This evening, to celebrate the Buddha’s Birthday (or at least the fact that it’s a holiday here) a wine which only @Frank_Murray_III has left TNs for previously on CT. I drink a fair bit of different Henriet-Bazin wines but for me this one doesn’t quite have what it takes to get on to my regular buy list…
Yeah, I think that is the style of this wine, Paul. As I compared in my own TN last year, I find their BdB in the same vein as the Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus perhaps. Of note, I bought a bottle of Henriet-Bazin Meunier this weekend and it ships this week. That’s one of the remaining few from their range I have not tried.
Excellent, and incredibly unique. real TN to come eventually, but can will offer this up briefly: If ever there was a wine that needed its dosage, it’s this one. The 5g/L is noticeable as the wine sits on the palate, but the finish is loaded with mineral and barely has any fruit on its frame. I can only imagine this would be terribly severe and not particularly tasty as a non-dose … and this is an '18 — I can hardly imagine what this would be like in a vintage like 2014 without dosage. I’ll buy this again.
3 Likes
• Krug 169ème
This time I really felt this was just too young, rather than inherently restrained. Biscuit flavors accompany the still reticent lemon and apple. A sort of chalky minerality and maybe some light grapefruit pith elements give the beginnings of contour here. I’m still not convinced this is a great iteration of Krug GC but, hey, it’s still Krug and mighty tasty.
Also, apologies for a photo of just the bottle — I realize in retrospect that a photo with wine in glass is much more helpful for champagne reviews. Oh well, next time.
2 Likes
It’s shown really well in half bottles, but I’ve generally found most editions of this wine to need more time in 750s before they’re worth opening
1 Like
And…? These age so nicely, I always advise some time on cork.
Medium fleeting mousse. Popped and poured without looking at bottle details and in my first sip, I thought “is this 2017?” There’s something stemmy in the mid-palate that increased as it warmed. This bottle was 60% 2017, 25% 2016, 15% perpetual reserve. Tirage 2018, so prob disgorged sometime in 2021. Dosage 4g/L. It was better on the cooler side - yellow apple, sweet lemon, zest, some minor stem in the mid palate, short finish. As it warmed, the brown stem aspect started to dominate and the fruit receded, so I kept popping this back in the fridge. I thought I was hallucinating the “fruit disappearing” aspect until my husband tried it, and without my saying anything, he commented something akin to “there’s less and less fruit as it sits in the glass and it’s now coming across kind of like flavorless herb.”
I would repurchase, but not a bottling that contains this much 2017.
4 Likes
Thanks and interesting. I’m drinking base 2013 now, and haven’t had anything younger, to my knowledge. That description of the fruit does not align with my impressions of other botings, so it could very well be the 2017 element, though I am not accustomed to too much variation from disgorgement to disgorgement. Curious also as I see myself as preferring more fruit driven champagnes than you do, though I don’t think of our palates as diverging as Frank’s and mine do. Thanks for the detailed note!
1 Like
Tried the 2019 Piollot Come des Tallants brut nature (100% pinot noir, dg 4/23) while hanging out in the Columbia gorge this week, hiking to waterfalls and playing tourist. I’ve had mixed results with Piollot in the past. Some cuvees, while well made without flaws, were a little one dimensional and came up a wee bit short in the interest department. This one I was pretty pleased with, a step above their average, as it’s quite good pinot juice, belies it zero dosage with decent richness with zero screechiness, and moderate complexity with an easy going flavorful personality. Very good, 3+ (out of 5) easy.
Tomorrow we’ll be sampling some of the inaugural Goodfellow sparklers with smoked salmon hors d’oeuvres. I’ve found the Columbia gorge to be one of the best places to find terrific smoked salmon, from local family and Indian sources.
4 Likes
Continuing my exploration of Henriet-Bazin wines, this evening the 2015 Arsène (70/30 PN/C 5g/l). This is much more to my taste than the 2015 Amélie (BdB 0g/l) that I tried a few days ago. Overall an excellent wine for ~US$59. If/when I get another bottle I shall definitely decant it to get it ready more immediately.
