New Year's Eve: Selosse and Beaucastel

  • NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut Initiale - France, Champagne (1/1/2015)
    Disgorged 7/20/12. Popped on New Year’s eve. Warm white gold color. Nose of citrus, almonds, stone, floral notes, yeastiness. Firm, almost majestic layers of biscuit, yeast, white pear, peach, and grapefruit soaring over a tensile spine of mineral and schist. Palpable, massaging texture and terrific grip counterpointing its obvious acidity. Long, brilliant finish. Absolutely beautiful and of course quite young, this has years to go. (94 pts.)
  • 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1/1/2015)
    Decanted for about an hour. Medium garnet color. Nose of garrigue, currant, earth, leather, pepper. Quiet on the palate at first but bloomed slowly and persistently over the next 3 hours to reveal layers of sharp, sweet cherry as well as garrigue, briar, mulberry, and plum. Still-serious but smoothed tannins and surprising levels of acidity leading to a long finish of grippy red fruit laced with pepper. Terrific with rack of lamb. From a 375. (92 pts.)

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