Last October we had a tasting where we went through a good majority of Colet-Navazos sparkling wines ever produced.
This singular sparkling wine is a collaboration project of Colet - a sparkling wine producer in Penèdes - and the premium Sherry bottler Equipo-Navazos;
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The brick red-labeled regular version (originally known simply as “Extra Brut”, later as “Clàssic Penèdes Extra Brut”) is based on a varietal Xarello sparkling wine by Colet. The wine is fermented spontaneously to full dryness and then aged sur lattes for 30 months. The wine that is lost during the disgorging is replaced with a blend of Equipo-Navazos Palo Cortado and Amontillado Sherry.
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The green-labeled Reserva version is based on a varietal Chardonnay sparkling wine by Colet. The wine is fermented spontaneously to full dryness and then aged sur lattes for 40 months. The wine that is lost during the disgorging is replaced with Equipo-Navazos Manzanilla Pasada Sherry.
I was expecting these wines to be very characterful and distinctive - I mean, a combination of bone-dry bubbly and oxidative Sherry does sound intriguing! Well, it turned out that my expectations were quite wrong. The wines didn’t show any oxidative qualities and even if I had tasted the wines blind, I never would’ve noticed any sherried qualities in these wines. These were just quite simple, straightforward and uninteresting sparkling wines for the most part - yet I must say add that the wines do show some aging potential, since most of the wines from the older end of the lineup turned out to be actually pretty good, finally showing some lovely developed complexity.
However, I must say that if you are not willing to keep the wines for +10 years, I’d say “don’t bother”. Most of the wines were enjoyably crisp and refreshing, but especially the young ones were really nothing particularly memorable. There are better bubblies out there. I would also like to add that I felt that on average the regular Xarel-lo version was better than the Reserva Chardonnay. When it was at its best, it was definitely better than the regular version, but the average quality was pretty meh and even if the Xarel-lo versions didn’t seem to be capable of reaching the level of the best Reserva Chardonnays, I enjoyed the average bottle of Xarel-lo more.
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2018 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in September 2021. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12% alcohol.
Yellow-greenish color. Somewhat restrained nose with aromas of bready autolysis, some mealy apple tones, a little bit of honeyed richness, light herby green nuances typical of Xarel-lo and a touch of chopped nuts. The wine is dry and somewhat restrained on the palate with flavors of Granny Smith apple, some vaguely metallic notes, a little bit of mushroomy funk, light lemony tones, a hint of chalky minerality and a sweeter touch of ripe yellow fruits. The wine is high in acidity and the mousse feels pretty soft and gentle. The finish is lively, fresh and quite long with flavors of grapefruit and Granny Smith apple, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light herby nuances and a hint of something metallic.
A nice but also pretty linear and straightforward sparkler where a small metallic character distracts slightly from the pleasure. This feels a rather simple Xarel-lo bubbly and the Sherry component doesn't really show in any way.
(87 points) -
2017 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut Clàssic Penedès - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in September 2020. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12% alcohol.
Yellow-green color. Sappy and somewhat green-toned nose with aromas of leesy yeast, some nutty notes of slivered almond and a little bit of ripe greencurrant. The wine feels dry and balanced on the palate with flavors of mealy yellow apple, some ripe goldencurrant tones, a little bit of leesy yeast, light bready notes of autolysis, a hint of chalky minerality and a touch of mushroomy funk. The wine is quite high in acidity with an ample and quite persistent mousse. The finish is ripe and sweetly-fruited yet dry with a quite long aftertaste of chalky minerality, some ripe Golden Delicious apple tones, a little bit of leesy yeast and a hint of apple peel bitterness.
A nice, balanced and brisk bubbly. Not particularly big on character, just a pleasant and harmonious effort where the lack of dosage goes really well with the ripeness of the fruit. Probably will get better with additional aging.
(90 points) -
2016 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut Clàssic Penedès - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2019. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12,5% alcohol.
