I had a 2012 Roederer Rose this past weekend and found it pretty one dimensional. It could be just locked up tight - my first bottle a year ago was also tight - and some air did help. Maybe I didn’t give it enough time open? We were on the deck after lunch on a beautiful afternoon and I didn’t feel like waiting. Whatever the cause, it was not particularly exciting or even that enjoyable.
That is how I felt about the '14 and I don’t recall giving that a lot of time. I think sometimes it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because when I don’t have time to let a Champagne breathe, I tend to go for something less expensive, but that really is not fair to that bottle. I need to set an alarm for 3pm to remind me to open the bottle and let it breathe.
I drank a bottle (disgorged in 2020) over the past couple of nights. On opening, a weird aroma of Greek olives that morphed into sour milk. I drank one glass, which smelled weird but tasted ok, recorked and put back in the fridge. Second night, I drank two glasses. No olive or sour milk. Strawberry nose. Palate put on a little weight, but not excessive. Tonight, I finished the bottle. Best showing yet. Elegant nose, great impression of sweetness without being sweet on the palate; like those tiny French wild strawberries. Lovely. I’ll put the others in storage for a couple of years. And buy more.
I’ve previously been rather impressed with the 2015 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Premier Cru Gastronome Blanc de Blancs Brut, but a bottle over the last couple of days (from the same disgorgement and delivered along with an earlier bottle) has been rather underwhelming bordering on unpleasant to drink on account of a very aggressive acidity which didn’t ease up at all with air. I’ve never before encountered this extreme a bottle variation (that isn’t obviously a flawed bottle) with champagne (or indeed with anything much, except Chateau Musar of course!), so I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I’d previously rated this on CT a 91 bordering on 92, but this latest bottle was an 87 at best.
My first time trying a Savart/Drémont Éphémère 009. 2015 GC Chardonnay from Avize and Oger, dosed with 2gm. A nice mid-to-heavyweight BdB, pretty apple, lemon and autolytic notes. Each glass better than the prior, so it probably will improve in the bottle. I’d buy again for $60.
From our tasting this week that I hosted. I built the flights with wines from my cellar. I left the Copain here as I wanted to kick off with still red, then finish with Champagne. The flights I built had intention.
Flight 1 was 2007 Copain syrah. To see how they’re aging.
Flight 2 was about all 7 cepages, although the Lahaye was corked so I had the Calsac Revenants with me as a backup. Not all 7 cepages but unique enough to make it fit the theme.
Flight 3 was 2013 Vilmart, to compare GCdO and CdC. Same plot (Blanches Voies) but different time sur latte, amount of oak, post disgorge time, etc.
Flight 4 was stuff I wanted the group to try. Both 100% Chard from producers I respect.
BOOKCLUB–WINES TASTED BLIND - Foretti’s in Corona Del Mar (6/9/2022)
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2007 Copain Syrah James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
My final bottle, and I held onto this for a long time. Last night, I paired this blind with another 2007 Copain Syrah, the Brosseau. In contrast, while I found the James Berry still having good power and concentration, I find the alcohol and density too much for me. Dark fruit, olive, bitter chocolate, a stony note from the soil. I don’t think the wine is fading and has a long way yet to go but I simply think for my palate now (and over the years I have opened nearly a case of the James Berry), the Brosseau is just better balanced, nuanced and without all the heft. -
2007 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone
Served alongside the 2007 Copain James Berry, both blind. For me, a clear winner is the Brosseau. Juicy, with light mineral, excellent transparency of flavor, balanced and delicious. And while the guys at the table seemed to better assess the age on the James Berry (older), I saw their surprise when they realized that Brosseau was the same age, as a few of them called the wine much younger (2015 and 2019). That should tell you everything about how well this wine is aging for 15 years old. It drinks in what I think is a good place, still fresh and delicious, and I’d say without any aged character yet, which for me is what I want. My final bottle though, so farewell old friend.
