It only indicates tirage of 2021 on the bottle. Would guess a 2020 base year.
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Double posted:
A local winemaker friend held a Valentine’s party for about 25 people at his home on the day before The Day.
Many guests brought champagne to share and enjoy with a bounty of appetizers prepared and served by a local caterer.
There was a wide variety of champagnes, some of which I’d never heard of or seen before, and I selected the order of which ones to taste over the course of the evening until a Cristal was finally opened.
As per my MO, I took Sophienwald Grand Cru champagne stems for Roelanda and I to drink out of.
Here’s some tasting notes on the ones I tasted:
NV LAURENT-PERRIER BRUT NATURE BLANC de BLANC- this bubbly was first released in 2018 using 40% reserves and aged from 4- 6 years on the lees; it served as a good palate cleanser to begin the evening with as it had bright acidity that supported the mineral and mildly toasty brioche laden citrus fruit; some chalk accented green apple, white peach and kiwi fruit came in late while all was being delivered in a pleasant, creamy, frothy mousse; it was not easily apparent to me that there was no dosage.
NV A.R. LENOBLE MAG 14 BLANC de BLANC GRAND CRU CHOUILLY in Magnum- this lovely champagne offered elegance and sophistication as it graced the palate with fresh and ripe lemon, lime, apple and nectarine enhanced by accents of minerals and saline; it was full bodied having a buttery like texture and had a nice, welcomed lingering finish; dosed a 5 gpl.
2006 LAUNOIS SPECIAL CLUB BRUT BLANC de BLANC Le MESNIL-SUR-OGER- this is made from two 50+ year-old parcels from the best of the house’s vines; its most distinguishing character was its super toasty, ginger and spice accents that embellished the stone fruit laden entry made up of apricot and peach before some nice citrus fruit came in; it was rich and full bodied with layered complexity and its hallmark of ideal balance; excellent bubbly.
2017 CHAMPAGNE VIGNON CUVEE GRAND CRU RESERVE des MARQUISES- 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, disgorged 9/23 and dosed at 4.5 gpl; this was lovely, giving fresh red cherry/ berry flavors with some apricot and peach showing up past mid palate, all coated with a layer of minerals; although quite young vintage wise, it gives enough pleasure now to be appreciated and to be looked forward to in the future.
NV LOUIS ROEDERER COLLECTION 243- this consists of 42% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot noir and 18% Pinot Meunier including a 31% perpetual reserve from 2012-2017 and a 10% reserve of oak aged wines from 2009, 2011, 2013- 2017, blended with a 59% base from 2018, 26% of which goes through ML and is eventually dosed at 8 gpl; the highlights from this bottle were its fresh fruit profile which I assume comes more from the 2018 vintage and the richness that I’m assuming comes more from 2012; the nose had floral and citrus notes that on the palate translated into orange zest, lemon, mandarin and red and green apple with an underlying streak of minerals; it had a creamy mouthfeel, was medium to full bodied and finished on an upbeat with everything coming together.
NV BOLLINGER BRUT ROSE- this is sourced from 85% Grand and Premier crus and is made up of 62% Pinot Noir, 24% Chardonnay and 14% Pinot Meunier; this had wondrous aromatics of rose petals and spicy red fruit which once tasted translated into red cherry, strawberry and blood orange coated with a layer of honey; it had a creamy mousse, was full bodied and yet had lots of finesse and charm.
2008 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL- the bottle stood proudly in the center of the tub of ice from the outset and kept getting surrounded by other champagnes throughout the evening until it was just about the last unopened bottle standing; I graciously accepted a small pour and judicially sipped it for 30 minutes or so; it took most of that time for it to open up as it seemed pretty shut down and not quite ready to give up its treasures; then it did and it was marvelous showcasing its depth, complexity and power albeit while pleasing the palate with honeyed and oily lemon and lime; its creamy texture added to its allure and now I’ve had another outstanding, but not quite ready 2008 Cristal.
It was a fun night and one filled with many old friends and some new folks who celebrated this wonderful occasion that is all about love and passion.
Cheers,
Blake
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Comtes 2012 on a weekend with my wife (yeah, no kids!):
Disclaimer: we sell this wine.
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2012
I haven’t had the 2012 in quite a while. I’m still getting lemon candy on the nose but this time it fits with the rest of the profile: pear, mineral/sea breeze thing and very subdued torrefaction (toasted bread). Good acidity all the way through, cutting through the creaminess of the mid-palate and driving to a long mineral and sweet lemon finish. Good texture and quite layered on the palate. I’m liking this.
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Disclaimer: we sell this wine.
De Sousa Caudalies Blanc de Blancs
50% réserve perpétuelle, bottling 16/07/2019, disgorged 25/05/2022.
