Rasmus Thingholm
ExpertChampagne Ambassador from Copenhagen
Instagram: @champagnebandits
#9 in Denmark on Vivino (Champagne)
Styles
Sparkling21
Countries
France21Regions
Champagne21Producers
Bollinger3
Billecart-Salmon2
Charles Heidsieck2
Delamotte1
Ulysse Collin1
21 tasted
Sparkling wineDelamotte Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2008
29.10.2022
Delamotte 2008 – stepping into the sun
House: Delamotte
Bottle: Brut Blanc de Blancs 2008
Grapes: 100 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 6,5 g/L (Brut)
It is no secret that Salon is considered one of the greatest champagnes.
It is also no secret, that if your older brother is Michael Laudrup, you will always be overshone even when you’re as talented as Brian.
It is undoubtedly the same story for Delamotte, Salon’s less hyped and famous little sister. But in 2008, Delamotte decided that enough was enough. With their 2008 vintage, Delamotte has stepped out of the towering shadows of Salon and into the sun on its very own merits, as Salon also produced a 2008 vintage thus not leaving any grapes for the Delamotte brand, as they otherwise do in the years Salon is not produced.
I welcome Delamotte to the sunny side 🌞
Characteristics:
On the nose, the wine delivers an instant and intense sensation of depth and elegant complexity. It is like entering and old wet chalky cellar – probably during wartime, as there is clearly a little gunpower in the mix. This is accompanied by some citrusy notes and subtle hints of hazel and brioche. Reminiscing the nose of Dom Perignon cuveés.
On the palate, the wine delivers a fine mix of freshness from elegant bubbles and chalky minerality combined with some lovely aging notes of hay and pastry with a hidden fruity sweetness. A well-rounded wine.
With the 2008 vintage, Delamotte upped the ante in several ways. They used grapes from all 6 of the Côte des Blancs grand crus, increased the maturation of the wine on the lees to 9 years and reduced the production volume. Together with the choice of allowing malolactic fermentation, this has delivered a brilliant result.
Value for money: 9,5 of 10
Rating: 92🍾
Sparkling wineCharles Heidsieck Brut Millesime 2006
29.10.2022
Heidsieck 2006: A product of legends
House: Charles Heidsieck (Reims)
Bottle: Vintage 2006
Grapes: 58 % Pinot Noir & 42 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 10 g/L (Brut)
The Maison of Charles Heidsieck needs no introduction, and neither does Régis Camus, the Chef de Cave at Heidsieck in 2006 – but I will give you guys one anyway!
Régis Camus was appointed cellar master of Charles Heidsieck when legend Daniel Thibault, whom he had worked with at Heidsieck since 1994, passed away in 2002. Régis filled out the void and held his own by winning no less than 8 awards as Sparking Winemaker of the Year (IWC). No wonder this vintage has such class.
2006 was a quite good year led on by a good beginning to the summer as well as absence of any frost in spring. August was more unstable and quite rainy, but September was unusually good leading to a four-week harvest in champagne, which is highly unusual (long). Most prestige cuvées are made in 2006, including the bigger brother to this one, the Blanc des Millénaires 2006.
This bottle was disgorged January 2018 which means that it had roughly 11 years on the lees! For a non-prestige, that is just madness. That is more than many prestige cuvées, including Cristal, Dom Perginon, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill etc.
Characteristics:
On the nose, it is fresh. Incredibly fresh considering its age and date of disgorgement. Soon, however, it transitions into a more full and fatty density with some buttery and toasted notes. This is accompanied by some of the CH-signature “hay-ish” notes as well as summery white flowers and light and flinty notes.
On the palate, it comes across a bit thin and feeble kindly reminding one not to be hasty – give it time. After 15 minutes, it opens properly and takes its proper posture and creamy texture with an acidic touch, the CH-toast and some mild minerality and saltiness.
Value for money: 8 of 10
Rating: 91 🍾
Sparkling wineDom Perignon 2010
23.10.2022
Dom Pérignon 2010.
A surprisingly well Prestige Cuvée from Hautvillers despite of a troubled vintage and harvest due to two days of diluvian rain in the middle of August and Pinot Noir grapes being affected by botrytis.
House: Moët & Chandon (Épernay)
Bottle: Dom Pérignon Vintage 2010
Grapes: 54 % Chardonnay & 46 % Pinot Noir
Dosage: 5 g/L (Brut)
Characteristics:
The colour is pale gold and this cuvée has a rich, soft mousse of fine bubbles. Initially, it was not as expressive in the aromas as anticipated for a DP. It becomes better and better upon breathing and after 10 minutes in the glass we noted beautiful aromas of white jasmine, candied citrus, sweet pear, pineapple and a subtle smokiness. Later on the Chardonnay really showed off its characteristics with dominant aromas of toasted bread with salty butter, crispy citrus and a hint of honey.
