2008 MICHEL ARNOULD CUVEE B 50 GRAND CRU- 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay entirely from estate vineyards in the Grand Cru of Verzenay, minimally aged for 7 years and dosed at 7.5 gpl; tasted blind and it would not have made many difference in that 4 of us had never heard of this house and the one who brought it had never had the wine before; the color and the nose suggested some oxidative influence evidenced by notes of butterscotch, caramel and almonds which never did dissipate although they stepped aside just enough to allow for a wondrous hit of honeyed lemon oil to be the most prominent lasting impression; the power and thrust of the 2008 vintage and perhaps the winemaking style of the house, was clearly evidenced in this bottle; perhaps it is their preference to expose this release to more air {in addition to their extended less contact} and allow for advanced maturation; regardless, at the end of the evening, it was a treat unlike an hour earlier; this is one of the advantages of tracking a wine over the course of the evening which is part of why we do this blind format with limited numbers of wines. I called it a 2002 Krug or Bollie RD and it certainly fits into a similar style.
Like I think you were here, I was a bit underwhelmed by the Gerbais Grandes Côtes. However, we were drinking the 2016 Sélèque Partition along with it. The Sélèque was really resonant and outstanding, leaving the Grandes Côtes seeming a little bit hollow in the middle. Like you, I have a La Loge on deck but am not sure when I’ll get to it.
I had 1990 Krug about 5 years ago and I felt it should have been consumed a few years before (or maybe more). Not really my thing.
Interestingly (or maybe not given the vintage difference), I had an excellent bottle of 1988 Dom over the weekend. It was my dad’s and probably hasn’t been perfectly stored, but it had not gone all mushroomy and had a nice airy-ness to it.
Nathan, I finished the Grandes Cotes last night. I felt the acidity more, it hadn’t lost anything by the third night, for what that’s worth. My next purchases will be in June, and I will buy it then and try it right away, unless the bottles start to disappear from inventory and I have to buy sooner. Please post your note here when you drink yours, if you are willing to do that.
Meanwhile in the cheap seats, coming back after a year to one of my favourite grower bottles, from a producer that @D_Pennet rates highly and which comes to me in Hong Kong via the local branch of the Italian distributor XtraWine.
But it is still pretty much in line with my note from 16/6/2022 on an earlier disgorgement.
Slightly buttery with unripe pear on the nose. The palate is smooth, toasty, creamy, green apples, a little citric bite; complex and very nicely balanced. The finish is crisp, clean and more-ish, with a slight creamy note.
I like this fizz very much, and it's pretty good QPR at the ~US$38 that I paid. (92 points)
This exquisite Champagne is a remarkable expression of 100% Pinot Noir from the 2020 vintage. Beautifully made with no dosage and interesting techniques, it boasts a pure and elegant character. The initial taste profile showcases bold red fruit, yet with time, the wine reveals a more nuanced depth with a complex saline minerality. The producer follows the Bouchard concept of one site, one grape, one vintage, resulting in a meticulous and precise champagne. In contrast with other wines from the same village, such as Marie Courtin, Petit Clergeot adopts a more restrained style, demonstrating a unique and highly individual character and an antithesis to Courtin’s expression of the same terroir. The latest 2023 release represents a significant step up from last years releases. Alongside Pierre Gerbais, up until now one of my favourites from this years releases.
1995 DE VENOGE LOUIS XV de VENOGE BRUT- my friend magnificently concealed the very unique and distinct clear glass bottle shape of this wine or I would have recognized it since I’ve had a few bottles including this vintage after I was turned on to it by my favorite wine shop in Amsterdam years ago; this bottle had an amber gold color denoting some age and the nose confirmed it with advanced/ oxidative notes of musty age funk, caramel and butterscotch which was also in the taste; we decided to give it some air time and re-visit occasionally and thankfully we did as we experienced an interesting dynamic of the oxidative notes being joined by some honeyed lemon, yellow apple and peach and then over time they became foremost with the oxidative notes in the background; also, some anise and licorice accents came in and it even seemed to gain more richness and after an hour or so, it was really good and worth waiting for its real gifts to show up; this is a 50% blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from numerous Grand Cru plots and was made by Eric Lebel, the winemaker for Krug from 1998 to 2020 who is now the deputy director.
