TNs: Mousse, Marie-Courtin, Copain, Rivers-Marie and Lagier Meredith

All poured blind. Was cool to see how the group reacted to these wines. That RM Platt continues to be a fantastic wine for my palate, and was also really impressed with how well the 2001 Lagier Meredith is cruising right along at almost 2 decades young. Thanks for reading.

SOME WINES POURED BLIND - Maison Cafe in Dana Point, CA (10/10/2019)

  • 2014 Marie Courtin Champagne Eloquence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne
    Disgorged 04/2018. This bottle showed a little leaner than the past bottles, especially when it was colder, but as it warmed, the flavor really shines through. Stony, citrusy lemon peel, green apple. Have about an ounce left of the wine, which at this point should be still…will try and post a final impression.
  • 2014 Moussé Fils Champagne Special Club Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée - France, Champagne
    Disgorged o2/2018, 2 g/l disage, 100% Meunier. Been many months since I opened one of these. It took last night’s bottle some time to uncoil, and it started off initially with some odd aromas, which a few guys at the table called out. It finally evolved, showing blood orange and strawberry, and a good base of pure fruit. A few guys at the table really dug this wine, as did I. But man, these SC bottles are like a weapon, so heavy and awkward–I hate these things.


  • 2009 Copain Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone
    Poured blind last night. The bottle showed not as well as the bottle this past May. I found the wine last night to be on the creamier, honey-tinged side of things, with green banana, apple and some faint caramel. Probably best to drink these up now, as it’s a decade old now and given the riper vintage that was 2009, it’s probably at peak.
  • 2009 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
    Well, there goes the final bottle of white burg in my cellar. I poured this blind for the gang last night and it really stole the show at the table. Toasty in aroma and even into the palate, where it showed a chiseled, flinty, lemon and apple core. Even at 10 years old, and showing no signs of pox, this thing will probably go another decade. Great bottle.


  • 2017 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
    Poured blind, alongside the 2017 RM Platt, which really outclassed it. My intention was to put these two wines blind and let the group react to them. Clearly the group, and me as well, thought the Ox was riper and softer than the more structured Platt. The Ox showed a ix of kiwi, and blue/red fruit. Nothing to retaste today and while I do think the average pinot noir drinker will dig the flashy sense of the Ox, it does not rise to the level of WOTY for me at this point, although the Platt continues to do that for me.
  • 2017 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
    Damn, this is a great wine. Poured blind, as part of a two bottle flight, with the other wine being the 2017 RM Occidental PN The Platt really crushed it, although I was expecting a closer battle. The structure, tang, and slightly drying tannin really supports the red and touch of black fruit that is the Platt. At 13.1%, it drinks to that #, and really thrills me, impressing me to continue saying that I think it’s one of the best RM PNs to date. The wine is going to age well and with two left, I’ll check in on the next one in a few years. In sum, it ranks right up there with Rhys Alpine/Shoe and Kutch 'Staff as some of the best PN I have had all year.


  • 2001 Lagier Meredith Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
    Poured blind next to the 2003, and in my view, the 2001 really clobbered the 2003. The balance and youth of the 2001, which is pushing close to 2 decades old now, was pretty amazing. Perfume, tar and dark raspberry. Finishes youthful, showing the cool structure and balance of a wine that I suspect will age another 5, maybe even 10 years. Should have bought more of these in 2017 when I found it on Winebid.
  • 2003 Lagier Meredith Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
    Poured blind, alongside the 2001. Some at the table suggested the 2003 had some TCA showing, which I didn’t agree with. I do think that the 2003 is showing some higher alcohol and ripeness, which is intruding into the aromatics. Found some brewed coffee in the aromatic, too. The 2003 just seems bigger to me, and doesn’t have the lovely balance and youth of the 2001.

Posted from CellarTracker

Nice notes Frank, thanks. Have you given up on white burg?