Pale lemon-yellow color. Quite ripe and somewhat sweet-toned nose with aromas of juicy white fruits, some nutty notes of slivered almonds, a little bit of bready autolysis and a brooding hint of dark-toned toasty character. The wine feels somewhat restrained on the palate with a medium body and flavors of fresh red apple, some almond flour, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light bready notes of autolysis and a zesty hint of ripe citrus fruits. The acidity feels moderately high whereas the mousse comes across as gentle and silky smooth, yet quite persistent. The finish is lively, quite long and somewhat linear with flavors of sharp Granny Smith apple, some leesy tones, a little bit of apple peel bitterness and light nutty notes of almond.
A nice, fresh and cleans sparkling wine. Perhaps a bit linear and simple, lacking character and complexity - something one doesn't really expect from a sparkling wine where the dosage is Sherry! Apart from the vague almond notes that might or might not come from that Sherry portion, I didn't find anything Sherry-like here - this tasted just like a fresh and simple, perhaps a bit uninteresting Xarel-lo bubbly.
(88 points) -
2015 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut Clàssic Penedès - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2018. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12,5% alcohol.
Pale yellow-green color. Clean, enjoyably fine-tuned and quite fragrant nose with aromas of ripe yellow fruits, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of leesy yeast, light herby nuances and a salty mineral touch of sea air. The wine is crisp, dry and clean on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of fresh red apples, some creamy nuances, a little bit of ripe white peach, light stony mineral nuances, a hint of custard-like richness and a touch of zesty citrus fruit. The wine is high in acidity with a fine, zippy and moderately long mousse. The finish is dry, clean and somewhat mineral with flavors of wet rocks, some sharp lemony tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light chalky mineral tones and a hint of tangy salinity.
A nice, fresh and enjoyably mineral sparkling wine, but ultimately perhaps a bit on the linear and slightly one-dimensional side. The nose feels quite lovely and shows some nice sense of depth, but on the palate the wine feels a bit simple, showing good freshness and minerality but not much character or complexity. Nice, but I expected this kind of uniquely made sparkling wine to show more idiosyncratic character.
(89 points) -
2014 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut Clàssic Penedès - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2017. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12,5% alcohol.
Yellow-green color. The nose feels ripe and slightly evolved with aromas of cooked cream and juicy yellow apple, some sappy green notes of birch leaves, a little bit of golden currants, a little bit of developed waxy character and a sweet, red-toned whiff of jelly candies. The wine is dry, juicy and balanced on the palate with a medium body and vibrant flavors of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some herby notes, a little bit of chalky minerality, light evolved waxy tones, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of apple peel bitterness. The high acidity lends good sense of focus and structure to the wine and the mousse comes across as silky smooth and persistent. The finish is lively, crisp and crunchy with a bone-dry aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some apple peel bitterness, light herby notes, a little bit of tangy salinity, a hint of fresh golden currants and a touch of waxy richness.
A nice, fresh and sophisticated sparkling wine that seemed a bit more complex and characterful than the other vintages we tasted (apart from the lovely 2010 vintage). To me, often these Colet-Navazos sparkling wines are just nice and fresh, but very rarely anything beyond that - whereas this vintage seemed to go a bit more further, showing actually some nice evolved sense of richness and complexity along with great freshness, focus and sense of structure. Nice stuff, recommended.
(91 points) -
2013 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut Clàssic Penedès - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2016. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12,5% alcohol.
Medium-deep yellow color with a somewhat youthful greenish hue. Quite distinctive but also a bit one-dimensional nose of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some strawberry marshmallow and light marzipan tones. The wine is dry, clean and slightly developed on the palate with a medium body and flavors of mealy yellow apples, some chalky mineral tones, a little bit of evolved waxy character, light juicy notes of white peach, a salty hint of brackish seawater and a touch of hay. The wine is high in acidity and the mousse feels quite soft and sparse. The finish is lively, ripe and palate-cleansing with a dry aftertaste of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some pithy notes of pomelo, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light evolved waxy tones and a hint of crunchy whitecurrant.
A nice, fresh and clean Catalan sparkler. Has a somewhat distinctive overall character, but at the same time comes across as pretty linear and one-dimensional in style. For some reason this and the 2012 vintage are the only ones that have that vague yet quite singular, distinctively sweet strawberry note in the nose - none of the other vintages we had in this vertical tasting showed any similar qualities. Overall this was a fun, balanced and refreshing bubbly, but nothing too memorable - maybe some additional aging might bring in some more interesting character?
