Cool photo posted today by Aurelian Laherte. The Chardonnay near the domaine with the Eglise Saint Martin in the background.
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Extracted from a thread just posted: 4 wines tasted blind at dinner: the shockingly good NV Talbott Brut, 2014 Talley Rosemary Chardonnay, 2010 Unico and 2014 Michel Gaunoux Corton-Renardes
Here’s a consistently fine sparkling wine that is guaranteed to surprise you in a blind format:
NV TALBOTT VINEYARDS SPARKLING BRUT- blind; a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; following its light yellow color came super mellow aromas of citrus dominate fruit with lemon most enhanced with a nice spicy accent; once tasted, it gave more of the same while exuding elegance and charm, some richness and perfect balance; at this point, I mentioned this had the possibility of being the Talbott as we’ve had it before blind and it had always shown exceedingly well and been compared to top tier champagnes; but, this came off to me as a blanc de blanc and therefore I was not strongly convicted and acquiesced calling it 2006 Taittinger Comtes, among others, as I’ve done before; once this was revealed, I more subjectively experienced it did not posses as much complexity and depth, but it sure was good and satisfying and unlike most other sparkling wines I’ve had; also, this was low in acidity and that made even my 2nd guess of the 2008 Laurent-Perrier less feasible; we all loved this so much the first time we had it, we each bought a fair amount after one of our members made a special trip to the winery to make the purchase; this is consistently good juice and I had the thought it would be the perfect hot summer evening bubbly to quench any thirst. I welcome another opportunity to taste this blind and actually recognize it.
Cheers,
Blake
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Another outstanding Egly-Ouriet VP. Disgorged July 2022 with 3g dosage. Intense but balanced, with zesty citrus and blood orange layered over rich, creamy texture. The 82 months on lees really show, both aromatically and on the palate, and the oak aging adds depth and weight. Incredibly dense, and no signs of travel shock.
I brought this to dinner with my soon to be 94 yo mom, my 95 yo aunt, and their 84 yo cousin. Sadly, the food didn’t quite measure up, but the wine and company more than carried the night.
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Last night, my mom, Marybeth, and I were invited to my first cousin once removed’s home for a homemade dinner with him and his wife. He served a beautifully poached fresh amberjack with saffron. I brought one bottle and a backup but ended up opening both. It was one of those special nights when the meal and both wines came together beautifully.
I visited a local wine shop yesterday and bought their last 2008 Billecart Salmon Cuvée Louis Billecart. Just starting to dip its toes into an early drinking window, and already showing its class. Walks a fine line between elegance and richness, with notes of peach, apple, lemon, and white flowers. A slight matchstick reduction on the nose and fine chalky minerality take it to another level. A stunning wine now, with even more promise ahead.
Rising to the challenge of following such a stunning bottle, the 2002 Ployez Jacquemart Liesse d’Harbonville held its ground. I love this cuvée, and this was the best bottle I’ve opened, whether from this vintage or others. The Chardonnay in the blend was prominent. More mature and rounded than the Billecart Louis, lush yet still focused, with a beautiful mouthfeel and an intense, long finish.
A 2004 cork in a 2002 Champagne
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NV Louis Roederer Champagne Collection 244 - France, Champagne (3/1/2025)
– uncorked approx. 30 min. prior to initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hrs. –
NOSE: chalky; high-toned, lemon-inflected apple; moderately expressive.
BODY: light brassy color; light to medium-light bodied.
TASTE: high acidity; lemony chalk; juiciness pushes forward on the finish, where it turns appley; more giving than previous bottle. Drink or Hold, but best to Hold.
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Tried this one a couple of days ago - rather too aggressive and austere for me. Stoppered in the fridge to day 3 and somewhat better. Bourgeois-Diaz seems to be pretty much all in on the Brut Nature thing across almost all their cuvées, but for me this would have benefitted from a little dosage.
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Thank you @AstridKG for the thoughtful curation for our group’s dinner last night. I appreciate this group so much for how much effort it invests and thinks about the wines we taste, and she showed that in the selections. 6 of us around a circular table, some good laughs and conversation at King’s here in the OC. It’s been a few months since the group met, and given all the world news and my own recent travel, it was relaxing and I felt grateful we could be together. That was fun!
CHAMPAGNE BOOKCLUB (SERVED BLIND)--ASTRID - King's Fish House in Laguna Niguel, CA (6/13/2025)
All wines curated by Astrid, served blind in pairs.
