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G.H.: Medium straw
color, with a tinge of pale peach; pungent, slightly nutty, yeasty bread
dough and tart
under-ripe green apple, all with bracing acidity, an underlying
minerality and very good
length. The “fruit” component lacks some intensity for me, but other
factors (nuts, yeast,
bread and mineral) seem to compensate. Brad B. describes a “waxy
greenness,” adding “this
is what it’s supposed to taste like.” Not “big,” but substantial; I like
this quite a bit.
Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, NY
The following two aren’t “grower” Champagnes, but were included because
of their relative
rarity; they were of special interest to me, since I was one of a small
group of people in
Michigan to
taste the ‘95 in September of 2005 in a survey to see
whether there was any
interest as to its commercial viability here. We enjoyed that one twice
over a two week
period back then; unfortunately, a bottle of the ’96 tasted several
months ago was seriously
flawed, and didn’t give a true representation of just how good it is.
This one was much,
much better.
 1996
Henri Giraud Fut de Chene
(70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay; Ay, Champagne, France; Vinified in
Argonne Forest oak;
Disgorged ~2005; $150-220 US, 12% alc.)
B.B.: Chocolate, peaches, citrus zest, and oak erupt at the nose and knock you
back a little. The
palate then floors you as citrus, apples, peaches, tangerines, cloves,
honey and biscuits
throw the knock out punch. The more air you give this, the better it
gets. The finish is
long and creamy with glimpses of dark chocolate, coffee, and orange
clove tea as the wine
disappears. I love this wine. It is balanced and rich and shows just how
to mesh big fruit
with spicy oak. I don’t care how much this costs. I just want it. As
this wine has only
been available to the public since 1990 I don’t know exactly how it will
age, but if it ages
as I think it will, I may be scoring this a bit too low. This wine is
spectacular and as
such I am narrowing the range I gave it a few months ago from 94-96 pts
to a Grade of A
(95-96 pts). And as I said, it may get better.
Find this wine
G.H.: Medium
straw to pale gold color; the first thing I notice on both the nose and
in the mouth is the
obvious oak, and indeed, Maison Giraud – Hemart stresses the importance
of the selection and
use of oak from the Argonne forest on their website. Less yeasty and
more toasty than the
Egly-Ouriet, with not exactly under-ripe apple, excellent presence and
zippy acidity. Brad
B. comments that it has a “waxy chocolate clove spice” to it, and
although those impressions
elude me, we all agree that this is one very tasty Champagne.
1995 Henri Giraud Fut de Chene
(70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay; Ay, Champagne, France; Vinified in
Argonne Forest oak;
Disgorged ~2004; $140-200 US, 12% alc.)
B.B.: Oak and bright citrus that haven’t quite made friends yet form the core
for an expressive
nose. Following this fight, a palate that is similar to the 1995
Egly-Ouriet appears.
Except this shows more bright fruit and acidity to go with the vinous
notes. This is a very
young wine that does an excellent job of meshing bright fruit, oak, and
racy characters. I
really like this though the price is a bit steep… and the 1996 release
is better. So,
unless you are loaded, I would pass on this and stock up on the 1996
release (reviewed above). Grade of A- (91-92 pts).
Find this wine
G.H.: Medium
straw to pale gold color, with nutty, toasty apple flavors and aromas;
medium full bodied,
with excellent acids and good intensity and length. This has clearly
developed some
secondary characteristics since
we had it last, and while I like it just
fine, I prefer the
’96 based on this encounter.
Champagne Henri Giraud
Imported by North American Beverage Group, L.L.C.
 1989 Andre Jacquart Blanc de Blancs Special Club
(100% Chardonnay; Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; $50-90 US,
12% alc.)
