I had to open Tony Parker’s Champagne tonight to route for the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Showing well with tonight with lemon, red apple skins, bing cherry, and a really chalky finish. The anxiolytic the doctor didn’t order. Go Spurs Go.
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My son is in town up from Tampa for the long weekend. He’s not a big drinker, but he likes Krug. Unfortuante for him I opened a 171 last night. I don’t get the love on CT, I think there’s some label bias going on. The wine needs time, and/or just might not be a great Krug. It’s got a real wiry essence on the palate, it lacks a richness. Almost too much wiry citrus, and I’m a bit of an acid head. Second bottle. Was good, not much more than good right now. Really pales to recent 167-170. ymmv
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Agree with this. I remember when I tried it, the finish was really short as well. Agree that it lacks the depth/richness of some other GCs.
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Maybe good for @CFu Krugsicles ©?
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I can’t speak from experience on the 171ème specifically, but I have confidence in Julie Cavil and the rest of team Krug, their consistency over the years, their access to extraordinary fruit and reserves, and their blending skills that it will improve with time. I definitely like some iterations much more than others, especially in their youth. But to my palate, all editions of Krug GC improve with age, and the differences between iterations tend to become less pronounced as they mature. Personally, I usually find them far more compelling 10 or more years post disgorgement. That said, I can’t argue there may be some label bias on my part and others’, or I might have thought maybe Krug just wasn’t your thing if you hadn’t mentioned you liked other recent iterations.
I’m planning to open a 375 soon, as I’ve found the halves often give a preview of what the 750s will show a few years down the road. I didn’t buy many 750s, but I do have several half bottles, as I believe this was the last iteration they bottled in small format. Hopefully my optimism proves justified. Otherwise, I’ll just have to lean harder into the label bias 
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Not looking to start trouble with my label bias comment 
- just found a plethora of overwhelmingly positive notes - the wine twice now hasn’t been great for me- I’m not shading Krug either- it’s a good wine- just lacks a bit for me- as of now-
No offense taken. As I mentioned, I haven’t tried a 171 yet, and I agree label bias is something I’m probably guilty of, and likely a repeat offender. But if a big name brings me and those sharing the bottle a little extra joy, then bring on the tête de cuvée labels! Leave the emotionally detached, joyless experiences to blind tastings!
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I get your point, but it is worth mentioning that this can run in both directions — sometimes, when blind tasting, a more humble label generates more excitement when hidden than if it were not — so that’s a time when blind tasting can bring more joy to the table. 
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Trust me, I get a lot of joy at a blind tasting when the bag comes off and a $70 Larmandier-Bernier was my favorite wine!
No shade to the other wines, I just like to be able to buy 6-12 instead of 1-3.
Edit: ‘cause I need more bottles 
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Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy blind tasting too, but I find it a much more clinical experience than sharing a great meal with a bottle or two.
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We’re in accord in that regard.
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Yep. I think that’s an inherent truth. 
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Sure. Weren’t you on an Italian TN only vow? 
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Bollinger dinner with 6th Generation proprietor Cyril Delarue at Tango Room in Dallas. We got to run through quite a bit of the current Bollinger lineup, and then a couple of additional fun ones. It was a pretty social affair, so I don’t have good notes, just some thoughts on the wines:
Bollinger B16 Vintage 2016 Extra Brut - This was delicious but seemed like a fairly significant departure from the general Bollinger style. It was racy, less oxidative and yeasty, a clearly lower dosage, and more pinot-heavy on the flavor profile. I really enjoyed it and, aside from the pair of R.D.s we had later, this was my favorite of the lineup and to me, every bit as good or better than the 2018 Grand Annee.
Bollinger Special Cuvee - I think this was done a bit dirty following the B16 extra brut. It came across as heavy and overly sweet. In isolation this would have been perfectly lovely, with classic oxidative yeasty richness for which Bollinger is so well known, with a seemingly high dosage lending a denser profile tinged with sweetness.
Bollinger PN TX20 - This is all pinot and shows a nice cool pear and cherry accented profile with nice minerality and some white flower notes. My general take is that it’s not as good as the B16 and shows a higher dosage, but is nonetheless a step up in quality from the Special Cuvee. Pretty good wine.
Bollinger Grand Annee 2018 Pretty decent Grand Annee, but reminds me a bit of the 2015. I did not think it was a particularly special rendition, and I preferred the B16 to this GA. It is a fine wine, and I would be happy to have it served to me, but I would rather backfill 2014 than buy into 2018. It’s just good, but not great.
Bollinger R.D. 2008 - Lady’s and gents, it’s absolutely fantastic with such pure fruit, wonderful complexity, bright acids, all the stuffing, exquisite balance. I just love it. It’s the northstar for young R.D. to me and the best overall quality I’ve experienced from any R.D. and I think I’ve had all of them from the 1985 forward.
