Recently attended a tasting of vintage Champagnes which was quite a line-up and certainly very interesting. Champagne and other sparkling wine is something I’ve only got into in the last year, so this was my first experience with vintage Champagne at all, and it’s safe to say I’d like to drink it more, when the wallet allows. Notes below, and are in the order the wines were presented.
***Laherte Freres Les Vignes d’Autrefois 2014***
Certainly one of my favourites of the night, and perhaps my choice for an aperitif. This 100% Pinot Meunier smelled equally of peach, apricot and pear. The taste was all green fruit and citrus, with the pear following from the nose and a real clean streak of lemon cutting through the tongue. The acidity was so lively, and this wine felt like the freshest of the line-up. Beautiful start.
***Taittinger Brut Vintage 2013***
A somewhat quieter follow-up. This was difficult for me to appreciate because Taittinger’s Reserve Brut cuvée is my go-to Champagne and I’m fairly familiar with it, and this 2013 bottling tasted in my mind almost identical. It probably wasn’t in reality, but without the standard Taittinger to compare it to, I felt disappointed that I didn’t get much difference. That being said, what was in the glass was beautiful. Green apple, lemon and a light dusting of biscuit on the nose, all of which followed through on to the palate, leaving a long and pleasant finish. Really elegant, refined. Perhaps with five or ten more years, this would begin to evolve, but to me, this felt as fresh as non-vintage, which is no bad thing!
***Veuve Clicquot Brut 2015***
I wouldn’t say no to any of these wines, ever, but I remember the least about this one and didn’t write many notes at the time. Pinot Noir played a bigger role in the blend here compared to the Taittinger and on the palate it felt rounder and fuller, with notes of pear, honeysuckle and brioche.
***Lanson Noble One 2004***
The wine of the night for me. Had never heard of this one before and we learned that it’s made exclusively from Grand Cru sites for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and only made in the best years. 70% Chardonnay – 30% Pinot Noir. Straight away the nose was incredibly generous – there was white and yellow flower, lemon zest, a salty nuttiness, hints of sourdough, it was incredible. The taste was as fascinating too – very, very yeasty, baked dough and salted caramel. It was opulent and rich, and yet felt rather zingy in the mouth, with a decent amount of acidity and freshness which helped the richness along nicely. We’d been eating sushi along with the wines, and this was certainly time for the salmon. But it’d also pair nicely with a creamy sauce of some kind. I was sad to see this one finished for sure.
***Pommery Louise 2002***
The group’s wine of the night. 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I was surprised to see that the colour wasn’t as yellow as I’d expected, it looked clean and almost had flecks of green in there. The nose, like the Lanson, had such depth – caramel, peach, baked goods and baked apple. On the palate I was reminded of toffee apple which I hadn’t had in years! Writing it down makes it seem sickly to me but it was far from it. There was salty almond, more caramel, and hints of redcurrant and sweet cherry which was unexpected. It’s difficult to say how much I liked this with only a half glass, because there was so much happening in the glass, but this was one I wished I could savour alone, quietly somewhere, so perhaps one day I will!
***Louis Roederer Rosé 2016***
Well this was just lovely. If not for the first wine this would be my choice for an aperitif. I was curious about its placement in the line-up, coming after much older wines, but it acted as a jolt of energy like a post-meal espresso. This was incredibly ripe and fresh. It smelled of strawberry yoghurt (the yoghurt was probably more a sensory memory!), raspberry, and a subtle breadiness, but nowhere near as much as any of the other wines. On the palate it just sung. Zippy, clean, and just beautiful. This one feels like the less said the better, just give me a glass on a nice spring or summer’s day!
***Veuve Clicquot Reserve Vintage 1988***
This was an unplanned addition. Why not? Deeply golden, yellowy colour, verging on amber. Almost no bubbles left. The nose was dominated by candied or dried fruit, raisins, figs, and the yeast was round and almost stodgy. On the palate, this did have a little life left, a stroke of acidity, but there was no denying this was past its best. It was not bad at all, but it was hardly reminiscent of Champagne. It felt almost like a dessert wine, both round and a little sweet – it would be cloying beyond a glass, but man, was I happy to try this.
