OUR ANNUAL CHAMPAGNE TASTING - (12/23/2023)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my Berserker friends.
Our group has a champagne tasting each December. This year, I hosted. I decided against tasting blind, to keep it more celebratory than academic. A magnificent evening and start to the holiday weekend. Pot luck. We had 5 dozen oysters. Osetra caviar. Terrine of foie gras. Great cheeses, including Beaufort and 1924 Bleu, two which if you haven't tried, you should.
A goat cheese and onion tort, and vegan couscous with beans and carrots
Brut zero
First flight: non-dosed wines.
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2018 Marie Courtin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut [amphora]
(My bottle) The first flight of the tasting was brut nature, and this was the first wine of the evening. While I applaud many extra brut wines and holistic farming, I have a disinclination toward the extreme (no sulfur, zero dosage, etc). Some wines challenge that disposition. This wine was really beautiful. A full bodied Bdb, complex with a very long finish. Unusual cepage of 60% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Blanc and 5% Arbanne, aged in amphora. For me, non-dosed wines show best young, and close to cellar temperature. -
NV Elise Bougy Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Chetillon de Haut
(My bottle) Crisp, stark, clean. Opened up with air and warming. Very good BdB in this style -
2012 Déhu Père & Fils Champagne Cuvée La Rue des Noyers Extra Brut
(My bottle) Lots of debate whether this was corked. I tend to think no, but agreed it was some flaw. Wet wool note was definitely out of place. I don't believe anyone finished their glass. (NR/flawed)
Flight two; Pinot Meunier
Started with three, but (erroneously?) moved one to the rosé flight due to its color
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2016 Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Les Barres
(My bottle) A good start to the shortened Meunier flight. Citrus, but lots of peach and white floral notes, mineraled. I liked this.
Franc de Pied Meunier from Merfy; disgorged May '21 with 3 gm dosage. Vinified in oak barrels -
NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Premier Cru Les Vignes de Vrigny
(My bottle) The darkest amber colored wine of the flight. Creamsicle and apricot, with other pit and white fruit including pear. Honeyed but energetic. This bottle disgorged in November 2021, 1 gm dosage, 40 months on lees.
Tête de cuvées
Prestige from Les Grandes Marques
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2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
(My bottle) This is starting to enter a nice drinking window. It's still dominated by lemon like all young Cristal, with great structure. Other citrus including pomelo, plus red berries, floral notes. -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme
(My bottle) This assertively followed the 2008 Cristal. An excellent Grande Cuvée. Very yeasty. Energetic and powerful but polished. Ginger, apricot, jasmine, sweet brioche. Drinking well, although it will be much better in time (as will the Cristal) -
2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François
Bart's bottle. He knows I like this one. Daringly following the Cristal and Krug GC, this held steady. Pear, sweet lemon, red berries, sour apple and more. Nice mouthfeel -
2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame\
Erik's bottle. Generous pinot fruit, plus a delicious creamy orange oil. An excellent LGD, but like most elite '08s, it should improve a lot with more time in the bottle.
Rosé
Great flight of Grower and NM rosés
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2013 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Rosé Emotion
(My bottle) We're now many bottles into the tasting, and I've abandoned my tasting notebook. This was the first of the rosé flight. Fresh ripe strawberry, cherry cream, hazelnut, orange peel, mineral. It drinks better young than any other vintage Vilmart wine, but has the structure to age. -
2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne Lady Gaga Limited Edition Rosé
Ann-Marie's bottle. Bling on the outside, but a serious wine in the bottle. I found more of a DP than a rosé signature, with that striking matchstick minerality, in addition to creamy raspberry and strawberry. Great structure, built to age. -
2012 Dehours Champagne Extra Brut La Croix Joly
(My bottle) I opened this in the Meunier flight, then moved it to the rosé flight due to the color. Nothing listed from the importer or on the bottle suggests rosé, but I've never seen a rosy colored champagne other than a blended, skin contact or saignée rosé.
Whatever it was, it's a fine wine. Vinous and clean. Old vine meunier, disgorged October 2018 with 2.2 gm dosage, barrel elevage. -
2012 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année Rosé
(My bottle) Typical Bolly density, but still quite elegant. Strawberries and watermelon; vinous but lively.
Free for all
Anything goes. Outside the main flight themes.
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NV Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvée No. 745 Extra Brut
Jenise's bottle. Crisp lemon, pear. Nicely mineraled. I liked it, but thought maybe a little more time in the bottle, or a little more dosage would have softened it's sharp edges or balanced it. -
2012 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime
Jenise's bottle. Excellent wine, although I didn't rank it nearly has high in the tasting as she. Crisp green apply, tight yet bold; should age well. -
2008 Champagne Jeeper Champagne La Grande Cuvée Millésime
Doran's bottle. This came out too late in the tasting for me to give it proper attention or for it to make an impression
Halfway through, it looked as though we wouldn't get to all of the wines. By the end, they were empty. It was easy; it was fun; it was merry!. Many exquisite bottles, and only one was flawed.