Mark, I like white burg but for reasons of space, as well as funds to go deep on Champagne which is my joy, I sold it all off. I also knew the tariffs were coming so I got out early. [whistle.gif]

I had these blind. The Boillet was incredible, everything you’d want in a classic white burg on display.

WOTN for me was the Mousse - a Pinot Meunier rose with 2g dosage and farmed clean? Really really really great bottle of wine and huge cork dork factor. Might be WOTY as I’m a rose snob and this kicked my butt. Funny story - The Todd was sitting next to me and we were stumped on the Mousse. I said “it’s not pinot noir, it taste like a white grape with red still wine added for color and the dosage has to be really low, below 5g. Could it be chardonnay?” Gotta love blind tasting HA!

Paging fearless leader as I know he was scribbling away…

  • 2009 Copain Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone (10/10/2019)
    I’ve had this one before and I wasn’t a big fan of it. Yellow apple flavor, slightly ripe and a sweet honey note from the attack through the finish. And is it warmed up the honey note became elevated
  • 2009 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru (10/10/2019)
    I knew this was going to be an awesome bottle of wine just from the nose. There was an aroma of flinty match stick. It has beautiful fruit and a rocky note at the ending. Awesome.
  • 2014 Marie Courtin Champagne Eloquence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne (10/10/2019)
    This poured very foamy into the glass. This is an extremely high acid wine with tart citrus and stoney base. It’s definitely a food wine because of the aggressiveness and angular nature.
  • 2014 Moussé Fils Champagne Special Club Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée - France, Champagne (10/10/2019)
    I love this wine for lots of reasons, first it’s a very geeky wine and second it’s just fantastic to drink. The nose is a little funky with some grassy notes and I pulled a little volatile acid which wasn’t too much of a distraction. Very light red color almost like a Chardonnay in flavor profile but lean and very low dosage with light oxidation. Killer wine.

Posted from CellarTracker

Both Champagnes were killer, and markedly different in style. I called Pinot Munier on the Rose but have never had a Munier-based wine THAT good, plus, when Frank said they were ‘related’, I couldn’t figure out if the other was Munier as it didn’t have any of the qualities of it. In the end, the relation was purely vintage, 2014, so he threw us for a loop there.

The Lagier Meredith was my WOTN but the two Champagnes and the Boillot were VERY close seconds. I knew I recognized the Syrah as having it before, and I was going with Dehlinger or Lagier Meredith. Thinking it unlikely that Frankie knew about Dehlinger, I went with Lagier Meredith and called it.

I completely missed on the Pinots in everything but that they were domestic. Other characters at the table ended up naming the freakin’ vineyard! (albeit with multiple guesses)

Fantastic grouping from Frank - was honored to be a part. The food at Maison is extraordinary.

The Lagier call blind was big. There were no hints, just bam! The man knows his mountain fruit.

I thought it was Copain and I was surprised at the age, 2001 and 2003 without any real age notes. Impressive bottles, for sure.

The '09 Boillot CdM sounds spectacular. If you have other such bottles that you want to clear from the cellar, shoot me a text. [wink.gif]

If he had, I would have taken them before leaving that night, trust me

Frank is such a tease. [pillow-fight.gif]

Finishing up the Eloquence tonight, it’s been open since Wednesday so it’s become still. The wine really shows the top class quality. Pear, green apple, citrus, a honeyed edge and the finish of stone/slate…so good. Love Marie-Courtin. For sure my Champagne of the year.
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Moussé Fils is a great producer.

This was a great lineup across the board

hopefully Frank’s friends will open their white Burgs if he keeps opening fine champagne. If a white Burg almost stole the show, it seems a shame to banish the genre from a sizable cellar. And I think 09 Moucheres is one of the weaker ones of this Monopole!

Stevo, so you survived the Sawyer Birthday bash, I see. Well done. Thanks for the Vilmart y/day too…enjoyed revisiting the 08 GCdO as it has been some time since I have had some open.

Alan, so do I!

Well done guys. Enjoyed reading the notes!