Damn, can’t believe I missed that.
Were you there Thurs night? Wish I’d known- could have said hey.
Usually I am, but I could not make either Acker event. I did sit next to Steve McLaughlin at a Lafon dinner on Friday and at the Gala on Saturday. Great guy and he mentioned that you were in town as well as a few others from the Atlanta crew. Let me know next time you are here I will organize a WB dinner.
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2016 Marc Hebrart Rive Gauche Rive Droit - Equal blend chardonnay and pinot noir, bottle extra brut with somewhere in the 3-4g/l dosage. Pours a nice yellow (evidencing maturation in barrel) with a fine bead. Unlike the more generous 2013, this delivers a cooler fruit profile with lemon, pear, white flowers, and what Todd French would call “river stones” or some bullshit (though here the cold springwater on rock aroma/taste idea somehow fits. It’s not crushed rock or chalk or limestone, but the smell idea of a cold stream is there). Almost a cooling mentholish note but without the minty flavor carrying along. It’s good, it’s just not quite there for this bottling, which can be sensational when it hits. Still, a very fine and classy wine. Would give it more time in bottle to see if this develops. It’s tight, and there is real complexity there. I wonder if a bit of age will knit this, bring out some warming spices to go with the cool classy floral profile. 92-93
And we are going through awful home renovation issues following a 2x washing machine flood that destroyed our hardwoods, drywall in areas of the house, guest room carpet, etc. Flooring in kitchen is in, just touch up work not quite finished but we’re finally back not entirely living out of coolers! Cleared that one in the background up after a few nice long sips of champagne. Gosh it’s been a total disaster.
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Jeez, man, that sounds truly awful! Best to you getting it back together. Need a lot of champagne.
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John, all the best with what you have going on. It’s hard enough on the soul to voluntarily do construction on your home and all that chaos. But to have it decided without your consent, that makes it far worse! Stay resilient.
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Best of luck with the repairs
As someone whose condo has been unlivable due to a flood since last August I feel your pain
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I love this wine, but also found the bubbles to be pretty strong, which shocked me since Coulon usually proudly bottles at a lower pressure.
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- NV Jacques Selosse Initial - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (3/8/2025)
vintages '17, '16, and '15; disg. April 2023
Method: took it out of the fridge and opened it 1 hour prior to tasting; Grassl Mineralite
Nose: bread dough, baked apple, a bit browned golden apple, nuts, salt, baking spice, nutmeg
Palate: Bread crust, pear, nuts, caramel; long finish of mineral, nuts, biscotti, apple skin, almond; dry; medium+ vinous body; medium to medium- pinpoint bubbles that turn into a creamy sensation at the end of the palate; high- acidity; low- tannins/phenols
Overall thoughts: Wow! So incredibly complex, from the nose to the palate to the finish. There are a lot of oxidative notes and a lot of richness, but also great energy and acidity. Close to perfect bubbles and wonderful mouthfeel. Excellent wine!
This improved and transformed over the course of 3+ hours (and people suggested I should've decanted this [whoops!]), so I'd hold this for at least a few more years or decant this (or open 12 hours in advance or so) if having it now. (95 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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Getting in with some notes b4 the week be over. Doing these all tonight. Good range of things here.
- 2017 Marie-Courtin Champagne Efflorescence Extra Brut - France, Champagne (3/14/2025)
Disgorged April 2023, no dose, 100% Pinot Noir from bottom of the Tremble slope. Just got my 2017s, decided to give this a go. Opened about 2 hrs ago, been working through it with a few buddies. Lightly smoky note on the aroma, with some herb. What really comes through is the texture. It's got this polished feel to it that goes across the palate. Fruits of blood orange, strawberry and apricot. Like with the aroma, the herbal note pulls into the wine, like a black tea with a savory, herb-tinged finish. Maybe this is the vintage character coming through but whatever it is, I like it. The herby quality offsets the fruit nicely. Open just a few hours, this seems to me like it is drinking nicely. - 2019 Etienne Sandrin Champagne Extra Brut Val Champignat - France, Champagne (3/14/2025)
This was a reload, as I liked the first bottle enough to try another. February 2023 disgorgement, no dosage, 100% Pinot Noir. Bottle open 2 hrs, really no chill left on the wine so room temp about 65f. Cranberry, mint, grapefruit and lime are the fruit drivers. Texturally it has a soft outer shell, kinda pillowy then there is just a little grip on the finish, with a nice spice kinda thing, maybe akin to a white pepper and sour apple. - 2019 Famille Moussé Champagne Rosé de Saignée La Confiance De Mon Pere - France, Champagne (3/14/2025)
I can't believe I got myself back into these big giant-ass bottles. I got rid of all my Special Club weapon bottles and wasn't aware this was the cuvee here when I bought these. Only bought two, I dig Cedric's wines so I'll live with it! 100% Pinot Meunier, 2 gms of dosage, from the Les Bouts de la Ville plot. My buddy tasting this with me said 'cinnamon red hots candy' and that is a good call out. Something spicy here, gentle enough but it's almost like a cinnamon stick infused to the wine. A gentle rose color, the wine too feels gentle, more elegant. Red apple, peach, orange and strawberry. Finishes with the same spicy note. I really like the way this sits on the palate, almost lithe yet with a lot of flavor. Of note, this wine went still pretty quickly, which also seems to accentuate the lighter palate weight. This is a very good version of Cedric's Rose Special Club.
Posted from CellarTracker
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Francis Boulard BdB VV 2007 base. Imperfect storage.
Still fresh, but mostly mushroom and nuts on the nose. Clean red fruits. Calm. Fully mature.
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Pretty good blind guess there, Blake.
I’ve been busy with work, travel, skiing, and other commitments over the past couple of weeks, leaving me way behind on my Berserker reading and posting. I have lots to share, but will limit tonight’s post to last night’s bottle, which will be amongst my WsOTY.
- 2002 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
Last night’s bottle was extraordinary, perfectly matured and opened at its apogee. Ruinart’s signature elegance and refinement shine through, complemented by the lush depth of 2002 Chardonnay. A delicate, fragrant nose gives way to a surprisingly rich and expansive palate, with layers of ripe apple, citrus, honeysuckle, warm croissant, hazelnut, and toffee.
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Drank this yesterday. Didn’t really live up to the hype. Not a bad wine, but no fireworks, nor will there be. Good but no Cohiba.
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I have started buying a lot of Prelat. Les Côtes is a personal favourite. Absolutely phenomenal, especially when you consider the age of the vines…
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I’ve got a bottle of their 2018 Oger GC in my fridge, waiting for an occasion to open. Is there hype surrounding Vincey? Maybe I’m not as in tune with the IG wine crowd but I haven’t seen Vincey mentioned much.
Do you think it would have improved with time?
It may have improved w lots of air but I’m not sure - this was just a bit tight and inexpressive. Perhaps I wouldn’t be as dismissive if it wasn’t for all the hype about how good it was right now (IG I’m sure though I’ve basically left, but it’s also being pushed heavily through the regular channels). Might have more luck with the 18 though - let us know!
I also lack the gene for appreciating Peters. Well made but I find them straightforward (or out of my tasting range).