(90 points) -
2012 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2015. Bottled under DO Penedès (or, more recently, under DO Clàssic Penedès). 12,5% alcohol.
Pale and very slightly hazy yellow-green color. Fresh and quite nuanced nose of ripe Granny Smith apples and zesty citrus fruits, some developed waxy tones, a little bit of lemon juice, light sappy green notes of birch leaves, a hint of leesy richness and a distinctive, sweet touch of strawberry cream. The wine is crunchy and refreshing on the palate with a medium body and quite focused flavors of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of pithy pomelo, light green notes of birch leaves, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of leesy creaminess. The wine is high in acidity and the mousse feels crisp, balanced and quite persistent. The finish is fresh, long and lively with a dry aftertaste of green apples and some crunchy pomelo, a little bit of leesy richness, light sweet notes of strawberry cream, a sweet, evolved hint of wizened yellow apple and a touch of salinity.
A brisk, balanced and refreshing Catalan bubbly with a subtle yet somewhat noticeable streak of sweet strawberry cream character in the nose - something that didn't appear in any other vintage in our vertical, apart from this and the neighboring 2013 vintage. What's curious, though, is that I expected a 10-yo sparkling wine that has been dosed with Sherry to show some oxidative, nutty or aldehydic tones, but no. This is still very clean, brisk and youthful character with no noticeable Sherry character or sense of evolution. Perhaps a fine touch of salinity might be the only thing that could point out to the direction of aldehydic character, but then again, we had some "normal" sparkling wines that felt similarly saline and mineral in character, so it didn't feel like the Sherry addition gave anything truly remarkable or distinctive to this wine. But despite all this, it's a fine and enjoyable effort all the same.
(90 points) -
2011 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2014. Bottled under DO Penedès (or, more recently, under DO Clàssic Penedès). 12,5% alcohol.
Developed medium-deep yellow color. The nose feels moderately reticent and somewhat evolved with aromas of developed waxy and caramel tones, some wizened yellow fruit notes, a little bit of leesy autolysis, light toasty notes of brioche and a hint of cantaloupe. The wine is ripe, juicy and somewhat evolved on the palate with nuanced but a bit understated flavors of fresh white fruits, some autolytic notes of brioche and leesy yeast, a little bit of sweet yellow fruits and a hint of creamy richness. The wine is high in acidity with a crisp, lively and quite persistent mousse. The finish is ripe, juicy and quite long with a layered aftertaste of light, sweet nuances of white peach, a little bit of cantaloupe, autolytic hints of brioche and leesy yeast and a touch of creaminess.
A delicate, balanced and enjoyably developed vintage of Colet-Navazos that would've been a very lovely effort if it weren't so noticeably understated in character. In our 2018-2010 vertical of Colet-Navazos, this was the first vintage in which the wine actually had started to show some interesting tertiary complexity, but at the same time the wine was probably the most reticent both aromatically and taste-wise of all the wines we tasted. Had it shown more intensity, this might've been the best vintage of the orange-labeled Colet-Navazos, but due to its lack of intensity it unfortunately got quite overwhelmed by the other wines. Even so, it's a lovely wine in its own right.
(89 points) -
2010 Colet Colet-Navazos Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2013. Bottled under DO Penedès (or, more recently, under DO Clàssic Penedès). 12,5% alcohol.
Luminous lemon-yellow color. Somewhat evolved and quite complex nose with aromas of wizened yellow fruits, some beeswax, a little bit of juicy cantaloupe, light leesy notes of yeast, an oxidative hint of chopped nuts, a touch of acacia honey and a whiff of mushroomy funk. The wine is dry, evolved and harmonious on the palate with a medium body and complex flavors of wizened white fruits, some developed waxy tones, a little bit of hay, light chalky mineral tones, a hint of leathery funk and an autolytic touch of leesy yeast. The wine is moderately high in acidity with a fine, small and sparse mousse that is starting to fade away. The finish is long and nuanced with a somewhat evolved aftertaste of waxy richness, some chalky mineral notes, a little bit of ripe yellow apple, light sweet nuances of Sultana raisins, a creamy hint of custard character and a touch of tangy salinity.
