1996 Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Fiacre - France, Champagne (12/18/2011)
15 years old and just on peak drinking form. This had it all - fruit still present, lots of toasty character, a inner mouth creaminess and vibrant back end acidity to clean it all up. Fantastic Champagne where I have only two regrets: I don’t have any more, and I didn’t buy it in magnum.
I keep hearing this is an amazing champagne. I need to seek one out.
Sad part about this wine is that the winery has next to none left - so start hunting or be happy you have some in the cellar. I have only one left so I am quite sad.
Through the years, this wine almost always performs and the price is more than reasonable. The Chartogne-Taillet Millesime is another great value that is a bit more forward than the Fiacre and a little less complex, but a bargain in the big picture.
Gone is the '96, but there’s plenty of other Chartogne-Taillet, including 2002 Fiacre.
The prices are rather reasonable, though the $34.99 sticker on the bottle of '96 had me yearning for times gone by.
The 96 Fiacre was super. Had a lovely wheat/biscuit/grain quality. Sadly, all gone.
I have notes from 2003, back then it was a lighter style, very clean and crisp. At the same time I had a 95 VV, which was even better (at least then). I haven’t ever seen another VV bottling though.