2012 Benoit Dehu ‘La Rue des Noyers’ Extra Brut
Has got a rich, faintly bruised apple-y, orchard-y character; delicious and went down a treat, though not particularly distinguished at this stage in its evolution; it feels like one could do a lot better for the money, but perhaps the trick is to let these age for much longer than I did; good
Dan
I’ve had several of both, and at the moment, I’d agree with you. The 2008 GCdO is drinking better than the CDC. However, I think the former is in a prime drinking window, while the Coeur has a long way to go before it peaks.
Cheers,
Warren
Agree 100% but this isn’t just Miss Right Now, she may be Miss Right too…! Time will tell but I don’t get much pleasure from the CdC at the moment and that’s based on at least 6 bottles of each over the last year.
The nose is precise and fresh as it fills the glass with tones of White peaches, pears, acacia flowers, lemon zest, limes, mint, chamomile, saline, biscuits, white fruits, baking spices, pithy notes, and a touch of warm bread. The Medium bodied feel is in harmonious balance already as it is silky and complete across the palate with tart, high acidity. This is fresh and lovely with a long finish. It is very user-friendly while showing a lot of depth and an underlying seriousness to boot. This is one to just drink now and enjoy it for everything it brings. 4/21 disgorgement.
NV Ployez-Jacquemart Rosé . This was the 2018 disgorgement, with a base year of 2014. I’ve opened over a case of these, but my last bottle was years ago. This has reached a new level. With bottle age, it has integrated and smoothed any rough edges. It’s incredibly fragrant. Creamy strawberries and blood orange dominate. It’s still fresh, but richer despite its low dosage. This was by far my best bottle of this.
The 2008 Guy Larmandier Signé François VV BdB was an outstanding bottle tonight. It is a delicious, full bodied, mineraled BdB. Citrus, apple, pear a little oxidative nuttiness. Had I tasted this before I bought it, I’d have purchased every bottle available. I regret only buying a few.
Lovely, I’ve been sitting a couple of those Guy Larmandier 2008’s. Since I only have two, do you think it’s time to try one soon or more time to improve?
Joel
I’d say yes to both. It’s drinking beautifully now, perhaps with a little upside potential.
I have two more left. I’ll open once within months for sure.
Cheers
Warren
2010 Agrapart Les Demoiselles Rose - Disgorged December 2012. An assemblage from 4 champagne grand cru areas, finished with 10 g/l dosage. Pours a light orange-red. Absolutely delicious right from the get-go. Blood orange, ripe pear and red apple, a small bit of spice. What a fun and delicious wine, really happy to have found this for sale recently.
Thanks to a generous guest, I got about a half-glass of 2004 Salon tonight.
Beautiful yellow fruits, a dusting of chalky minerality, almost paste - like a beautiful buttery almond croissant! - and just the beginning of a mushroom-y forest floor development. Something so deep, harmonious, and special; I guess sometimes the classics are the classics for a reason. Never had Salon before and odds are I won’t get another chance, but feeling extremely lucky to have had the opportunity at least once.
A delicious Chartogne-Taillet Millésime 2008 with dinner. I liked it a year ago, but totally loved it tonight. Candied oranges in a mineral bath. Magnificent texture.
A rather unusual, for me at least, champagne to kick the weekend off here in Hong Kong. There’s a really strong barrel aging influence here.
NV Marie Demets Champagne Cuvée 19ème - France, Champagne (04/11/2022)
This is, for me, a very unusual champagne. No varieties given on the label (but the producer website says 50/50 C/PN); tirage 09/02/2012; degorgement 08/01/2020; dosage 4.5g/l. The back label says (in translation): "fruit of marriage between vinification in tank and under wood, this cuvée is the reflection of a time when wood shaped champagne with its toasted aromas and its natural richness".
I can quite believe that this had years maturing in wood! It is a very complex wine. The nose is very forward: brioche, bruised red apple, and also a sherry-like element. The palate is initially rather disjointed with a slightly bitter note, but it comes together with a little air and then it is rather nice in a rich, sherry-like way (but without being what I think of as oxidative, if that makes sense)
Overall I like this but I'm still getting my head around the unusual flavour profile and how to pair this. At the ~US$32 that I paid I may well get some more to explore further. (90 points)
1995 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Cuvée Creation - France, Champagne (11/4/2022)
We did the 1995 and 1996 together. They were served blind to the group (although I brought the 1995 so not blind to me). The 1996 showed a savory aroma, what Steve called 'old brie', which I thought was spot on. In terms of freshness, both had plenty of that quality, notable for these two wines that are already 25+ years old. And the colors on these were fine, with maybe a touch of gold on each but still fresh in color, too. My own assessment was that the 1995 was more composed and seamless, with golden apple, and what Brig called apple pie spice. And in the 1995, the apple, peaches/stone fruit was showing nicely and the acidity of tangerine was more complementary that dominant. In contrast, the 1996 shows a distinct imprint of lime acidity, plus the chalk and the green apple much more zesty and brighter than the yellow apple of the 1995. And the 1996 has a candied orange chew finish. In sum, to me both delicious but the vintage shows when side by side, and for me the 1995 more composed and integrated and the 1996 brighter and edgier.