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NV Laherte Frères Champagne Les 7 Extra Brut - France, Champagne
Disgorged January 2021. Served blind. I had built a small flight using all 7 cepages and this really proved the point that all 7 can work well together, and create a compelling conversation and ultimately a terrific wine. This plot in Chavot is just 1/2 ha and is plowed by horse. From solera, using grapes planted in 2003 by Aurelien and his father. Oddly last night, I didn’t take many notes but instead focused on the conversation yet I was very aware of how expressive and balanced this bottle showed, and how many of the guys dug the wine. -
NV Etienne Calsac Champagne Les Revenants - France, Champagne
Disgorged September 2021 from 2019 base. Grown in Sezanne, mostly Pinot Blanc and Petit Meslier, with a small % Arbanne. Served this bottle blind alongside the Laherte Freres Les 7, the theme of the flight was all 7 cepages. This of course is not all 7, but the other bottle I had planned, the Benoit Lahaye Grosse Pierre, was corked. Agh. So, I had brought this as a backup and it showed excellent. Brig called this yellow fruited (which was a great descriptor), tangy pear, peach and some stoniness…retasted the following day from the same bottle. The uniqueness of the wine really comes through. I assume that the grapefruit note is coming via the Petit Meslier? And there is a distinct stone fruit signature here, both peach and nectarine…is that the Pinot Blanc? And then a lemongrass note that is inside the finish, giving the wine energy and lift, along with orange peel. Delicious wine. -
NV Benoît Lahaye Champagne Grand Cru Brut Nature Le Jardin de la Grosse Pierre - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Damn TCA. I sourced this while in Epernay to be poured blind alongside the Laherte Freres Les 7, to showcase a theme for all 7 cepages. I sensed the TCA when I opened it a few hours before dinner and then when I served it blind to my group, several guys called it out. ####! This happens very infrequently with TCA in the Champagne I drink but hen it happens, it sucks. NR (flawed)
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2013 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d’Or - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Disgorged October 2017, and as usual 80% Chard and 20% Pinot Noir. I served this blind alongside the 2013 Coeur de Cuvee (also blind), with the intention to see how different the wines are (or not). I didn’t take notes last night but my recall was what I kind of expected. The GCd’O seemed more generous, richer and the CdC was more powerful, more structured and intensity. The table of 7 we had seemed split to me in which they preferred. I liked both, but again for different reasons. Even though they are from the same plot (Blanches Voies), the additional vine age, length on the lees, newer wood and longer post-disgorgement time before release all seems to ratchet up the intensity of the CdC, leaving the GCd’O richer and flashier. -
2013 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Disgorged December 2020, and as usual 80% Chard and 20% Pinot Noir. I served this blind alongside the 2013 Grand Cellier d’Or (also blind), with the intention to see how different the wines are (or not). I didn’t take notes last night but my recall was what I kind of expected. The GCd’O seemed more generous, richer and the CdC was more powerful, more structured and intensity. The table of 7 we had seemed split to me in which they preferred. I liked both, but again for different reasons. Even though they are from the same plot (Blanches Voies), the additional vine age, length on the lees, newer wood and longer post-disgorgement time before release all seems to ratchet up the intensity of the CdC, leaving the GCd’O richer and flashier.