Very nice Chardonnay BdB rendition. Balanced and elegant nose with pear, ripe lime, crushed stones and some sweet pie spices (cinnamon?). The chalk appears on the palate. Beautiful palate with the same qualifiers: balanced and elegant. Nice citrus acidity and chalky minerality, some fruit on the mid-palate and nice grapefruit/citrus rind bitterness on the medium-plus finish. I’m liking this a lot.
I’m no @Warren_Taranow pic wise but I’m trying! I’m thinking location beats filters 
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Should have precariously balanced the bottle on top of that light pole if you want to be like Warren
Help requested from the champagne board here:
I’m co-hosting an elite champagne event for 8 people in early March and have already lined up the bottles coming from everyone and my co-host who is contributing the starter roses as well as a couple of others.
We will be pairing the champagnes with caviar, salmon and shrimp along with other appetizers that are champagne friendly, maybe some popcorn.
My question has to do with arranging the flights and pairings in the best order. My first pass through resulted in the following order with 4 flights of 2 and one flight of the '99 CDG. What do any of you suggest? And, thanks so much for your time and input.
STARTER WINES:
1976 RENE COLLARD BRUT ROSE
1985 RENE COLLARD BRUT ROSE
FIRST FLIGHT:
1996 Krug Brut
1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blanc
SECOND FLIGHT:
1996 Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blanc
1996 Dom Perignon Oenotheque
THIRD FLIGHT:
1999 Philipponnat Clos de Goisses Brut
FOURTH FLIGHT:
2002 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut
2002 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc
FIFTH FLIGHT:
2002 Dom Perignon Brut
2002 Dom Perignon P2 Brut
Cheers,
Blake
@Jon_Lawrence @Warren_Taranow @Steve_Nordhoff @Chris_Seiber @Frank_Murray_III @AstridKG
Blake,
Sounds like a great evening. I guess you figured I was already booked for March because I did not receive an invite 
I like to start with a fresh wine, so I would place the '99 Goisses first. By the same logic, I would put the least fresh, more red wine like wines at the end, so the rosé last, maybe with some cheese.
I would probably drink the '02 DP’s after the Goisses figuring they will be the most reductive of the bunch. Maybe pair the '96 Krug with the '96 Oeno next. The Oeno with uni is a great pairing, and since you are in Santa Barbara… Then the '02 pairing, which will be fabulous. I would pair the CdM with the Salon next. I have done that in the past and it worked really well. If these are fresh bottles, that will be the flight of the evening.
As always, I look forward to your notes.
Best,
Jon
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My thought would be to reverse the order on everything. Start younger and fresher (if you can call 2002 young!) and move toward older vintages throughout. I did this with a recent tasting and thought it worked well.
I feel like the Philipponnat flight needs a partner. Maybe a similar vintage 1522 to compare and contrast the Clos de Goisses. Just a thought.
Hell of a lineup. Hope to read the tasting notes here!
2014 Roederer Brut Vintage - it’s been 13 months since the last bottle and that year has done wonders for this wine. Very balanced, refreshing acidity, the whole orchard with a dollop of lemon curd and toasty brioche. This is great and punching nicely above the price point.
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I so appreciate your input Jon and am consulting with the other host and perhaps all of the attendees for a majority preference with some reasoning behind all options.
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Thanks so much for your input. I can agree with what you said on all issues and as with Jon’s and any other feedback I get here, will pass it on for further consensus.
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Blake,
I don’t know how much experience you have with the Collard wines, but I would do them last and pair them with some stronger/sturdy cheeses (agreeing with Jon above). The wines are bigger in style and can often swing to the meaty, mealy, animalistic side of things.
There are numerous ways to order these, but I think you want to pair similar wines in similar flights. I would do the 96 BdBs first, but you could do them pretty much anywhere in the program if you wanted. Putting them first is putting the big time flight first, which I don’t mind, but some don’t like this. I put the 99 CdG with the 96 DP and Krug as I think it will be interesting to have them all side by side and the 99 CdG will be an interesting contrast to the 96s. I also think the CdG fits in best with this flight. Overall, no wrong answers only what looks like lots of great wine.
