NV Soutiran Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé- France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (7/17/2019)
Saturated red and the flavor to match. Expressive bold nose displaying concentrated red fruit, strawberry, strawberry candy, a hint of cranberry, smoke, spice spices and mineral. Excellent concentration, concentrated red fruit, abundant fine mousse, good acidity and mineral and a medium to long bold red fruit driven finish. Although showing fine mousse, the overall impression is bold and in your face. It would be fascinating to follow for the next decade as Pinot component starts to gain sous bois. (90 pts.)
2014 Marc Deschamps Pouilly-Fumé Les Champs de Cri- France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé (7/15/2019)
It has developed beautifully in the past two years. Expressive nose displaying gooseberry, kiwi, lemon curd, candied lemon peel, sugar candy, cat pee, spicy spices and limestone. Excellent concentration, packed concentrated sweet yellow fruit, rich yet showing good precision, bright acidity, good mineral presence and a medium to long sweet yellow fruit driven finish. The sugar candy reminds me the mature dry Huet a bit. Despite being rich, a nice wine to sip on a hot summer night. (92 pts.)
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne- France, Champagne (7/12/2019)
Incredibly energetic and perfectly precise nose displaying white fruit, pear, granny smith, lemon curd, candied lemon peel, light honey, honeysuckle, light smoke and wet stone. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered fresh white fruit, abundant very fine mousse, rich and concentrated yet beautifully balanced and detailed, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral and a long sweet white fruit driven finish with smoke and limestone at the end. Observed over two days and it gets slightly richer. I have no doubt that this will be the greatest Dom. (97 pts.)
1994 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon- France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (7/10/2019)
Medium expressive nose displaying concentrated blue and black fruit, blueberry, black plum, charred steak, a hint of ash, garrigue, molasses, a hint of oak and earth. Excellent concentrated nicely layered concentrated blue fruit, dense and rich, good acidity and mineral, a hint of tannins and a long concentrated blue fruit driven finish. IMO, Le Pavillon is Leoville Las Case of Hermitage, i.e. developing at a glacial pace. It is rich and youthful but a bit monolithic. If Jamet is your thing, stay far away. (93 pts.)
1998 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Reserve- France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (7/7/2019)
Expressive nose displaying ripe slightly dry red fruit, cherry liqueur, cranberry, stewed tomato, garrigue, tobacco, exotic incense and mineral. Excellent concentration, packed ripe red fruit, silky and fluid, medium acidity, still noticeable tannins and a long slightly dry red fruit driven finish with garrigue and tobacco at the end. Drinking nicely but no need to hold. (92 pts.)
K
I agree with your assessment of the ‘08 DP. I delude myself that the bottles I’ve bought are “investment wines” when I know I can’t auction off something once it’s gone down my gullet.
Cheers
Warren
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne (7/12/2019)
Incredibly energetic and perfectly precise nose displaying white fruit, pear, granny smith, lemon curd, candied lemon peel, light honey, honeysuckle, light smoke and wet stone. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered fresh white fruit, abundant very fine mousse, rich and concentrated yet beautifully balanced and detailed, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral and a long sweet white fruit driven finish with smoke and limestone at the end. Observed over two days and it gets slightly richer. I have no doubt that this will be the greatest Dom. (97 pts.)
I bought two of these and two 2009 and a Costco buy with boxes as well. Have wondered what the best time to drink them and now this is the third positive review today.
Ray,
The 90 was the first vintage that I bought a good quantity and followed. I would think that we can agree that the 90, 96 and perhaps 02 are the best vintages in the last two decades. I find the 08 Dom very special for the elegance which I have not experienced in any prior vintages. It is also detailed and energetic. It is based on my personal preference and observation. The question to you, which vintage do you think is better than the 08?
Kevin
If you are limiting it to vintages from 1990 and forward, then in my mind you would have a better case, although I’m not 100% sure the '08 will be better than the '96. But, I think it probably will. Also, I think the '95 is as good or better than the '90.
But declaring the '08 to be better than all of the vintages from say '47 thru '73, '76 or even '82, I think is going too far out on a limb and a statement that I don’t think anyone can definitively make and one I would bet against.
If you are limiting it to vintages from 1990 and forward, then in my mind you would have a better case, although I’m not 100% sure the '08 will be better than the '96. But, I think it probably will. Also, I think the '95 is as good or better than the '90.
But declaring the '08 to be better than all of the vintages from say '47 thru '73, '76 or even '82, I think is going too far out on a limb and a statement that I don’t think anyone can definitively make and one I would bet against.
Safe to say all mentioned would register as “killer”?
Ray,
I have had a couple great bottles of the 73, also the 61 but I have not had them young. Perhaps I should have said that the vintages that I was able to follow from the beginning.
With this, I am almost fully aligned with you Kevin, having also followed new releases since 1990. (1990 was a strange disjointed pup on release IMO, had an early peak 1-2 years out and then again a few years ago, and now I’m not so sure it has the structure to become a great old Dom.) As much as I love the 1996 in particular, and appreciate where 2002 evolved, there is something very special about the 2008. It already marries the precision and energy of the 1996 with (almost) the weight of the 2002 in a complete package.