Has anyone had regular ‘96 DP recently? I grabbed a bottle at auction recently and curious as like this bottle, I’ve seen huge bottle variation.
In the cheap(-ish) seats this evening a Chartogne-Taillet Le Rosé: a rather nice general purpose rosé that’s going down rather nicely with some sushi (and the South Africa v France quarter-final on catch-up).
Click here to expand my TN
-
NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Le Rosé - France, Champagne (18/10/2023)
Base year 2018; unspecified assemblage blend of C/PN/PM; disgorged December 2021, dosage 5g/l.Very forward on the nose: almost candied red fruits with just a slight mineral edge. On the palate the red fruit is crisp and yet slightly sweet at the same time, minerality comes through towards the finish, which is perhaps not as crisp as expected, but not cloying.
Edit: with more air a rather intriguing herbal/tobacco note which I’m struggling to be more precise about appears on the palate and makes it rather more interesting. I’ve upped my rating a point.
Overall this is an excellent bottle of fizz, going nicely with some sushi, but I wonder if I’d like it even more with slightly less dosage.
Having said that, at ~US$51 the QPR is OK-ish, not great. (91 points)
2 Likes
We were on our way back from France, and thought we had one more bottle than we could fit in our suitcases, so we drank it.
K&L looks like they bring in the producer, but I only see the Reserve and their Blanc de Blancs on their website. This was their base level wine, and I like it better than the Reserve. Slightly rose colored, biscuit, lemon, hazelnut in the nose, Zippy acidity, with the palate more on the green apple/lemon side, but well balanced. The oak is evident but not at center stage (all aged in oak). Very nice finish.
Based on K&L’s pricing of the Reserve, this should be a $35 bottle and I think it punches well above that.
6 Likes
Bummer on the CdG.
A customer said a really old bottle was just life altering. We had a current vintage last year and it about ripped the enamel off my teeth and my soul left my body how acidic the wine was. We decided to open several offerings of Phillipponnat and I think overall if the wine isn’t quite old the regular non-dose NV is my favorite.
I opened one in August. Here’s my TN:
Purchased on release; original disgorgement. Opened for our 27th anniversary.
Ambrosial; sweet orange, acacia honey, ginger, white button mushrooms, crème brûlée. Luscious mouthfeel. Maturing, at peak for my palate. My WOTY. MB preferred this when it was younger.
Cheers,
Warren
2 Likes
All posted in another thread, from last week’s three day weekend events.
-
1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses
While I would never turn down a glass of this, I found it a bit dull. Definitely not corked, and not oxidized, just not terribly exciting. Dense, with great cut; some apricot, apple, mushroom. July 2006 disgorgement.
-
2008 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée
Just over a year ago, these seemed shut down. Two months ago, a bottle was the opposite; showy and full throttle on the nose and palate. This bottle was in between those two; striking, but very nuanced.
Pear, lime, chamomile, honey, caramel apple, toast.
This blew away the 1996 Clos des Goisses. I loved it, as did the group. -
2014 Jose Dhondt Champagne Grand Cru Mes Vieilles Vignes Blanc de Blancs
A very worthy 2014 in magnum format. Old vine BdB from Oger. Apple, pear tart, brioche, vanilla, but not sweet. Crisp, fresh, mineraled and delicious.
-
2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne
Five years ago, this wine was dull and utterly shut down. Bottle time has been kind. It is a gorgeous bottle, dense and long, with more brioche and less reduction than typical. We loved it. It’s a great DP for current consumption.
-
2008 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
Racy, clean and precise. It needs time in the glass, and warming to show the classic Chardonnay fruit profile, which is somewhat eclipsed by the mineral and acid. Lean Chablis with bubbles. It’s my last bottle, but had I more, I’d hold a few years.
-
NV José Michel & Fils Champagne Brut Rosé
It’s always a crowd pleaser. Uncomplicated but lively and delicious. Red fruit, good cut.
2 Likes
From my Charleston thread.