A quite refreshing, enjoyably developed and quite complex vintage of Colet-Navazos. Along with the 2011 vintage, this vintage showed most evolved character and complexity in our 2018-2010 Colet-Navazos tasting, but easily overwhelmed the noticeably lighter and less intense 2011 vintage. Apparently these wines need at least 10 years of aging, minimum, since all the other younger vintages came across as pretty linear and surprisingly youthful - backward, even - for their age. While refreshing and eminently drinkable, I didn't find the other vintages particularly memorable, but these +10 yo bottles started to become noticeably more interesting with some lovely tertiary qualities that added quite a bit of complexity without taking away any of the other qualities away. All in all: let these wines age - they seem to benefit from the additional aging quite a bit.
(92 points) -
2017 Colet Colet-Navazos Reserva Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in September 2021. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12% alcohol.
Pale yellow-green color. The nose feels ripe, somewhat primary and slightly reductive with aromas of pear drops, some cantaloupe, light floral notes, a little bit of juicy white peach, a sweet hint of apple jam, a leesy touch of creaminess and a reductive whiff of rubber. The wine is ripe, youthful and somewhat neutral on the palate with a light-to-medium body and quite understated flavors of leesy yeast, some mealy apple tones, a little bit of crunchy whitecurrant, light floral notes, a hint of creaminess and a nutty touch of almond. The wine is high in acidity with a brisk and quite persistent mousse. The finish is dry and palate-cleansing with a somewhat neutral aftertaste of vague citrus fruit notes, a little bit of crunchy whitecurrants, light leesy tones and a hint of saline minerality.
A surprisingly neutral, understated and quite harmless Catalan sparkler. This is supposed to be better of the two Colet-Navazos sparkling wines, but in side-by-side comparison this was noticeably more neutral and underwhelming than the orange-label 2017 Colet-Navazos. Can't say I'm particularly impressed.
(82 points) -
2016 Colet Colet-Navazos Reserva Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in September 2020. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12% alcohol.
Pale and very slightly hazy yellow-green color. Quite fragrant on the palate with nuanced aromas of cantaloupe, some ripe pear, a little bit of creamy custard, light juicy Golden Delicious apple tones, a mineral hint of chalk dust and a touch of honeysuckle. The wine is dry-ish, mellow and somewhat sweetly-fruited on the palate with a medium body and very noticeably ripe flavors of juicy Golden Delicious apple, some leesy tones, a little bit of herby greenness, light creamy custard notes and a hint of apricot. The overall feel is pretty soft, thanks to the silky, gentle mousse and medium-to-moderate acidity. The finish is juicy, soft and quite long with flavors of creamy custard and leesy tones, some mealy Golden Delicious apple notes, a little bit of chalky minerality, light herbal nuances and a balancing hint of apple peel bitterness.
Well, on the positive side, this wine showed nice sense of nuance. However, the overall feel is so soft, mellow and sweet-toned that the wine comes across more like an Espumante Seco than an Extra Brut sparkling wine. The wine leaves sort of a sweetish and slightly flabby impression, which is something you really don't want from an Extra Brut Chardonnay. And truth be told, I couldn't really find any obvious Manzanilla Pasada qualities from here, either. A quite disappointing vintage, probably the worst in our 2018-2010 Colet-Navazos vertical.
(81 points) -
2015 Colet Colet-Navazos Reserva Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2019. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12,5% alcohol.
Pale and subtly hazy lime-green color. The nose feels fresh, crunchy and somewhat sappy with a bit understated aromas of Granny Smith apple, some green notes of birch leaves, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light nuances of ripe whitecurrants, a hint of honeysuckle and a sweet touch of juicy red apple. The wine is fresh, dry and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and precise flavors of Granny Smith apple and lemony citrus fruits, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of steely minerality, light floral notes of apple blossom, a hint of chalk dust and a touch of leesy creaminess. The acidity feels high and the mousse comes across as quite ample and persistent yet creamy and mellow in nature. The finish is crisp and crunchy with a lively aftertaste of tart Granny Smith apple and lemony citrus fruit, some steely mineral notes, a little bit of salinity and floral hints of apple blossom and other white flowers.
