A few more for shits…
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Thank you so much, Frank—that means a lot. I feel the same about you. And yours is, as always, a great post. I love the photos as much as the TN’s.
My career included 11 years of training (med school, residency, and fellowship), followed by 30 years in practice. That’s not even counting college, or the two years I spent working ERs and urgent care after my transitional year and before residency.
It’s been a long run, but I’m still feeling young, active, and healthy—and looking forward to whatever comes next.
Cheers to you and all of my Berserker friends.
Warren
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I’m 24 years behind you 
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Interesting - that’s new information for me😊. I was not aware that the Swiss government set minimum prices for wines. I thought that they did something similar to other regions (like Champagne, maybe???), where there is a target/suggested price for grapes around harvest time, and in Switzerland, it’s implemented at the canton level.
We were doing some painting this weekend and after we did a lot of prep and slapped on the primer we decided to reward ourselves by going to one of our favorite spots for some champagne + pizza.
Wanted something different and pulled this out of the Coca Cola fridge chock full of Champagnes everyone on this board would love.
First was Laherte Freres Les Beaudiers Rose de Saignee
12/23 Disgorgement
Loads of ripe strawberry, cranberry, some bready notes and a bit more body than you’d otherwise find in say the rose of Meunier that isn’t saignee from Laherte. Super enjoyable.
We were having too good of a time while picking at what pizza remained so we grabbed ol reliable for me this year - Etienne Calsac L’echappee Belle.
08/24 disgorgement, 3 g/l dosage
This was maybe my least favorite of all the bottles of this I’ve had. Still super tasty, especially for the price. It was missing a bit of power and directness on this night compared to the other bottles I’ve had, maybe something to do with approaching a year post disgorgement? I usually wait until a year if I can but these I’ve found to be open…maybe this bottle taught me to stick to my madness.
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Have to drift the thread but skip Vaga and go to Lilo or Jeune de Jolie in Carlsbad for fine dining and Matsu for omakase next time.
I heard this quite a while ago from a NY retailer when I was questioning the extremely high prices for Swiss wines. I have never verified it, but I know from a few brief visits that there are a large number of small growers.
I don’t think that’s true, at least not by a government sanctioned law. It could be that some associations do this on a “private” level but I never heard of a cantonnal or federal law. Same as AOP/AOC they have cantonnal “ordonnances” in regards to viticulture and winemaking but I’ve never heard of anything about pricing.
That being said, I’m no Swiss wine expert but… I’m having lunch with someone who is in July. I’ll ask him to confirm.
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Thanks. When I was told this it made sense, but it is not verified.
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@Kevin_Diffley Good choice on the 2020 LF Beaudiers. I had one a few months ago. It got passed over on the table by a bunch of still wine, leaving most of it for me (and for the next day, too!). There was some cool spices in that bottle that I recall.
@KhaN thanks for these recs. I didn’t realize all of those places were up in that area. I shared them with my wife, we will take a look at them next time. Vaga was very cool with us on corkage, and it’s a win that it’s just 2 flights down the staircase from our room, and I found the food very good. What I didn’t mention is that my wife picked Pacific Coast Grill in Cardiff by the Sea, and while she liked her fish dish, I didn’t care for my choices. The arugula salad was hammered with balsamic, and the sushi roll was heavy and just lacked any finesse. In fact, one of those kinds of experiences that sours me on thinking about sushi, which I will need to shake off. 
Paul, for me, it depends. I’ve opened three different disgorgements from 2023. I’ll give the contrast below in the notes for those who wants the detail. I do think it depends, and to a degree it might be varying based on context of the bottle (with whom, where, bottle temp, mood, etc). I’m not saying this affected you but am saying these factors affect me, and they are subjective inputs to what can affect how wines taste and the notes that follow from them. Where I will disagree with you is whether the wine is, as you said in your note, looking pricey for what it is. I still believe that wine delivers really well for what it is, and I keep replenishing it for my cellar.
