New Year eve to jan 3rd

[Nicklasss]

Few bottles of Champagne, a good Rhône, a relatively great Barolo, an excellent Chambolle and a revisit of a 2011 Saint - Estèphe. More details tomorrow.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

31st to 3rd

From the 31st to the 3rd, of course it was the time for some Champagne, as well as other good wines. Diners and long evening are following each other, with family or friends.

Many Champagne opened, here are quick TN:

Tarlant Brut Zero: very dry, high acids, mineral, with a good lemon core, and light red berries too. Stay light but a style I like. 1/3 of each type of grape. Tn: 90.

Piper Heidseik NV: rich, more sweet, crust bread, pears, good bubbles. Rich and but heavy. Tn: 87.

Ayala Brut majeur: like a mixture of the Tarlant and Piper. Nicely done, elegance, but with some richness. Fruit, minerals, yeast, long with a relatively dry finish. i liked a lot. Tn: 91.

Pol Carson NV: friends brought that back from France this summer. Rich like the Piper, very fruity with yellow apple, confit lemon, yeast, brown bread crust. Finish is balanced and long. Very good. Tn: 90.

Taittinger NV: balanced, long, just the right amount of dosage, light yeast, ginger, lemon, good sparkling bubbles. Finish is just a bit sweet. Tn: 89.

Duval Leroy rosé NV: dry, refined, red berries, strawberries, ginger ale, honey, mineral and lemon. Very very good. Tn: 91.

Chartogne-Taillet Couarres Château Extra Brut: from the 2012 vendange. Very good, with red apples, red berries, chalk, minerals. 100 % pinot noir. Good body, dry, good acids, good bubbles. A level up from their Cuvée Ste-Anne. Tn: 92.

Now, the few red wines:

2004 Pio Cesare Barolo: now starting to be in a right place. Roses, ashes, violets flowers, herbs or light thyme, the mouth is rich but also focus, and very nebbiolo. Good acids, rose mist in mouth, flavors of acidic red currants, red and black licorice. Long, with good tannins. Excellent and for a long time. Tn: 92-93.

2012 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle-Musigny: excellent village, needs few more years. But already a great mixture of little sweet red berries and small fields strawberries, aromatic herbs, cigare blond tobacco, vanille, oak, and lots of old red flowers. Medium to strong nose. Mouth is light but long. Complex already, very very seductive, some tannins, with the same flavors as on the nose. Long perfumed aftertaste. Tn: 91+.

2011 Chateau Calon Segur: starting to close? Less expressive than the bottle opened with dstgolf and Jimhow 14 months ago, but again a medium dark red wine with aromas of blackcurrants, light green peppers, spices, vanilla and smoky minerals. Mouth is medium weight, very classic plums and blackcurrants flavors, a bit meaty, but still long. Very good. Tn: 90.

That is about it. Resolution for 2018, a bit less wine, a bit more sport and vegetables.

Happy New Year to all.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

I forgot the Rhône, 2012 Domaine des Hautes Cances Col du Débat Cairanne: from vines oriented north, dark, nice nose, licorice, herbs, concentrated rasberries, but even if 14.5 % alcohol, don't feel it at all. Mouth is nice. Some light tar in the rasberry and red berry fruit. More licorice and blackberry on the decent long final. Tn: 88-89.

Nic

[JimHow]

2011 Chateau Calon Segur: starting to close? Less expressive than the bottle opened with dstgolf and Jimhow 14 months ago, but again a medium dark red wine with aromas of blackcurrants, light green peppers, spices, vanilla and smoky minerals. Mouth is medium weight, very classic plums and blackcurrants flavors, a bit meaty, but still long. Very good. Tn: 90.

Nic:
Bordeaux should be drunk between 8-20 years following the vintage.
Jim

[jal]

Lots of Champagne! Between you and Stefan, it's a wonder any of us get to see any of the stuff anymore.
How did Marie Claude like the Barolo?
Happy New Year, Nicolas

[DavidG]

Nice selection of wines Nic. Never heard of Pol Carson. Wonder if it gets imported to the US?

[dstgolf]

Happy New Year Nic. Sounds like you drank well over the holidays. Is that Pol Carson a growers champagne? I must say one of our highlights from our trip through Epernnay a few years back was drinking some of the lesser champagnes produced by the grand cru growers from Ay. We had some fabulous champagnes that you rarely if ever find in North America. One of my buddies has a line on a product consultant through the SAQ in Quebec who regularly gets her hands on growers champagne that is only imported into Quebec. I've been promised to be included in this tight loop in the upcoming year. Fingers crossed and there are certainly some great champagnes being produced by the growers that supply the Krugs/Doms/Crystals etc and they keep the best back for themselves. I was blown away by their quality and not sure if Alex or Tim can add anything about the availability of these in France.

[Nicklasss]

DavidG, i also don't have too much info about Pol Carson Champagne, never heard about it before. Like dstgolf says, when in France you have access to lot of bubbly that will never make it to North America.

Jal, Marie-Claude liked the 2004 Pio Cesare Barolo. It was even her favorite nebbiolo since a long time, as normally she doesn't care. Now I need to understand if it is the age that helped, the vintage or the producer style... Happy New Year to Jill and you. Health and keep your great good mood in 2018!

Nic