Which Champagne are you drinking?

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

@Fred_Daniels

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.

I see where you are coming from in this example. But, were that the case, I would expect them all to show differently, not all show exactly the same change at exactly the same time. Even with a straight case, which this was, regardless of storage, I would expect bottle variation.

Again, for clarity, there is nothing wrong with these bottles currently. They are completely delicious and not even fraying around the edges. They just went from showing young to showing mature so quickly and consistently that I felt the need to share. I want my wine to evolve, and understand that every wine does so along its own path, which may sometimes be mysterious to me. That is why I have a cellar, buy in some degree of quantity, and have learned patience. And why I will always take the contraty position to those who argue that there’s no point in aging wine yourself, since you can so easily buy it already mature.

[K_John_Joseph]

2013 Laherte Freres Les Empreintes Extra Brut - 50-50 C-PN, 4g/l. Poured a bit darker than expected and its oak vinification is evident, showing a full bodied apple spice driven wine with toasted bread notes. Slightly oxidative on the palate, but with bright underlying acidity. Overall, it’s a pretty fair wine in the 92+ range for me. It is bright because of the acid, not really because of the taste profile, but it is satisfying.

After writing my note I decided to see what Vinous had to say about the wine. Galloni gave it a 94 on release, and proceeded to spend a paragraph on his note without describing a single actual flavor.

[Fred_Daniels]

Thanks Sarah! This is a rare special case where you have had several bottles over a period of time. In my “mixed case” example, I was drinking a bottle a year, and was surprised that rather than a succession of maturing bottles I got almost oxidized early bottle followed by fine bottle followed by almost too young bottle followed by ??? so I could not draw a line under how they were maturing.

When the wine was delivered the bottles from the sixpack had tight paper wrappings, storage on the floor had loose paper, and display bottles were missing paper. Maybe light taint played a role, but when I binned them all the paper came off and I could not tell the difference. Alas.

[Jayson_Cohen]

@Frank_Murray_III

Daniel, about the 2016 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee that is great to hear. I’ve still yet to taste that wine, but I have 5 bottles on pre-arrival, and hope to have them soon so I can get into one.

Frank, have you tried it yet? I opened my test bottle at a dinner with folks last night, and it was fabulous—ratcheting up gears as the evening progressed and the wine got air. I think it was the only bottle we drained entirely among 11 or 12.

[Blake_Brown]

Extracted from a thread just posted: Our Blind Wine Dinner Group wines: 2012 Taittinger Comtes, 2015 Rotem & Mounir Magis, 2012 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne, 2010 Prieure-Lichine, 2003 Ampuis La Landonne and 2005 Muga Prado Enea

2012 TAITTINGER COMTES des CHAMPAGNE BLANC de BLANC- blind; following its medium yellow color, came an experience that I first noted as being tasty, zingy, citrusy, tangy, toasty and lemony; in a word, it was fabulous; it had all of the features that I relate to the 2008 Comtes including the power, depth and complexity with a bit more elegance, finesse and charm; I had first stated it was a BdB with a dosage of around 8 gpl; I stayed with my early on pronounced guess until much later when doubt set in as it changed a bit with some pepper and grapefruit notes arriving plus the table conversation that was swerving in other directions; I’m learning to just hold on to my first impressions and let it be; 1 or 2 had it as a Dom Perignon and 2008 was thrown out a few times and another called it a 2012, but not the Comtes; it was the best bottle i’ve had and I checked to see how much I have and if i needed to get more. Finding 3 bottles, the answer was YES!

Cheers,
Blake

[ky1em1ttskus]

NICE!!! I have a couple laid down for my son.

[JeffK]

2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare

Opened by a friend at the beach and paired with a sunset. Last had this wine in 2021 and this bottle was showing a little more age than the last one. Moderately deep yellow color. Softer bead. Extremely deep and long on the finish. Notes of chalk, brioche and almonds. Drink now. At its peak. 95 points.

VM

[dbailey]

Sadly, they never made any mags in 02!!

[Frank_Murray_III]

I have not, Jayson. I’m still waiting on the bottles to be fulfilled. Even in the face of my decreased consumption, I don’t foresee leaving Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee. I love that wine, year after year. I have to think the 2017 (did he make one?) is coming soon, too.