Bollinger R.D. 1996 - This was my bring, and it was in absolutely perfect shape. Color was nice and pale on pour, which got me super excited because it evidenced a lack of oxidation and proof of youthfulness. The wine was all verve, with bright acidity, a nice mousse, and a combination of citrus and richness. Perfectly mature. The crisp acid worked well with the bright citrus, which was melded perfectly with honeycomb, spice, just a hint of coffee. Layers and layers. Great wine in a perfect spot. I am not convinced it is “better” than the 2008, but I was thrilled with this wine and would happily have hoarded the bottle for myself.
Bollinger Grand Annee 1989 - Poured by a guest at the same time as the R.D.s, which, um, did not help this wine. Color was pretty dark and I thought this was showing some pretty rough VA on the nose. I would have marked this flawed. My wife took a whiff and just said “oh jesus” and pushed it away. The palate was showing some Werthers butterscotch, nail polish remover, decayed apples in old dead honeybutter. The bringer suggested this had a “little life left in it” but if that’s the case, its Hospice nurse was holding it by the foil whispering kindnesses to it.
On that point, I’ve had iffy luck with aged Bollinger wines, with seriously oxidated wines as young as 2002s, bought on release and stored well. A 1989 would clearly be a risky buy. I was quite worried my 1996 R.D. would be DOA, even though it was an ex chateau release in a special fancy ass wood box and everything.
Bollinger Rose - meh. Last pours of the night with chocolate cake. Tough pairing, and the step down in quality was very apparent. A crowd pleasing rich rose but, like the Special Cuvee, done dirty by the better wines preceding it.
Overall, I was pleased with some of the alt-offerings Bollinger is rolling out there. I will say that for $65, Bollinger Special Cuvee is waning for me as a solid option. I would rather have Roederer, Charles Heidsieck, or a good number of others, but spending $10-15 more for Bereche Brut Reserve would be an absolute no brainer.
Fun dinner. And I’ll say this, it’s the first wine dinner I’ve been to like this where I did not feel stuffed afterwards. Tango Room did a brilliant job keeping things fairly light. The menu was appropriately sized, and the most caloric of the plates was probably the wedge salad. Entrees were excellent, (a relatively lightly sized pork chop with brussells (no heavy starch) or a halibut with baby leeks. Pairings were lovely.
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2014 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé - France, Champagne (5/21/2026)
Just about cut and paste from my last note…this one is still rockin the ROCKS…crushed stones, chalky salty minerality…beaming with bright crisp orchard fruits…lemon sours, ginger tingle…laser precision with richness…a nice calming marsala cream mousse…little aged almond nougat, smokey lees…plenty complexity now…but the energy is where it’s at! A brilliant case buy! (95 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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2012 Remy Massin & Fils Pinot Noir Champagne “Special Club” Brut Millésime
Opened by a friend. 100% Pinot Noir. Disgorged April 2013. I previously had the 2009 and 2017 vintages of this Special Club. Medium yellow color with a solid bead. Waxy texture. Notes of lemon and toast points. Solid acidity. In a really nice spot at 14 years old. 92 points.
VM
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Do you possess the other half of this amulet? You are obviously my lost long brother
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Extracted from a thread just posted: An epic dinner to host the Sophienwald stemware distributor for the US with 2002 and 2008 Cristal, 2017 PYCM Corton-Charlemagne and 2012 DRC Echezeaux
2008 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT- the color was a still youthful light yellow and the nose offered an abundance of inviting and enticing aromas that included honey and ginger accented yellow apple with a lemon chaser; the taste profile was more of the same while showcasing its power, richness, depth and complexity which was somewhat softened by its creamy mouthfeel; with all that it had going on, the hallmark for this bottle was its amazing balance; this was the best of all of the 2008 Cristals I’ve had and even though it has years to go before reaching its apogee, it provided an epic exceptional experience.
2002 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT- I’ve had a few bottles of this vintage, the last one being last December and that bottle was terrific; this bottle seemed to lack in power, depth and complexity and also made a statement for individuality as it was like none other featuring tropical fruit notes that included tangerine, mandarin orange, lemon, kiwi and baked apple with a brown sugar dusting; later on, some honeyed pear and apple notes joined in and the sweetness factor climbed another few degrees; the gold color was deceiving as I expected some advanced notes, but that really did not happen; it was good, but different and a bit too sweet for my preference.
Cheers,
Blake
2008 is on the left in both the glasses and the bottles
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My wife also has an excellent palate (superior to mine) and zero label bias. I have heard similar comments before, while I was trying to give the wine (label bias fully engaged) the benefit of the doubt. It’s very refreshing. And a good reminder.
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There must’ve been a dozen disgorgements of Cristal 2002