On the palate it remains creamy, solid and fatty with characteristic notes of ripe tropical fruits such as pineapple, white peach and mango, pie crust, juicy citrus and sweet pears.
Furthermore, the persistence of the finish of DP 2010 is overwhelming and really reveals the future potential of this vintage.
On 29 September 1694, the French Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon wrote that his mission was to create “the best wine in the world”.
Pérignon dedicated himself to improving viticulture techniques, perfecting the art of blending grapes from different crus, and introduced the gentle and fractional pressing to obtain white wine from black grapes.
The core of the blend of Dom Pérignon is the eight historical Grands Crus – Aÿ, Bouzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Le Mesnil – plus the legendary Hautvillers Premier Cru.
Value for Money: 8 of 10
Rating: 93🍾
Sparkling winede Venoge Grand Vin des Princes 1982
23.10.2022
First meeting with one of the fine wines of the princes 🇳🇱🤴🏻🇫🇷
House: Champagne de Venoge (Épernay)
Bottle: Grand Vin des Princes 1982, Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru
Grapes: 100 % Chardonnay
Dosage: N/A (Brut)
Characteristics:
A deep golden colour and huge complexity with aromas of ripe plums, marzipan, apricot marmelad, fruity sherry, chocolate, coffee and roasted nuts.
On the palate it has a generous touch of fruits. Notes of yellow fruits, almonds and fruity sherry. It had a very long aftertaste dominated by plums and apricots.
Wine of the Princes, Prince of wines. Princes cuvée, first made its appearance in the middle of the 1850s, when Joseph de Venoge managed to arrange champagne and shooting picnics for the Princes of Orange. It is said that the Princes cuvées have been exclusively produced for these princes. At the time, the Royal Family of Holland used a decanter to serve Champagne in order to remove sediment from it. In 1961, Champagne de Venoge decided to use this decanter shape to produce their emblematic bottle.
The story of the prestige cuvée of de Venoge as we know it today took its beginning in 1961. The first release of the Princes cuvée was actually a non-vintage called Champagne des Princes but the following examples until 1993 (the last version) have been vintage champagnes. The authorities banned the use of the original name "Champagne des Princes" as the word 'Champagne' was considered unregistrable and then the name "Grand Vin des Princes" was born. The cuvées is made of 100 % Chardonnay from the Grand Crus of Côtes de Blancs, namely Avize, Oger, Cramant and Chouilly.
Value for Money: 7 of 10
Rating: 90🍾
Sparkling wineBillecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois Billecart Brut 2002
23.10.2022
Cuvée Nicolas François 2002 - an exceptional prestige cuvée from one of my all-time favorite houses 🍾🥂
House: Maison Billecart-Salmon (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ)
Bottle: Cuvée Nicolas François, Millésime 2002
Grapes: 60 % Pinot Noir & 40 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 4 g/L (Brut)
The Cuvée Nicolas François was created in 1964 as a tribute to the co-founder of Billecart-Salmon, Nicolas François Billecart. It results from the blending of Grands Crus and Premier Crus from the classified Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay) and the Montagne de Reims and Grande Vallée de la Marne (Pinot Noir). The 20 % maturation in 15 year-old traditional oak barrels underpins the generous character of this fine, elegant and rich champagne, which has been ageing on lees for 10 years.
Characteristics:
This cuvée has a lovely colour of sparkling yellow gold combined with golden reflections and a fine bead of bubbles.
On the nose it is dominated by wonderful aromas of peach, wild strawberry, white cherry, brioche, honeycomb, grilled nuts and mandarin zest. However, this cuvée needs some extra time in the glass to show its full potential but if you are patient you will be overwhelmed by its aromatic complexity as it breathes and develops for every minute.
It is silky, racy and remarkably nuanced and complex on the palate with notes of ripe fruit, white peach, apricot jam, lemon curd, brioche and a hint of caramellized apples. It has a very long, focused and mouthwatering finish with beautiful layers of citrus. The acidity from the chardonnay in this wine is really potent and provides for an exceptional experience. I am blown away and I cannot wait to taste this masterpiece in the years to come! 🍾👏🏻
Maison Billecart-Salmon was founded in 1818. In 1999, the 1959 Vintage was named the “Champagne of the Millennium” by a jury of experts following a blind tasting of 150 vintages from the greatest Champagne Houses organised by Richard Juhlin.
Value for Money: 8,5 of 10
Rating: 94🍾
Sparkling wineTaittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2008
23.10.2022
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2008
House: Taittinger (Reims)
Bottle: Comtes de Champagne 2008, Grands Crus, Blanc de Blancs
Grapes: 100 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 9 g/L
Characteristics:
The wine presents itself with the classic Chardonnay colour in all its sparkling, golden glory with shimmers of green coating the constant stream of fine and delicate bubbles.