- NV Laherte Frères Champagne Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut - France, Champagne (11/24/2024)
December 2023 disgorgement, my first bottle from this new batch that I received earlier this month. Typical RdM color, a salmon/rose. It's worth adding again (given that these notes help us teach each other) that this is put together via some Meunier pieces: 30% Maceration + 10% Red Wine + 60% White Wine (40% of reserve wines aged in wood). This disgorgement seems to reflect more fruitiness, getting closer to the watermelon and fresh strawberry profile (as different from the March 2023 disgorgement where pink grapefruit and blood orange were more present for me). The palate feel is a little rounder, plusher too. The acidity here is more orange in tone, joined by some lime (think flesh not zest). I dig this batch. - NV Laherte Frères Champagne Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut - France, Champagne (8/18/2024)
March 2023 disgorgement. Had some of the usual orange peel bitter note, blood orange, strawberry and cardamom, and what was pretty discernible for me as pink grapefruit in this disgorgement. This is drinking great.
Posted from CellarTracker
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Sounds like you need to book an omakase experience then, SoCal has so many good omakase places. Many places allow corkage and I found that racy champagne goes really well with seafood, especially creamy Santa Barbara sea urchin and Carlsbad oysters. I try to steer clear from the seafood restaurants along SD North County since they are more miss than hit with seafood quality. La Jolla has arguably better seafood scenes than the stretch between Del Mar and South Carlsbad. Can’t beat the gorgeous beaches tho.
The view at Vaga, along with the meals they cooked, really magnified the experience. Years ago, and I’m talking turn of the decade, there was a place down there called The Armenian Cafe. it was a purple kind of shack with a deck that was right across from where CV Drive cuts down to the water. I ate at that place a lot (and did my fair share of surfing down along O-Side, Solana Beach, etc) even prior to that. Anyway. The Armenian Cafe eventually moved when that hotel was built there, and now it’s called Shaks https://shaksbistro.com, off 78 in Vista. That place, I love it, and it has the best garlic dip I have ever eaten. It will wake you up, then create such a joy–amazing. The food there is great, an old favorite of ours. Try it sometime if you have not. One thing I have never done there is brought a bottle to open.
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We had the 02 PR SWC and krug side by side last night. The winston was absolutely ravishing and by far the best winston I’ve ever had. Bright gold colour, plenty of delicate effervescence. Great depth and balance and absolutely a point. The krug was a little more reticent still, with the mid palate and finish quite clipped by plenty of acidity.
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Yesterday was my birthday and a good friends birthday also. So we opened two celebratory bottles on a Monday night. Both BdB, both NV, both very good. The Heidsieck a little bit more yellow fruited, more dough, very good lenght. The Billecart-Salmon had more citrus fruits, white flowers, very mineral driven, and probably even better. I still prefered the Heidsieck. 
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Extracted from a thread just posted: 9 magnums poured blind at dinner on a lawn overlooking the ocean and a shocking surprise where the US sparkling wine overshadows its Champagne based house, Roederer plus, Rodez BdN, 3 whites and 6 reds including a rare Vieux Telegraphe
2009 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT in magnum- blind, sort of.
The last time I sampled this vintage was in July 2023 and it was also in a magnum format; it was at that time I communicated with the house to learn it was this vintage that was the first one the year was shown outside of the oval logo in the center of the label; the next vintages to do so was 2008 which was released after the 2009 and the 2002 Late Release which was the only other one to do so to this point.
The blend for the 2009 is a slight deviation from the usual 60/40 having 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, all from their oldest, mostly bio-dynamically farmed estate vineyards out of 7 grand cru villages, plus Mareuil-sur-Aÿ; it was dosed at 9.5 gpl.
Every bottle I’ve had has been terrific since the initial release being rich and creamy with lots of complexity, focused acidity, toasty brioche and a wondrous mousse; this bottle was way different; I found it to be very tight and surmised it was in a valley fully knowing it has all of the stuffing to please immensely when it reaches its peak; but, how long will it take before it gets there?; the initial sampling on this occasion was more about elegance and charm and balance while giving up mild fresh lemon and lime notes from the nose through the tail; about an hour later, I re-visited it and found it to be much more expressive with more body, depth and substance while still maintaining nice balance; so, I am super optimistic for this to deliver immense pleasure in the future if this bottle was in deed representative of where the champagne is now or just a bottle variation.