B.B.: This wine had the lightest nose of the grouping. It was quite delicate,
but the palate was
a bit more rambunctious. A few sherry notes mixed with a touch of rich
tangerine to form
the core flavors. Some light toast weaved in and out to close the
flavors out. Over a few
hours this improved quite a bit, but still was left lacking a tad when
compared to the other
wines at the table. And, no, Andre Jacquart is not a part of the
Co-op/pseudo Negociant
Jacquart. I mean that in no way as a positive or negative; I only say it
in case of any
confusion. Both the co-op and the grower make some very fine wines.
Grade of High B(85-87
pts).
Find this wine
G.H.: Medium straw
color, with a slightly oxidized sherried character that evolves to
reveal some nutty,
under-ripe apple; fairly low in acidity, which Brad B. says is typical
of the vintage, with
good intensity. This was well received, despite its relative lack of
zip.
NV Jean Laurent Brut Rose
(100% Pinot Noir; Celles-sur-Ource; 5 years aging on the lees; disgorged
in Aug/Sept 2005;
$35-45 US, 12% alc.)
B.B.: What more can I say about this wine. I love it, you love it, everybody
loves it. If you
haven’t tried this, you really should. It is so, so good and it is very
reasonably priced.
Heck, if you can’t find it, I will tell you how to make it yourself.
Take some meat and a
generous serving of fresh, red, tart strawberries. Add a twist of
cranberry and a small
glass of 7-Up. Mix it all up and, ta-da, you have this wine. There, the
secret is
revealed. Now everyone can enjoy this wine all the time. Grade of High
B+ (88-90 pts).
Find this wine
G.H.: My impressions are very much the same as those of
the
one we recently
enjoyed so much with Brad and Michelle. What stood out for me on this
occasion with the
assertiveness of the wine, as it more than holds its own in the presence
of a number of
other fine (and more expensive) bottles; the 100% Pinot Noir character
is unmistakable and
simply delicious. I love this Brut Rosé!
Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA
 1992
Guy Charlemagne Millesime Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay; Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; 10,150 bottles produced; Aged in
steel and oak;
Malolactic is done on the wine aged in steel; Disgorged ~ 1997-1998;
$35-50 US)
B.B.: This wine was the surprise of the night for me. I’m not a big fan of the
1992 vintage, but
this wine held its own with the competition. Bold, doughy, and slightly
toasty notes mix
with a nice battle of tart and bitter citrus to form an interesting and
flavor packed
palate. A wonderful grapefruit finish brings this wine home. I found
this to be quite
similar to the NV Pascal Doquet, only more concentrated and slightly
better. As far as 1992
wines go, this is one of the top ten I have tasted. If you can find
some, I would snap it
up and enjoy as this is giving its all right now. Grade of High B+
(88-90 pts).
Find this wine
G.H.: Medium
straw color, with a nutty, slightly sherried character that complements
the neither ripe nor
unripe apple fruit; medium acids, good presence, nice wine.
 NV
Pascal Doquet Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay; Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; Vintage makeup: 47% 1996, 53%
1997; Disgorged ~2002;
$20-75 US, 12% alc.)
B.B.: This wine was available for the ridiculous price of $20 after it didn’t
sell well on release
at a higher price. Anyone who snapped it up on closeout made a very wise
decision. This
wine shows excellent structure and is not a typical light and elegant Le
Mesnil Blanc de
Blancs. While the mouth feel is fluffy and the wine shows a slight
sweetness, this wine is
really about sweet orange, grapefruit and creamy, nut laced dough that
lean towards the
meatier side of spectrum. This wine reportedly does not see any wood,
but I would have
guessed some was present. But, hey, who cares? I like it. Grade of B+
(87-89 pts).
Find this wine
G.H.: Medium straw
color, with a note of nutty sherry over dry, yeasty Chardonnay flavors
and aromas; I finally
understand Brad B.’s tasting descriptor of “fluffy” with this wine,
because there’s no other
way to describe the mouth feel that it offers. He and Jim both comment
that this is
“sweet,” which I didn’t exactly understand, but then they drink a lot
more of this stuff
than I do.
