybe it's a reflection of the vintage, but it seemed quite a bit more obtuse and green than I had expected. Still delicious -- but just not what I hope for with Bouchard. This also had the misfortune of following an excellent bottle of 2002 Dom, so perhaps the odds were just stacked against it this time.
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11/8/2021 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Monday Night Football and Grand Cru (Chicago, IL): Disgorged April 2019, V12. Very biscuity and sweet, especially for a Bouchard. I admit that I definitely like that more than usual, as I can find the wines a little too structural and not giving of much pleasure. The fruit on this is strange; there's white grape juice on the attack and midpalate, but the acidity on the finish is more tart pineapple than anything. Not sure how that transition happens. This has good intensity and I do like the chalky texture on the finish.
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9/1/2021 - mye wrote:
Second time drinking this on a vacation, and maybe that's biasing the result but this is really tasty! Great fruity notes of green apple, citrus, but also minerality, and slight chalkiness. Loved it
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8/29/2021 - Nanda wrote: 89 Points
Disgorged 2019. This had a lot of earthy funk that took some time to dissipate but never totally blew off over a few hours. A little more lean that I enjoy and expect from Bouchard. Solid, not great.
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8/2/2021 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine:
Late night pop, against better judgement lol. No formal notes here, but it was tasty. I think I like the 2013 vintage a bit better than the 12.
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5/21/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Back at 67: First Bouchard that hasn't been an unalloyed success, although still a cut above most Champagne. Quite bright and spicy, with honey and flecks of ginger and lime zest, but I couldn't help recalling the vivacious Ulysse Collin I'd had earlier in the day and I think perhaps the richness of the 2012 fruit made this wine feel a bit stolid by comparison.
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5/3/2021 - aquacongas wrote: 95 Points
blind
So beautifully elegant, lemon zest, red berries, red currant, lighter mousse, balanced, reaching his peak. Nu hurry. Cracking acidity. 95
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5/1/2021 - psykolog1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rose petals, bread, Granny Smith, kimmeridge, high concentration, aggressive mouss in spite of low bar pressure. Long super fresh lingering taste of white fruit and minerals.
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2/14/2021 - coremill wrote: 91 Points
April 2019 disgorgement. Opened then drank over 2-3 hours, probably didn't get enough air. Golden apple and ginger and berry, extremely delicate, very light in body but not dilute. Very fine mousse. Very elegant.
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1/1/2021 - blackbrownbeige Likes this wine: 93 Points
I didn't take any formal notes, so I'll just copy and paste my scribble here, unedited:
lightly tropical, vinous i really know what vinous means when it comes to champagne, pure lees as opposed to toast on the nose, the deepest yellow apple, just so steely, white burgundy with bubbles, caressing mousse, crushed rocks, beautiful texture and weight, mouthfeel with weightlessness, lemon curd finish, like white burgundy with a tea strainer of chalk
(can you tell I was moved?)
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1/1/2021 - Jahull03 wrote:
Outstanding. Wound up a bit; agree with other tasters that it will be better with a few more years on it, but a wonderful drink now still. Bouchard when its young is an interesting experience - light, fine bubbles, very vinous like an older champagne and yet still very fresh
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7/24/2020 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow wow wow. Such a vinous champagne with a lingering finish. A clear step up from the Val vilaine (which is itself a very good champagne).
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7/10/2020 - adnorthup Likes this wine: 91 Points
Disgorged April 2019. Pours a very very pale straw. Very Bouchard as there’s almost no bubble. Lots of toasty notes on the nose, a little brioche and a little sour berry. Taking a sip, the toast I was carries over a little bit, with a slight sweetness in the front of the tongue. The fruit is like on this one, or possibly just over powered. Finishes with a really nice layer of acid.
As it breathes, some underripe green apple appears on the back of the tongue. Still a bit of of smokiness on the finish. Definite difference from other Roses de Jeanne I’ve had, but would hold for a bit if you’re holding bottles.
Much better and complex 1.5 hours in, still would hold.
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7/10/2020 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 92 Points
Nice contrast to the Val Vilane, this was dry with white orchard fruit, yeasty, lemon zest, palate matched, more reminiscent of a BdB, still very youthful for a 2012, however disgorged in 2019. 92+
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6/2/2020 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Some air for a few hours already.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Thin legs. Very persistent bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of yeasty brioche, biscuit, almond nuts, rich citrus lemon, some chalky limestone, perfumy florals with air. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ almost pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of deep almond nuts, biscuits, brioche toast, rich ripe citrus lemon, honey cream mousse, emerging golden apples. Some interesting ?smoke with more air. Very very long finish.
Outstanding quality. Shocked I didn't expect a Cedric Bouchard champ to have such persistent bubbles. And I actually thought this was a very well-made highish dosage champagne. Wow haha the quality of the fruit!
Zero dosage. Disgorged April 2019.
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4/21/2020 - SeaSea Likes this wine:
Over two days. Tasty. Apple, honey, floral. Second day better.
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2/5/2020 - Vstalam wrote: 93 Points
Already drinking beautifully, layered finish that improved over four days with notes of honey, brioche and apple with a rich, full body.
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