By: AJ McClellan
One of my favorite tastings to do is Champagne Friday. This one was one of our better tastings of this theme with some fantastic bottles such as Armand de Brignac, Krug, and Salon making appearances.
NV Simonnet Febvre Rose – A light and quaffable rose, brilliant to start with because of its lightness on the palate and fresh acidity. This has long been a favorite of the bubbles in the $20 range.
MV Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades – This was one of the featured bottles of the night. This was an interesting multi-vintage champagne featuring 2002, 2003, and 2005. The bottle is the essence of “bling” with gold plating and a giant Ace of Spades emblem on the front of the bottle. For all the packaging, the bottle falls a little short for me. The wine is still very good, but when compared against other wines in the same price range it fails to meet expectations. That being said, I have not tried an example of the wine with age on it. Who knows, maybe the aggressive effervescence will mellow out a little and the wine will pull its self together with a decade or two in the bottle…
NV Krug Grand Cuvee – Now this bottle is always a pleasure to taste, Krug’s entry level wine selling at a third the price of the Armand de Brignac, the Krug is simply stunning with a refreshing nose of apricot and white peach I could sit with this bottle all day and never get tired of it.
1996 Nyetimber Blanc de Blanc – An interesting find by Simon, a fantastic bottle of bubbles from England! When I first tasted this wine I called it GC vintage Champagne because of the excellent minerality and elegance of the bottle. This bottle is a steal for only $70…
NV Ruinart – Another unsung hero, one of the dreaded Yellow Labels competitors, this bottle is a delight to drink with light peach and pear notes and a core of limestone that lets you know this wine is serious about quality.
NV Beau Joie Brut – This bottle has some of the most interesting packaging I have ever seen. Looking like it just came out of a bad medieval movie; the bottle was encased in an armor of pink chainmail that if anything gave the bottle a very distinctive look.
NV Beau Joie Rose – I was very impressed with this bottle; despite the gaudy packaging the wine was quite refined with a nose of light strawberries and subtle yeast. The palate was silky with elegant red fruits and a slight mineral backing.
1996 Salon – Salon is notorious for being a wine that needs time, but we simply could not give this bottle the additional 10 years that it needed… With time the 96 Salon is going to be one of the greats; even now the bottle is fantastic with creamy white peach essence and thinly sliced green apples. The thing that sets this wine apart from others is the delicate and involved network of minerality that threads through the wine holding together the creamy fruit and the blazing acidity with a perfect balance.
NV Mumm Cement – Another bargain wine that is fantastic, if you can find it… Originally this wine was only made for the friends and family of Mumm. Now, however, a small allocation is allowed into the market for your drinking pleasure. This wine tasted green and red pear with green apple and a soft floral note with a stone backing of blue rock.
2000 Pierre Peters Cuvee Le Chetillons – A lovely grower Champagne from the winemaker of La Grande Dame. Quince, pear, and nectarine on the nose with a lively yeast note on the nose. The palate is full and powerful with a great balance and long finish.
After all the bubbles were done it was time to dig into the locker and pull out some great wines for the table to share. We ended up staying long into the night drinking fine wines and munching down on some ordered pizza for the table.
1989 Jean Tardy NSG – A quaffable Burgundy with burnt cherry notes and a weak mineral note on the back end.
1999 Groffier Bonnes Mares GC – Burgundy is infamous, hooking you with a remarkable bottle then leaving you to chase the dragon looking for your next fix. Well, this is that mind blowing, epic, life changing bottle that will start people on that crazy winding path that we call the love of Burgundy. Brilliant nose of fresh strawberry patch, toast, vanilla, mushrooms, and forest floor. The palate is a weekend at the spa, starting you off with a cleansing of fresh red fruits then moving to an earthiness that gives your palate an invigorating mud bath, and last but not lease is the rejuvenating massage of acidity and minerality that finish you off with pure delight.
1999 Lynch Bages – Classic Bordeaux with graphite, plum, black cherry and bold forest floor. I was very impressed with this wine despite its youth; I thought it was drinking like a champ.
2008 Kesner Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay – This single vineyard Chard from Kesner gives me hope for Napa Valley Chardonnays. The wine shows excellent fruit with white peaches and lemon zest. There is also a distinct toast that reminds me of a great White Burgundy.
2008 OV Cabernet Sauvignon – The second label of Futo wines, this Cab S, Cab F, and PV blend is quite delicious. Ripe juicy fruit with big tobacco and dark chocolate let you know this second label means business.
2001 d’Yquem – This was my first time to taste the 100 point Sauterne. WOW!! What a wine, sweet nectarine, ripe apricot, steamed quince, honeysuckle, and vanilla bean on the nose. The palate was remarkable; walking that tightrope of sweetness and acidity that d’Yquem does so well.