2012 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Blanches Voies - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (1/2/2024)
For me, this isn’t worth the tariff. It’s really tight, light fruit and a mineral seltzer quality. Vilmart is my favorite producer because of the high quality across the portfolio but this doesn’t stand out from the others.
2017 Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Les Hautes Chevres - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (1/2/2024)
This was stylistically similar to other Laval I’ve tasted based on memory. This is 100% Meunièr but it doesn’t scream such. The nose is ripe but the palate is lean and coiled, this needs time. I like the balance of lemon and lime.
2018 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (1/2/2024)
Okay, this caught me off guard. This presents it’s self like a lean mean grower champagne. It’s very angular and wrapped up in lean tartness. I like that style, LOL, but hopefully another 5 years in the cellar will round this one out.
NV Laherte Frères Champagne Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut - France, Champagne (1/2/2024)
Why is it that a wine’s color influences the flavor? This color is definitely watermelon colored and the palate has a splash of watermelon. Different than most sparkling rosé which makes it that much more fun.
This is full bodied and rich, packed with Pinot Noir character. It’s round from the barrel aging, possesses high acidity, decent length, and very strong salinity and mineral interest. Delicious and easy to drink.
So, on to the last day and for me I’m happy to end this Virtual Tasting week with a most excellent wine.
NV Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Shaman 18 Rosé - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (03/01/2024)
Another bottle from the same batch as previously. I realise that others have found wide bottle variation in this wine, so maybe I've been lucky that all 7 bottles so far have been excellent. This one is pretty much in line with my TN of 15/8/2023.
It's a complex and interesting wine, both on the nose and one the palate - one to sip rather than to chug, and definitely a repeat buy for me at the ~US$43 that I can get these.
Aiya! I wish this software had a reliable means of fixing image sizes!
Lancelot-Pienne Perceval 2014
50% Chard, 50% PN
Dosage 6g/l, Disgorged 01-2021
My 5th and final cuvée of Lancelot-Pienne. I went through the whole range this year and I was really looking to try this one. Well, I had a small pour only as I was laboring in the kitchen so I don’t know if I liked it . I got the impression that the profile was more Chard than PN. It seemed elegant. I’ll have to get another bottle to revisit. Pairing: Belon oysters with mignonette, duo of salmon tartare with guacamole on tortillas and St-Jacques ceviche in leche de tigre.
2008 Dom Pérignon
First time with the 08. Wow. Beautiful Champagne. Complex nose that starts off mineral and than opens up to rich fruit (exotic, pear, citrus), toasted brioche and some zingy spices (pepper? ginger?). Rich and intense on the palate but with great acidic lift and a long finish on citrus and stones. More please.
Alfred Gratien Brut Rose. I am enamored with this Champagne. It’s a rather massive wine, 100% aged in oak, which bestows a pleasing roundness to counter the shocking acidity. It’s a very vinous style; somewhat tannic, very smoky, and full of saline and chalk mineral nuance. It tastes of strawberries, currants, rose hip, dill, wheat toast, and noticeable barrel spice. It finishes long and pulls of a high degree of refinement and refreshment, in spite of its adiposity. (Unlike the imbiber). A great QPR.
OK, so the 3rd has now ended everywhere on Earth, so that’s a wrap. I make that:
22 TNs of whites (10 of which had selfies with the bottle) = HK$480
15 TNs of rosés (6 of which had selfies) = HK$540
Direct donations of HK$800, HK$500 and HK$500 = HK$1800.
In total then my donation the Bethune House is HK$2820 (about US$360).
Many thanks again to all who contributed TNs, and especially to @Brian_Tuite , @Eric_Cotte and one other who notified me by private message for their personal donations directly to this excellent cause.
A little late, but this was our Rose Champagne on New Year’s. It was a recent purchase so the flavors were bright & fruity and otherwise solid example.
. I got the impression that the profile was more Chard than PN. It seemed elegant. I’ll have to get another bottle to revisit.
