Tuesday headed to New Canaan for a tasting of NV Champagne with some bottle age. Dan had a nice spread of pate and cheese. He started us with a blind bubbly. Loads of citrus, tangy, low dosage, supercrisp. Someone guesses BdB, but Dan says traditional Champagne blend. Then he reveal it’s not Champagne. 2009 Maso Martis “Madame Martis” Brut Zero (Trento) . B+/B
Really, the NV Champagnes showed extraordinarily well. We drank youngest to oldest based on base year, I kept revising scores, so instead will just group by preference
Outstanding to unbelievable
Marie-Noëlle Ledru Brut NV ( base year 2010) -chalky,crisp, taut, lemon and pineapple, touch of hazelnut, so long!
Marguet Rose Grand Cru. (base 2008, disgorged May 2013) beautiful, sweet cherry and strawberry, rye bread, citrus zest, elegant alluring and long
Wonderful
Marguet Reserve Brut (base 2009) Jeff and Mike said this was a transitional bottling as he moved to full biodynamic.
Bruno Paillard “Premiere Cuvee Brut (base 2010,disgorged June 2014) bready, structured, excellent
Jacquesson No. 736 Extra Brut NV (base year 2008) young, sturdy, long. In notes I loved this 2014-2017, should have bought/kept more
Candidate for WOTN most night
Pol Roger White Label Brut NV, ( base 2010) Fresh, classic, breadbox, plenty of dosage but integrated.
Bereche & Fils Brut Reserve (base 2015 disgorged January 2018) big complex nose, long finish
Tarlant Brut Reserve (base 2009 6 gr/l) I actually didn’t care for this at first, thought there was an offputting sour note, but John suggested I retaste with the French onion soup and magic occurred- sourness gone, deliciousness added.
Camille Saves Cuvee de Reserve (purchased 2010)- big, cherry and apple, biscuit, quite a bit of dosage. Nice in a lush style
Laval Cumieres Extra Brut (base 2008) some oxidative notes, but powerful and long
Happy to have on my table anytime
Taittinger Les Folies de la Marquetterie Brut (2015 base) fleshy but taut, still young, lots of lime and some dough.
Laval “Cumieres” Brut Nature (base 2010)- 375 mls - one bottle was corked, but other much better, some oxidative qualities, mushroom, pretty pear fruit.
Not as big a fan
Godme Extra Brut Grand Cru (Purchased 2010)- corked
Krug Grand Cuvée Pre-Gold Label (edited to note base year 1996, not 2004) mushrooms, oxidative, some people LOVED but I tolerated.
After the Champagnes (except the Rose, which was actually later) and French onion soup, Dan put out 2 blind whites with the main course, lovely sous vide chicken breasts with mushroom sauce, and a saffrony risotto with tomato and basil,
#1 Brisk acids, some vanillin oak, stone fruits and a little honeysuckle. I assumed it was Burg, nope! 2018 Cervaro della Sala (Antinori) B+
#2 enter Lazarus. I thought oxidized, some others thought corked. Dank and dark. But miraculously while we were trying reds (after the sad reveal) the color lightened, the dankness cleared, and a nice Coche emerged. Apple, mint, grass, and iodine. Long and bracing. 2004 Coche-Dury Meursault B+
Dan exits and returns with a red in decanter. Clearly Burg, and Mike gets 2004 on first guess. But we struggle with appellation. Raspberry and pomegranate, leafy, some pineneedle and herbs.
2004 Coche-Dury Auxey-Duresses B+
Another blind red. This is clearly Bordeaux, but I initially thought Margaux. Aromatic berries, smoke, light herby note. Really delicious 1989 Magdelaine A-
Another! Very prominent herbs, clearly RB, I guess ripe vintage Figeac. Ripe, herby, elegant and long. Gets better and better. 1982 Magdelaine. A-/A
Extraordinary night - great company, food, and wine. One of funnest tastings in ages. I only wish I wasn’t spitting!
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.