1 Like
From last night, curated by @Steve_Nordhoff. We did the two Chetillons and Roederer as pairs, blind as our group’s custom. I enjoyed the Chetillons much more but also appreciated tasting the older Roederer as part of experiencing some age. Thank you Steve and the group, last night was a lot of fun.
- 1990 Louis Roederer Champagne Vignoble de la Montagne Late Release - France, Champagne (5/8/2025)
Served blind, and paired with the 1995 (also blind). As with that wine, the 1990 is constructed with roughly equal parts Pinot Noir (from Verzy) and Chardonnay (from Chouilly). Dosage of 8 grams, disgorged in 1998, released in 2022. The color on the 1990 shows more gold than the 1995 at this point. And the flavors in the 1990, to me they seem kinda tired. Tangy, even on the sour side. I'd much rather drink the 1995 because it's better balanced and has more life inside of it. - 1995 Louis Roederer Champagne Vignoble de la Montagne Late Release - France, Champagne (5/8/2025)
I think I have this wine selected correctly for the note here. This is a mix of Verzy and Chouilly sources, roughly than equal parts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, respectively. 9 gms of dosage, disgorged in 2001 and then held until 2022 for release. Of note, this was paired blind with the 1990 bottling (also blind). I preferred the 1995. Lots of lime and orange, honeyed apple, generous in texture. Retasted at the end of dinner again, this becomes more zesty as if it picked up energy and or tension, which was an interesting transition. - 2012 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (5/8/2025)
Served blind. The table thought this was Chardonnay when it was bagged, I had a similar thought. So, in that sense, the wine exhibits a discernible varietal character. Pear, mango, and a saline-backed texture were my initial impressions. Sitting with it some more, there is a savory orange, what I sometimes call kumquat, along with a lime peel and spicy finish. At the end of the meal, I went back to the bottle again for another small pour. The aroma akin to crushed rock. The texture seemed to have broadened, yet it keeps the slate pear and mango, plus the orange savory. I enjoyed this. - 2012 Robert Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chetillons - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (5/8/2025)
Served blind, and of note next to a bottle of 2012 Pierre Peters Chetillons that was also blind. I think on this side by side the Moncuit suits me better. Starts off with a smoky aroma, plus stone fruit (apricot?), green apple and a juicy quality. Oddly, and maybe I was wanting to find red notes so I looked for them, I wrote down strawberry flesh. I'm not sure I want to associate strawberry with Chardonnay but this is what my senses inspired me to write down. Whatever that note was for me, the flavor worked for me. Like with the Pierre Peters Chetillons, at the same time towards the end of the meal, I went back and poured the Moncuit again to see which bottle I preferred (of note, both bottles were non-blind at this point), the wine still has that smoky aroma, but now I get some lemon oil, and the apples kind of remind me of cinnamon mixed in with them, maybe like you might find in apple pie filling. The Moncuit just seems more complete to me at this stage, absorbing better the structure of what I often find in 2012s.
Posted from CellarTracker
5 Likes
We just had a tasting of the Moncuit lineup in Copenhagen two weeks ago and everything he brought was amazing. Clos des Auges especially. Wow
2 Likes
You can get more than two Moncuits for the price of a single Pierre Péters Chetillons.
1 Like
So after my portfolio recovered (and more) from a bout of Trump trauma, I’ve grabbed some slight less cheap fizz. Tonight was another excellent one from Nicolas Maillart - it sees a load of oak, but it doesn’t dominate in the way that it does with Marguet Shaman for example (albeit that I like the rosé Shamans at least). For me this is an excellent general purpose, but quite complex, fizz from aperitif to dessert, and decent QPR at ~$56.
1 Like
thanks for the Moncuit/Peters Chetillons comparison. I have a couple of 2016s I’d thought about doing just that way - I’m tempted to wait based on your descriptions…
John, I have a sense (which needs more validating but intuitively it seems accurate) that 2012 and 2016 are very similar in how they’re built. I enjoy both vintages a lot. Both vintages have a good spine and freshness (for 2016, I think about Vilmart, Lahaye, Nowack and Laherte Freres, for example). It’d be worth doing some for contrast so I could better validate what my gut says from the collection of disconnected experiences with both.