A nice, fresh and precise Chardonnay fizz, but perhaps a bit on the linear and neutral side of things. Despite the prolonged aging on the lees and the Sherry addition, the wine feels somewhat one-dimensional and lacking in character. However, there's still potential for future development - knowing how these Colet-Navazos wines can get better with age, this might turn into something much more interesting with another 5-10 years of aging.
(88 points) -
2014 Colet Colet-Navazos Reserva Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2018. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12,5% alcohol.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels crisp, focused and slightly evolved with aromas of crunchy green apples, some toasty autolytic tones, a little bit of browned butter, light evolved nutty tones, a hint of zesty citrus fruits and a touch of oat biscuits. The wine comes across as crisp, somewhat evolved and moderately toasty on the palate with layered flavors of bready autolysis and evolved nutty tones, some chalky mineral notes, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light juicy nuances of ripe golden apples, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of tangy salinity. The structure relies mostly on the brisk, racy acidity - although there is still a little bit of tingly, sparse mousse left. The finish is crisp, lively and quite bone-dry with flavors of grapefruit and crunchy green apple, some tangy saline notes, a little bit of chalky minerality, light evolved nutty tones and a hint of toasty autolysis.
A delightful, fresh and quite complex sparkling wine that is starting to develop depth and toasty character, at least if compared to the younger vintages we tasted in our 2018-2010 Colet-Navazos vertical. All the wines younger than this seemed pretty straightforward and simple, whereas this was the youngest vintage to actually show some sense of evolution, making this dramatically more interesting and rewarding an effort. I was quite unimpressed by the Colet-Navazos Reservas thus far, but this wine was a game-changer - these wines just need at least 8-to-10 years from the vintage to actually turn into something truly stimulating.
(92 points) -
2012 Colet Colet-Navazos Reserva Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2016. Bottled under DO Clàssic Penedès. 12,5% alcohol.
Quite intense yellow-green color. Pleasantly developed, complex nose with layered aromas of evolved nuttiness and browned butter, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of bitter almond, light peachy tones, a toasty hint of oat biscuits and a touch of fresh golden currants. The wine is dry and broad yet still enjoyably firm on the palate with a medium body and moderately evolved flavors of browned butter and autolytic notes of toast, some oxidative nutty tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light crunchy notes of green currants, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of tangy salinity. The high acidity lends great sense of structure and intensity to the wine, supported by the very fine, sparse and pretty gentle mousse. The finish is crisp, evolved and lively with a rather lengthy aftertaste of browned butter, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, light caramel tones, a pithy hint of grapefruit and an autolytic touch of toast.
A fine, complex and wonderfully evolved sparkling wine that still retains some of that zippy, sleek youthful fruit typical of these Colet-Navazos wines, yet has developed more depth and toasty complexity than any other Colet-Navazos wine I've tasted. There's quite a bit of that classic, vinous and toasty character typical of great Champagnes, yet the wine has a distinct persona of its own. It's hard to say whether it comes from the Sherry addition or not, as I don't really see any Sherry-like qualities in the wine, but this is still definitely a Colet-Navazos wine, not a Champagne imitation. Fine stuff, best Colet-Navazos I've tasted thus far.
(93 points) -
2010 Colet Colet-Navazos Reserva Extra Brut - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (20.10.2022)
Disgorged in October 2014. Bottled under DO Penedès (or, more recently, under DO Clàssic Penedès). 12,5% alcohol.
Somewhat evolved and very slightly hazy lemon-yellow color. The nose feels somewhat evolved, enjoyably nuanced and subtly waxy with aromas of wizened golden apples, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of smoke, light nutty notes of almond and a hint of beeswax. The wine is ripe, dry-ish and quite harmonious on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of juicy citrus fruits and apple jam, some peachy yellow fruits, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light saline mineral tones, a hint of cantaloupe and an autolytic touch of yeast. The wine is high in acidity with a soft, creamy mousse. The finish is lively, complex and quite lengthy with a harmonious aftertaste of saline minerality and ripe Golden Delicious apple tones, a little bit of apple jam, light tangy notes of lemon juice, a hint of chalky bitterness and a touch of leesy creaminess.