- 1970 Henry de Vaugency Champagne Grand Cru Louis Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Served blind. Disgorged in 2024, which is just hard to wrap my head around. When I smelled this, my senses went towards brown spice, like a nutmeg. I thought, man, there is wood here influencing the wine, reminding me some of young Marguet. But really, at 50 years old, any wood and even was that something back in 1970, would it be that expressive? Tangy strawberry, lime zest, melon and caramel. Cool to drink old stuff for a change. - 2008 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Nicole Moncuit Vieille Vigne - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Served blind. February 2024 disgorgement. Initially this has a pounded rock/chalk nose with a citrusy signature, along with honeysuckle. Started off stern and leesy, then lemony with mandarin orange. Remained zesty and intense even with a few hours of air. This was my favorite on the table last night of the 8 wines.
- 2019 Julien Prélat Champagne Extra Brut La Lemblee - France, Champagne
Served blind. 100% Pinot Blanc with 4.5 gms of dosage. Initially I thought this had a buttered note, which I didn't find later. Anise and orange flesh, with some of the group also calling out rainier cherry. Good intensity and has what I wrote down as a sneaky creamy edge. This has a delicious quality to the wine, and something I would dig drinking again. - 2021 Julien Prélat Champagne Les Côtes Extra Brut - France, Champagne
Served blind. 100% Pinot Gris with 3 grams of dosage. Disgorged March 2024. This came across to me as high acid, spicy and tight frame. For me, the Prelat Pinot Blanc from the Lemblee plot I preferred way more. If you have this Les Cotes right now, don't open it or decide to intentionally put air on it.
- 2018 Famille Moussé Champagne Special Club Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée Les Bouts de la Ville - France, Champagne
Served blind. 100% Meunier with 2 grams of dosage. Initially I liked this when we first poured it but as time wore on through the dinner, it started to lose energy. Early it is on the fluffy side, delicious and a bit glossy--this seems much like the 2018 vintage signature being present. Spicy cranberry and watermelon and bit bitter not the finish. Of note, to help frame my own taste, a recent 2019 Mousse La Confiance Rose was fantastic, with terrific precision. For the 2018 here, this is where the wine falls short, and I would call the 2018 ready and for consumption, whereas the 2019 seems like the road ahead is brighter and fresher. - 2017 Salmon Champagne Special Club Rosé de Saignée - France, Champagne
Served blind. Sans dose. This started off with a sulphury nose, which disappeared over the dinner's duration. Zesty and bright. This was terrific for me.
- 2020 Roger Coulon Coteaux Champenois Rouge Le Mont Moine - France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois
Served blind. 100% still Meunier. Had a stalky aroma to start, with an incense signature. Dark raspberry, iron, bittersweet cocoa and cherry. Finishes with a gamy note, and a touch of stems. With more air, this came together nicely and I really warmed to this wine. The incense note is pretty cool. - 2020 Roger Coulon Pinot Noir Coteaux Champenois 1er Cru Les Champs Chevalier - France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois
Served blind. 100% still Pinot Noir from Vrigny. Metal shavings and floral, reminds me of whole cluster. Dark berry, some peppercorn (?) and tangy red apple with a juicy, tannic finish. I preferred the other Coulon, the Meunier from Coulommes-la-Montagne.
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It didn’t register with me that the wine was aged en tirage for 53 years. Is this a world record?
It exceeds the longest I was aware of: 50 years for Piper-Heidsieck’s Hors-Série 1971. I imagine there are others out there, maybe even forgotten stacks of bottles sur lattes, tucked deep in some caves.
The ‘famous’ 1953 Diebolt-Vallois we tried disgorged ‘a volée’ around 2004 was pretty special - but thats not a commercial disgorged release.
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I really dig how you guys, on a rotating basis, let one person bring all the wines. That’s fun! Thanks for the notes, Frank!
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It is, for sure. Both groups that I am in have the host pick the venue, curate the wines, and we do everything blind. It’s a blast.
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Tonight, an exceptional bottle of 2013 Vilmart Rosé Emotion. Dense and expressive, with bright notes of orange zest, strawberry, and raspberry emerging on the nose and palate. It has gained substantial weight over the past year. Incredibly vibrant and fun, with a powerful attack and a long, chalky, fruit-driven finish. These just keep getting better and better.
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I’m normally preternaturally patient when it comes to leaving wines to sit in the cellar, but notes on this 2013 are really straining my self control!
