Champagne

Spectacular Champagne.  The P2 series is held back for almost 15 years before being released.  This one is from the excellent 2002 vintage.  The extra time has served to make this a bit fuller and rounder but with all the verve of the original release.  Golden in color with some green hues.  A lovely stream of tiny bubbles in the fluted glass.  On the nose, this is smoky with lemons, salinity and spice (ground coriander?).  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is incredibly smooth and seamless.  Deep.  Notes of lemons, limes, smoke and salinity.  Great balance.  Incredibly long finish.  And, d

This is 100% Pinot Noir from an excellent producer if a bit under the radar.  Light golden in color, with a nice mousse of fine bubbles.  The nose has slate, chalk, apples and Meyer lemons.  Medium bodied with moderate acidity.  On the palate, the  Meyer lemons come thru along with some chalk.  Very tasty.   Good finish.  This is drinking very well now and should continue over the next five to eight years.  It is nice on its own and will work well with almost any food.  

My first time trying this (available only in Magnum), it was obviously young and needed some time to open. The  is made from 100% old vine (80 to 100 years old) Clairette grapes.  Very concentrated and unique.  The nose shows almonds, limes, some peach and wax.  Full bodied.  It seemed a bit blowsy.  On the palate, almonds and limes come thru along with some wax.  It is very concentrated yet also has some volume to it.  With every sip my palate adjusted and I enjoyed it more and more.

Tasted from Magnum.  Great showing.  In the world of semi-affordable Champagne, this is one of the top Rose's.  Ruby/copper in color, clear and bright.  A steady steam of tiny bubbles form a pretty mousse.  The nose has strawberries, slight orange peel and just a hint of currants.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  Fresh and clean.  On the palate, the red currants really come out along with a bit of red raspberries.  Nice finish.  This drinks easily and served as a wonderful prelude to a long dinner, both stimulating the palate and working well with Potato Pave.  Drink over the next few years

Always a pleasure to try this wine although it underperformed expectations for the  wine in this vintage.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  Nice mousse with lots of tiny bubbles.  The nose is toasty with slight lemon and a hint of smoke.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has tart acidity.  Green apples with slight lemon.  Very long on the finish.  This is very tasty.  It seems to be about at peak or at least turning from a young vibrant Champagne to a mature one.  Drink  over the next ten years unless you like them old.  This is very food friendly and would work with just about any fo

First time trying  the producer.  A very nice reasonably priced Champagne.  It is a blend of 50% Pinot Meunier, 25% Pinot Noir, and 25% Chardonnay.  Apparently the last few generations of the family were all Hot Air Balloon enthusiasts so the label features a hot air balloon.  Light golden in color, clear and bright with a fair amount of smallish bubbles.  The nose is nice; toasty with some green apples and a bit of ginger.  On the palate, the toastiness comes thru along a nice minerality and some lemons.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This makes for a very pleasant start to an evening.  It

Light golden in color, lots of tiny bubbles, clear and bright.  Nice mousse.  The nose is toasty with some green apples.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is very nice.  Toasty with apples.  Nice acidity.  The finish is a bit clipped.  Overall, a fine, less expensive Champagne that would be nice for parties.  It drinks well on its own and will work well with canopies.  Drink over the next year or two.

This was Magnum 94/200.  A friend's daughter was awarded this bottle from her employer, and she presented it to him for his 60th birthday which was generously shared with his friends.  Amazing wine.  Silvery gold in color, a steady stream of tiny bubbles, clear and bright.  The nose is big with toast, Meyer Lemons, chalk and a hint of ginger.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is so smooth, yet so crisp.  Flavors of green apples, orange peel, minerals and some toast.  So complex and deep.  Incredibly long finish.  This is the best DP since at least 1996.  Quite a treat.  In Magnum format, i

This is made from six of the seven authorized grapes in Champagne.  Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Arbane, and Petit Meslier (Pinot Gris (called Fromenteau in Champagne is the one not used).  Golden in Color with a lot of tiny bubbles, clear and bright.  The nose is strong with a tad of oxidation.  Caramel, Vernor's Soda, and slight nuttiness.  Perhaps a slim touch of lemons.  A strong backbone of acidity on the palate.  A bit toasty with apples and some nuttiness comes thru.  Medium length finish.  This is very good on its own but would work better with food.  Soft che

This is a commemorative bottle for the release of the James Bond movie, No Time to Die.  Golden in color, clear and bright, with a steady stream of tiny bubbles.  The bubbles disappear quickly in the glass though.  The nose is toasty with a bit of nuttiness and brioche.  Also some smoke and slight apple.  Tart green apples on the palate.  Some depth.  Easy drinking with a long finish the begs another sip.  This is a fun wine and for a James Bond themed party would be great but at the same time, this is $20 more than the regular version and really not as good.  It is very food frien