My sweetie and I enjoyed a fine dinner at the Santa Barbara Club, our first after having been approved for a “proposed” membership as we wait to attain the eventual member status.
As per our date night MO, we took a fine champagne and a dear friend Burt Williams made Pinot Noir from the 1990s.
Roelanda loves Cristal and so that narrowed the choices and since I’m currently reloading my stash, I wanted to do a vintage check with the 3 youngest I have, 2013-2015. Thanks to a good Wine Berserker friend I consulted, I pulled the 2013 which was boxed in a classy, heavy and solid box that not only contained the bottle, but a small, approximately 2” x 4”, also classy pamphlet written in different languages providing some history of Cristal and a bit on this vintage.
I’d had one bottle previously and it was super youthful and not even close to being ready, that I had some trepidation when pouring this bottle. Unfortunately, the classy presentation was the highlight of the experience.
2013 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL- 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay sourced from estate vineyards with 1/3 each from Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côtes des Blancs; it spent 6 years on lees; the color was a light straw yellow; I had to search and re-visit the nose for some notes finally discovering mild citrus fruit with a touch of honey; on the palate, I expected lemon and maybe some lime, but got grapefruit with a light lemony chaser delivered in a medium frothy mousse; it was so minimally expressed, I kept waiting for something to come forward, but it never happened over the course of more than an hour; in trying to see the half full, I kept swirling and re-tasting and did find enough to make it a pleasant experience, but only enough to get the obvious message to hold off for a few years before opening another which I may do in buying more as well.
Celebrating a lifetime goal and enjoying our first La Rogerie. We are making our first trip to Reims in 3 weeks and are fortunate to have a visit to La Rogerie and Chavost planned.
2012 Pertois-Lebrun Champagne Grand Cru Le Fond Du Bateau N°12
Really nice, great weight and vinous feel but with enough bright fruit and complexity. Like a hypothetical mix of Krug and a classic BdB (Pierre Peters?). Anyway, a really good new discovery for me.
Benoit Dehu La Rue des Noyers - 2018 base, Dec 2022 disgorgement, 0 dosage, 100% Meunier. This wine spends 4 years on lees or so and shows it with a leesy nose on top of bright citrus, apricot, a spicy note, and a hint of salinity. It’s crisp and bright, leaning more sunny citrus than rich apricot. No malo, no dosage. Pretty enjoyable, but not really my wheelhouse.
NV Vilmart Cuvée Rubis (10/18 dg)
Tart, fruity and energetic. Red citrus (grapefruit, blood orange), cranberry, fragrant flowers. Perfect aperitif with good complexity.
2010 Dom Pérignon
Classic Dom Pérignon nose with vibrant citrus and lemon confit, accompanied by reductive notes. An unexpected hint of tropical fruit, making it distinct. Overall, a very good wine, especially for the 2010 vintage, though not the most compelling expression of this cuvée.
Last night, I brought a magnum of Robert Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Reserve Perpetuelle Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut to the soft opening of a new restaurant here in Bellingham, WA. The event, meal, and wine were all exceptional. The Champagne offered chalky brioche and luscious lemon with a touch of mild reduction. Blended from vintages as far back as 2006, it had mature notes beautifully balanced with freshness. Both elegant and bold, this is a cuvée I really enjoy.