Before revealing the bottle and after waffling from 1985 to 2002 and various houses, I called it 1996 Krug or Bollinger RD.
From the house’s website:
“The most prestigious Cuvée of de Venoge bears the name of the French king Louis XV, to whom the Champagne owes so much. By the decree of May 25, 1728, Louis XV authorized only the wines of Champagne to be marketed and transported in bottle. At last, the sparkling process could take place in the bottle: Champagne was born. The Cuvées of Louis XV, made exclusively of Grands Crus and produced only in the best vintages, represent the quintessence of the House’s know-how.”
I own 2019, disgorged 9/12/21 (or 12/09/21 for our unamerican friends). The first bottle was delicious but needed a lot of air to show its fruit, which is lurking behind the chalk and acid.
The new release is 2020. this is a big step up from the 19 version which I really liked. Sadly this is also reflected in the price. I don’t know if this producer accepts visitors but I would recommend strongly seek him out. He has very individual ideas about expressing terroir in respect to altitude and harvest not unripe but just on the point of ripeness, too comunicate exactly is difficult to explain.
I think Pierre Gerbais is trying very hard to emulate Cedric Bouchard, this guy seems like a natural talent and although he is a long way away from Bouchard, this champagne is one I cannot get out f my head. I loved the Gerbais Nr 18 and the entry level white and rosé but Petit Clergeot just seems to do it effortlessly.
There is no question for me that Marie Courtin is an absolute top producer, Petit Clergeot with the same terroirs has great potential. My only quibble with one gram dosage , the equivalent of a pinch of salt this could have been better. But he is terroir obsessed and sees like Bouchard dosage as getting in the way of terroir.
We tasted Marie Tassin at Printemps. As it was a sip and spit, it was very difficult to make an educated evaluation. However, as she has a lot of Pinot Blanc and comes from Celles-sur-Ource, we decided to follow her up. The Emotion Blanche is 100% Pinot Blanc from 2017. She was not very exact on the dosage, but we feel it is in the 6g/L region. It’s not a low-pressure champagne, so the aggressive perlage heightens the tension. At first, it’s quite rich and has a concentrated pear aroma with floral nuances. With a bit of air, a complex Chablis-like minerality starts to dominate, and the acidity is medium. To be honest, I do not know how Pinot Blanc vrai develops with such dosage. My feeling is that in two or three years, this champagne is going to be interesting. 2017 may not be a great vintage according to the narrative created by the hacks, but for me, this is another champagne that contradicts this narrative.
The Futur Antérieur 2015 is a blend of 35% Pinot Noir and 65% Pinot Blanc. It’s not an intellectual champagne, but it’s very enjoyable. The Pinot Noir tempers the Pinot Blanc, and red fruits dominate in the beginning, but these give way to a pronounced minerality. It’s not as rich or complex as the 100% Pinot Blanc vrai, but it’s satisfying
Blake,
That’s twice this week you’ve (incorrectly) opined a wine might be Krug or Bolly RD.
Just teasing of course. Blind calls take some courage, and lord knows I’ve voice some embarrassing conclusions at tastings.
Cheers,
Warren
I drank one bottle of the Dream Vintage. It isn’t quite on the same level as 1911, but it is every bit the value. It’s a blend of Bouzy and Mesnil Chardonnay. It had great opulence from the Bouzy fruit and rather severe acids and chalk from the Mesnil. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
The V6 experience I don’t know a thing about, except it ages on the lees for six years and costs $49.
Had an example of how the popular philosophy doesn’t automatically translate to good wine.
This brut nature, proudly declaring itself natura,l was definitely not for me, showing watery, flavorless and coarse, with a clipped finish and no concentration. Most lambrusco I’ve had puts it to shame. And it retails for $70 or so.
