A friend brought this. Really nice
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I enjoyed that one recently. Enough to make it a re-buy for me. TN forthcoming, as I work my way through a 3 mo. backlog of TNs.
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No, sadly. It won’t offend anyone, but it’s wholly unremarkable.
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2016 Laherte Frères Champagne Meunier & Meslier - France, Champagne (7/19/2025)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours –
– 50% Petit Meslier, 50% Pinot Meunier –
– Dosage: none –
– Disgorged: February 2020 –
NOSE: right off the bat, the Nose is faintly aged and a touch sour/vinegary – uh oh! (but then it tastes fine (see below)); light strawberry note, but it also has an earthiness that speaks to the Meunier in the mix.
BODY: red ale color – walnut skin hue — there’s a bit of bricking here; poured nearly still, then there was an aggressive bead about the glass’s nucleation point for a few minutes, and then the bead turned light and gentle.
TASTE: the Pinot Meunier is dominating here; it’s an aged, underbrushy, rose; medium acidity. Not sure if this is past peak for my preferences, or if it’s my distaste for Meunier that is preventing me from loving this. Fun to try, and still have one more bottle, which I have queued for opening sooner rather than later.
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Ok thanks
I’d rather drink Costco champagne.
Can you remember any other details of how this bottle tasted?
Have you had Mousse’s Anecdote? Any comparisons?
I’m generally a fan of the Mousse House, although the recent price jumps have resulted in lower volume in our house. I don’t seek Anecdote any longer; Cedric’s strengths seem to lie in PM, at least for me.
The name is kinda interesting, and there seems to be a story.
The US importer:
" “L’Orage” means “The Storm”, referring to devastatingly small crop in 2021 when 11 top producers around Champagne (names listed on the back label) sold their Chardonnay to Moussé to help offset his losses"
“L’Orage” is also the name of a painting, a line of outerwear, and a host of other things.
I think I remember my buddy explaining that to me about it being ‘21 vintage and there were grapes donated. My friend fowns a local wine shop and had all the details about the bottle.
I have not had any of the other wines before. This was my first experience.
As to taste, we discussed a little bit, but I didn’t write anything down. I recall stating it had a prominent apple note. Also some almond and some lemon zest. Nice acidity and freshness with the fruit, but didn’t find the acid overpowering at all. I found it very enjoyable and drinkable now, although I think it could age for a bit if you’re so inclined.
Hope that helps.
Kicking off this evening with a rather nice GC BdB - enough interest for oenophiles, but easy-drinking for the other 99%!
- NV J.L. Vergnon Eloquence - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (16/10/2025)
100% GC chard from le Mesnil sur Oger, Oger and Avize. 20% from reserves aged 3 months in oak; 80% from base year vinified in steel. Disgorged 26 October 2023 with dosage of 3g/l after 3 years maturation. Which I guess makes it a 2020 base harvest.
The nose has pear, biscuit, and maybe a hint of white pepper. The palate is a nice balance of citrus bite, quite round (almost sweet) pears, and finishes crisp, clean and more-ish. I don't get the bitter note that others have (probably on different batches).
Overall, this is going down very nicely indeed as an aperitif with a little cheese. At the ~US$40 that I paid I shall definitely be getting more in. (91 points)
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NV Domaine La Borderie Champagne Trois Contrées Extra Brut - France, Champagne (7/20/2025)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hrs. –
– 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Blanc –
– Base: 2021, with 15% older reserve wines –
– Bottled: July 7, 2022 –
– Disgorged: January 30, 2024 –
NOSE: leans bright, as far as fruit presentation goes, but is also a touch autolytic; interesting raw pasta dough note, too.
BODY: aggressive medium-bubbled bead; medium-light pale yellow color; light to medium-light bodied.
TASTE: high acidity; yeasty lemon with a hint of mandarin in the background; intensely flavored; long finish; dry, but not austere; a touch grassy; lovely tart/acidic/tart vague baritone berry thing; quite impressive. I believe this will turn buttery with age, so it’s a Drink Now & over the near term wine for my preferences. At $65, this is an easy re-buy for me.
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2019 Laherte Frères Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Grandes Crayères - France, Champagne (7/24/2025)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 3 hrs. –
– 100% Chardonnay –
– Dosage: labelled at a very imprecise 0 - 5 g/L –
– Disgorgement: November 2022 –
NOSE: lovely high-toned lemony chalk … exactly what you would expect from an grower EB BdB,.
BODY: pale yellow color; fine-bubbled bead; light to medium-light body.
TASTE: dry; high acid (juicy); intense lemon-inflected apple – perhaps a bit of mandarin concentrate, too; … wow! … I like this a lot. Tiny hint of front palate croissant; medium+ intensity of flavor — impressive for an E.B… Priced reasonably at $90, and I am a re-buyer at that price, but I’m not loading up. Excellent, and – for me – a great wine to Drink Now.
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2020 Marie-Courtin Champagne Presence - France, Champagne (7/26/2025)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 3.25 hrs; revisited for 1.25 hrs more at the 10hrs open mark –
– 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Blanc –
– Dosage: none –
– Disgorgement: April 2024 –
NOSE: light and bright, with light yellow stone fruit; pleasant, but without much depth.
BODY: medium pale green-yellow color; moderate medium-bubbled bead; light body.
TASTE: ooooh! … this is different! High acid; juicy; kumquat and something floral — elderflower, or maybe jasmine(?); some tart apple; superb! Revisited at the 10 hrs open mark, and it was just as it was earlier in the day. Pleasant hint of powdery spice – oakmoss, perhaps? I am a re-buyer at the $83 I paid, but not loading up.
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen a note on the Piper Heidseick vintage wine. If this bottle is a representative sample, I am surprised at the indifference. This is squarely in my wheelhouse. Full bodied, rich, round, and exceptionally toasty, with intense cherry and raspberry flavors upfront giving way to creme brulee and coffee/tiramisu complexity. The wine is 45% Chardonnay, though you would never guess from the flavor profile, and that brings enough elegance to keep it from being heavy or over the top. I think I am going back for a case. Disgorged February of 2020.
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Enjoyed this refined beauty with a plate of smoked salmon last night. The palate is intense and textured with strawberry and raspberry flavors wrapped around a core of tart citrus. The finish is incredible - complex, long and expansive in the throat. The high acidity brings lightness and elegance. Needs to be served caround 60 degrees to show its best. 7/24 disgorgement.
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Almost all my delamotte experience comes from young bottlings at La Fete and I was never impressed. But a few weeks ago a friend opened a 2008 and it was a refined and beautiful Champagne
Loved it. Guess they just need some age.
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I opened a magnum of this for a bunch of non-wine people on Thursday. My take was similar to yours, Scott. I was pleasantly surprised and found it very much in my wheelhouse.
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Thanks for your comments on this, Sarah. Have you only experienced this with the Les Maillons 2016 base, or have you also seen this evolution in other Collin wines with a 2016 base?
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Also, were they all from the same source? Could have been a storage issue. I bought a case of champagne once that was assembled from some bottles on display, some on the floor storage below, and an unopened sixpack from cold storage. All delivered together in a shipper so you could not tell which was which. Opening them has been a crapshoot.
Only the Maillons.
Edited to add that I have had other 2016 base bottlings that have not shown this recent change.