If it were me I would order them:
FIRST FLIGHT:
1996 Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blanc
1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blanc
SECOND FLIGHT:
2002 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut
2002 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc
THIRD FLIGHT:
2002 Dom Perignon Brut
2002 Dom Perignon P2 Brut
FOURTH FLIGHT:
1999 Philipponnat Clos de Goisses Brut
1996 Dom Perignon Oenotheque
1996 Krug Brut
SIXTH FLIGHT:
1976 RENE COLLARD BRUT ROSE
1985 RENE COLLARD BRUT ROSE
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Hugues Godme Millesime 2009:
Intense. I shouldn’t be surprised; the entry level is also more than a little assertive. This spent 10 years en tirage, also clearly some time in oak, and possess the full bodied and round mouthfeel one would expect from that combination. There is tannin from the wood, and an oily, viscous texture. It explodes with fruit in the middle - strawberry, raspberry, lemon, peach, black cherry - but the lack of dosage summons Groucho Marx singing, “if any form of pleasure is exhibited, report to me and it will be prohibited.” The fruit exists in a state of quasi-ripeness, like a strawberry picked a day or two early. And the fruit is countered, to nearly a draw, with salty dill pickle, soy sauce, chalk, and smoky, toasty nuance. its full of iodine and anise. The wine grips the tongue, coats the mouth, and finishes long. Just when you start to wonder if you’re drinking Bourgogne Rouge, the fruit cake notes fan out in the back of your throat. I wish I had another bottle to enjoy at a Sushi or oyster bar. This is truly a wow wine. Just excellent!
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I’m in agreement with Jon, Benjamin and Brad. You can’t go wrong with any order, but I’d put the Collard last, with nuts and dried fruit. While I love René Collard and how far ahead of his time he was with Pinot Meunier and non-dosed champagne, tho ones I’ve had this decade have been interesting but funky and advanced. I’d serve them last with nuts and dried fruit, and maybe have some of the other bottles handy to cleanse the palate if the Collard are more cadaverous than senescent.
That event will be unforgettable!
Cheers
Warren
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My first Christophe Baron champagne. A very dense, generously styled Meunier. Apricots, flowers, hazelnuts. Big boned but fresh. It can handle a rich or meaty meal. I liked it. I don’t recall seeing a lot of note here on his champagnes, but haven’t done even a cursory search.
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Thanks so much Brad. I truly appreciate and respect your feedback and will share it and all of the others to get the best lineup order/ pairing.
NV Pierre Gerbais Champagne Extra Brut Les Grandes Côtes.
My second bottle. First bottling of this perpetual reserve wine. Based on 2017 harvest, disgorged April, 2021, with 50% reserve wines, 3g/l dosage.
Citrus, PN apple and pear, butter croissant (malo?), medium bodied, plenty of freshness, acid lift. Better than the first bottle I tasted a year ago, should continue to improve. I generally prefer Champagne without lactic notes, but this works. Worth the $70 I paid.
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Disclaimer: we sell this wine.
Please handle this TN with extreme caution. I sell this wine and was the only one to like it out of three people so I might be subconsciously biased.
Nice cranberry juice color. The nose is timid to non-existent; maybe strawberries and redcurrants? Who knows?
Nice palate though. Fresh strawberries and cranberries with just a hint of bitter herbaceous tones. The dosage is on point with no perceptible sweetness but rather well balanced flavors. Medium-minus finish with some fruity chewiness. I’m factoring the price on this for sure. Good QPR.
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From this weekend.
- 2014 Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Le Parc - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (2/18/2024)
May 2019 disgorgement of 100% Chard, no dose with bio-d farming. Some of the usual Marguet clove note here, i.e., the wood elevage. Lots of spiced pear, juicy and bright. Mint too. Herb and stone finish. And when this was open for 3 hours, it was fresh and approachable. In sum, another bottle of the Marguet 2014s that continue to show how the vintage has evolved, to loosen up and really show well. - 2015 Ayala Champagne Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne (2/18/2024)
Disgorged November 2021. Initially this seemed reduced to me, with the aromatic signature of it. It seemed to disappear with air, reverting to more of a white flower/honeysuckle. Fruit cup-like flavors of peach and mango, with elevated ripeness, or my perception of the wine seemed like the dosage and or ripeness was giving on a richer tone, kinda candied. - 2015 Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Nature Cuvée Starck - France, Champagne (2/18/2024)
We almost had duplicate bottles of this, as my buddy showed up with it under bag. And, earlier in the afternoon I almost bagged the exact same wine before he arrived. Fortunately he saw the wine in my fridge before I had a chance to bag it up. The odds of this happening have to be so incredibly small, but hey, it almost happened. As to the wine, it's drinking excellent. Yellow fruit, apple and nectarine with a lightly stony finish. Touch of churned butter and floral on the nose. Finishes with a lime peel and honeyed lime flesh. Folks can say what they want about no dosage and brut nature, but if you can try a wine like this, let it breathe, don't kill it with a chill, then you can have some additional experience with the style and know it's damn good. - 2017 Ruppert-Leroy Pinot Noir Champagne Brut Nature Papillon - France, Champagne (2/18/2024)
October 2019 disgorgement. 100% Pinot Noir, farmed bio with no dose (and perhaps sans soufre but I am not totally sure on that point). Juicy, lots of pear, red apple and thyme. I had this over two days and on Day 2 this had really fleshed out and was pretty joyful to drink.
Posted from CellarTracker
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No love for the Laurent Perrier?