On the nose it felt very closed in the beginning, but after 25-30 minutes the smile on the face of my bandit partner said it all: The party was just started and the cuvée offered a vivid bouquet reminding us of Taittinger’s deep, cold cellars combined with aromas of sweet citrus, lemon grass, yellow apples, warm brioche, yeast, green herbs, lime zest and unsweetened mango followed by gun powder, mint leaves and a hint of pineapple.
On the palate, it is subtle with the classic toasted and silky smooth, creamy profile which Comtes is known for. The dominant notes were ripe citrus, toasted brioche, yellow fruits, banana and flower honey, but with a gentle and subtle acidity. The complexity of the wine is, however, not fully developed yet, so we cannot wait to taste this cuvée in the years to come.
Champagne Taittinger was established under Pierre Taittinger in 1932. In 2005, the house was sold to the US investment group Starwood but was fortunately bought back by the Taittinger family a year later.
The Comtes de Champagne is Taittinger's prestige cuvée and was first made in the 1952 vintage.
The 2008 vintage was disgorged in July 2018 after almost 10 years maturation on the lees 18 meters underground, this prestige cuvée is created using only first-press juice from grapes from the Grand Cru-classified villages Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Five percent of the blend is aged for four months in fresh oak barrels, one third of which are renewed each year from the Seguin Moreau cooperages in Cognac and Rousseau in Burgundy.
Value for Money: 6 of 10
Rating: 92🍾
Sparkling wineBollinger La Grande Annee 2008
23.10.2022
La Grande Année 2008: A Master and Commander⚜️
House: Bollinger (Aÿ)
Bottle: La Grande Année 2008
Grapes: 71 % Pinot Noir & 29 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 7 g/L (Brut)
With this wine the house of Bollinger demonstrates its exceptional mastery of a unique vintage as the 2008 while establishing a commanding lead among producers of first class Pinot Noir champagnes.
Characteristics:
Visually, the wine presents itself in a grey-golden shade with fairly small, welcoming bubbles.
On the nose, it delivers a sweet but distinct note of the oak barrels it was born in, alongside flower fields topped with hints of dandelion honey.
The hint of honey is carried over to the palate, where also pineapple and blackberries shine through surrounded by white flowers, green apples and a touch of minerality in form of chalk to provide a rich and velvety impression. The oak barrels, of course, would not dare to leave your side.
These wonderful aromas are elegantly distributed in a very structured body, jointly providing a richness of the wine which makes the taste last for eternities, not least due to the persistent but quiet acidity.
The bottle delivers in all aspects, but not least together with food - a nice sous vide cooked autumn style steak truly augments the greatness and strength of the wine, second to no redwine even with steak.
The above sums up to a wine with a confident and recumbent expression, unmatched in balance and elegance; a silent ruler resting on a rock of pure pinot noir know-how.
Value for Money: 9 of 10
Rating: 96🍾
Sparkling wineKrug Grande Cuvee 2011
22.10.2022
Krug – The crown jewel of Champagne
House: House of Krug (Reims)
Bottle: Grande Cuvée 167 Ème Édition (base 2011)
Grapes: 47 % Pinot Noir, 36 % Chardonnay, 17 % Meunier
Dosage: 7 g/L (Brut)
An icon. A watchtower. A legend. There are many ways to describe the House of Krug, but there is no way around the Mozart of champagnes.
The House of Krug was surprisingly enough not even French but founded by a German named Johann-Joseph Krug, who founded Krug after 9 years of training with Jacquesson.
Krug has a style, which is so easily recognizable. The gunpowder in just a single bottle could supply the entire French army in battle, and with its clear notes of hazelnuts and oak barrels, you’d think you’re on a battlefield in the woods. The house has established its name and style many decades ago and cemented it among the brightest stars of Champagne with jewels such as the Clos du Mesnil and Clos d’Ambonnay.
Grande Cuvée is the entry-level NV from Krug. Baffling how wine of this quality can be entry-level. Some of the explanation is a mix of around 120 wines from up to ten vintages (!) up to 15 years old, no malolactic fermentation and aging of the wine village-specific in small barrels, now add 7 years of aging on the lees.
Characteristics:
On the nose, it delivers as promised. Tons of gunpowder, oak barrels, and mixed nuts. This recipe can be replicated, but not with the same intensity, character, quality, and unmatched perseverance. The Krug Signature.
On the palate, it is smooth and creamy with small but persistent bubbles. For a Krug, this wine is still young, which is clearly revealed by its present acidity and nots of pear and yellow fruits, which is delicately balanced out by some of the age of the blend offering notes of freshly baked sour dough bread.
