April 16, 2013 · 4:08 pm

Pol Roger – 19/01/2012

Pure
Non-dose brut style. It is astoundingly crisp and fresh, the chardonnay is prominent, as freshness is the focus, pure in name and nature.

Rich
A dosage of 35g/L of sugar added, making it a demi-sec style. This gives it a more creamy and toasty aroma, with a distinct marzipan and glazed cherry character.

Pol Roger Reserve 2002
A wine with amazing integration of acid, fruit and yeasty complexity, finesse and elegance beyond comparison. The wine appears to explode like a firework from the middle of the palate. It is both approachable and yet subtle and complex, but having only recently been disgorged and dosed needs more time in bottle before release.

If this wine is so good now, it is not hard to imagine how good the 2002 Sir Winston Churchill will be. Very generously I was given a bottle of the current vintage, the 1999, to enjoy at a later time with food, along with a bottle of the 2004 Reserve Rose (also not yet released). Slightly encumbered I thanked my wonderful house and hurried to my final appointment for the day.

Pol Roger range

Pol Roger range

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April 16, 2013 · 4:00 pm

Henriot – 19/01/2012

Rose NV
Aromatically this wine interestingly combines raspberry with a savoury salty Edam cheese, and on the palate has a nice textural element. Approachable but not simple.

Brut Souverain NV
50% chardonnay and 50% pinot noir blend, has complexity of fruit and lees texture, and is delicate yet fresh.

Blanc de Blancs NV
More restrained and broad, with soft creaminess and a nice rich lemongrass character. After looking at the wine fresh from bottle we then had a second look after transfer in a carafe. The second look showed much toastier elements which were subdued initially, and also a nice smoky cheese element.

Millesime 2002
Nice vanilla brioche croissant, smoky citrus, subdued and soft, a little simple? Toastiness and texture on the palate, sherbert bomb lemon sorbet, evolving in the glass, good length and harmony.

Cuvee des Enchanteleurs 1998
also looked wonderful, and the enjoyment of it was enhanced as we tasted it in the cellars surrounded by bottles in riddling racks.

Henriot tasting

Henriot tasting

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April 16, 2013 · 3:53 pm

Krug – 18/01/2012

Grand Cuvee
All of the various elements are present, such as the pure fruit expression, the toasty oak and autolysis complexity, and the harmonious blending of varieties and villages. There is complexity and elegance, but still freshness which is so important in today’s market.

Krug 2000
Youthful vibrancy, exhibiting lovely honeysuckle, peach and Satsuma aromas. There is also some lees derived toffee and spiced apple pie crust. More generous than the 1998

Krug 1998 Krug
Tighter more concentrated acids through the mid-palate, particularly citrussy. The complex characters are more in the burnt custard, marmalade and toasty croissant.

Krug offices

Krug offices

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April 16, 2013 · 3:46 pm

Delamotte – 18/01/2012

Brut
Nice bright and fresh, great fruit aromatics, citrus. Nice mid-palate fruit balance, pear and apple, minimal yeast autolysis interference, friendly fresh wine.

Brut Blanc de Blancs
Lovely fresh citrus florals, pure chardonnay expression, amazing vibrant fruit palate.

Blanc de Blancs 2002
More subtle autolysis fruit combination, toasted marshmallow and brioche. Glazed peach honey, rich broad toasty caramel, peach cobbler, nice texture.

Salon 1999
Amazingly subtle charcuterie, wild flower honey lemon butter. Floats above the plate, waves and waves of complexity, hints of creamy generosity, ethereal, there but not there, powerful expression yet hauntingly subtle.

Delamotte wines

Delamotte wines

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April 16, 2013 · 3:36 pm

Bollinger – 17/01/2012

Special Cuvée
Wonderful harmony, rich toasty balance, delicate yet complex and full, toasted hazelnuts and a very food friendly NV.

La Grande Année 2002
Much tighter and fresher nose, citrus and apple crumble. Exceptional acid integration, toasty depth and richness, small berry notes, smoked cheese barrel characters.

Rose NV
Very clean and balanced but showing little character and texture.

Grande Année Rose 2004
Very impressive, exhibiting lovely savoury elements of game, smoked salmon and delicate truffle notes. No surprising the strength of the grand cru pinot noir they are using for this wine.

