2012 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblé- France, Champagne (12/16/2020)
Had an eruption as I slowly uncorked…lost a good quarter glass! ;-( Brilliant yellow metallic gold, green tinge color…refreshing yellow apple, tart skin, lemon ginger cookie, limestone chalk dust, smoky lees nose. Absolutely FIRE first sip! Plush and elegant right out the gate…pillow soft lemon chiffon mousse coats the ripe orchard fruits and precise citrus acidity…crushed rocks, salty minerality…with the age bringing on some dried honey and leesy brioche…pretty nuances of white flower florals and vanilla bean…a sophisticated and contemplating calm as you sip and savoy every drop! Magical stuff! (96 pts.)
I had this wine a couple years ago and if I’m being honest I didn’t find it that special. It didn’t taste much like a BdB and I honestly didn’t find it to be all that different from his pinot-based wines. As is often the case with Bouchard, I liked this but I didn’t find it to be worth the significant upcharge over Val Vilaine, which I love. In fact I would say Val Vilaine goes toe to toe with any of them and with it being so much cheaper than the others it’s a no-brainer for me where my money goes.
Nice note…I think the house style for Bouchard is not in everyone’s wheelhouse. But I find every single Roses de Jeane…from Vilane to Bolaree…absolutely stunning. I buy as much as I can…as often as I can. If you don’t think it’s worth the tariff, please don’t buy it…just shoot me an email so I can. So far this year I’ve only managed to track down 1 Boloree, 2 Ursules and 12 Val Vilane. And the cost differential between the line is IMO not bad. Price check any Selosse lately?