The wine’s clear strength is its character, it’s signature. You buy, what you know, and you know, what you buy. I recommend it with food, such as tartare, but it is paired best with its food-equivalent, caviar.
Value for money: 7 of 10
Rating: 93🍾
Sparkling wineVeuve Clicquot Brut Vintage 1995
22.10.2022
Veuve Clicquot: Vintage 1995
House: Veuve Clicquot (Reims)
Bottle: Vintage 1995
Grapes: 67 % Pinot Noir, 33 % Chardonnay
Dosage: N/A (Brut)
As one of the major “Grandes Marques” Maisons, Veuve Clicquot needs no introduction, nor does the woman behind the fame of the house and responsible for many of the great inventions in the méthode champenoise.
One idea of hers is the invention of the concept of vintage champagnes, as she produced the first vintage champagne in 1810. This makes the 1995 vintage the 58th edition of the vintage series of the Maison! Very impressive.
The 1995 vintage is considered quite a good vintage and only a little below the great 1996 vintage, which has most definitely overshone 1995. The year was warm, and the late blooming combined with a dry summer provided for very mature wines, which is certainly also the case for this wine.
Characteristics:
On the nose, the maturity of the wine is certainly not hidden. It is extremely mature, and the scents are very deep and heavy. The predominant note is light sherry, which is one of the signs of age but also the beginning of the descent. The fruity notes follow the same expression with matured mango, figs, and dates. The most surprising and rare note of this cuvée is coconut.
On the palate, the same picture is painted. The notes are matured mango and yellow fruits, but this is accompanied by some of the desired notes of old champagne such as hazel nuts and melted butter with a hint of the sherry in its proximity.
All in all, a beautiful wine at the very top of its potential – or maybe even a few years past it. For this reason, I recommend drinking it now, as both the wine and the 1995 vintages does not support the prospects of aging it further.
A wine of this calibre and age should be tasted, examined, and enjoy on its own.
Value for money: 6,5 of 10
Rating: 91🍾
Sparkling wineDiebolt Vallois Fleur de Passion 2010
22.10.2022
Fleur de Passion 2010 – The Passion of the Bandit
House: Diebolt-Vallois (Cramant)
Bottle: Fleur de Passion 2010
Grapes: 100 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 3 g/L (Extra Brut)
Even compared with wines from the crown jewel of Côte des Blancs, Cramant, Fleur is an absolute icon. Not only due to its stunning expression or longevity, but maybe because no other champagne has such an accurate description as its name.
This small slice of heaven is created by “1. Gen” growers in form of Jacques Diebolt and Nadia Vallois, now impressively maintained by their children. In that sense, it the wine is produced by a proper family undertaking, yet they have managed to build a brand worthy of a large Négociant – not least thank to Fleur - and their preceded reputation is well deserved!
They use some of the old tricks in the book, but they do it splendidly. Malo is blocked because the vines are very old – most of them 60+ years – and the alcoholic fermentation is done in in used burgundy barriques (oak barrels). Simple, but clever!
Now add some juice from of my favourite villages for chardonnay, and you really got something.
The 2010 Fleur de Passion is in my opinion one of the strongest defenders of the 2010 vintage!
Characteristics:
On the nose, it is… beautiful. Rich, intense and with relentless persistence. It quickly becomes evident why the name was chosen for this cuvée. The first wave of expression come with the yellow fruits, particularly the Cramant trademark pineapple. Lovely. Then follows some very exotic fruits, which is impressive for a BDB, while delivered in a creamy and buttery package. In the background, the chalky and toasted notes provide a fine and classic chardonnay bed for the syzygy of notes and expressions.
On the palate, the pineapple is delivered with a deep and intense yet fresh acidity. This is accompanied by some chalky notes while still delivered in a very creamy form.
Value for money: 8 of 10
Rating: 94 🍾
Sparkling wineLouis Roederer Cristal 2004
17.10.2022
Louis Roederer Cristal 2004 Late Release - a prestige cuvée for the tsars and the stars🍾🤴🏼🌟
House: Louis Roederer (Reims)
Bottle: Cristal 2004 Late Release
Grapes: 57 % Pinot Noir & 43 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 9 g/L (Brut)
Characteristics:
The colour is pale gold with a silky and delicate mousse.
On the nose, it is really intense, but balanced, with lots of fresh lemons, lime, ripe red apples, sweet cream, brioche and a slightly hint of yeast and minerals.
On the palate, it is rich, vibrant and fresh with elegant notes of sweet apples and vanilla (like tarte tatin), brioche, butter, citrus, gooseberry and pineapple. It has a very delicate roundness, a delicious and well-balanced depth and an effortlessly long and detailed finish. It is still a quite young vintage, but it was so tasty this night that we do not see why you should wait. Try it! 🍾🥂
Cristal is Louis Roederer’s flagship cuvée. It was created in 1876 and is composed of Grand Crus from the Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley and the Côte des Blancs.
