Had this for New Year with Paddlefish caviar from Kelly’s Katch. The Champagne is very ordinary. It is correct, but rather simple. I’ve had better for a fraction of the price.
The caviar was horrible, next time I’ll know better and won’t cheap out. The eggs are very small and there’s no pop to it. Rather tasteless.
You need some Tennessee Paddlefish or better yet Georgia USA caviar (Sturgeon).
Both are incredible. Of course, it is very difficult to beat Iranian Golden Osetra!
I have a bottle of this.
I am hoping for a better result.
Cheers.
Don, Kelly’s Katch is TN Paddlefish. I got it based on very positive reviews plus the low price. Thanks for the tip on the GA caviar.
Interesting, thanks for the impression. I’ve only had the 1998, which was beautiful with lobster.
I’ve had this a number of times and thought it was very good. Conflicting opinions are what make wine fun . . .
Where conflicting opinions are allowed, you got it!
I wouldn’t call the wine ordinary or simple.
My only issue with the wine is the reductive notes but I still think it’s excellent overall.
I’m a huge fan of both the '96 Dom Ruinart and Kelley’s Katch.
Otto,
Have you had this more than once? It started off life quite tight, but has slowly started to show slightly more than I would have initially anticipated both at its current age and in terms of potential(not aging quicker, just showing more).
It could be a difference of opinions or maybe an off bottle? I’ve had quite a few problems with LVMH wines in my area mostly due to the care after it left the hands of Moet Hennessy USA (importer). If I find my way down your way, I’ll bring a bottle for us to share.
Brad, first go at this wine. It may be off, who knows, maybe my palate. It tasted correctly, like my everyday NV Piper Heidsiek, but not as fresh, lacked oomph and some acidity.
Keith, the good reviews got me to try the Kelly’s Katch, so either I expected too much or I got a bad batch. There was no “pop” what so ever from this can of fish eggs. My first experience with Paddlefish caviar.
Otto,
If this tasted anything similar to a Piper NV only with less acidity, freshness and oomph, I would put money on the bottle not being correct. It could just be my palate and young Piper NV can be very fresh and acidic, but the 96 Dom Ruinart BdB should have cleaned the table with the Piper NV. Then again, if you just don’t like the 96 Dom Ruinart BdB - no harm or foul as it isn’t a cheap bottle and now you don’t have to go out and load up on it. ![[grin.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/5/53ba06e9b6e4b370ae7e3d7b3702ad1bda0a2d8e.gif "grin"){kind=small}
No kidding - the NH Hampton stores have “fancy” LVMH displays in the center of the stores with a white hot light emanating from the center.
95 Krug, 98 Grande Dame, 98 Ruinart, NV Ruinart BdB, NV Ruinart Rose, 2000 Dom P and on and on, all extremely warm to the touch, like buns out of the oven.
I tried to tell a stockguy there to kill the light and handed him one of the bottle from the back, nearest the light, and it was almost hard to hold for long.
He shrugged and put it right back.
John, I agree with you
Peter,
You have to love the wine displays. LVMH is big on displays, but on ones that can damage wines they usually use prop bottles or ask that you don’t sell the bottles in the displays. Of course, each store is free to do otherwise. Ruinart NV BdB in clear glass under a bright, hot light sounds like a winning combination to me. I’ve told the LVMH folks in the past that they should hire the guy from Miller High Life Ads (the guy who raids places and takes the beer back) and start raiding stores and distributors that don’t take care of their wine. It’s too bad that this isn’t likely to happen as it really gives does their wines an injustice and a bad bottle may turn a first time consumer off forever.
I’ve had this wine a couple of times and thought it was very average. It was probably a stylistic preference but I would put it in my second tier of 96s and definitely not a repurchase for $$$. Good but no cigar.
A question about dosage - is this on the higher side? I’ve found Ruinart’s NVs to be on the higher side but don’t have much experience with the vintage.
According to the winemaker the dosage on the '98 Dom Ruinart was 7 grams per liter (I’d imagine the '96 is in the same ballpark) and the dosage on the NV 9 grams per liter.
Brad - hilarious about the Miller High Life guy!! Great idea.
Shannon - I usually find the Ruinart Rose to taste sweet, but not the BdB. The 1998 came off as very dry and chiseled to me fwiw.
I wonder if [u]asian carp[/u] produce good caviar?
The 96 wasn’t sweet that I could tell but I’m wondering why it did not appeal to either of us (my husband and I). He liked it even less than I did. And for darn sure we like our BdBs. Oh well, maybe those were bad biodynamic days or something… 
I agree that it’s unimpressive for the vintage and price. Here’s my note from over a year ago:
9/22/2008 rated 91+ points: Institute of Masters of Wine Annual Champagne Tasting (Ferry Building, San Francisco): Bright grapefruit nose; grapefruit and yeasty palate with high acidity, tight, and not fully integrated at this point, with pink grapefruit showing toward the long finish