Was able to revisit these three from last night. To taste these tonight without food, in good light and in singular small pours, it just provides me the additional perspective to assess these well. I really appreciate and admire those who can taste multiple wines at a dinner, arrayed with food, in the midst of conversation and lower light, and manage to keep all that from affecting the notes they write. I just have learned that this is not my strength and I do better in writing notes when I can create the tasting conditions of this evening. Anyway, here are my notes…
- 2014 Marie-Courtin Champagne Efflorescence Extra Brut - France, Champagne (1/23/2025)
Disgorged November 2019. 100% Pinot Noir from the lower portion of the family's Tremble plot. It's raised in older barrique. This bottles puts me into my second case of this wine, it's a wine I open with a grateful heart and smile because of how it has got into me over the years. It's a wine that has such a great level of concentration and flavor and at this stage of its age, the evolution is lovely to see. I opened this last night for my wine group, and paired it with the 2014 Resonance (both blind). Both showed well, and I don't have the Resonance to revisit today, I imagine that wine is still terrific this evening, too. As for this Efflorescence, the flavor depth is awesome--a creamy red apple, cherry and that familiar signature of slate that gently fills into the finish. What is now emerging in the wine is an earthy note, a light mushroom just subtle enough to make me notice yet I don't find it out of place. The wine is beginning to soften and lose some of that early structure from the cool vintage that showed in past bottles and I'd say it's in the prime window. What a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir. - 2020 C H Piconnet Champagne Les Parcellaires le Pinot Blanc - France, Champagne (1/23/2025)
Disgorged July 2023. 100% Pinot Blanc that I believe is from around Celles-sur-Ource (think Bouchard, Gerbais and Sandrin as they do Pinot Blanc from the same area). This is zero dose, too. Lots of fruit here, kind of a candied lime with the same mango note that appeared in the other Piconnet cuvee we did last night, which was the Les Val Mentra (Chard and Pinot Blanc blend), plus apricot and lemongrass--this is the fruit profile portrays for me. The complexity is on the light side, leaving mainly just a fruit-centric wine. Fortunately there is enough of the green citrus to help give some edges but I much prefer the Les Val Mentra cuvee. - 2020 C H Piconnet Champagne Les Parcellaires Les Val Mentra - France, Champagne (1/23/2025)
Disgorged July 2023. 70% Chard and 30% Pinot Blanc. No dose. Opened yesterday. Most of the bubbles are gone, and while the wine was stoppered overnight, the gentler pressure on this wine seems consistent with the way the wine showed yesterday when we first opened it. This is reminiscent of something more like a still white, which is great for me. I tend to like Champagne as much with bubbles as I do when still. The stillness of this wine is creamy with an elegant feel. Yellow apple, lime zest, creamy orange, and a mango note (which is what I sensed last night, and it's more prominent today). Finishes with peach and bitter lime, along with a light slate. I really like this today.
Posted from CellarTracker