A nuanced and enjoyably developed - although not as evolved as the 2012 and 2014 vintages - but also surprisingly sweet-toned vintage of Colet-Navazos Reserva. Although the wine is supposed to be Extra Brut, ie. very low in RS, there's a certain sweetness to the taste - perhaps only due to very ripe fruit that gives the wine more body and sweeter edge to the fruit flavors. Compared to the 2012 and 2014 vintages, this feels both slightly younger and somewhat easier in character, not unlike a more approachable "crowdpleaser" version of the same wine. This is still a quite lovely wine with a lot of character, but doesn't come across as captivating as the other two younger vintages we tasted in the same flight.
(91 points)
And, as almost always, we had some post-tasting extras as well. All served blind (I brought that Knipser).
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NV Jacques Lassaigne Champagne Acte II Scène II Aparté Rosé Extra Brut - France, Champagne (20.10.2022)
One of these Lassaigne's one-off cuvées named after a numbering scheme employing "acts" and "scenes". 12% alcohol. The lot number might be 140716, if I read it correctly - probably in reference to the disgorging date. Tasted blind.
Murky and rather unpleasant caramel-brown color with a reddish hue and a colorless rim. The nose feels odd, evolved and complex with aromas of bruised apple, earthy notes, a little bit of meaty funk, light leathery tones, an oxidative hint of chopped nuts and a touch of zesty citrus fruit. The wine is dry, meaty and slightly acetic on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of meaty umami and bruised apples, some tangy notes of saline minerality, a little bit of wizened cranberries, light resinous phenolic tones, a hint of vinegary VA and a touch of bright citrus fruits. The wine is fresh and zippy with its high acidity, whereas the carbonation feels sparse and merely slightly tingly. The finish is lively, long and acid-driven with a dry, complex aftertaste of dried white fruits, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of acetic VA, light sharp notes of Granny Smith apple and zesty citrus fruit nuances, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of leathery funk.
I honestly had no idea what we were drinking so I really couldn't come up with any coherent guesses. Well, it turned out to be one of those odd one-off "Rosé Champagnes" by none other than Manu Lassaigne. I have no idea how the wine was made, but I swear to all kinds of gods that Rosé Champagne was not what I had in mind when I was drinking this! However, basically the only thing that did actually bother me here a little bit was that elevated level of VA - had the wine been a bit less acetic, it would've been not only an academic curiosity, but also quite enjoyable as well! Sure, the murky brownish color wasn't particularly appetizing, but the meaty notes of umami worked surprisingly well here! This must've been the most umami-rich sparkling wine I've tasted, but once one could sort of "get" behind the acetic qualities, it seemed like this was a great wine in its own right. This is definitely a singular wine, but I'm not particularly surprised if this wine remains as a one-off bottling.
(90 points) -
2010 Benoît Lahaye Champagne Violaine - France, Champagne (20.10.2022)
A blend of biodynamically farmed Chardonnay (50%) and Pinot Noir (50%) from vines planted in 1989 and 1990 in Tauxières and Bouzy. Fermented spontaneously. All the wines go through MLF. Aged in old pièces and barriques, bottled unfiltered and without any SO2. Disgorged in October 2014, no dosage. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale-to-medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels crisp with aromas of sharp Granny Smith apple tones and borderline unripe yellow fruits, a little bit of leesy richness, light creamy tones and a hint of sweeter white fruit. The wine is firm, crisp and lively on the palate with a sleek medium body and bone-dry flavors of Granny Smith apple and fresh white fruits, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of saline minerality, light lemony tones, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of creaminess. The bracing acidity lends great intensity and sense of structure to the wine, the mousse feels quite sparse and light. The finish is crisp, lean and quite high-strung with a long, bone-dry aftertaste of saline minerality, tart notes of Granny Smith apple and lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of grapefruity bitterness, light chalky mineral tones, a hint of pomelo and a touch of leesy yeast.
