1 December 2011

I love champagne! So this was one of the most anticipated tastings for the year.

One of the challenges of reviewing NV champagne is that there is no way of knowing how old the bottle is. Like every other wine, champagne evolves as it ages, (often for the better in the short term). To get around this, all wines in the tasting were purchased within a few weeks of the tasting.

We did have to purchase most of the wines ourselves, but thanks needs to go to Paul at Vintage Cellars for helping out with some of the wine.

The star of the tasting was the Drappier. This was uniformly enjoyed by the entire panel. It is currently being sold for $40 and is a Vintage Cellars exclusive. It is a little more expensive than our perennial favourite – Pol Gessner, but it is probably a touch better (and a Blanc de Blanc).

There were some very good wines from both big and small houses, so there is plenty on offer this Christmas.

Reviewed

Pol Roger – NV (18.3). Refined and very stylish. There is a touch of spice that I can’t place but there are also hints of red fruits. Great length with excellent complexity, this builds in the mouth with a corresponding increase in flavour. A fine champagne.

Gosset – Grand Reserve – NV (18.2). Now this is interesting. Very appealing nose that combines chardonnay derived minerality with finesse and life. Very lively in the mouth, with a fine mousse. Develops richness and texture as it warms up. Very long and perhaps the most complete wine to date. Mainstream, and all the better for it.

Louis Roederer – NV (18+). Floral, and forward fruit. Very vigorous mousse. Long and complex, this is a complete wine though it needs a few years to hit its peak.

Drappier – Signature – Blanc de Blanc – NV – (18). Lovely nose that displays autolysis, bread dough and minerality. A lovely palate that is fresh, vibrant and full of life with hints of grapefruit. Not overly complex, but this will develop with time in the bottle. A refreshing aperitif style. Delivers on the promise of a “mouth-ful of joy” and is a bargain at $40 from Vintage Cellars.

Serge Mathieu – Tradition – Blanc de Noir – NV – (18). Restrained and elegant, this is quintessential champagne. Fantastic palate that is full of life and energy, yet there is a degree of restraint that makes the palate almost seamless. Excellent length and mouth-feel. A very fine wine of real class.

Serge Mathieu – Cuvee Prestige – NV (18). Lovely nose. Fresh, with floral notes and hints of brioche and fresh bread. The palate is refined and long showing minerality and a degree of complexity that really develops in the mouth. A very stylish, if somewhat mainstream wine.

Tribaut Schloesser – Brut Origine – NV (18). Fine mousse, Lovely colour and great nose. Very refined, very long and totally delicious. It is hard to pin down any one flavour as the wine evolves continuously in the mouth. I like it a lot, though it is a dryer style.

Paul Barra – Brut Reserve – NV (17.9). More autolysis and lees notes to this wine. More mainstream, but very enjoyable. The dosage is perhaps a touch higher, though this plays well against the fresh acidity. Very good length and nice creaminess, this is an excellent stand-alone wine. From Grand Cru vineyards.

Arras – EJ Carr – Late Disgorged – 1999 (17.8). Richer and more developed. A touch darker in the glass. Showing obvious aged notes. The length is the key here. Remarkably fine mousse and a very fine wine. It would be easy to dismiss this wine as it is so refined, but it really does build in the mouth. One taster described this as Chablis with bubbles. Not cheap.

Pierre Gimonet – Paradoxe – 2004 (17.8). Much more of the autolysis, lees and yeasty notes. Another very enjoyable if somewhat richer wine. Good length and intensity, without the refinement of the very best here. Fine, classy, elegant and long, minerality the key.

Billecart Salmon – Brut Reserve – NV (17.5). More obvious mousse and more forward on the nose. A very attractive and easy to drink wine that is both reasonably complex and long. The flavours develop in the mouth. Not quite the life of the best, but very easy to drink.

Tribaut Schloesser – Cuvee Rene – NV (17.5). Balanced, elegant and appealing. An appealing wine in a more commercial style. Unmistakably champagne, with apple and pear overtones. Not overly long, but a good drink.

Vilmart – Grand Reserve – NV (17.2). Rounder and more developed. Pleasant wine with apple acidity that carries the palate well. Enjoyable. Not as long as the best, but this is a textured wine aided by a degree of oak aged complexity. Do not serve it too cold.

Grant Burge – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – NV – (16.7). Rich and quite broad in the palate. An enjoyable wine with lovely texture and good length. There are red fruits with hints of apple and autolytic characters.