In 1876, Tsar Alexander II - who was already a great lover of the champagnes from Louis Roederer - asked Roederer to take the exercise still further and create a cuvée for the personal use of the tsar which was unique, in terms of both its style and the bottle.
Louis Roederer selected the best vines from seven Grand Crus on his estate and offered the tsar an exceptional flat-bottomed, transparent lead-crystal bottle. And then the first bottle of Cristal was born.
Cristal is aged for 6 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars and left for a further 8 months after disgorgement. However, the late releases has matured for further 8-10 years after disgorgement in the cellars of Louis Roederer.
Value for money: 7 of 10
Rating: 93🍾
Sparkling wineCharles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires Brut 2004
17.10.2022
Blanc des Millénaires 2004 - A mindblowing celebration of Global Champagne Day with my friend, Charlie 🥳🍾
House: Champagne Charles Heidsieck (Reims)
Bottle: Blanc des Millénaires 2004
Grapes: 100 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 9 g/L (Brut)
Blanc des Millénaires 2004 has been ageing on the lees for 11 years (disgorged in November 2016) and is only the fifth vintage of Blanc des Millénaires to be released by Charles Heidsieck.
Characteristics:
This cuvée has an amazing light golden colour in the glass.
It offers lots of creaminess already on the nose with beautiful aromas of white flowers, sweet lemons, almond custard and yellow apples with hints of salted butter, cream and freshly-baked pastries.
On the palate it offers beautiful notes of ripe pineapple, sweet lemons, pear, marzipan, creamy caramel with sea salt, roasted almonds and a hint of gunpowder at the end.
This cuvée is full-bodied and offers a long, intense and well-balanced finish with both minerality and creaminess. If you try this one, it will be love at first taste and you will definitely get a better understanding of the beautiful universe of Champagne Charlie! 🎩
Blancs des Millénaires are Blanc de Blancs produced from the best Chardonnays, deeply rooted in the unique terroir of the Côte des Blancs.
The blend is an equal 20 % contribution of the main crus from the Côte des Blancs comprising four Grands Crus and one Premier Cru.
The terroir of Oger for its finesse and smoothness, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for its structure, Avize for its minerality, Cramant for its complexity, and Vertus for its vibrancy and floral notes.
Blanc des Millénaires has only been made in 1983, 1985, 1990 and 1995 before the Release of the vintage 2004, which was followed by vintage 2006 released just a few weeks ago.
I bought this bottle on sale in my local supermarket.
Value for Money: 7,5 of 10
Rating: 94🍾
Sparkling wineBollinger RD 2007
17.10.2022
Bollinger’s R.D. 2007
House: Bollinger (Aÿ)
Bottle: R.D. 2007
Grapes: 70 % Pinot Noir & 30 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 3 g/L (Extra Brut)
Bollinger has just released its top-of-the-line bottle which the R.D. is (save for the Vieilles Vignes). I were lucky to get a bottle from the first batch arriving in Denmark. I drank the bottle at a private Bandit Tasting® pairing it up against the La Grande Anneé 2007 – an experience I can certainly recommend.
R.D. stands for “Recently Disgorged”, which means that the bottle has aged for a longer time on the lees – at least 8 years, but in this instance closer to 12 years. This allows the wine to develop differently than on the bottle opening a variety of possibilities for the wine maker, which Bollinger take advantage of to the fullest effect.
Characteristics:
On the nose, the R.D. really shows its strengths – not only does it leave its Bollinger signature, it creates a mesmerizing scent and expression which is synonymous with the good house of Bollinger. The notes include netted melons, limestone, flowery acacia honey, mixed nuts and classic Bollinger hay. This is seasoned with some unidentified oriental spices to add a lovely and deep twist to the combined expression.
On the palate, it glitters with structure and loads of body with notes of pomelo, citrus and salted pastry neatly balanced with its strong expression on the nose. The bubbles are small and smooth providing a quite creamy texture with a steady and persistent development as the wine is allowed to breath, concurrently revealing its beautiful complexity and depth.
While the LGA 2007 is relatively more mature compared to the R.D. 2007, in a few years’ time it will show its much deeper hand and outplay its junior, the LGA, by a margin.
Although already a teenager, the wine is still so terribly young and needs and deserves to mature much more. Over the years, this wine might very well develop into a proper jewel with sky scraping ratings to follow!
Value for money: 5 of 10
Rating: 93🍾
Sparkling wineBillecart-Salmon Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rose 2008
17.10.2022
Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon: A lovely lady on the rise
House: Billecart-Salmon (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ)
Bottle: Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé Millesimé 2008
Grapes: 55 % Pinot Noir, 45 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 7 g/L (Brut)
I were very keen to try the counterpart to a certain Mr Nicolas Francois from 2002, which to date is one of my best champagne experiences. While co-founder Ms Salmon certainly gave Mr Francois a run for his money, she is still young with much yet undeveloped potential. We will wait patiently!
The Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon was first released with the 1988 vintage paying tribute to the co-founder and wife of Nicolas Francois Billecart. The champagne power-couple’s family has managed to keep the house on family hands ever since its foundation in 1818 (from 2019 in 7th gen.).
The bottle has many interesting features. It has matured 10 years on the lees before disgorgement in 2019, after which it was kept another two years before its release. A very nice, acute touch. It is vinified as assemblage with 9 % red wine made only from the single parcel Valofroy, and 17 % of the wine has matured on oak barrels giving it a subtle extra layer of complexity for a rosé.
Characteristics:
On the nose, it was a little quiet in the beginning, but after breathing for a short while it opened for a seductive basket of red, matured berries such as wild strawberries and cherries. The soft nose was accompanied by a delicate and appropriate salmon colour. The most interesting note was Apfelstrudel – a buttery apple pie.
On the palate, it does show the Billecart freshness signature but nicely balanced with some depth and gravity from the oak. Of notes it delivers once again strawberries and cherries as well as blood orange, wild herbs and a twist of chalky sensation. The assemblage with the red wine is executed remarkably well without any off-taste from the red wine.
This wine will be good on many occasions.
Value for money: 7 of 10
Rating: 92 (95)🍾
Sparkling wineBollinger La Grande Annee Rose 2012
13.10.2022
La Grande Année Rosé: Roses are red…🌹🌹
House: Bollinger (Aÿ)
Bottle: La Grande Année Rosé 2012
Grapes: 67 % Pinot Noir & 33 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 8 g/L (Brut)
The Maison of Bollinger needs no introduction. The powerhouse from Aÿ is one of the most defining houses in Champagne. Period.
Bollinger’s La Grande Année sets the standard of superior vintage champagne. So how do you improve on that? You add 5 % of single parcel red wine from Aÿ: A red wine-infused counterpart delivering the very pinnacle of rosé champagne!
The 5 % of red wine is from the lieux dits »La Côte aux Enfants« from just outside Aÿ – the same wine that is sold as Bollinger’s coteaux champenois and was a favourite of King Henri IV. The grapes are mainly from Aÿ and Verzenay for Pinot Noir, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry for Chardonnay. In total, 21 selected crus are used for this cuvée.
The wine is fermented and matured in oak barrels through 8 months before it ages for 72 months on the lees in magnum bottles on cork, which is a signature Bollinger move. This generates the lovely deep and oxidated style which Bollinger is famous for.
Characteristics:
On the nose, it demonstrates its great depth, complexity and full body. The notes are very dominated by red berries, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. This is served along the traditional Bollinger signature of the well-integrated barrels, which develops as the wine breaths to express a subtle bourbon.
On the palate, the red wine is recognizable, yet perfectly integrated. This provides for a balanced acidity, lots of depth and a smooth, velvety sensation. The notes are red candied apples, subtle vanilla, red berries accompanied by a bucket of rosy flowers.
Value for money: 6,5 of 10
Rating: 93 🍾
Sparkling wineMarguet Shaman 18 Blanc Grand Cru Champagne 2015
13.10.2022
Benoit Marguet – hold your horses 🐎🏇
House: Marguet (Ambonnay)
Bottle: Shaman 15 (NV – base 2015)
Grapes: 67 % Pinot Noir & 33 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 0 g/L (Brut Nature)
In March, my friend and I planned a great horizontal Benoit Marguet tasting of the 2015 vintage. This obviously calls for a review of his infamous Shaman cuvée.
It all started for Benoit Marguet in 2005 when a divorce and an upcoming generational transition led to the separation of two families which had produced wine since 1971.
Since then, Marguet has established himself as a mix of an enfant terrible and a wonder child thanks to his very energetic wines.
Marguet owns a total of 8 hectares of vineyards in two of the most prominent Grand Cru villages, Bouzy and Ambonnay, which are cultivated after biodynamic principles. All vineyards are ploughed with his two horses, Belle and Urban. They do not have many settings, but they don’t pollute and do not damage the fields as tractors do. This is a key aspect of Marguet’s philosophy.
Benoit has also been active in the house of Launois Père et Fils since he married the daughter of the house, Séverin.
Characteristics:
On the nose, the wine is very intense, powerful, and energetic with complex aromas such as ripe red apples, lemon zest, bisquits, yeast, almonds and nutmeg.
On the palate, we find red apples, yest and almonds, which are accompanied by quince, wild berries, boiled pears, oyster shells and salt. This wine has so many layers, and it is almost as if every sip brings new notes and expressions into the glass. An exciting bottle one must try!