A crisp, nice and quite lean but also rather linear and almost aggressively bone-dry Champagne that feels a tad too dry and austere for my taste. For the most part the fruit feels just ripe, but at times even slightly unripe, resulting in a very austere overall feel where the wine offers very little in the way of fruit, just acidity and incisive minerality. I was surprised to learn the wine was 12 years old, because it showed very little sense of development. However, what's remarkable is how the wine is clean as a whistle despite its hands-off vinification and complete lack of SO2. Nevertheless, when a wine with as bracing acidity as this is lacking in fruit ripeness, a bit of dosage could help out to bring the wine better in balance - and perhaps also aid in developing some more interesting qualities as the wine ages. This wine reminded me of the Brut Zéro Champagnes from a decade ago when the wines seemed to be austere and bone-dry just for austerity's sake. While I enjoyed the purity and freshness here, I couldn't help thinking how this reminded me of the over-hopped West Coast IPAs which were aggressively bitter and unbalanced just because they were hopped to oblivion just for the sake of the hops. While I normally love Lahaye Champagnes, this left a somewhat lukewarm impression.
(89 points) -
2014 L. Aubry Fils Champagne Le Nombre d'Or Sablé Blanc des Blancs Brut Nature Campanae Veteres Vites - France, Champagne (20.10.2022)
A Blanc des Blancs that is a blend of Chardonnay (40%), Arbanne (25%), Petit Meslier (25%) and Pinot Blanc (10%) - hence why it ain't Blanc de Blancs.. No MLF. Aged for a minimum of 36 months sur lattes. 12,5% alcohol, dosage 0 g/l. Tasted blind.
Pale, neutral and almost colorless whitish-green appearance. The nose feels juicy and fruity with aromas of ripe golden apples and peaches, some leesy notes of autolysis, a little bit of fresh and crunchy white fruit, light floral nuances and a mineral hint of wet rocks. The wine is dry, broad and fresh on the palate with a medium body and flavors of lemony citrus fruits and sharp green apples, some leesy notes of autolysis, a little bit of stony minerality, light bitter notes of pithy grapefruit ,a hint of crunchy white currant and a touch of saline minerality. Crisp, balanced and moderately persistent mousse. Moderately high acidity. The finish is fresh, lively and quite lengthy with flavors of lemony citrus fruits and ripe Granny Smith apple, some pithy notes of pomelo, a little bit of steely minerality, light leesy notes of autolysis and a hint of saline minerality.
A nice, bright and refreshing Blanc des Blancs that has a nice, nuanced and quite characterful nose, but perhaps doesn't reach the same level of depth and nuance on the palate. The overall feel is quite youthful, but the taste is also rather linear and ultimately not that characterful. Although the lack of dosage works here quite well, as the wine doesn't come across as too lean or aggressively austere, and the slightly modest acidity doesn't really call for any additional sweetness, perhaps a tiniest dosage might've benefited the wine, lending the taste a bit more weight and intensity? Or then the wine was just opened too early for its own good - based on the youthful feel here the wine is still miles away from its apogee. A fine and thoroughly enjoyable wine, priced more or less according to its quality at 50€.
(90 points) -
1997 Knipser Weissburgunder *** Spätlese trocken - Germany, Pfalz (20.10.2022)
13,5% alcohol.
Deep, quite concentrated and still remarkably youthful neon yellow-green color with a pale, almost colorless rim. The nose feels somewhat evolved and slightly wizened with complex aromas of honeydew melon, some floral notes of apple blossom and other white flowers, a little bit of beeswax, light oxidative nutty tones, a mineral hint of wet rocks and a touch of bruised pear. The wine feels evolved, somewhat viscous and quite concentrated on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of wizened white fruits, some evolved nutty notes of slivered almonds, a little bit of beeswax, light mineral nuances of wet rocks, a hint of dried peaches and a touch of very ripe Golden Delicious apple. The high acidity lends great sense of intensity and structure to the wine, even if the mouthfeel is slightly on the oily side of things. The finish is spicy, extracted and waxy with a little bit of alcohol heat and quite lengthy flavors of ripe white fruits, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of beeswax, light extracted spicy tones, a hint of dried apricot and a touch of boozy alcohol.