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2017 Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Les Crayères - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Tasted blind last night. It was from my cellar so I knew the identity but I had the advantage of taking the leftover wine home to retaste today. That differs from the bottle 2 weeks ago that I tasted with Benoit Marguet at the winery when he poured it for me during my visit. In essence, a new context with more time to evaluate. My conclusion? I still dig it! Disgorged March 2022, 100% Chard, no dosage. The aromatic top note of asian 5 spice/cinnamon is present again, I presume from the new wood this sees during elevage. It’s distinct, it lifts out of the glass. When this is chilled, the tonic/mineral quality of the zero dosage is present, which like other wines of this style, can be shut down when too cold. It’s shame that they get consumed this way because for me, the character and true identity of zero dosage is best showcased when a wine is not cold, but just lightly chilled. Same is true here. Tangerine and lime flesh, even a suave apple as it warms. I’d call this opulent but I fear the dosage police would come for me so I’ll just say that this is an excellent fleshy version of Crayeres, but please, do not drink this cold. Give it the grace of letting that chill fade and then evaluate it. -
2012 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged April 2021, 100% Chardonnay with a few grams of dosage. From old vines planted in the 1960s and 1970s. This sits sur latte for just over 7 years so it’s got lots of lees time. I opened this last night for our blind wine dinner and had the good fortune to take the leftover wine home kept under stopper. Like this cuvee consistently shows me, this is about polish and balance. Tangy pear, some toast in the aroma and in the finish, likely from the wood it sees. Finishes with a lemony goodness, green apple, plus a ginger and fennel spice. My best description of this is both classy and depth. It’s hard to not like this wine vintage after vintage as it’s just a classy glass of Champagne.
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Elise Dechannes Rosé Brut Nature 2018 (100% Pinot Noir/Saignée)
I have been meaning to try this bottle for some time now. Colour is quite dark, perlage subdued, nose is an infusion of red fruits, cherries, grapefruit/blood orange/violets and smokey aromas. A powerful champagne, that is really burgundian in character, the aromas are somewhere between an aged NSG and a Pinot noir from Mercurey. With time the savoury aroma intensifies, lovage, bacon, but also an extreme salinity which makes the experience quite surreal, like drinking a red pinot with the minerality of a chablis. Needs about two hours to hit its stride, an extremely complex champagne with lots of tension. I think this is best left alone for a few years. The local recommendation for the pinot’s of Ricey is duck confit, I see this working well .
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Frank,
I always look forward to your posts. I’ve also found that many champagnes show better closer to cellar than refrigerator temperature, low- and no-dosage especially. I lean towards low or moderate dosage wines, as I like to age mine and find a little dosage helps them get more interesting in time.
I’ve recently posted my intentions to re-balance my Vilmart purchases to more evenly acquiring the CdC and GCdO. I’ve always gone about 3 or 4:1 in favor of CdC, but have really loved some recent GCdOs. I should probably drink them side be side before doing so, as I’ve never done that.
It’s great your group is exploring the four less common champagne grapes. I don’t think I’ve ever tried a wine from Etienne Calsac, but the Les Revenants looks really interesting.
I know a lot of people whose palates I respect love Laherte Freres, but I didn’t like the two I’ve tried. I think they were the basic rosé and the Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, which I found shrill and lacking much character other than austerity and sharp acidity. They may have been two of the wines that pushed me more towards some dosage as a opposed to none (more for you and your ilk!). I’ll probably give them one more try, with some air and some warming…maybe.
I went fairly deep on the 2012 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant Extra Brut after loving his 2011. I haven’t opened a 2012 yet. I can say I’ve liked his Extra Brut wines more than his Brut Nature, but acknowledge there are more variables amongst his cuvées than dosage alone.
Anyway, thanks again for the great notes and analysis.
Cheers,
Warren
Warren, thanks for your reply. Very kind of you.
Hey, if Laurent at Vilmart is going to be committed to the distinction for the Blanches Voies plot, then I do think it’s good learning and data to put the 2 cuvees side by side. I had thought about doing 2012 but I had a better quantity of the 2013 pair so I chose those. The good thing is that you can get ahead of things, as 2016 GCdO is out now (I actually tasted the 2017 during my recent visit to see him, so that is coming soon to the US) and even with the 2015, you can bring a few more of those into your cellar if you want.
I’d say give LF another shot. But be intentional about which one you open, though. My advice? Find the Les 7 and try one. Bit harder to get but excellent. For something more available, try the 100% Chard, which is the Les Grandes Crayères. There is some dosage in that wine (versus the sans dose BdB and even the Nature Craie CdB chard he makes). Even the Autrefois is a good one, too, which is Meunier. Try one of these and see if you still have the same opinion.
