NV Jean Milan Sec Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru “Tendresse”
Disgorged 2/10; half 2006, half 2007. Good mousse/larger bubbles than some; pale yellow color. Very fresh, lightly sweet nose, with floral, pear, brioche, and lightly smoky aromas. Full-bodied, very elegant, fresh, crisp, clean, and off-dry – Terry Theise’s Kabinett comparison is pretty accurate in my opinion, as long as we are talking about a more “traditional” Kabinett vintage like 2008. There is more residual sugar here than a good producer’s Brut, but this is not a dessert wine, either. Very floral, somewhat chalky, with pear, peach, cherimoya, and lightly honeyed notes. Some allspice notes develop over the course of three hours after opening. More mineral finish. Excellent.
Also, I noticed on Cellartracker that some people referred to the label as being "tacky"; I'll have to disagree here. Although I could understand if someone though the label was too feminine, I think that it does a great job of conveying a sense of the tradition and heritage of the Milan family as Champagne growers. The portrait of Caroline Milan's great-grandmother may not be the equal of a Sargent or a Vermeer. That said, I believe that it manages to be sentimental without being kitschy, and effectively connects this wine with a former era when higher dosages were more common in Champagne. Just my opinion.