RD 1995
The golden colour was very noticeable compared to the other white champagnes. The way the multitude of flavours gently caressed the palate gaining momentum as it made its way back, was simply extraordinary. Poached pear combined with shiitake, roasted pine nuts combined with salted pie crust.

Bollinger RD 1995

Bollinger RD 1995

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April 16, 2013 · 3:11 pm

Philipponat – 16/01/2012

Brut Royale Reserve
A lovely brioche and lemon tart complexity, soft and broad, and yet had lovely freshness and balance to it with a toasty honey finish.

Royale Reserve
Appeared a little flat and sharp, with no approachability or subtlety and not a lot of character.

Grand Blanc 2005
A slightly crunchy and dirty acid and leesy complexity, coupled with a creamy citrus nose.

Reserve Millesime 2003
Too broad and fat, lacks structure and elegance, too fruity and rich.

Cuvee 1522 2002
Very powerful in fruit, yet had very elegant expression. Crème brulée combined with lemon butter and brioche.

Clos des Goisses 2000
The colour is much more golden than others, a product of its age, variety and ripeness. The textural ripeness results in the wine exhibiting an almost lanolin character, combining with honey and dried peach. I admired the audacity of this style, and imagined the many types of food that would pair with this wine. I did wonder how the wine would age though…

Philipponat wines

Philipponat wines

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April 16, 2013 · 2:58 pm

Taittinger – 16/01/2012

Brut Reserve
Quite pinot noir dominant, good autolysis yeast notes, excellent extension on the palate.

2011 Chouilly Grand Cru Chardonnay
Very delicate and refined nose, great acid balance, quite rich and full, very broad citrus.

2011 Mesnil-sur-Oger Chardonnay
Quite rich and developed, amazing watercress clementine, balanced and rich in depth, creamy malolactic influence, bright citric elegance.

2011 Pierry Chardonnay
Tight and fresh, more approachable, broader and softer, good fruit character.

2011 Sezanne Chardonnay
A significant contributor of acid in the assemblage.

2011 Montagne de Reims Pinot Noir
Dirtier earthy berries, fuller and more astringent, not a great component.

Taittinger chef de cave

Taittinger chef de cave

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April 16, 2013 · 2:43 pm

Bodega Nanni – 22/12/2011

Torrontes 2010
Clean rich fruity nose, nice texture of fruit, very bright and tropical.

Rosato 2011
Fruity dark berries and cream, richer and warmer style, quite textural but out of balance.

Tannat 2009
Smoky cooked fruit, oaky dominance and hidden fruit, broad and heavy yet soft, achieves balance somehow, big and bold.

Torrontes Tardio 2010
Floral citrus aromas, good freshness, very spicy, not heavy or cloying.

Bodega Nanni wines

Bodega Nanni wines

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April 16, 2013 · 2:39 pm

Bodegas Etchart – 22/12/2011

Privado Torrontes 2011
Nice floral fresh gewurztraminer style apricot blossom and pear notes. Great acidity and freshness on palate, a bit of texture, really approachable and clean.

Reserve Torrontes 2011
Tighter more delicate nose, hints of parmesan, texture and volume, richer and more vibrant, great length, balance and warmth.

Gran Linaje Torrontes 2010
More delicate honeyed nose, very full volume richness, rosemary, ebbs and flows on the palate, fuller texture.

Reserve Malbec 2010
Dense and full juicy dark fruit, very fruit-sweet and soft vanilla tannins. Plump and approachable.

Arnaldo B 2008
Good structure and weight, balance of fruit and savoury sweetness. Sweet and sour pork ribs, elegance and complexity, still reasonably simple.

Bodegas Etchart tasting

Bodegas Etchart tasting

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April 16, 2013 · 1:27 pm

Bodega Colome – 21/12/2011

2010 Malbec San Osidro – 1700 m
Different to Mendoza, less plum and more berry fruits, more intense and less floral. Soft yet concentrated, cured meat and cheese texture, great acid fruit balance.

2020 Malbec Colome – 2300 m
Darker more grapey and pruney, richer darker texture, softer yet fuller, acids more integrated, somehow more vibrant.

2010 El Arenal Malbec – 2600 m
Even darker in colour, dustier earthier dark fruits, very elegant subtle nose. Not as intense on the palate, much more complex and generally better than Mendoza.

2010 Syrah Colome – 2200 m
Nice dark fruit but some interesting shell-fish aromas. Different kind of freshness and balance, very different kind of syrah.

Colome wines

Colome wines

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