Recently, and here’s what I mean by that. In the past year, I’ve had two bad '14s (Bermonts; Le Parc) and a ho-hum '14 (Ambonnay). Those are the three I see in my TNs. I have previously loved that '14 Le Parc. I feel like I’ve had another one or two with a few years of age and it was no bueno, but if I did then I don’t remember what it was, and I didn’t write a TN about it. Small-but-convincing sample size for me on this.
Brad,
I did not mean to imply that you were saying there wasn’t a difference. I was just pointing out that another person in a completely different setting noticed the same thing that many of us noted at that dinner. The evolution of this vintage will be interesting to track over the years.
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Champagne sales have declined for 14 consecutive months, meaning the difference in sales between 2023 and the first three months of this year has now hit double digits.
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2024/05/champagne-sales-slump-speeds-up
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- 2016 Guiborat Fils Champagne Grand Cru Prisme. 16 - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (5/17/2024)
Book Club (Water Grill): Blind: guess big house, classic champagne blend. BdB? Oops
Color medium depth yellow or straw, seems to gain color as the evening progressed or my eyes got worse. Light mousse, brassy nose, and medium plus acidity. Great complexity, a combination of citrus and baked apple with cut grass. Add a bit of tropical fruit like mango. Long finish. I really enjoyed this one. - NV Racines Chardonnay Grand Reserve - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills (5/17/2024)
Book Club (Water Grill): Blind: guess grower BdB, so did everyone else. Astrid and I had a conversation that it might not be champagne but couldn’t pull the trigger.
Faint yellow color, light. Bubbles are very fine. Citrus on the nose and a slight hint of oxidation, barely. Citrus flavors but short mid palate. Acid is high. This drinks like a zero dosage, shocking it has 4.5g
This is impressive for a Santa Barbara sparkler.
Posted from CellarTracker
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From another thread:
Disclaimer: we sell this wine.
Philippe Lancelot Fine Fleur 2016
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2011 Le Brun-Servenay Champagne Brut Millésime Vieilles Vignes - France, Champagne (4/13/2024)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 2 hrs. –
– 100% Chardonnay –
– disgorged: Jan. 2022 –
– dosage: 4.5 g/L
NOSE: smells like a rich, and slightly aged Chardonnay bubbly; bready, and a touch lactic; Golden Delicious apple; yeasty wort.
BODY: striking green-gold color of med.-strong luminosity; poured frothy, but calmed down to a medium-to-medium strong bead. Light body.
TASTE: high acidity; ooooh! — wow — much brighter and lighter than the Nose suggested; Granny Smith apple; maybe a touch green, but I like it; dosage is perfect for me — dry, but not austere; absolutely killed it with sushi! Definite re-buy for me. Probably at peak, although certainly doesn’t seem like it’s on its way down yet. Smashing success, particularly for this generally-maligned vintage.
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Cool offer today from Lopa on the Remi Leroy wines. Been buying them for a while…if you’re looking for a new producer to try from the Aube that won’t tip your wallet upside down and shake it empty, try some of the wines.
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killed me to pass but wife has me on a strict buying moratorium and this time she means it!
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I don’t have LOPA wines email, would you mind sharing what they offered and their pricing?
So she doesn’t buy the whole “Champagne doesn’t count” argument?
Remi Leroy, Champagne
Champagne ‘Extra Brut’ - $39.99 (2021 base, 60% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier, 2 g/l dosage)
Champagne ‘Extra Brut’ magnums - $89.99 (2020 base, 60% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier, 2 g/l dosage)
Champagne ‘Brut Nature’ - $44.99 (2021 base, 70% Pinot Noir 30% Chardonnay)
Champagne ‘Rosé’ - $44.99 (2021 base, 70% Pinot Noir 30% Chardonnay, 2 g/l dosage)
2019 Champagne ‘Blanc de Noirs’ - $59.99 (1 g/l dosage)
2019 Champagne ‘Blanc de Blancs’ - $59.99 (no dosage)
2018 Champagne ‘Rose de Saignee – Les Crots’ - $69.99 (in stock - 100% Pinot Noir, 1 g/l dosage)
2020 Champagne ‘Rose de Saignee – Les Crots’ - $69.99 (100% Pinot Noir, 1 g/l dosage)
2016 Champagne ‘4 Cepages – Mer sur Mont’ - $79.99 (60% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier, 15% Chardonnay, 5% Chardonnay, no dosage)
I got some of the 2016 and some of the 2021 Brut Natural.
Thanks, now I just have to figure out how to order from them.
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Same. I still break down occasionally, but make sure to sell or auction some to keep net neutral or negative.
I enjoyed the 1999 and 2009 Pascal Doquet Blanc de Blancs Vertus when I tried them. Then came the créme de la crème. Two nights ago, we opened a 2004 Pascal Doquet Champagne Grand Cru Champ d’Alouette Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Old vine depth, 16 years on the lees. Full-bodied, rich, layered and complex. Stunning.
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I was telling Frank and Astrid about this one at our last Basanti tasting. I went back for a couple more after trying one some months ago before anyone caught on. Really fantastic wine. Doquet has quickly become my new favorite producer.
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From last Monday:
Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve
2019 Base Q3 2022 disgorgement 3g/l dosage 62% reserve wines that date back to 2006.
I love Billecart’s wines and I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about this particular release of the Brut Reserve. I found it to be austere and not well rounded. Unlike any other bottle of Billecart I’ve ever had.
Might’ve been shut down, to me it didn’t offer much.
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Have I mentioned I like the wines from Hugues Godme? This 2012 didn’t reach the same heights as the 2009, though I suspect that’s largely a function of youth. This bottle was disgorged only 13 months ago; the first half of the bottle was rather neutral. The second half of the bottle was highly vinous with vivid brambly fruit. I found myself wanting to pick imaginary seeds out of my teeth. The texture is creamy and yogurt like, there is a pleasing hint of oak, and the finish lingers. It’s a very red wine like presentation, though it’s 60% Chardonnay.
I have two more bottles, both with an extra year of post disgorgment aging, and may pop another cork this weekend to see how much that extra time helped it flesh out and integrate.
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Extracted from a thread just posted re 4 dinner wines tasted blind:
2008 LAURENT-PERRIER MILLESIME BRUT- poured blind for the others; made of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir and dosed at 8 gpl, our bottle was a significant deviation from the norm, presenting only a shell of itself compared to all previous ones of which I have had at least 12; yes, it had some acidity, some richness and a nice elegant fruit profile from the nose on, but it was all on the mild, light side, even the texture of the mousse was lighter in weight; after 30+ minutes and more warmth, the flavors expanded a bit, but it never reached the wonderful place I/we had previously experienced; initially, the fruit started out with some lemon, then moved into orange, then pineapple and eventually yellow apple while being mildly accented with a touch of saline and ginger; the bottle variant was so surprising and so noticeable to all once the bottle was revealed.
Cheers,
Blake
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