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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
There wasn’t a hint of uncleanliness in the R-L nor in two other cuvees I previously tried. Assuming dirty/biological is what you mean by natty. I’ve had plenty of unclean natural wines from mildly ripe to downright undrinkable bio-hazard waste. I’d be surprised to find out it developed in that direction given how nice this was but I suppose bottle variation could be a variable. Cheers.
Extrracted from a thread just posted:
NV BERECHT CUVEE NON FILTRE VIEILLIES VIGNES BRUT RESERVE- blind; this is a blend of 70% of the base year wine with reserves making up the remainder and is comprised of about 1/3 each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Menier. They are vinified and aged separately; our bottle was disgorged 2/20 @ 7 gpl; it had a light yellow grey color and aromas and tastes of slightly advanced stone fruit, lemon, lime and orange peel with a coat of honey; my first thought was it was made in an oxidative manner, but the color did not support it being oxidized due to being aged and the notes were not that advanced; it was full bodied with some richness, but its light weight provided another possible clue it was not oxidized, but intentionally oxidative.
“Bérêche et Fils is a historic Champagne house, founded in 1847. Today, it cultivates 10 hectares (25 acres) of vineyards spread across 3 main areas in and around Ludes and Ormes in Montagne de Reims, as well as Vallée de la Marne.”
From Wine-searcher: “Raphaël Bérêche inherited the family estate in 2004 and, four years later, was joined by his brother Vincent. Since then, the brothers have expanded the family’s vineyard holdings with the purchase of a small grand cru vineyard plot in Mailly in 2012. Together, they have converted the estate to organic farming methods and have also begun to use biodynamic viticultural practices.”
Cheers,
Blake
I find 1-2 years of aging NV Champagnes to be really pleasant.
If the acidity isn’t too much I find heavy lees aging champagnes to be awesome “fresh” like Mandois blanc de blanc 2017.
KJJ is just trolling D. Pennet, I think.
Taittinger Prelude Grand Crus:
This far exceeded my expectations. It is somewhat brawny, rich, creamy, mineral, and complex. It’s richness is very evenly matched with incisive acidity and a long finish. A rather mature profile. Excellent value at the $64.95 I paid.
Trichet Authentique Extra Brut This is a Champagne we discovered through the German wine critic Gerhard Eichelmann. It’s a blend of 53% Pinot Meunier, 24% Pinot Noir, and 23% Chardonnay from various terroirs, including Trois-Puits, Montbré, Rilly la Montagne, Ludes, Cormontreuil, and Taissy. Unfortunately, there are no degorgement or tirage dates available.
I had the opportunity to taste this Champagne with a friend who is relatively new to grower Champagne, and the experience was quite rewarding. Personally, I tend not to focus on the brioche/patisserie aspects; I take them for granted. However, my friend was truly impressed. The Champagne is still quite young and will likely need some time to fully integrate.
It exhibits a pleasant, piercing chardonnay/lemon acidity, while the Meunier and Pinot contribute to the red fruit notes, leaning towards cherries, with a subtle hint of cocoa. The finish is medium-plus in length, complex but not overly so.
While it wouldn’t be fair to compare this Champagne to the likes of Bereche’s Brut Reserve or the better producer Huré Frères Invitation, it’s worth noting that the price point compensates for this difference. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned producers, I can imagine that this Champagne would be more than acceptable and provide an enjoyable experience.
There is a video on youtube where the Wineking does a blind tasting with 1st growths with a master of wine, can’t find the link. The MW say’s, I would rather commit statutory rape than necrophelia. That sums up my feeling towards Ruppert-Leroy. 1 gr of Dosageand a bit of sulphur and these wine would go to another level, but that is not what Ruppert-Leroy is about.
Opened the 170 the night before to drink with sushi. Nice version, lots of lemon as usual for GC, but I do prefer the 168/169. First time trying No. 26. This was showing good acidity, sweetness, more pinot flavors despite a roughly 50/50 split of chard/pinot. It was a bit dumb upon opening, but after about an hour the flavors and aromas really developed. I am not a buyer at the current price though.
I’d say drinking at your own risk. 
I really like this wine, especially for the price.
You’re not a buyer at the current price… does that refer to LP GS No. 26 or Krug GC No. 170? (Or both?)