When we went around the table to discus it, one couple nailed it and all who knew Cristal is bottled in a clear glass bottle {and with a flat bottom} already had the house pegged. I seem to remember there are a few others that use clear glass and I may have to seek one out for a future blind tasting to keep everyone in check, Drappier’s Grande Sendree being one.
2013 ROEDERER ESTATE L’ERMITAGE ANDERSON VALLEY BRUT in magnum- blind; 52% Chardonnay (including 4% reserve wine from the 2011 vintage) with 48% Pinot Noir dosed at 8 gpl; for me, this was a step up from the Cristal having just a bit more of everything albeit in a youthful, playful, fresh and crisp place; the fruit profile included savory honey coated lemon, orange, honeydew melon and mango with an underlying level of acidity; it had some body and substance and was very pleasing. Somewhere deep in my memory banks, this resonated and was mindful of many past bottles as it used to be our house bubbly; so, I took the chance of calling it at least the Roederer Estate without any assuredness and lo and behold. Lucky guess and a win for the new world release over an old world classic.
NV ERIC RODEZ GRAND CRU BLANC de NOIRS BRUT in magnum- blind; the label did not provide any details, but a recent release was comprised of 100% Ambonnay Pinot Noir sourced from 11 vineyards with an average vine age of 39 years; the blend consists of 24% 2012, 29% 2011, 14% 2010, 11% 2009, 13% 2008 and 9% 2007; 90% was vinified in barrels; 10% got malolactic fermentation; 4% gpl dosage; the Pinot Noir profile was well represented here with ripe red cherry/ berry noticeable in the nose along with some white flowers and on the palate along with some minerals, spice and citrus; it was crisp and balanced with subtle oak influence and seemingly having a low dosage. I had no idea as to what it was, but did think NV and Pinot Noir dominate, but not 100%.
Cheers,
Blake
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Frank,
Thanks very much for your thoughts - valuable as always. I’m glad it’s not just me feeling the variation between batches (of which there seem to be very many - some NVs seem to have 1 or 2 disgorgements a year, but this wine seems to have maybe 4 or 5).
Obviously being in Hong Kong the pricing on some champagnes is a bit different from the USA, so at the moment, for when I’m looking for something cold and refreshing, but not something that particularly demands attention then I still find various options in the US$35-45 range. Once the prices go north of $50 (as this wine is here now except for occasional deals) I’m looking for something interesting that aligns reasonably well with my preferred taste profile, which excludes anything where the sweetness of the fruit approaches “cloying”. I guess your distinction between orange flesh and orange peel illustrates what I mean - my latest bottle approached that point.
Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts. If we all liked the same wines this hobby would be far less interesting!
The version I currently have is 04/2023 disgorgement, there do seem to be quite a few.
-Al
Hi Dan, can confirm what Phil and Astrid wrote. There is no federal minimum price for wine here in Switzerland. A few years ago the introduction of such a minimum price was discussed in parliament, and dismissed. I’m not aware of there being any legally binding minimum prices on a cantonal level. The main reason for the high price of many Swiss wines is that production costs are higher than in most other countries (Switzerland being an expensive place in general).
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Returning to Champagne: We spent a few days in Épernay and Reims last week and visited some of the big houses (Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Moët) and many smaller producers. Really enjoyed “the art of aging experience” at Veuve Clicquot as we got to taste 1995 and 1998 vintage champagnes, which had aged beautifully. Ruinart (BdB tour) was nice too (great cellars!), Moët was flashy/bling, but entertaining on many levels.
One small producer we stumbled upon in Aÿ was Dauby. Tasted some of their wines and bought a bottle of their NV “Grande Reserve”. It’s a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and is full-bodied and works very well with food. Very tasty for the price (about 25-30 Euros, can’t remember the exact price). Does anyone have any experience with them (can’t find any post referring to them here)?
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