GIRARD-BONNET AND SIMON RION TASTING - (17/10/2025)
Wine Journey hosted a dinner to showcase two champagne producers in their portfolio. Had been looking forward to trying Simon Rion but the oxidative, Pinot-heavy style wasn’t to my liking. Understand that these showed better with more air during next day’s tasting, so perhaps they need more time. On the other hand, Girard-Bonnet can be too austere but when they are on they can be spectacular, thought the Recueil Extrait No 1 was a knockout. Lastly the Dufour white Pinot Coteaux Champenois that I brought was also very interesting in a good way, if anyone has more info on this wine please share!
- NV Girard-Bonnet Champagne Premier Cru Au bout du chemin - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
100% Chardonnay, 2022 base. Disgorged 16 Dec 2024, 2g/l dosage. Surprisingly round and ripe compared to the other wines I have tried frmo this producer, mixture of citrus and green apple fruit. Good entry-level champagne without any standout features. (90 pts.) - 2019 Simon Rion Champagne Blanc de 2 Noirs Extra-Brut - France, Champagne
940 bottles produced. 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier. Disgorged Oct 2024, 2.8g/l dosage. Liked the freshness and clean-cut nature of this, good acidity to the red fruit. (91 pts.) - 2020 Simon Rion Champagne Les 2 Parcelles - France, Champagne
636 bottles produced. 40% Meunier, 60% Pinot Noir. Disgorged Nov 2023, 1g/l dosage. Almost salmon pink in colour, much more red-fruit dominant than the Blanc 2 Noirs alongside with mainly strawberry notes. Texture was a little coarse to me but others liked this. (88 pts.) - NV Girard-Bonnet Champagne Grand Cru À mi-chemin - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
100% Chardonnay, 2022 base. Disgorged 6 Mar 2025, 1.5g/l dosage. Similar to previous impressions, this cuvee has consistently been too austere and lean for me with some bitterness on the finish. (87 pts.) - NV Girard-Bonnet Champagne Grand Cru Mon Village - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
100% Chardonnay, 2022 base with perpetual reserve wines from 18 - 21. Disgorged 6 Mar 2025, 1g/l dosage. Noticeably riper and more generous compared to the À mi-chemin, thought this was a big step up in terms of balance with much better weight. (92 pts.) - 2018 Girard-Bonnet Champagne Premier Cru Recueil Extrait No 1 - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
100% Chardonnay. Disgorged 11 Dec 2023, 1.5g/l dosage. Selection of his best grapes from different plots for the year. Wow this was by far my favourite of the tasting, a beautifully balanced champagne with ripe, chiselled fruit and a firm acidic backbone. Some hint of oxidative notes. A champagne with presence. (94 pts.) - 2020 Girard-Bonnet Champagne Premier Cru Recueil Extrait No 2 - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
100% Chardonnay. Disgorged 6 Mar 2025, 1g/l dosage. Similarly excellent underlying material as the '18 but this was a little more coiled and less integrated. Nice focus and minerality. Did open up with air but would keep this for a few more years if you have any. (92 pts.) - 2020 Simon Rion Champagne Larmes de Pinot Noir - France, Champagne
597 bottles produced. Disgorged Nov 2023, 1g/l dosage. Wasn’t a fan of this as it was too overtly ripe and oxidative; creamy with some honey and bruised apple notes. Nose also had a strange cough syrup note that others minded less. (89 pts.) - 2010 Charles Dufour & Françoise Martinot Vin Blanc Bicheret - France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois
Brought this to share with the merchant that carries Dufour. Interestingly this seems to be a white made from Pinot Noir, could see why most guessed it as a Jura or Loire because of the ridiculously high acidity. Fruit fleshed out with air and initial funk dissipated; thought the idiosyncratic winemaking gave this plenty of character even though it did not meet any criteria of what would make a good classic white wine. Still very youthful that most guessed as '17 or '18, enjoyed this a lot. (93 pts.) - 2018 Fattoria Poggio di Sotto Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Same as the previous time I had this, guessed as Nebbiolo (shows what I know…). Very pretty red fruit with a tannic bite and good acidity but didn’t get the same power that I got from the bottle two years ago. (92 pts.) - 2023 Domaine de la Roseraie Bourgogne Juvens - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Very sweet fruit so from profiling the producers the merchant carried I narrowed down to Galeyrand or Roseraie. Not a fan of overly sweet Burgundies. (88 pts.)
DINNER AT CAROLINE’S - (18/10/2025)
Small gathering where I brought all the wines to share with some friends.
- NV Georges Remy Champagne Premier Cru Les Quatre Terroirs - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
77% Pinot Noir, 23% Chardonnay. 94% from '19, 6% from '18. Disgorged 2 April 2022, zero dosage. Similar to my previous impressions, excellent precision and heft for an entry-level champagne that made for a versatile pairing with food. Lacked a little depth alongside Les Monts Fournois understandably but very quaffable. Big fan of Remy up and down the range. (92 pts.) - 2015 Domaine Les Monts Fournois Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Montagne Verzenay - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
100% Pinot Noir, disgorged Dec 2022. Presented like a BdB initially with green apple fruit (Bereche’s signature to me) but became richer and lusher with air. Quite similar to the Remy alongside actually but with greater complexity and intensity, but pricing is a little ambitious for the quality IMO. (93 pts.) - 2018 Cazé-Thibaut Champagne Jossias Rosé - France, Champagne
100% Pinot Noir, disgorged 29 Mar 2023, zero dosage. Not much development since my last bottle in 2023; austere on opening with obvious tannins but more enjoyable with air as strawberry fruit became more expressive. Acidity on the high side. (91 pts.) - 2016 Tissot (Bénédicte et Stéphane / André et Mireille) Arbois Les Bruyères - France, Jura, Arbois
Less reductive than my previous bottle with more secondary development. Saline and precise citrus fruit with excellent intensity and concentration, incredible value at S$80 where you can get a best-in-class Jura but only an entry-level Burgundy. (93 pts.) - 2023 Bastian Wolber (Laisse Tomber) Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Bright crunchy red fruit with obvious stem inclusion, reminded me of a serious Beaujolais. Very drinkable but not sure about the QPR. (90 pts.) - 2009 Château Montrose La Dame de Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Too glossy and dark for my liking, lacked freshness and elegance compared to the brilliant 2010. Fruit seemed to be fading compared to the structure. (88 pts.)