[K_John_Joseph]

Wonderful bottle of wine. I’ve probably had a dozen of these now, of various releases, and they’re just beautiful bottles of champagne. I think I’ve got one gold foil and one plastic neck left.

[Sean_S_y_d_n_e_y]

Definitely made a '17! We’ll be getting our allocation around the end of the year up here.

[CJ_Beazley]

Brutal funeral weekend, I wanted something but didn’t want to overdo it-
Nice fruit, medium minus acid…that’s about all my addled brain could come up with. $16 at the Pogos half bottles sale a few years ago

[ky1em1ttskus]

Sorry, brother. Sending good thoughts your way.

[Warren_Taranow]

We’ve been thoroughly enjoying our extended holiday in the UK (which explains my silence here). Currently lounging in Bath before our flight from Bristol to Cork in the morning, it feels like the perfect moment to catch up on the Champagnes and British sparkling wines we’ve opened so far, though my notes are a bit cursory, fitting the relaxed holiday mood.

So far, nothing has been disappointing, though some bottles have certainly stood out more than others.

2008 Rare Champagne (Piper-Heidsieck). I picked this up at Berry Bros. & Rudd in London and brought it to my birthday dinner at Gidleigh Park in Devon. While I still find many 2008 Tête de Cuvées a bit tight, this one showed beautifully from the start and kept improving throughout the evening. A Champagne with both power and poise. I’m glad there are a few resting in my cellar.

Laurent-Perrier Champagne Héritage. My first time tasting this and certainly not my last. It was a bargain and a standout on a list filled with pricey gems here in Bath. Maybe a 50 percent markup from retail versus more than double for everything else. A great value, yes, but more importantly a truly exceptional bottle at any price. There must be some deep reserves in the blend. Superb complexity and texture. I loved it.

La Rogerie Le Bourg Sud. A clean, precise Blanc de Blancs. Bright and mineral, with oyster shell and chalky notes. Still young but already impressive.

Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve. Another pick from a heavily marked-up list. Always a dependable favorite, and this bottle delivered. Deep and satisfying, though not quite to the level of the Laurent-Perrier Héritage.

Louis Roederer Collection 245. Enjoyed this on our first night, at a London restaurant where the list was priced at four-plus times retail. Setting that aside, it was a solid choice. No fireworks, but balanced and excellent with food.

Paul Déthune Extra Brut. Ordered this at Noble Rot to follow the La Rogerie Bourg Sud. I’ve had their rosé several times. I liked this, though not as much as the rosé.

NV Nyetimber Classic Cuvée. I believe this is their entry-level wine, and it impressed along with the other glasses I tried from their range. It would hold its own easily in a blind Champagne tasting.

NV Goring Estate Brut Family Release. Perfectly pleasant, though ultimately forgettable.

If you want to see more of the travel photos, check out my instagram https://www.instagram.com/wtbellingham. If you want to see all of the wines we’ve opened, my vinous instagram account is https://www.instagram.com/champagne_prn. I don’t think I’ll end up cross posting those here.

Cheers,
Warren

[T.Schmucker]

Finally tried the very well-regarded Laherte-Freres Rose de Meunier for the first time the other day, and I can see why this wine (and all of their wine really) has such a following. For $50 I can’t think of a better champagne.

The nose was a pretty combo of organic field-grown strawberries (y’know those small organic strawberries that have a darker red color and always taste better?) with cream, raspberries, some leesy action, I think my immediate thought upon smelling it was strawberries and cream pie. Great balance on the palate between the fruit and yeasty notes, crisp bright acidity, and a nice underlying bitterness on the finish that balanced the fruit out nicely. I can’t help but think this would be a delicious still wine as well, à la some of the more serious rosé I’ve had.

Delicious! Need more.

[Keith_A_k_e_r_s]

Oh Bath​:heart_eyes:

Where did you go when you were there? I’m likely visiting again in April

[dbailey]

Wish you’d posted you were coming! Could have hosted you at 67 pall mall or any number of other wine friendly places.

[K_John_Joseph]

Cheers, Warren. Looks like a lovely time!

[MChang]

Pre-game poured prior to our one broad dinner last Saturday.

This was phenomenal. Remarkably open and generous, with elegance and beautiful fruit. This was quite focused without real linearity. Really just a pleasure to drink.

[Marco_Fimiani]

I think the LP Heritage Brut is new.