TN: Terry Theise Champagne Tasting (Chicago)

TERRY THEISE CHAMPAGNE TASTING (CHICAGO - Vin Chicago (10/23/2019-10/24/2019)

We went to the Terry Theise Champagne tasting event held at Vin Chicago earlier this week. 6 Growers were pouring their wines from Terry’s catalog. Here are my notes:
Marc Hebrart

• NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru “Cuvee de Reserve” - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Jean-Paul Hebrart. 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay from the 2014 through 2017 vintages. 6.5 g/l dosage. Clear straw color. Notes of peaches, lemon curd and yeast. 90 points.
• NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Jean-Paul Hebrart. 6.5g/l dosage. 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir to retain freshness according to J-P. However, this wine had some funk on the nose which worked against that freshness. Notes of raspberries and citrus. 88 points.
• 2014 Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Special Club - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Jean-Paul Hebrart. 4th Special Club I have had from this producer (the others being the 2006, 2010 and 2012). 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from Grand Cru and Prmier Cru vineyards. 6g/l dosage. Disgorged December 2018. This was showing some depth for being such a young wine. Notes of marcona almonds, lemon curd and chalk. Full bodied with a long finish. 93 points.

Pehu Simonet

• NV Pehu Simonet Champagne Grand Cru Face Nord Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by David Pehu. 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from a North facing slope in the Montagne de Riems. The base wine is from 2015 with 30% reserve wines going back to 2005. Fresh and lively with a clear white color. Notes of citrus and pistachio. a very nice introductory bottle. 90 points.
• NV Pehu Simonet Champagne Grand Cru Face Nord Rosé - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by David Pehu. 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay with 6% still red wine added. 4g/l dosage. Pale pink color. Good acidity and a firm bead. Notes of raspberries, green apples and fresh herbs. 91 points.
• 2012 Pehu Simonet Champagne Grand Cru Fins Lieux No 6 Verzenay Millésime - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by David Pehu. This was my first time tasting any wines from this estate and they impressed me. This wine is 100% Grand Cru single vineyard Pinot Noir sourced from Les Basses Correttes in Verzenay. 70% of the wine is aged in used French barrels. This is an extra brut with 2g/l dosage. Light straw color. Very floral on the nose. Notes of toasted brioche, chalk and lemon/limes. Good minerality on the finish. An excellent bottle. 93-94 points.

Billiot

• NV H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Laetitia Billiot. 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir. 9g/l dosage but this did not taste overly sweet. A medium bodied bubbly with strawberry notes and a solid bead. Round finish. 90 points.
• 2013 H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Laetitia Billiot. 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. 8g/l doage. 2013 was a lesser vintage in Champagne but even so this was somewhat disappointing. Light yellow color. Solid acidity but lacking in fruit and slightly flabby on the finish. 88-89 points.
• NV H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Laetitia Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Laetitia Billiot. 3rd time I have had this wine but the first time from the new solera. This multi vintage wine is a blend of 22 vintages dating back to 1983. 9g/l dosage. This wine did not live up to the previous 2 bottles that I had. Rich and full bodied. Cramy texture with chalk, toast and oaky notes. Not really my style of Champagne but interesting and well made. 91 points.

Chartogne Taillet

• NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Cuvée Sainte Anne - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Alexandre Chartogne. A blend of the 2014 through 2016 vintages. 3rd time i have had this Cuvee. Notes of crisp apples and minerals. 90 points.
• NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Le Rosé - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Alexandre Chartogne. A blend of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. My second favorite Rose’ at the tasting. Oaky with vanilla and pomegranate notes. Full mouth feel on the finish. 92 points.
• NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut MV Les Barres - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Alexandre Chartogne. 100% Pinot Noir from a single vineyard. 4.5g/l dosage. Straw color. Rich and fruity. This wine was loaded with minerality and had hazelnut and brioche notes. 94 points.

Dehours

• NV Dehours Champagne Brut Nature - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Jerome Dehours. The base is 2015 with 33% reserve wines. 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. Not as dry on the palate as you might expect. Notes of herbs, tea leaf and woody white fruit. Slightly oxidative to me. 89 points.
• NV Dehours Champagne Grande Réserve Brut - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Alexandre Chartogne. This did not impress me. It had a buttery quality which led me to believe that the wine underwent malolactic fermentation but I did not inquire. Notes of strawberries and fresh cream. The finish was on the leaner side. 87 points.
• NV Dehours Champagne Les Vignes de la Vallée - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Alexandre Chartogne. This wine is aged 4 years longer than the Grand Reserve. I detected a slight vegetal quality on the nose. This was full bodied with a moderate bead. Notes of biscuit and apples. 88 points.

Rene Geoffroy

• NV René Geoffroy Champagne Premier Cru Expression Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy. This is his introductory bottling and it was quite nice. It was based on the 2013 and 2014 vintages. 6-7g/l dosage. 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier. An elegant sparkler with a fine bead. Notes of licorice and green apples. 90 points.
• NV René Geoffroy Champagne Premier Cru Rosé de Saignée Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy. I had this bottling once before in 2011. This was my favorite Rose’ of the tasting. 100% Pinot Noir. Medium pink color resulting from somewhat longer skin contact. Pleasant tannins and acidity. This was a serious Rose’. Notes of cherry, stone fruit and minerals. 92-93 points.
• 2006 René Geoffroy Champagne Terre Extra Brut - France, Champagne (10/24/2019)
  Poured at a tasting by Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy. My favorite champagne at this tasting. This bottling is the estates tete du cuvee. Aged for 12 years on it’s lees. 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay sourced from vines that are 50+ years old. Disgorged july 2017. Spectacular wine with a long full finish. notes of fresh biscuits, toasted brioche and citrus. Creamy texture. 95 points.

