I’ve posted a note on this previously, but the 2015 Roederer Starck Blancs Brut Nature is a really lovely wine that is rich enough to carry the no dose and complex enough to get your attention. Lovely balance, still brisk, but a lively mouthwatering wine. Is this the best Starck?
The 2009 is really good, John. I have had it a # of times and been impressed consistently by it. Had the 2015 about as much but tend to prefer the 2009.
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Piper Heidsieck NV in the BA lounge at PHL. I had to ask for it, as they only set out the prosecco. Really truly not bad at all!
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This has been one of my mom’s go-to champagnes for years and I agree, Sarah. Not a lot to bitch about, all things considered.
This is a Champagne that we picked up a year ago on the Marne valley. 70% Meunier and 30% Chardonnay. Very quaffable. Well balanced, good length. Not particularly complex, but very correct. For 19 euros, this would be our house sparkling, as this blows away anything that I’ve had for this price.
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Extracted from a larger thread.
Cork code D89E indicates a disgorgement in Q4 1998. Based on the estimated 10-12 years on the lees, I suspect this was Iteration 14, blending the 1988, 1985, and 1982 vintages, though it could also be from the adjacent Iterations 13 or 15 (paging @Brad_Baker ).
This bottle was a revelation—one of the finest Champagnes I've ever tasted. Remarkably fresh, it defies its 35+ years with vibrant notes of lemon zest, orange, and grapefruit. Subtle hints of caramel to suggest at least some age. The texture was balanced, with a soft but generous bead, and a perfect interplay of density and precision, youth and maturity.
Old Grand Siècles continue to impress me, and I’m grateful to have more arriving this shipping season. Truly a marvel in a bottle.
One of my past favorites, a reliable classic from a magnum. Its only shortcoming was the challenge of following the extraordinary old Grand Siècle.
A touch of reduction enhanced the minerality. The palate offered dense, creamy notes of lemon and orange, with a rich brioche undertone. The texture was typical Comte-luscious, with a beautiful glycerine mouthfeel, balanced by ample cut and a lively, persistent bead. One person commented it had more mature champagne notes than the 35 y.o. Laurent Perrier.
This bottle was generously brought by a friend—who also baked a cake! On its own, it would have been fantastic, but it had the misfortune of following some truly show-stopping wines like the old Grand Siècle, a 1959 Anjou, and a 65 y.o. Pfalz Spätlese Riesling.
Nonetheless, this was a beautiful, youthful wine. I consistently find prominent notes of ginger in this cuvée. It was energetic and powerful, with an extracted yet elegant profile. Apricot, jasmine, sweet brioche, and more. One of my favorite recent young MV Krug Grande Cuvées.
July 2019 disgorgement.
This has long been one of my favorite Egly-Ouriet cuvées. Like many bottles that night, some of its brilliance may have been overshadowed by the sheer number of exceptional wines it shared the spotlight with. Intensely zesty and creamy, with vibrant notes of blood orange and other citrus. The 82 months on the lees are evident on both the nose and palate, and the oak aging adds wonderful texture.
I love these bottles, and this one had a red neck ring, indicating an early disgorgement. It opened with citrus and honey, gradually evolving into tropical notes, pear, coffee, and hazelnut. Really dense and creamy, with a prominent sweetness that stood out. Yet, like several other great bottles tonight, it was slightly lost in the crowded field of fine wines.
A late-night, party-fueled lapse in judgment led to another somewhat ill-advised pull from the cellar. Thankfully, I was still clear-headed enough to appreciate the lovely notes of pear, sweet lemon, red berries, and sour apple. Billecart-Salmon really excelled in this vintage, but it was a bit of a shame to open it so late, following some truly earth-shattering wines.
A call went out for another bottle of Champagne, and I needed no more enabling! I headed back to the cellar and grabbed a bottle by the neck, knowing it was a favorite of one of the attendees. It turned out to be my only 2006 Coeur de Cuvée, and it was showing beautifully, at a great point in its evolution. A perfect balance of power and elegance, with lively notes of apple, orange, and brown spices. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel it was somewhat wasted so late in the night, following so many exceptional bottles.
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Proposed to my girlfriend yesterday at a champagne ‘tasting’ I had arranged. No notes, just happiness.
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Congratulations!
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Congratulations. I trust she’s also a champagne lover.
Where this photo. It looks like somewhere on the Pacific Coast. Beautiful.
Great bottles too.
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The Harbor House Inn. It’s a place we’ve been wanting to visit for a few years now. Incredible location and tasting menu. Not the easiest to get to though. We had to fly down from Seattle to SF and then rent a car (about a 3 hour drive).
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Congrats and wonderful lineup!
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Many, many congratulations!
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Congrats! It’s so gorgeous there. We got married up the road at the Albion Inn.
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Old Grand Siecles are my favorite thing. What a package too!
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Beautiful setting, beautiful wines, and beautiful moment! Cheers!
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Thank you everyone!!!
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Extracted from a thread just posted re 5 dinner wines tasted blind - 5 Dinner wines tasted blind including a fine NV small grower solera BdB, 2010 Defait Chablis, 2001 Artadi, 2011 Unico and 2022 Antinori Il Brucato Bolgheri
NV A. BERGERE SOLERA de CHARDONNAY- blind; as stated on the back label, this is a blend of different BdB cuvees starting with the 2013 vintage with the total package being comprised of 50% reserve wines and 50% from the base year, 2020; it was disgorged 1/23 and dosed at 3 gpl; therefore this is an extra brut; it was a terrific champagne and one that I initially called vintage and from a big house or high end small grower thinking it might be the 2008 Laurent-Perrier or an Egly-Ouriet, but when I really considered everything, it just did not have enough of the power and complexity to merit those speculations, but it sure had enough likeness with lots of finesse, grace and charm; following its light yellow color came aromas of fresh citrus fruit with lemon first noticeable and then grapefruit finishing it off; it had bright acidity and a bit of richness and complexity; one mentioned it was very “fizzy”, a good pickup IMO, and he deduced it was therefore new world Sparkling wine. I loved the thinking and in my experience, fizzy wines can come from anywhere, but maybe they have been more prevalent in new world sparklers. That’s an example of how we discuss, pay attention and learn on this night.
Cheers,
Blake
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Great event in Chicago last night with some WB favorite growers, all in person (Vilmart, Mousse, Margaine, Doyard, Dehours, Geoffroy). Not a bad wine to be found here, and plenty of stunners.
My personal favorites…
14’ Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee
17’ Mousse Special Club
NV Doyard Vendemiaire (‘18 disgorgement)
But so many excellent wines here
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Just had the Dehours Grande Reserve Brut NV again the other night, always impresses me how good it is for the price. The reserve wine used in it is some of the oldest I’ve had in a standard Brut NV, goes back to 1998 or something.
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I totally agree. Jerome mentioned the reserves in this latest grand reserve go back to 2000.
Handing us a half open bottle of the vintage ‘15 at the end of the event was pretty great too 