Imported by Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.
~More Champagne (Grower & otherwise)~
Champagne Krug Grande Cuvee Brut NV, 375 ml, $67.99, 12% alc., disgorged
in Nov/Dec of 2001:
Pale gold color, with all the walk and the talk (the big mousse, the
fine, active bead);
yeast and flint on the nose, with more of the same on the palate over
semi-ripe yellow apple
shaded with nutty overtones. Big, rich and intense, with excellent acids
and a long
lingering finish, so with all of this, why do I come away with the
impression that while
it’s a very good Champagne, it’s not a “special” Champagne, especially given the
price and the rep?
This has seen good storage, and has probably been sitting in the temp
controlled cellar of
my department for around three years.
Find this wine
Imported by Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY
Champagne J-P Lamiable Brut Grand Cru NV, Tours-sur-Marne, 12% alc.:
Medium straw in color,
with somewhat yeasty tart green apple flavors and aromas, accented with
undertones of
minerality and hints of bread dough and flint. This shows plenty of
zippy acidity, good
concentration and length on a medium full-bodied frame, and it opens
nicely with some air.
Rich, but not terribly complex; still there’s more than enough here to
sip over a few hours
and quite like it, and I do!
Find this wine
Imported by Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.
Champagne Taittinger La Francaise Brut NV, $45, 12% alc.: Medium straw
color, with an
impressive mousse and a fine, active bead; plenty of yeasty bread dough
on the nose, which,
with a good dose of minerality, takes on a supporting role to the rich
under-ripe apple in
the flavor profile. Plenty of froth in the mouth, zippy acidity, good
intensity and nice
length on the finish. Solid, straightforward Champagne, making no
pretension to be anything
more than it is, and quite enjoyable for all that; frankly, I could
drink this two or three
times a week.
Find this wine
Imported by The Kobrand Corp., New York, NY
Champagne Gaston Chiquet Tradition Brut NV, $43.99, 12.5% alc.,
Disgorged 3/31/06: Medium
straw to pale gold color, with yeast, mineral and under-ripe yellow
apple on a medium to
medium full bodied frame; plenty of zip and good intensity, more so as
it opens and warms,
but not a lot of complexity. The Taittinger La Francaise noted above is
a better glass of
bubbly for my money (and speaking of which, I’d like the Tradition
better if it cost $5-10
less), but still, this is a perfectly acceptable Champagne that I’d much
rather drink than,
say, NV versions of Veuve or Feuillatte.
Find this wine
A Terry Theise Estate Selection – Imported by Michael
Skurnik Wines, NY
Champagne Henriot Blanc Brut Souverain pur Chardonnay NV, approx. $50,
12% alc.: Medium
straw color, with big mousse and an active bead; flavors and aromas of
smoke, yeast, flint
and not quite under-ripe apple show excellent intensity and length. I’d
like to get my
hands on more of this!
Find this wine
Imported by The Henry Wine Group, Benicia, CA
Champagne Moet & Chandon Brut Rosé Imperial NV, $39.99, 12% alc.: Salmon
pink color, with
good mousse and bead; shows some yeast and earth on the nose, and a mix
of cherry and
strawberry in the mouth. Pleasant enough for casual swilling, but
lacking depth, complexity
and terroir, and overpriced for what’s in the bottle.
Find this wine
Imported by Moet-Hennessy USA, New York, NY
~Some Left Coast Bubblies~
I decided to try the following six selections from California to get a
glimpse of what’s coming out of the Golden State over the past few
years, and was pretty pleased with what I tasted.