As a side note, as good as the 2012 L-B VV Cramant is, the 2014 Les Chemins d’Avize may be even better. I had them both side by side during my visit to the winery and that 2014 is something special. I would have poured that during the dinner this week but I didn’t have it on hand (still inbound, although looks like Sec in Portland has/had some). That is worth going six bottles deep on, at least for me.
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The Laherte Les 7 was on the bucket list for me. Bummer the Lahaye was corked. It was actually decent, just buried in wet newspaper.
Great treat from FMIII for the bubble geeks.
Just a few comments from Frankie’s fantastic lineup.
Maybe due to the blend, but I thought both the Laherte and the Calsac were really open, totally crushable and absolutely delicious. Despite the Vilmarts being older than those, they showed very young with a lot of structure, fabulous for the cellar and it seems like most 2013s are that way.
Great lineup as everything was interesting, different and very tasty.
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We opened a magnum of Larmandier-Bernier Longitude, 2015 base/2018 disgorgement, last night before a sake gathering. Found it much more integrated and harmonious than a magnum 9 months ago. There was a nice roundness in mouth, which served as a foil to its cut and freshness. I especially liked returning to it later in the evening when my palate needed an acid reset.
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drank an 02 de Venoge Cordon Bleu this week that I really enjoyed. Never had this house before. Lovely density and texture. Very gentle mousse.
08 Edouard Brun was also a tasty bottle, but leading the recent pack was the intense Bouchard Val Vilaine v18.
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A week ago Friday I received 2 half bottles of Roederer Collection 243 that ordered way back in February. We drank both already which says something. I preferred this to the 242, shows more acidity to balance out the fruit, dosage. I get more bass than the typical champagnes I drink which I assume comes from the PM. I got some honeysuckle, white flowers, jasmine, white peach and lychee, cardamon and cinnamon.
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Last night we started with Bolly GA rosé. Lot’s of red fruits, including strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Easy to drink on its own or with bagels and lox.
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Jon,
I have a few of these. Would you care to ponder a drinking window? Worth the tariff?
Cheers,
Warren
Frank and Brig,
I’ll keep an eye open for an offer on the Les 7 and the Les Grandes Crayères and pick up a couple. Thus far, I’ve been left out of the Laherte Freres fan club, but I’ll give them another try.
Cheers,
Warren
I’ve found the LF single vineyard wines to be very accessible and delicious, easy drinking. Frank suggested that vintages prior to 2017 are more complex. But I’ve liked Lea Grands Crayeres and Les Longues Voyes. 2017 available on WDC.
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Warren, I started drinking the '12 last summer and they are definitely more open now and I would not hesitate to open a bottle. I have been drinking the '04 version for about 5 years now and those are very good too, still fresh and open, but I think the '12 is the better bottle. I think the drinking window for these wines are pretty big. I got burned on '02 GA and VVF that I believe suffered from premox from a lack of SO2, but these vintages don’t have that issue. Worth the tariff is a tough question. As you know rosés usually cost a lot more than their non-rosé counterparts which does not seem fair for in some cases just adding some still red wine to the mix. Bolly is an exception where the rosé is just a slight upcharge. For example, WHWC has the '14 GA for $150 and the '14 GA rosé for $175 (I bought both of these but have not tried them yet). I am sure there are better values out there, but given that I don’t drink a lot of rosé, I like to drink really good ones when I do so I usually reach for this or Elisabeth Salmon '02 or '08. Cristal is my favorite and is so good that I do believe it is worth the tariff, but those are reserved for special occasions.
Thanks Jon,
My “go-to” notable rosés include the Billecart Elisabeth Salmon, the Vilmart Emotion, Amour de Deutz, and the Egly Ouriet NV rosé. I haven’t opened a Bolly yet.
Cheers,
Warren