2006 Taittinger Comtes. Excellent as always. It’s developing a bit more biscuit, but it’s still airy, filigreed and delicate. I occasionally see notes describing it as “heavy” or “burly,” and, honestly, I never get this impression, which makes me wonder if I don’t know how to describe champagne. Which is possible, I suppose. But, whatever, I love it.
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A birth year (dominate) for my last born. Going to get some.
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You’re a good father!
I think that’s been pretty much the consensus here. Some debate between 242 and 244, but agreement that 243 is weaker than both.
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I have never tasted the 242, but the difference between the 243 and the 244 was astonishing. The 2016 rose was alos a big step up from the 2015.
A Bouchard dinner this past Thursday:
- 2017 Creux d’Enfer
- 2019 Val Vilaine
- 2020 Val Vilaine
- 2021 Val Vilaine
- 2022 Val Vilaine
- 2017 Ursules
- 2018 Ursules (en magnum)
- 2019 Ursules
- 2015 Presles
- 2017 Presles
- 2019 Presles
- 2015 Haut Lemblee
- 2018 Haut Lemblee
- 2019 Haut Lemblee
- 2013 Boloree
- 2016 Boloree
- 2019 Boloree
- RDJ N#01
Edited to add the 19 Boloree.
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If you have the time, I’d love to read some notes, alone, late at night.
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08 cristal open for business? Had 1 two years ago for christmas. Felt tight. 08 dom seemed the most open that i had.
Hasn’t been for me recently.
I’ll write something up.
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Had a Gaston Chiquet Tradition Brut last night reinforce my opinion that its one of the best values in Champagne at $40/btl
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Waitaminit… I never said “open for business”! I was just drawing a comparison to my experience with the other bottles Jim was considering.
My last tasting note for the Cristal reads, “starting to enter a nice drinking window, still dominated by lemon like all young Cristal.” But it seems I’m in the minority that you can enjoy it now, which is ironic given that I’ve consistently said most of my 2008 Champagnes aren’t ready for prime time. The last DP I opened was beautiful, but still a few years (or more) away from its optimal window—just like the Cristal. Jim’s other choices were a 2012 DP and a 2013 Cristal, which I thought might be in the “shut down” phase I’ve seen with those vintages.
Cheers,
Warren
Copy. Thought you were saying it was open for business. Thanks for the clarification!
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Added some champagne notes from offline here.
Fun notes on what sounds like a great event. I love getting to taste those wines next to each other. Great way to appreciate the wines, and to learn a lot about what one likes in champagne. Gosset and Dom Perignon are both fairly reductive, and the Gosset blend is a bit more pinot noir than the Dom, but this iteration of Dom tastes, to me, pretty pinot noir heavy. I would assume some similarities between the Gosset and Dom Perignon 2015s, so not a shock you enjoyed both. Krug and Bollinger are more on oxidative, yeasty, and a little oak. Not having had the 172, I would still agree that the 2015 Bolly LGA is not as good…lol.
Glad to hear about the Siecle 26. I’ll open that on Christmas.
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over last weekend
Marguet Verzenay 2016 - 100% pinot noir Purchased fruit from Hugues Godme (I believe), bottled july 2017, d/g may 2021. this was a lot of mixed berry+cranberry moving into some oak spice and yeasty notes, slight oxidative finish. I would have preferred the fruit to be a touch more prominent, but overall it was very good and I was impressed with the showing.
Caillez Lemaire Chardonnay De La Valle 2016 - Classic bdb champagne, this was wonderful lemon, some ripe green apple, little bit of minerals and yeast. A lot of fun to drink and in a good spot now.
Caillez Lemaire Pur Munier 2016 - I think d/g 11/22 per cork. This was a little disjointed upon opening, there was a red apple skin note that was sticking out for me, on top of more classic brioche. It came together much better with some air so I would give this more time.
Interesting to taste the Caillez Lemaire side by side in a mini-blind with @DanR_1, I would be all in on the bdb but I’m not sold on their bdn with this showing.
Not champagne
Francois Chidiane Montlouis Sur Loire 2020 - classic chenin sparkler for me, floral, yellow orchard fruit, some bready/yeasty notes. Different from all the champagnes but not any less fun. Floral notes stuck out to me since that’s not something I typically associate with champagne, but really add a lot of depth to a sparkler.
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2012 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (9/7/2024)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 1.5 - 2 hrs on Day 1; revisited on Day 2 –
– 100% Chardonnay from Les Mesnil-Sur-Oger –
– dosage: 5 g/L –
NOSE: rich; slightly mature, with noticeable touches of butter and caramel; fairly expressive.
BODY: brassy color — nearly rose gold; active bead; medium-light body.
TASTE: intense, and pretty rich for an E.B. (maybe not surprising, given the 5 g/L dosage); from 60 yo vines, this has a pretty broad palate presence; it occupies some middle territory between oxidative and fresh, or Big House and Grower … maybe one could call it “classic” in style(?); clearly has some age on it; strong ripe, winey-apple note – I wouldn’t quite call it “bruised apple,” but its ripe, rich, and broad. I’d like to see a bit more tension here, but I do nonetheless like it. Same on Day 2 as on Day 1.
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NV Laherte Frères Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature - France, Champagne (9/11/2024)
April 2023 disgorgement.
This bottling is consistently excellent, and this was no exception. Bright and airy and mineral-dominated on the Nose. Light bodied, with crisp tart apple; very dry. I’m a broken record with this wine at this point.
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In addition to a 2002 Krug from magnum, and a 2020 Cedric Bouchard Val Vilane, we put together a fun little vertical of Comtes, which was so instructive to me. The house style is quite consistent, with 2008 standing out in the crowd, and a pretty nice showing from 2004:
2012 has the most green apple and cupcake batter of the 04/06/07/08/11/12 lineup we had tonight. It is the freshest, tastes most like a blanc des Blancs, and while it has tons of future potential (albeit somewhat less than 2008), I think in five years time it will be very fleshy and open much like 2007 is right now. (95 points)
This wine bears a lot of similarities to 13 (although not quite as good), it is flinty on the nose, Hints of apple skin. A little less densely concentrated, and here I’ll say that 11 is to me the least compelling vintage of Comtes in the modern era and that’s not half bad as I’d be pleased to have it in my cellar. (93 points)
This is the real deal. 2008 was the best in a vertical of 04/06/07/08/11/12, and it wasn’t all that close. This has the house style with some flinty reduction and vanilla cupcake batter, but this wonderful concentration and length on the finish, with persistent presence and acidity. A deep and intense rendition of Comtes. (96 points)
07 Comtes is a fabulous bottle of champagne. It is fleshy as all get out, and balanced, with broad appeal. This bottle had apple flesh, white peach, and hints of grilled nuts. It has always been and remains the most unsung and underestimated rendition of this cuveé in my memory (95 points)
Not the best showing on this bottle, came off more austere than 04/07, which isn’t the norm for this bottling. I didn’t check if it was Kobrand.. nonetheless, the wine was open enough, consistent with the house style and yet didn’t stand out in the crowd. (93 points)
Not sure if I’d ever had 2004 before, this was in a vertical of 04/06/07/08/11/12 and it showed great. Reductive at first with a bit of flint, I could have mistaken it as DP of the same vintage. If opened up and was enjoyable enough, but as yet more coiled that 06 or 07, in which case, it could be held longer than those two vintages, IMO. (94 points)
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