The bottle is like a balloon – it kept growing for the first 1½ hours, until it suddenly burst and almost completely disappeared.
We believe that the wine is at its peak right now, and we recommend drinking it soon.
Value for money: 8 of 10
Rating: 90🍾
13.10.2022
Gaspard Brochet – the Fresh Prince of Ecueil
House: Gaspard Brochet (Écueil)
Bottle: Pie Tome I
Grapes: 100 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 3 g/L (Extra Brut)
The history of this house is as exciting as it is short. While the history of the Brochet-family is much older, the brand “Gaspard Brochet” only started with the 2017 harvest.
This number, however, is very inconsistent with the level, power and fame already achieved by the Gaspard Brochet wines. Like out of nothing, with no teaching from his seasoned father and no degree in oenology, the brightest rising star of Champagne released his first production in 2020…
… and as of April 2022, his wines are on five ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Michelin restaurants, praised beyond the stars and now virtually impossible to get hold of anywhere. Our friend, you are the Pogacar of Champagne!
The Magpie is Gaspard’s blanc de blancs. This lieu-dit from the »Les prés mousseux« wineyard was vinified on oaks and afterwards aged on the lees only for two years as part of Gaspard’s philosophy. The Tome I production was 820 bottles.
Characteristics:
On the nose, just pure power and might. Fantastic. The initial expression is fat and rich with notes of butter, oak and vanilla sweetness. The butter transitioned into bourbon with an almost Meursault’ish style and expression carried by the fat and rich character of the wine.
On the palate, the wine performed a small assault to kickstart the impressions of sweet apples, honey, almonds and some oxidated notes with a slight touch of pomelo in the background. The wine is full-bodied with a straight and proud posture.
The nose and palate are harmoniously integrated, expressing the elegant signature of Mr Gaspard.
I recommend drinking this wine as fast as possible before I drink all of them.
Value for money: 9 of 10
Rating: 95🍾
Sparkling wineHerve Jestin Extra Brut 2009
12.10.2022
Champagne Jestin 2009: A wine compass of the future 🍾
House: Champagne Jestin (Epernay)
Bottle: Millesimé 2009 (dego Nov 2020)
Grapes: 25 % Pinot Noir, 50 % Chardonnay, 25 % Meunier
Dosage: 0 g/L (Extra Brut)
Champagne Jestin is a house established only in 2006 – but make no mistake, through its founder and owner, Hervé Jestin, it has just about as much skill and know-how that any house could possibly wish for.
Hervé Jestin is a visionary, a pioneer and a true believer and leader of the modern grower revolution towards organic and biodynamic wines. The grapes for the 2009, for example, were only harvested on “fruit days” in the biodynamic calendar and the amounts sulfite used is close to nothing (27 mg/Liter) – of volcanic origin, of course.
When Mr. Jestin is not producing his own wines, he works as a consultant for many great champagne houses as well as the cellar master of the Leclerc Briant house, which is the house lucky enough to catch the star dust.
With these wines and the whole concept of biodynamics, Jestin really sets a direction for the future generations.
Characteristics:
On the nose, it had a tremendously powerful expression and intensity with a complexity as deep as the voice of Mufasa! The first distinct note was fresh melted organic Swiss butter, reminiscing a lovely summer day of the warm vintage. This initial expression was nicely accompanied by white flowers, yellow apples, honey and dark creamy caramel.
The yellow apples transcended onto the palate along with brioche, almonds, candied lemons, kiwi, and crushed conch shells. The bubbles were small and nice leaving a creamy velvety sensation, but the acidity was still sharp and present. Perfectly balanced, persistent and rounded. Masterful finesse.
No wonder this wine is hard to get hold of, as the production is limited to 6652 bottles. With the 2009 Millesimé, Jestin delivers his style in such quality and fashion, that I cannot wait until he releases his 2008!
Value for money: 8 of 10
Rating: 95 🍾
Sparkling wineSavart L'Accomplie Premier Cru 1001
12.10.2022
Fréderic Savart - from promising football player to one of the most dynamic young growers in Champagne ⚽️🍇
House: Frédéric Savart (Écueil)
Bottle: L’Accomplie Extra Brut Premier Cru NV (Vielles Vignes). Disgorged in September 2019.
Grapes: 80 % Pinot Noir & 20 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 5 g/L (Extra Brut)
Frédéric Savart was born into a family of vignerons, but his dream was to become a professional football player. He even signed a youth contract with Stade de Reims, playing as an attacking midfielder, but after meeting the love of his life, he refused a potential transfer to another club, and decided to return home to work with his father, Daniel, at the family estate. And we are really pleased with that signing!