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I normally like my champagne with a bit more age than most, with the exception of rosé. Last night’s bottle was singing. Funny enough, my previous bottle in February seemed tight.
An afternoon bottle of Hebrart rosé, May 2020 disgorgement, was outstanding yesterday. We’ve been through 3 cases of this since 2021 and they just get better and better. That’s really why I am posting this - it’s not terribly exciting, but I wanted to make the point about how much even a modest champagne can improve with time on cork.
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I have had a string of kind of middling, hoping for more out of popped bottles lately.
This one is really striking though.
Petit Clergeot Chevry
Smells like a red berry patch, zero dos so it does go grapefruit after the berries… but the berries. Really wants to bust out of the tuxedo.
Electric energy here.
Long, Long (and some tannin) finish.
I haven’t opened one in awhile and was a bit apprehensive…its “natural”
Wow,
Fun bubbles.
Really great stuff.
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Our buddy Paul has hosted in his backyard a Champagne event every year since about 2015. We skipped the COVID year, although he razzed us yesterday that he was willing to have it, but that many of us would have refused to come! He picks the theme (past years have been themes like everything Taiitinger, or top shelf (Krug, Cristal, Vilmart, etc), or everything mag, etc). This year he decides to do something very instructive, which is feature all 7 cepages, but only as 100% composition. Sure, that is easy to do for the big 3, but when it gets down to the other 4, then some work ensues. And he’s of the heart that expense doesn’t matter, as there are two bottles of every wine to ensure that everyone that attends (about 20 people) get a good pour, and often for some a retaste. So, think of the years when he did Krug and Cristal, when we were doing double 750s or Mags–he’s really a humble, generous soul.
I thought yesterday went fantastic. @brigcampbell was there, so he may add a few comments if he likes, but I was the only dork there taking notes (mostly a non-dork crowd but several of the guys have pretty dialed in cellars, mainly stuff out of RRV, Paso, Washington). My notes follow, doing the best I can to capture the essence of things, and yet also not be so dorky and pretentious that my notes were my sole focus. This event is mainly been the same core group of people for over a decade, so there is the piece of everyone feeling tied to each other, through Paul’s efforts, the warmth of people seeing each other, and the conversations. Hence, I do the best I can with notes, I share some of my insights and just try my best to manage my appetite to capture everything, and yet be present. So, to the notes (and hopefully a full photo of everything once I get one).
PAUL'S ANNUAL CHAMPAGNE TASTING (2025 EDITION - ALL 7 CEPAGES) - At Paul's Place (6/15/2025)
Paul's intent this year was to showcase each of the 7 cepages in its pure form--100% expression. So, he curated up an example of each (the Arbanne was the hardest and most expensive to acquire), then just sequenced them in the order I present them below. Of note, we did 3 Chardonnay, as he had some doubt about whether the group (mostly non-geeky but also the same group who attended most of the previous 10 years of tastings, so they know some about the subject now) would like the 20 year old Doquet. So, he did a couple of the Clandestine, with the 2020 being my wine of the day, so go figure! We did some Prevost and Colin at the end, as he pulled some stuff spur of the moment. This was the 11th year doing this, out of his generosity and heart, and it was awesome to see these wines all in the pure form.
