2000 Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc
From Magnum. Pale yellow in the glass with a refined, toasty brioche aroma, this wine delivered very clean, natural flavors of lemon-accented biscuit and brioche on a tide of moussy foam. It lacked the power and complexity of some vintage Champagnes I’ve tasted, but what this wine did, it did very well. The elegance of its pure, sweet fruit reminded me of a medieval soprano church solo. My guess is that this would improve for a few more years.
This went well with sushi and scallops broiled in proscuitto. About $50 at a local retailer.
2001 Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf de Pape
Decanted about half an hour. Dark red, nose of garrigue, smoke and cherries. Flavors to match, slight early hardness and acid bite smoothing with additional time to make a pleasing round mouthful. Medium-bodied with some tannins on the moderate finish, though not unpleasant. I would grade this a solid B, a bit below St. Cosme Gigondas, which has become something a of a S. Rhone benchmark for me.
This seems pretty ready to me – I’d be interested in whether more experienced CDP tasters expect this to improve. Not a natural with roast chicken – needs some mellow red meat. $19-21 pre-release at McArthurs in WDC.