1996 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Cuvée Creation - France, Champagne (11/4/2022)
We did the 1995 and 1996 together. They were served blind to the group (although I brought the 1995 so not blind to me). The 1996 showed a savory aroma, what Steve called 'old brie', which I thought was spot on. In terms of freshness, both had plenty of that quality, notable for these two wines that are already 25+ years old. And the colors on these were fine, with maybe a touch of gold on each but still fresh in color, too. My own assessment was that the 1995 was more composed and seamless, with golden apple, and what Brig called apple pie spice. And in the 1995, the apple, peaches/stone fruit was showing nicely and the acidity of tangerine was more complementary that dominant. In contrast, the 1996 shows a distinct imprint of lime acidity, plus the chalk and the green apple much more zesty and brighter than the yellow apple of the 1995. And the 1996 has a candied orange chew finish. In sum, to me both delicious but the vintage shows when side by side, and for me the 1995 more composed and integrated and the 1996 brighter and edgier.
2004 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Rubis - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (11/4/2022)
Served alongside the 2006, both bagged/blind. Both for me seemed to be drinking very well. The 2006 seemed a bit more robust, a notch edgier than the 2004. The 2006 shows a mint, plus a ripe red fruit (akin to a strawberry) plus some tanginess that comes from raspberry. Both together reminded me of a red fruit compote. Red apple and what I jotted down as cinnamon. Overall, the 2006 is soft and juicy. With the 2004, it also shows the red apple of the 2006, but there is a melon note in the 2006, which was a call-out that Brig made. His comment and that feature reminds me a lot of the more recent iteration of the wine, which is now called Emotion. The 2006 shows the profile of a recent bottle of the 2013 Emotion, that melony, red-fruited, gentle yet concentrated profile. To me, the 2004 just showed a little bit better than the 2006, yet I do believe both are ready to drink.
2006 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Rubis - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (11/4/2022)
Served alongside the 2006, both bagged/blind. Both for me seemed to be drinking very well. The 2006 seemed a bit more robust, a notch edgier than the 2004. The 2006 shows a mint, plus a ripe red fruit (akin to a strawberry) plus some tanginess that comes from raspberry. Both together reminded me of a red fruit compote. Red apple and what I jotted down as cinnamon. Overall, the 2006 is soft and juicy. With the 2004, it also shows the red apple of the 2006, but there is a melon note in the 2006, which was a call-out that Brig made. His comment and that feature reminds me a lot of the more recent iteration of the wine, which is now called Emotion. The 2006 shows the profile of a recent bottle of the 2013 Emotion, that melony, red-fruited, gentle yet concentrated profile. To me, the 2004 just showed a little bit better than the 2006, yet I do believe both are ready to drink.
2014 Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Bouzy - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (11/1/2022)
March 2019 disgorgement. My final bottle from a trio I bought back in 2019. My sense is that this wine has finally opened all the way, expressing a roundness in the texture and how it hits my palate. My best descriptors for the aromatic would be a mix of smokiness, white pepper and bread. None of these are dominant but they mix well to make the aroma. The palate makes me think, too. Kind of a yellow apple meets a ripe pear. And the same smoky note from the bouquet seems as if it's infused into the core of the wine. The finish also brings in some (subtle but effective) lemony acidity, light caramel, apricot and a little brushing of malt. Cool wine, and would be a good one to toss into a blind format to get people thinking, guessing and expressing what they sense. Overall, I'd put this bottle on a 'ready to drink' list, to enjoy now....for an update, going through the rest of the bottle (opened yesterday) and the wine has added more of a saline and savory profile. Medium weight, even what I might call lithe when it warms up and the polish from yesterday returns. Maybe less fruit today in the wine, replaced by the soil and earth with no evidence of the caramel nor the malt. Quite an evolution and a cool, expressive, ethereal wine. Still think it's drinkable now but the balance and saline suggest this can keep going further than I thought.