Do you have enough of each to do the 2016 side-by-side right now? Part of the fun and learning of this great hobby is to find baselines, a jump off point where you can calibrate to discern where the wines might be going. Just a thought, and one if you tried that I would be keen to see your thoughts on.
1 Like
Last bottle bought 13years ago, so ? disgorgement. I would guess 2010?
FAN friggin tastic! Proper note later…
NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Premier Cru Les Vignes de Vrigny - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (5/11/2025)
Last bottle of a case bought 13yrs ago, i’m guessing 2010 disgorgement? The wine was fascinating! Darker apricot in color…and yes, FULL of apricots, with some cherry skin, sauteed peach…the wine was rich, yet bright and cut with elegant ginger ale bubbles, grapefruit sour tarts…salty sea air minerals…age showing just a tad of honey, hazelnut, and lees. Really enjoyed this bottle…every sip was an amazement! Love it when a wine can keep your attention like this right to the last drop. (95 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
7 Likes
I’ve tasted through a few of the Lacourte-Godbillon in the past several months. They’re based in Ecueil, also the home base for Maillart, in the Montagne. As I work through their range, this is the best L-G cuvee thus far, for me a very strong version of Rose. The acid and fruit, with a light dollop of dosage, works really well, making for a delicious Rose with texture.
Here is a link to their website, directly to the Rose. Rosé - Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon - Wine growers in Ecueil, Montagne de Reims
- NV Lacourte Godbillon Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé R - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (5/10/2025)
First time with their Rose. Cobbling together info from the back label and the website tech sheet.....disgorged March 2024. 100% Pinot Noir. 55% is 2021, the balance from reserves from 2020 and 2019. Farmed organic (although the 2019 was when the winery was still in conversion). 3 grams of dosage. pH is 3.16, 12.3% alc. The wine is 60% in stainless and the rest in 228l oak. Opened yesterday. I found the wine on the more elegant and composed side of things. Had one glass, stoppered up. Revisiting a day later without food, letting the wine cross from chilled to outdoor temp as I write this note. The color is a orangish pink, my wife says peachy-pink. Bread dough aroma with a little white pepper. The texture on this has a juicy feel, even some creaminess around the edges of it. I really enjoy the flavors--blood orange, strawberry, cherry, lime, raspberry creme, with the same spicy white pepper thing I mentioned on the aroma. Finishes with a cleansing acidity, yet complementary with the fruit. What I'd like to pair this with would be the Vilmart Cuvee Rubis, as it has a similar build and expression--fruit and acid, both working well together, bright and juicy. When I order again from Caveau, will get a few more, and then it's going to go head-to-head with the Vilmart Cuvee Rubis, both blind. Paid $65 US for this, which is pretty consistent with that other wine, too. Delicious Rose, a good find for sure.
Posted from CellarTracker
5 Likes
Extracted from a thread just posted: Another epic wine and dinner event with the Bipin Desai LA group {ROPP}, this time with 18 magnums, including 1961 Margaux, 1953 Pichon, 1955 and 1959 Latour and an exquisite dinner designed and prepared by Wolfgang Puck
2008 PIPER HEIDSIECK RARE BRUT in magnum {1 of 2}- this is comprised of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir; following its yellow toward gold color came a bounty of aromas including ginger and honeysuckle accented citrus and orchard fruit that translated into tangerine, lemon, lime and yellow apple on the palate along with a hint of red cherry; it was big and rich and sweet, but not cloyingly so; the oily mouthfeel contributed to its allure adding some weight and extending the finish; I’ve been pretty successful in picking out Rare in blind tastings as I’ve usually found a black pepper note that distinguishes it from most others and it wasn’t until after the first few sips, that it appeared, but then it stayed the course thereafter; I tasted from both magnums with similar notes.
Cheers,
Blake
2 Likes