Roederer
Estate Alexander Valley Brut NV, $19.99, 12% alc.: A blend of
approximately 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir sourced from four
Roederer Estate vineyards, this medium straw offers ample mousse, a fine
active bead and an explosive nose of smoky, yeasty bread dough and
under-ripe apples, all of which echoes loudly on the palate with some
added mineral and rainwater. It shows great balance and racy acidity,
but I get the sense that it might not be all the way there yet, and some
food probably would have helped as well. This had already rested
comfortably in the temperature controlled backstock room of my
department for a year when I brought it home, but I’m wondering if
another year or two might help it along some. Perhaps we need to try
another bottle for clarification?
Find this wine
 Roederer Estate Alexander Valley Brut Rosé NV, 60% Pinot Noir, 40%
Chardonnay, $27, 12% alc. Disgorged 9/05/06: Barely pink, this is
about as pale a rosé as I’ve encountered, sparkling or otherwise, and
what blush there is would seem to be due to a small portion of Pinot
Noir that received an extended maceration added to the blend before
secondary fermentation. I did my best to ease the cork out of the bottle
and it still exploded and pinballed off the ceiling and wall, sending cats
scurrying and Kim ducking. It exhibits big mousse, with a fairly active
bead, and offers smoky, yeasty bread dough-biscuit flavors and aromas,
with some added earthy strawberry and cherry lurking on the palate.
Medium full body, with good concentration, zippy acidity and a long
lingering finish; solid stuff here, if perhaps a little rambunctious
right now. I’d like to try it again in a year or so.
Find this wine
Mumm Napa Brut
Prestige NV, $19.99, 12.5% alc.: Medium straw, with good mousse and
a persistent bead, giving under-ripe apple shaded with some flint and a
bit of yeasty bread dough. It shows good concentration and acidity, and
air definitely helps it; at first, it seems to be missing a little
something, but it really picks it up and fills out after an hour and a
half. This had been in the backstock room of my department for at least
a couple of years, and that’s probably a good thing, as it pairs nicely
with salmon patties and a green salad. Another bottle tasted recently
that was disgorged in September of 2005 would seem to bear that out, as
it lacked the depth and shading of the older model.
Find this wine
Mumm Napa Cuvée M NV, $19.99, 12.5% alc., Disgorged 05/03: Medium
straw in color, showing a slight tinge of amber; good mousse, with a
fairly active bead; flint and unbuttered popcorn first and foremost on
the nose, following through in the flavors with the slightly sweet peach
and citrus character relegated to a supporting role, but still quite
evident. This shows excellent presence and intensity, with lively acids
and a long finish, and knowing that a few cases of this have been in my
department for a few years just waiting for me to discover and liberate
them, I wonder if I’d enjoy a fresh bottle as well as I do this one.
Does it get better and better with air, or is it simply the four
successive glasses? Either works for me, and I might just bring the rest
of this home and put some fresh stuff on the shelf for the semi-sweet
bubbly lovers.
Find this wine
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Blanc de Noirs NV, 92% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay,
$20.99, 12.5%alc.: A paler shade of salmon to the medium straw color
foretells the subtle note of cherry that accents the earthy medium full
bodied red apple flavors, along with hints of yeasty bread dough; it
sports a fine mousse, an active bead, good acids and delightful
intensity of flavor all the way through the long finish. This makes a
very good match for Kim’s homemade pizza with white anchovies, and it
also drinks well on its own; frankly, I could drink it on a regular
basis. Yowza!
Find this wine
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV, $20.99, 12.5% alc.: Medium straw
color, offering a vivid intensity of flavor focused on creamy green
apple with toasty overtones and hints of citrus, all kept moving along
with zippy acidity right through the long finish. If it lacks
complexity, the intensity carries it well at this point, and it would be
interesting to revisit in two or three years to see what develops.
Find this wine
Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo
Other Recent Wine Explorations
Tasting with Jim Lester
No Shiraz at Shiraz (this time...)
More Drawing of the Threes
Spice Route,
Fairview and Goats Galore
The Drawing of the Threes
Ten from
Tablas Creek
Bubbles In
October
Back to the
February 2007 Index
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Back to the Top
© George Heritier February, 2007
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