NV Henri Giraud Champagne Esprit Nature, France, Wine Review

This is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Golden in color, clear and bright with a nice mousse of tiny bubbles. The nose has lots of peach with some strawberries and spice. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, the peach comes thru along with a touch of pineapple. Clean, long finish. A tasty wine that is drinking very well. Drink over the next few years. This is very food friendly and will go well with many foods. It worked nicely with Thai food.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Current Price:

$45.00USD

NV Tarlant Champagne Zero Brut Nature, France, Wine Revieew

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$48.00USD

This is a blend of 32% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 32% Meunier, and 4% Petit Meslier, Arbanne, and pinot Blanc according to the label. Of course, Zero Brut nature is an indication that this is the driest level of Champagne and has no added sugar prior to bottling. Light golden in color with a frothy mousse of tiny bubbles. Clear and bright. The nose is great with spice, ginger, slight golden delicious apples and a hint of lemon peel. Great acidity. Dry. On the palate, lemon peel with minerality and a touch of toast. Long finish. Very impressive.

2004 Henri Goutorbe Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Vintage:

2004

Score:

Grade:

B+

Consumed on a Celebrity Cruise Ship (Alaska) wine tasting. A blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. Pale golden with some green hues and a steady stream of tiny bobbles. The nose is interesting with toast and limes. Perhaps a slight bit of oxidation. On the palate, this is somewhat demur but had plenty of stuffing. On the palate, more about minerality with slight pear and a bit of chalk. An interesting bitter almond note on the finish. Good acidity. This is drinking maturely but nice right now. Depending on how one likes older Champagnes, this is probably best drunk sooner th

NV Maison de Grand Esprit Champagne Marquis de La Mysteriale, France, Wine Review

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$40.00USD

This is a nice Champagne with a strong marketing team behind it. They push the Marquis de Mysteriale line as being a "new story" in French winemaking, but this wine seems pretty traditional. Of course, in Champagne, that is not a bad thing at all! Light golden in color, clear and bright. There are a lot of tiny bubbles making up the mousse. The nose is nice with brioche and a slightly nutty note. Medium bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, toast, with green apples. Moderate finish. This drinks well on its own and is very food friendly. A nice way to begin an evening.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$75.00USD

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

2008 Caillez-Lemaire Champagne Extra Brut Cuvee Jadis, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

A-

From the excellent 2008 vintage. This is 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and,10% Pinot Munier. Light golden in color, clear and bright. A fair amount of tiny bubbles. The nose has apples, slight cider notes, and a touch of chalk. Medium bodied. Good acidity. The fruit is ripe which comes off a bit sweet but that calms down with air. Nice apple fruit. Solid finish. This is drinking quite well now and should continue to do so for the next decade. It went well with a varied menu from Shishido peppers and garlic to sharp Cheddar.

NV Henri Giraud Champagne Esprit Nature, France, Wine Review

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