VM

A few of my favorites from NYC on that list, specifically the Pehu Simonet No. 6 and 2006 Geoffroy.

I liked Hebrart & Dehours more than you across the board.

Jeff, I appreciate your notes–thank you for taking the time to write and post them. Many of the same wines you wrote up for also part of the Skurnik event in NYC, as there are a # of notes by MC2 in Cellartracker. I don’t understand the Skurnick/Thiese connection, FWIW.

Both you and MC2 made me think about the Pehu Simmonet wines and I am going to seek those out. They’re coming out of the Montagne, and I realized that Pehu Simmonet is very close to the Godme domaine, as well. As for the Chartogne-Taillet, I have yet to taste Les Barres and can’t seem to find any offers for it hititng my inbox so I am going to need to look around. I hear good things about Les Barres and want to try it.

MC2 wrote about Cedric Mousse’s wines being in New York…were those not part of the Thiese event? He also havd Vilmart and Egly in his notes, FWIW.

Frank,

Skurnik is the importer and main distributor for Theise. Terry is very close friends with Harmon and Michael Skurnik.

I have some notes from New York. Just have not had time to type them up. Vilmart was lights out amazing, especially the 2013 Grand Cellier and 2011 Coeur de Cuvée. Though really every wine on that table was worth an effort to source. Peters was also stunning, except the Rosé, which left me cold. The Peters Cuvée de Reserve (2016 base wine) was masterful. 2012 Chetillons also stunning, but good luck finding it.

Those were the only 6 producers in Chicago. Would have loved to catch up with Cedric Mousse again and try the Vilmart, Egly and Peters wines but it wasn’t in the cards.

VM

Nice tasting. How much was it?

Terry is doing a tasting in Minneapolis and presenting but the wine lineup is mediocre on a good day. $75. He better be really entertaining to merit that kind of money.

Nice info thx.

What are the wines?

Pehu Simmonet are beautiful wines!..

$30.

VM

So, how does someone like me learn about this kind of event? Is it fair to think that there would be a similar event offered in Los Angeles at some point soon, no?

[quoteJohn Glas wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 30, 2019 12:30 am
Nice tasting. How much was it?
$30.][/quote] Great deal

What are the wines?

2015 Ziereisen Estate Pinot Noir
2015 Dautel Spatburgunder ‘Bonnigheim Sonnenberg’
2015 Glatzer Zweigelt ‘Dornenvogel’

FLIGHT #2
2018 Nigl Gruner Veltliner ‘Freiheit’
2018 Donnhoff ‘Tonschiefer’ Dry Slate Riesling
2016 Dautel Besigheimer Wurmberg Riesling Trocken

FLIGHT #3
2018 Jakob Schneider Spatburgunder Rose
2018 Heidi Schrock ‘Biscaya’ Rose

FLIGHT #4
Pierre Peters ‘Cuvee Reserve’ Brut NV
Chartogne-Taillet ‘Cuvee Ste. Anne’ Brut NV

FLIGHT #5
2018 Minges Scheurebe Feinherb
2018 Donnhoff Estate Riesling

FLIGHT #6
2018 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett
2018 Carl Loewen Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett
2018 Eugen Muller Forster Mariengarten ‘Vom Basalt’ Riesling Kabinett
2016 Goldatzel Winkeler Hasensprung Riesling Spatlese

It’s actually a very interesting assortment of wines.

The portfolio gems sell themselves. No need to taste them around.

Jeff & all, a few standouts from the Denver tastings from the producers you mentioned, Hebrat poured a Mes Favorites VV Brut (NV) from Meruil which was rich and approachable that i thought was good value. I liked Laetiti Billiot’s 2013 milesime more then you, although I think it will be even better with some cellar time. David Pehu’s wines are getting better with every vintage IMO and I like the fact that he is now using some wood rather then all SS like in the older days. I gave the 2012 Fins Lieux number 1 from Verzenay a slight edge over the #6. He also poured a beautiful 2008 Face Nord but the price was up there, at least the one I see from the local distributor. One that i don’t think has been mentioned by anyone and was outstanding (again) was the Gimonnet SC 2012 altough that has been in the market for a while.

Well, those were the only 6 at the public tasting Vin did. Moussé was at the trade tasting during the day.


Frank,

The Moussé and Dehours stuck out most for me at the trade tasting. I don’t have my notes on me right now, but we had a good range of the Moussé wines to taste through. I didn’t see any Vilmart there and at least in Chicago, Egly is imported by another distributor.

It’s actually a very interesting assortment of wines.

The portfolio gems sell themselves. No need to taste them around.

Interesting but not worth $75 a head. You and 3 friends could just buy the lineup and have room left over for cheese.

Thanks.
Well written and communicative.
Best, Jim

I’m still wondering…is this kind of tasting due to be held in Los Angeles? Does anyone know?

If it hasn’t yet, it probably won’t. I doubt any of the winemakers are still in the USA. They flew over on October 16.