2013 Benoit Dehu Champagne Cuvée La Rue des Noyers Extra Brut - France, Champagne (10/30/2022)
August 2016 disgorgement, the same as last month's bottle. I have to say now, this disgorgement and/or the batch of bottles where these came from, it's just not great. The color on this bottle is golden, similar to last month's. And, this bottle has a similar oxidized apple feel to it. There is a mix of lemongrass, some muddled red fruit, cinnamon and some light lemon trying to influence the wine but honestly, this is just average and for $70, to have two advanced bottles, this kinda sucks. I still have a single bottle left, sourced a few years prior to these advanced bottles, and it has the same disgorgement date so I'll get that bottle open before the end of this year. There are still a decent amount of users of this wine and so if you are seeing my note here, I would urge you to open what you have and see if your bottles are advanced too.
2015 Moussé Fils Champagne Terre d'illite Blanc de Noirs - France, Champagne (10/29/2022)
Final bottle. We drained this over dinner. This bottle seemed to reflect a good amount of structure, along with a grapefruit and stone fruit. Wasn't getting the red apple this time, instead just really good energy and something salty in the finish. Wish I could retaste today but she is a no mo.
2015 Rémi Leroy Champagne Rosé de Saignée Les Crots - France, Champagne (10/27/2022)
Disgorged October 2020. 100% Pinot Noir with 1 single gram of dosage. My first of two. Opened yesterday, tasting again today. This pours a deep ruby rose color. There is some density here which I enjoy. It puts forth a presence and weight. This kind of reminds me of the Laherte Freres Les Beaudiers, which is Meunier, but it has the same presence and texture of that wine. Here the flavors go down the path of strawberry, red apple, tangy cherry and a citrusy lime. Of note here is the concentration, and like the LF Beaudiers, there is this vinous quality that comes through the wine. The acidity and zing in the wine creates real length into the finish, which goes back to my comment about presence. I wasn't sure yesterday I was gonna like this, as it didn't seem to resonate with me but today, it has rang my bell and I dig what is here. And concerning the dosage, there is barely any here, which is really a smart move from Remi. Any more added and this would be candied as there is more than enough fruit pleasure here to marry with the acidity. Hell, I think he could have dropped the gram and just made it Nature and it would have been fine, too.
Frank,
Great notes! That’s a tasting I’d have loved to attend. My nearly ten cases of Vilmart makes up 10% of the champagne in my cellar. The oldest bottles I’ve tried were the '98 GCd’O, and '99 CdC (both were outstanding). I’ve never sat down and opened so many at one time.
With the GC Rubis bottles I’ve opened, I typically get strawberry or dark berries; none of my notes mention red apple, but I haven’t had those vintages you opened, or anything that old for that matter.
I have a pretty big horizontal collection of Marguet 2014; Crayeres, Ambonnay Rosé, Les Bermonts, Le Parc, Les Crayères, Les Saints Remys; one or two of each. I was planning on waiting a while to open these. I tend to like my champagne with more age than many on the board. If you ever visit, we can do a Marguet horizontal tasting!
Thanks for the Dehu notice. I had one in 2018 that I didn’t like, due to a funky rustic, leesy nose. However, my next bottle a year ago was great; crisp with bitter pomelo, flowers and biscuits. I have one that I’ll move from the cellar to the “drink soon” fridge. What about the '12? I have a couple of those.
Good on you and your group to put together such an interesting grower tasting, and thanks again for the notes on your impressions.
Cheers,
Warren
Vilmart is our shared favorite, isn’t it. And Laurent is in town right now, in LA. I know there is a Vilmart dinner tonight in LA (associated with La Fete) but I think the cost is up around $800 and I just can’t do that right now. I believe the flights are CdC going back time, and @Steve_Nordhoff is attending so he oughta have some good wine tonight. I just really love Laurent’s wines, and he’s the #1 producer in my cellar now. Of note, there is still some 2013 GCdO at B-21 if you’re interested. I just reloaded and had some of that shipped to me, it’s a beauty.
That 2014 Marguet Bouzy is in a good place, but it’s a wine of soil, cerebral. I really enjoyed it but it’s gonna make some yak about how there is no fruit, etc. I just find a purity and a story inside of it, as if the wine is exposed, telling a story about the place where it came from. Transparent. With all of those 2014s you mentioned, it’s time to open a few more. On release those were tight and coiled but I suspect they are coming around. Why don’t you and I time the opening of the Les Saint Remys and we can virtually taste it together. When you’re ready, let’s do it. Or, if you like, we can do the 2014 Ambonnay Rose. Think on it. @Warren_Taranow
