Tasting Notes - Champagne

1995 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Bright honey gold - intense biscuity brioche nose lots  of depth, very pleasurable - broad mouth filling on the palette with lots of fresh hazelnut, complex - lovely effervescence balanced acidity and long persistent finish - spankingly good Champagne

2002 H.Billiot Grand Cru Ambonnay

Deep golden colour with fine mousse this has a lovely rich burgundy nose of honey butter and hazelnuts which develops beautifully after several hours of opening to sweet toffee and brioche - a rich mouthfilling style of champagne with great balancing acidity - like very much

Varnier-Fanniere, Grand Cru Brut Rose, NV

90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir

The wine looked to colourblind me like it was a striking pink/amber colour, and had good amounts of red fruit on the nose for a wine that is mainly Chardonnay. On the palate it was very fresh and racy, with noticeable red fruit, a little bread, and excellent minerality. It was very a very focused and precise wine, with smallish bubbles, overall extremely well-balanced, and it went very well with the tuna salad nicoise we consumed with it. (02/10)

2002 Bollinger Grande Annee Rose

 73% Pinot Noir, 27% Chardonnay

Slightly deeper than the NV but same salmon pink with rusty hue - nose quite closed crushed redcurrant and freeze dried strawberries (if you haven't smelt freeze dried strawberries just trust me on this) - pretty tight but very structured coiled spring type energy with lovely dry herbs - obviously needs more time but very very good length Probably my favourite wine of the line up but not sure about the considerable price jump so for value my monies on the Rose NV

Bollinger Rose NV

60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier

Very attractive pale salmon colour with almost a rusting brown hue - subtle nose quite pinot like with nice herbacious (thyme?) element - lovely creamy texture very savoury style and long drying finish - Very nice.

1997 Bollinger RD

(Disgorged Sept 08)

65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay

Restrained nose on opening which opened up after 15 minutes, fresh and pure still that stony minerality but with much more citrus notes Lemon zest ripe and aromatic but subtle - very dry precise style good balance nice acidity but feels a bit disjointed, not quite complete - lovely wine but maybe needs more time and I do in general prefer the richer creamy 'house style' of the Grande Annee.

2000 Bollinger Grande Annee

63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay

Much more elegant nose more greengage, ripe apple and stony minerality, lovely creamy texture with some light peach notes but good structured minerality carry through but felt missing that zippy acidity I look for and definitely lacking somewhat on length.

Bollinger Special Cuvee NV

60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier

Rich full and yeasty nose buttery and generous - full bodied creamy textured mousse not overly complex and a bit clinical but very good NV style if you like richer more forward styles - which I do.

Larmandier Bernier Rose de Saignee NV

One of my all time favourite Champagne Rose this is as far from 'pink fizz' as you can get. 100% Pinot Noir from 1er Cru land in Vertus this unusally for Champage Rose is macerated on skins before being bled (Saignee), and bears a closer relation to a fine Burgundy than to its peers. A deep blood orange red colour that gives notice to the awesome depth and structure of this wine. The nose is a lovely and hugely complex mix of redcurrent and black cherry with a touch of wild herbs. Great balance and length make this a very exciting wine.

1989 Krug

This is a mind-bogglingly splendid Champagne. A golden honeyed depth of colour with delicate fine beading, you are walloped on the nose with intense rich buttery brioche and hazelnut and the palette doesn't disappoint, it explodes across the palette with a refined intensity, broad and mouth filling this is a big wine but tremendously poised with beautifully balanced acidity and lovely hints of stone fruit, peach and apricot. And the length!! - This is not a champagne to quaff in celebration but one for quite and reverential contemplation - goddammit for being so expensive