Open and voluptiously fruity scent - rather atypical for a Bl de Bl. Mousse is fine, but maybe a touch big but this is forgivable in such a QPR Champagne. Low dosage apparently(?) but very fruity, savoury and voluptious. Long. Very fine, but just not my style of Champ. But strangely I just can't put my finger on why I don't really like it. The voluptiousness? Hmmmm. But I do like some voluptious Champagnes.
Gimonnet Brut Spécial Club 1999
Very open and even sweet scent with more pear than apple (cf. the prosecco below!). Fine mousse. Again a seemingly low dosage but voluptious fruit. Savoury and big but again not really my style. And, annoyingly, I still can't really understand why I don't really like it.
Jean Vesselle Brut Réserve
Ahhh! Here we have a Champ! Vomit and flowers on the nose, very Pinot'y (as expected from 80% PN, 20% Chard) and figgy. The mousse is very fine and intense. The palate is savoury, has pin point precision, has maybe a higher dosage than the Gimonnets but still comes across as a more savoury and food friendly wine. More austere also. Is that what I want from my Champs? Perhaps that was the reason I didn't really care for the Gimonnets - they didn't have the elegant austerity I like.
Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée 1998
Very fine scent of digestive bisquits, dried apple - very compact and coiled like a spring. As is the palate: lovely acidity (no malo?) supported by fine fruit, again very compact and is just waiting to burst out its seams. Great potential. I liked it very much.
Rivalta Prosecco Brut Valdobbiadene
Very fine, if a bit atypical Prosecco scent: white flowers and apple rather than the typical pear (cf. Gim Spe Club '99). Very dry, finally pear on the palate, mineral, very nice. As good as Bisol can be, which is saying much!
Domaine Piquemal, Roussillon
Cuvée Justin 2004
Cab S, Grenache Noir, Syrah. Big, warm and confected scent. Juicy, little structure. Simple and spoofulated.
Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2001
Animal scent, very fruity yet savoury. The palate is also big and not very discreet but is very well balanced and very savoury. Long. A very fine modern style wine.
Muscat de Rivesaltes 2005
Odd. The nose has sea-breeze and hedge and is very, very savoury and has no hint of sweetness. The palate, however, is luscious and very Muscaty/grapy. Very fine despite the dichotomy between the nose and palate.
Rivesaltes Ambré 1988
Warm dung and strawberry with a bit of earth. Great scent, I love it. The palate is very sweet but has fine acidity and enough complexity for me to linger over it for quite a while
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J-M Boillot Domaine Les Roques VdP d'Oc 2001
A Burgundy négociant IIRC? Well, this was a fine modern style wine with lovely fruit concentration and purity with a touch of dung, red berries and even a touch of cigar box. The palate is more dark toned than the scent and is finely balanced if a touch extracted for me. Fine.
Feyles Barbaresco Riserva 1998
A fairly classic nose of red berries, rust, tomato, very savoury though not very tarry or earthy. Sweet fruit, tannic (doh! I shouldn't repeat the obvious), decent acidity but less that expected, and fine length. A mid-modernist perhaps? Or was the year so warm that it caused a more overt fruitiness than expected? Very fine, though not top notch!
Cadia, Piemonte
Dolcetto d'Alba 2004
The loveliest and most pure scent of raspberry. Some earth and dark fruit also. The palate was juicy and savoury and light but with fine structure and the lovelies bitterness. Very nice.
Barbera d'Alba Palazotto 2003
Grrrr! Such a nice Dolcetto and then this. Oak. I've not really found anything on this producer but it smells like he uses Barriques. And we just got rid of Berlusconi (perhaps). The palate was big and burly and un-Barberaish. I suppose for those who like block buster Barberas this is great. I'll steer clear of it however.
Barolo 2000
Oak. Again, he probably uses Barriques. Sweet oak juice. Not for me please. Such a shame really, the Dolcetto was so nice and typical.