- NV Laherte Frères Champagne Les 7 Extra Brut (perpetual 2005-2019) - France, Champagne
Didn't get the disgorgement but I am certain this was the 2019 base. Of course, all 7 cepages, in various ratio with some as high as 25% and the others in the single digit %s. Early on this was much about minimality and rock with a citrusy core. And, showed an austerity. With air, it loosened up and my notes say 'a ton of sh#t going on', with spicy grapefruit and some glossy edges. I was kinda puzzled but the bottle, and of all the wines I had yesterday, this was the very first wine I tried so it's not as if my palate was fatigued or jacked up. Nothing to retaste today. I consistently like Les 7 but yesterday was a weird showing. - 2020 Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Textures - France, Champagne
November 2022 disgorgement. 100% Pinot Blanc. Lots of green apple, and a spicy energy, with something green lurking in the wine--can't place it. Also, a good wallop of stone fruit skin, like a peach skin. - NV Laherte Frères Petit Meslier Champagne Extra Brut - France, Champagne
September 2022 disgorgement. 100% Petit Meslier. After drinking from this bottle yesterday, I can appreciate now more fully why Aurelien Laherte would be putting stock and faith in Petit Meslier as part of the future bet for the domaine. This is built really well, with great fullness and concentration, and a freshness of citrus that drives the wine. Primarily tasting of grapefruit and mandarin. It finishes with a chalky sensation, carrying the same great energy of the palate. Of note too, the aromatic on this bottle was intriguing, and while I had a hard time trying to identify what was there, it's really cool to just smell. - 2021 Julien Prélat Champagne Les Côtes Extra Brut - France, Champagne
March 2024 disgorgement of 100% Pinot Gris. In my other group earlier this week we had this same wine blind, and it was pretty tight. So, when my buddy told me yesterday he was going to open this wine, I gave him some advice to both not overchill it, and to get it open early and let it air. This really seemed to help, as I found the wine this time to be juicier, and much more accessible. I sensed a little bit of oil around the texture, and also some stone in the finish. - 2014 Moutard Père et Fils Champagne Cépage Arbane Vieilles Vignes - France, Champagne
April 2022 disgorgement, 100% Arbanne. My buddy who curated the tasting yesterday had to really turn over a lot of rocks to find someone who was selling 100% Arbanne. It wasn't cheap either, as I think he paid north of $300 each for 2 bottles. For the effort and expense he went to for ensuring Arbanne was in the tasting yesterday,,,,bravo! This pours a neon green-yellow, just awesome to look at in the glass. Given the texture and the way the wine expressed its weight, I would have put this on Chardonnay if you served it to me blind. Grapefruit, savory concentrated lemon and saline, with a flinty finish. Brig, who was tasting it with me, mentioned lemon oil, which is a great descriptor. While the wine I'd say is cost prohibitive, at least in acquiring these bottles, I will also say I really enjoyed this take on Arbanne. Really cool! - 2004 Pascal Doquet Champagne Grand Cru Champ d'Alouette Le Mesnil-sur-Oger - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
January 2021 disgorgement. 100% Chardonnay. My buddy was concerned about the age here, in part because I know he wanted this to show well. Even so concerned that he opened some other Chardonnay as a 'just in case', a good choice actually too because the Clandestin Les Revers was one of my wines of the day (notes on that is listed under that wine). Anyhoo, at 20 years old, this is still quite fresh to me. Yeah, with the sur latte time of about 15 years, you can taste some of that in action, mainly for me in a caramel note and what I jotted also as honey. Lime and light mineral in the finish. Overall this still seems very good. - 2019 Champagne Clandestin Champagne Les Revers - France, Champagne
Disgorged October 2021. 100% Chard from Buxieres-sur-Arce (think Vouette et Sorbee). Sans dose. The vintage here really comes through, as it presents the wine in a pure, transparent expression. Tastes like pure Chard without any of the dressing or makeup. Green apple, juicy, with some ginger. Of note, we happened to also taste the 2020, as my buddy pulled that to go with this 2019, and that 2020, wow, what a banger of nice Chardonnay. - 2020 Champagne Clandestin Champagne Les Revers - France, Champagne
April 2020 disgorgement. 100% Chardonnay without dose. Ooh la la. This is gorgeous, with a capital G. Intense lemon with a spot-on concentration. And also here (as opposed to the 2019 which we ended up having with it), there is the addition of a creamy cloak, that just sits right around the fruit. Beautiful. Finishes with stone and herb. Of the dozen or so Champagne we had yesterday, this one is burned into my palate. Bravo. - 2016 Famille Moussé Champagne Special Club Les Fortes Terres - France, Champagne
Served from mag. Disgorged July 2022, with 1.5 gms of dosage. White peach, fennel, honeydew melon and lime. This is drinking great right now. - 2018 Bollinger Champagne PN AYC18 - France, Champagne
Served from mag. January 2023 disgorgement, 100% Pinot Noir. Aromatically, this reflected a smokiness that I enjoyed, just enough of that quality to add interest. Blueberry flesh, strawberry and nice mineral in the finish. Very drinkable in the weight, texture. - 2019 Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines - France, Champagne
This didn't see much air, and so my tasting impression here is limited from just a couple sips from one pour. Spicy and juicy, and what stood out for me was the length. The finish on this seemed to endure. - NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut (2018) Les Maillons - France, Champagne
Served to me at the end of long Champagne tasting. I was seated around the table with mostly non-geeky people. They asked me what do I taste, since I am the only guy all day taking notes during the event. I turned the question around and asked them, what do you taste? Great answers. Apricot, peach, plum (this was my sense), with a lovely balance. What a terrific wine to end the day.
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