L’Accomplie is a cuvée made from wines from three different vintages, half of which is matured in stainless steel vats and half in barrels. Savart has decided to partially carry out the malolactic fermentation of the wine to maintain tension and freshness, while bringing a touch of roundness and maturity.
Characteristics:
This cuvée is pale gold in the glass with myriads of very gentle and delicate bubbles.
On the nose, it delivers a powerful welcome with ripe and juicy green apples, grilled lemons, wet rocks and chalk. Afterwards it gave me aromas of pink grapefruit, crushed almonds, crème brûlée, mild spices and a hint of oak (that I did not notice at the beginning but after +20 minutes in the glass). Its nose of intensely fresh fruit evolves more and more towards slightly more gourmand aromas.
The palate is dry and firm, medium-bodied and concentrated with notes of juicy green and red apples, cranberries, blood orange, wet chalk, salt, slight yeast and brioche.
L’Accomplie is harmonious, well-balanced, structured and creamy in the mouth and offers a pleasurable sensation of intense freshness, high acidity and concentrated fruit characters.
Definitely the ‘Man of the Match’ this day ⚽️🥂
Value for Money: 9/10
Rating: 90🍾
12.10.2022
A ripe and richly expressive single-vineyard champagne from one of the most bright stars in Champagne, Olivier Collin 🍾
House: Ulysse Collin (Congy, Sézannais)
Bottle: Les Maillons, Blanc de Noirs (2015 base). Disgorged in March 2019 after 36 months sur lattes.
Grapes: 100 % Pinot Noir
Dosage: 2,4 g/L (Extra Brut)
This bottle consists of 50% from 2015 and 50% reserve wine (80% from 2014 and 20% from 2013).
Characteristics:
Yellow-golden colour with slightly orange reflections in the glass. Fine mousse.
A very generous, delicate and intense nose with gorgeous Pinot Noir aromatics such as red berries and strawberries but also notes of honeycomb, dried white flowers, almonds, chalk, lemon and a hint of salty caramel.
Notes of tropical fruits, stone fruits, white cherries, marzipan, mushrooms and brioche. The wine is full-bodied and has an incredible depth and dimension at the core and a really long finish. This is a remarkably complete and concentrated champagne.
Ulysse Collin has been growing grapes in the rural southwest corner of the Côte des Blancs since 1812. They had always sold their grapes but in 1987 Olivier Collin’s father rented all 8.7 hectares to Pommery. In 2003 Olivier managed to acquire the first 4.5 hectares and the remaining 4.2 hectares in 2005. Since he began in 2004, Olivier is proud to have sold around 250,000 bottles and is now producing 50,000 bottles a year.
In the grapes from Les Maillons, Olivier Collin is looking for lots of phenolic maturity, thus he typically harvests them a week later than the Chardonnays. The average vine age is 50 years old, the clay is a brown colour quite like that found in the Montagne de Reims and the soil is much richer in iron. Around 18,000 bottles of Les Maillons are currently produced each year.
Value for Money: 7,5 of 10
Rating: 92
Sparkling wineJacques Selosse Initial Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
12.10.2022
Domaine Selosse – “The House that Jacques Built” ⛏ 🍇
House: Jacques Selosse (Avize)
Bottle: INITIAL Brut, Blanc de Blancs NV. Disgorged in November 2019.
Grapes: 100 % Chardonnay
Dosage: 5-6 g/L
Anselme Selosse is one of the pivotal figures in the modern history of Champagne. And we truly understand why. Anselme is not just a winemaker. He was the man behind a new philosophy in Champagne. A man that showed the way to the ‘growers’ of today.
Our first review of Selosse starts from the ‘beginning’. The youngest, largest-volume entry level wine in the range. The ‘Initial’.
A blanc de blancs with grapes from the three Grand Crus of Avize, Cramant, and Oger and three successive vintages in the blend. Initial is typically released an average of five years after the most recent harvest in the blend. The annual production does not exceed 33,000 bottles.
Characteristics:
The wine showed beautiful pale gold colour in the glass. Smooth and small bubbles flow up elegantly.
On the nose, the wine offers a complexity but at the same time a freshness that blows you away. It has a remarkable depth that seduces and entices you to dive deeper into the glass and explore the universe of Selosse.
The style is oxidative with dominant notes of bruised red apples, roasted almonds, vanilla, brioche, honey, marzipan, yeasty pears and sweet spices.
On the palate, the wine certainly delivers on both freshness and acidity. It is intensely juicy and fruity but still very balanced despite of its young age.
I recognized notes of lemon confit, roasted nuts, brioche, chalk, vanilla, grapefruit and a hint of salt which were all wrapped around a complex and well-structured body and a very rich, deep and long persisting finish.
It is neither pretentious or solemn. It is Selosse. I will be able to drink this for any occasion and at any time of the day. Even for breakfast. Wauw!
Value for Money: 8/10
Rating: 93