The NV Gatinois Brut Tradition is a very reliable Champagne for me, and great for the price, so I never hesitate to open during casual dinners where the non-geeks can easily enjoy and there is enough class for me.
Decided to hold onto a few bottles and recently opened the June 2023 disgorgement and the June 2022 disgorgement. Both have the pretty berry apple pinot fruit and fresh elegant lift. More incisive mineral drive on the 2023 disgorgement, which I like, but the 2022 disgorgement has more harmony and may be slightly more enjoyable. Simple pleasures both, but good pleasures both.
Back on the standby with a nice bottle of Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, caves 2011 disgorged 2017. These 17 disgorgements are at the drink them up stage but still nice, lots of roasted nuts, pastry, baked apple, more about the autolytic and Maillard flavors than bright fruit at this point but still with good balancing acidity and a bit of crisp apple and lemon fruit still in the mix.
It does. The 1522 is a great way to wait on the CdG. I enjoy both and in some vintages, the 1522 shows more complexity early on as the CdG is all acidity. But in most vintages CdG with age becomes the more accomplished cuvée.
In another 4-5 years this is going to be amazingly good!
The 2008 is at its prime now: elegance, finesse, complex, extremely balanced.
I project a similar trajectory for the 2012.
Another from my recent purchase of Tellier wines this evening. Maybe worth a try if you like very austere wines, but it’s not for me. It seems remarkable to me that a 2018 wine with 5g of dosage is like this.
2018 Tellier Champagne Les Massales Rosé Extra Brut - France, Champagne (03/08/2025)
40/30/30C/M/PN from Moussy, Pierry & Chavot-Courcourt. Vinification and aging in oak barrels for 8 months. On lees for 40 months. Disgorged September 2022; dosage 5g/l.
Drank over 90 minutes as it warmed from fridge temperature to cool room temperature, with some mild cheese and nuts.
The colour is a pale rose-gold. The nose is very mineral (chalk) with a hint of unripe red fruit and some oak. The palate follows: chalk, unripe cranberries, some oak, tart bordering on sour, very drying on the finish. I'm not detecting any lees/yeast from the 40 months. No great evolution over 90 minutes.
Overall, despite dosage at the top end of extra-brut this presents as very austere. The oak shows and the fruit is rather reticent. This is certainly not a wine to chug; perhaps as an intellectual sipper it is interesting, and maybe fans of very austere wines will find more pleasure in it, but it's not a repeat buy for me, particularly at the ~US$58 that I paid.
With my soon-to-be 94-year-old mom in town, my younger brother visiting, and fresh salmon from the dockside market, it felt like the perfect night to open something special. The 2002 Comtes Blanc de Blancs fit the bill, and having both our kids at the table made it even more memorable.
Took a flyer on this when I saw it in a local shop. Decent drinker with nice fruity/nutty elements & got better with air. Paired well with standing over a grill on a Sunday afternoon.
Puligny with bubbles! Nice lemon sour, some biscuit and yeast…more refreshing than elegant. I’ve had a bunch of these, and they are getting better with a little age on them…but more clunky and simple than Champagne in general.