Visit to Leon’s - Gaston Chiquet Sept. 2022 disgorgement. From what I see online on Skurnik - 2017 base with the rest being 17% 2016 and 2% 2015
Hautvillers 1er Cru, Dizy 1er Cru, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ 1er Cru, Aÿ Grand Cru
40% Meunier, 35% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir
No real detailed notes, but what a way to kick off just over 24 hours in Charleston with some bubbles and fried chicken. Chiquet was just what I wanted, easy to drink, nothing that will blow your socks off, but well rounded and bready/yeasty with nice citrus notes and some red apple.
2 Likes
I’d try CdG again in a different year. 2005 wasn’t a great year in general for Champagne, and I’d also read notes on Cellartracker that the earlier disgorgements of CdG’05 (2013 / 2014) weren’t drinking as well as the later ones (2019).
This one was disgorged in 2014.
That’s a vivid picture. 
I absolutely love the vibe and setup at Leon’s. And sometimes they have some real gems on their list. They were carrying Cedric Bouchard for a reasonable price a couple years ago. Unfortunately a menu change when I was there. Nice bottle of Hebrart Rose when I took my mom.
1 Like
I had the late disgorge bottle of the 96 recently and still have a bottle. It was not among my favorites of the champagnes some berserkers and I had.
A friend told me about a champagne focused restaurant that may have some wine the owner would sell me…
Going to pick up 2 bottles of Charlier Et Fils 2008 Special Club for a fair price.
1 Like
I forget how old but might’ve been from the 70’s or 80’s. The customer said it brain blasted him. It didn’t taste like coffee, but he describes it like the jolt you get from your first sip of coffee.
He still has the bottle somewhere in his apartment. I feel like I wouldn’t have the patience to wait. I opened a 2007 Rose and thought it was way too young. I found their 1er cru’s disgorged later than 2017 made my jaws hurt like warhead candies.
1 Like
Down (or is it up?) in the cheap seats I’m kicking this Friday evening off with a basic fizz from a grower house that I haven’t seen mentioned here before: Mater & Filii. It’s a quite quaffable straightforward Blanc de Noirs - fine as a party wine for non-oenophiles at ~US$35.
Click here to expand my TN
-
NV Mater & Filii Champagne Cuvée Blanc de Noirs - France, Champagne (20/10/2023)
No base year, disgorgement or dosage info beyond "Brut" and L06. This is apparently bottle 1129 of 1500. The label advises to drink before 2024.
The nose is very clean, crisp, somewhat muted, but notes of red berries can be teased out.
The palate has the same red berries, nicely balanced, crisp, and a moderately long clean finish. It does get slightly cloying as it warms though, so the advice on the bottle to serve "tres frais" at 7-9 degrees is good.
Overall this is a pleasant easy-drinking bottle of fizz, fine as a party wine, but with no distinguishing features. And it needs to be kept cold. It's OK, but not great, QPR at the ~US$35 that I paid. (87 points)
Weird bottle, basically no pffft when opened, darker color than I expected, flat and lifeless. Had part of a glass but not a sound bottle.
The Sandhi is a still wine.
2019 version, 100% pinot noir, 12% abv.
This is bone dry but comes across less dry than it is with its elegant fruit and even some captivating PN complexity. An almost saline mouthwatering character reminiscent of some of the best dry still rose wines I love.
I’m wondering if champagne like should just be drunk young. The elegance, transparency, and intensity of this fruit makes me think it can only attenuate with age. Any thoughts on ageability of elegant and bone-dry 100% pinot?
3 Likes
i have been slowly drinking through my 13s from ruppert leroy and they are holding just fine to my taste. plenty of fruit left to balance the deeper oxidative notes, not to mention more than enough acidity to keep things fresh.
2 Likes
Has anyone delved into singlethread wine’s monthly champagne subscription? Wondering if anyone has thoughts on it.
I think generally speaking, a bone dry elegant 100% pinot should age gracefully for a couple of decades. But with a natty wine like Ruppert Leroy, you’re aging at your own risk. I’d probably expect it to age faster than its dosed and sulfured peers, but there are real experts here that may have a better idea.
3 Likes