Champagne

The Krug MV is always a stellar wine but this edition is based on 2011 which was a very difficult vintage.  It also includes almost two hundred different wines going back to the 1995 vintage.   Forty-two percent of the cuvée is made up of Reserve wines.  This wine is stellar.   It has 47 % Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier.  Light pale gold in color.  Lots of tiny bubbles.  The nose has lemons, brioche and slight smoke.  On the palate, those flavors come thru.  It takes a bit of time to open though.  Good acidity.  With air some green apples come out.  Lots of energy here but

Always a great wine, this luxury cuvee is one of the great wines of Champagne.  A real treat to drink.  Gold green in color with a lot of tiny bobbles.  The nose is big and excellent with chalk, slight brioche, a bit of lemon cream, and slightly nutty.  On the palate, this is a big wine but still very young.  Great acidity.  Lemons, slight vanilla, with lots of depth and complexity.  A very long finish.  This needs a few more years until peak but is delicious today.  The score has a couple more points of upside possible.  It easily has fifteen more years left at the top.  It will go with ju

Salon is my favorite Champagne.  Unfortunately, it's price makes it a very rare treat indeed.  Having tasted this wine on release, it didn't seem worth the price, but with some bottle age, this wine was spectacular.  It is, of course, 100% Chardonnay.  Silver gold in color with ton of very tiny bubbles.  The nose has slight toast, a slight amount of oxidation, plenty of green apples and just a slight ginger note.  Wonderful minerality.  On the palate, this has great acidity.  It is a very lively wine that dances across the palate.  Crisp apples, minerals and slight lime/lemon notes.  A long

Medium golden in color.  A nice head of tiny bubbles.  This is 100% Pinot Noir.  The nose is nice with slight toast, a bit of lemons, and slight ginger.  On the palate, a bit of strawberries play with the lemons.  Underlying yeast.  No hint of oak on this wine, it is clean and lean and very refreshing.  It will go well with most foods.  It probably is getting to the point where it should be drunk up in the next few years.  

This is 45% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Meunier.  A nice Champagne for the money.  Light golden in color.  A nice mousse of smaller bubbles.  The nose has toast, yeast and a bit of lemons.  On the palate, those flavors come thru.  This needs some food as there is a bit of acidity here.  Refreshing.  Drink within the first few years of release.  

2018 version.  80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay.  It is composed of the following vintages:  50% 2015, 25% 2014, 25% 2013, with10% Pinot Noir still

2008 is a great vintage for Champagne.  This is the first Dom I have tasted from that vintage.  Outstanding and also a bit unique.  Light golden in color with a very nice mousse of tiny bubbles.  On the nose, this has a a nice meyer lemon note along with an ever so slight nuttiness and a bit of smoke.  It opens slowly with air and never is a big nose at this point but does show bit of ginger root.  On the palate, this is excellent if still young.  Apple cider, fresh green apples, slight toast all mix together.  But what is really fun is the tension in the wine.  This is one of the liveliest

This is delicious.  From an excellent vintage and drinking youthfully.  A blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay.  Light golden in color.  The nose shows green apples, some chalk and marzapan.  Very nice but tight.  More open on the palate.  Very lively acidity.  Green apples and minerals.  It starts out tight and broadens over the palate.  Long finish.  This will work with almost any food.  It is still young although drinking nicely but is likely to improve over the next tne years and be good for at least that long after that.  

Pale silvery/gold in color.  A very nice head of smaller bubbles.  The nose has a nice seltzer quality with good minerality and slight soap.  On the palate, this is clean with good acidity.  Lemons with a slight mint note.  Good finish.  A really nice way to begin an event and share with friends.  Probably better to drink sooner than later.  

Nice to revisit this one again (other notes are posted on this site).  It is always interesting to follow a wine over time.  What was a very concentrated and precise wine on release has started to broaden out and showing some development.  It is still a youthful wine with plenty of energy at 13 years from vintage.  Light golden in color with a nice frothy mousse with tiny bubbles.  The nose has a bit of yeast/baked bread with a lemon peel note.  On the palate, this has a nice citrus over a slightly earthy quality.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is showing a nice complexity and depth.  W