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Recently attended a tasting of vintage Champagnes which was quite a line-up and certainly very interesting. Champagne and other sparkling wine is something I’ve only got into in the last year, so this was my first experience with vintage Champagne at all, and it’s safe to say I’d like to drink it more, when the wallet allows. Notes below, and are in the order the wines were presented.
***Laherte Freres Les Vignes d’Autrefois 2014***
Certainly one of my favourites of the night, and perhaps my choice for an aperitif. This 100% Pinot Meunier smelled equally of peach, apricot and pear. The taste was all green fruit and citrus, with the pear following from the nose and a real clean streak of lemon cutting through the tongue. The acidity was so lively, and this wine felt like the freshest of the line-up. Beautiful start.
***Taittinger Brut Vintage 2013***
A somewhat quieter follow-up. This was difficult for me to appreciate because Taittinger’s Reserve Brut cuvée is my go-to Champagne and I’m fairly familiar with it, and this 2013 bottling tasted in my mind almost identical. It probably wasn’t in reality, but without the standard Taittinger to compare it to, I felt disappointed that I didn’t get much difference. That being said, what was in the glass was beautiful. Green apple, lemon and a light dusting of biscuit on the nose, all of which followed through on to the palate, leaving a long and pleasant finish. Really elegant, refined. Perhaps with five or ten more years, this would begin to evolve, but to me, this felt as fresh as non-vintage, which is no bad thing!
***Veuve Clicquot Brut 2015***
I wouldn’t say no to any of these wines, ever, but I remember the least about this one and didn’t write many notes at the time. Pinot Noir played a bigger role in the blend here compared to the Taittinger and on the palate it felt rounder and fuller, with notes of pear, honeysuckle and brioche.
***Lanson Noble One 2004***
The wine of the night for me. Had never heard of this one before and we learned that it’s made exclusively from Grand Cru sites for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and only made in the best years. 70% Chardonnay – 30% Pinot Noir. Straight away the nose was incredibly generous – there was white and yellow flower, lemon zest, a salty nuttiness, hints of sourdough, it was incredible. The taste was as fascinating too – very, very yeasty, baked dough and salted caramel. It was opulent and rich, and yet felt rather zingy in the mouth, with a decent amount of acidity and freshness which helped the richness along nicely. We’d been eating sushi along with the wines, and this was certainly time for the salmon. But it’d also pair nicely with a creamy sauce of some kind. I was sad to see this one finished for sure.
***Pommery Louise 2002***
The group’s wine of the night. 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I was surprised to see that the colour wasn’t as yellow as I’d expected, it looked clean and almost had flecks of green in there. The nose, like the Lanson, had such depth – caramel, peach, baked goods and baked apple. On the palate I was reminded of toffee apple which I hadn’t had in years! Writing it down makes it seem sickly to me but it was far from it. There was salty almond, more caramel, and hints of redcurrant and sweet cherry which was unexpected. It’s difficult to say how much I liked this with only a half glass, because there was so much happening in the glass, but this was one I wished I could savour alone, quietly somewhere, so perhaps one day I will!
***Louis Roederer Rosé 2016***
Well this was just lovely. If not for the first wine this would be my choice for an aperitif. I was curious about its placement in the line-up, coming after much older wines, but it acted as a jolt of energy like a post-meal espresso. This was incredibly ripe and fresh. It smelled of strawberry yoghurt (the yoghurt was probably more a sensory memory!), raspberry, and a subtle breadiness, but nowhere near as much as any of the other wines. On the palate it just sung. Zippy, clean, and just beautiful. This one feels like the less said the better, just give me a glass on a nice spring or summer’s day!
***Veuve Clicquot Reserve Vintage 1988***
This was an unplanned addition. Why not? Deeply golden, yellowy colour, verging on amber. Almost no bubbles left. The nose was dominated by candied or dried fruit, raisins, figs, and the yeast was round and almost stodgy. On the palate, this did have a little life left, a stroke of acidity, but there was no denying this was past its best. It was not bad at all, but it was hardly reminiscent of Champagne. It felt almost like a dessert wine, both round and a little sweet – it would be cloying beyond a glass, but man, was I happy to try this.