A big, fascinating and somewhat Viognier-like Pinot Blanc that has been concentrated by the age. Even if the wine isn't super-high in alcohol, the wine feels like it is very ripe in character and it has a sort of Northern Rhône character to it: the overall feel is rich, extracted and waxy, the mouthfeel is somewhat viscous and even the alcohol shows through a bit. Aromatically this isn't entirely identical to a Viognier, but it does have that peachy/apricot vibe to it. All in all, a fun and distinctive wine that is starting to show some age, but is still surprisingly youthful and full of energy for a 25-yo Pinot Blanc. When I poured this blind, people went immediately to Rhône with it and nobody never guessed anything remotely German at any point - truth be told, I'm not particularly surprised. At 36€ for two bottles (ie. 18€ per bottle), this was a great purchase.
(90 points) -
2020 Domaine Chanterêves Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Paris L'Hopital - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune (20.10.2022)
A lieu-dit Pinot Noir from a vineyard +45 years old. Vinified in whole bunches, fermented spontaneously with a pied de cuve. Aged for 12-15 months in old 228-liter pièces. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a minimal dose of SO2. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Very deep and youthful yet somewhat translucent and beautifully luminous blackish-red color. The nose feels rather wild and lifted with aromas of sappy forest fruits, some bretty notes of zesty Campari-like lift and vague funky notes of leather, a little bit of ripe cranberry, light fragrant, ethery notes of VA, brooding hints of ink and blueberry juice, a touch of brambly raspberry and a whiff of blood. There's a certain natty feel to the overall aroma that gets me prepared for any mousiness that might appear in the aftertaste. The wine feels wild, crunchy and quite precise on the palate with a light-to-medium body and flavors that feel surprisingly clean for a wine that is at the same time so sauvage; there are notes of ripe raspberries and crunchy cranberries, some leathery notes of brett, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light tart notes of fresh lingonberries, a smoky and slightly bitter hint of phenolic spice and a touch of volatile lift. The wine feels relatively tightly-knit with its high acidity and surprisingly firm and grippy tannins. The finish is dry, crunchy and quite grippy with a long, fresh aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light gravelly mineral tones, a stemmy hint of herby character and a lifted touch of sweet VA.
A fresh, crunchy and rather sauvage red Burgundy that smells very funky with a promise of mousiness. However, the wine turns out to be not only surprisingly clean but also remarkably stern and serious on the palate with no signs of mousiness. The wine does show some obvious ripeness, but the overall feel is still bone-dry and very tightly-knit with quite assertive tannins, incisive acidity and general cool-climate feel. It might be that the wine would turn mousy if it was left open for too long, but it stayed completely rodent-free over the evening we consumed it, so fortunately there's no pushing need to empty the bottle ASAP when it is opened. All in all, this is a nice wine, but perhaps a bit nervous and slightly all over the place due to its young age. Based on its intensity of fruit and impressive structure, I'd say the wine has a long future ahead, so let it wait for a bit longer - it really does need it!
(89 points) -
1959 Château du Périer - France, Bordeaux, Médoc (20.10.2022)
Labeled with a large "Barrière" banner in the top part of the label. Tasted blind.
Deep, moderately evolved and quite opaque pomegranate color. Rich, sweet and moderately evolved Bordeaux nose with aromas of wizened blackcurrants, some meaty tones, a little bit of leathery funk, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of game and a touch of dark pruney fruit. The wine is dry, intense and quite tightly-knit on the palate with a medium body and moderately evolved flavors of blackcurrants, some wizened red berries, a little bit of ripe raspberry, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of old dry leather and a touch of game. The wine still retains quite a bit of structure, thanks to its high acidity and still surprisingly grippy tannins. The finish is tight, long and grippy with a dry, savory aftertaste of blackcurrants, some wizened dark berries, a little bit of old leather, light gamey tones, a hint of earth and a touch of old, savory wood.
A fine, sophisticated and quite tightly-knit Bordeaux that is actually way, way older than it feels like. I instantly recognized that it must be a claret, but based on its combination of somewhat evolved fruit yet still rather unresolved tannins, I thought the wine might be around 30 years old, from the early-to-mid 1990s. My guess was that it was a 1995 Left-Bank Bordeaux. Boy, was I wrong! The wine was more than twice older than what I thought it was. Tells you something how remarkably youthful the wine was for its age!
(92 points)
Posted from CellarTracker