Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne 1996

Straw gold. Fine bead. Yeasty marmite nose with apricots and stone fruits sitting nicely in the background. In the mouth, a touch oxidative, ripe stone fruits and more marmite yeast. Good length with the stone fruits and some florals lingering, nicely balanced with the acid. Vertus, Champagne, France 17.5/20 [tasted 10-12-2011] http://www.duval-leroy.com Bought http://www.glengarrywines.co.nz in … Continue reading →

Ch d’Agassac 2000

Deep garnet with a touch of amber on the edge. Cedary chocolate with a hint of forest floor and smoke on the nose. Quite a big wine but a touch hot and tannic is the initial palate impression; nice secondary cedar and forest development and good ripe plummy fruit with cassis notes. Good long finish. … Continue reading →

Duval-Leroy Rose de Saignee N/V

Onion skin blush. Fine bead. Clean nose with deep red fruit notes. Strong very clean palate; big wine with red fruits, good acid, and delicious pinot character and good dosage. Overall though it’s a touch one-dimensional and lacks yeast flavours. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Vertus, Champagne, France 17/20 [tasted 07-01-2012]  

Ch L’Evangile 1994

Mid-red robe with just a touch of amber. Forest floor, a touch of lanolin, dark plums. Palate at first green and tannic with the fruit there but struggling to show. In the glass, though, it opens and the fruits leaps out and this becomes a different wine showing sweet smoky red fruits. Finishes long and … Continue reading →

Ch d’Agassac 2000

Ch d’Agassac 2000. Mid-deep red almost to the edge. Forest floor and fresh earth with some lanolin too. Big wine but in balance, with gentle acid and smooth tannins, but the fruit has faded. A touch green on the finish and lacking fruit. Score reflects what it is rather than what it was. Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, … Continue reading →

Philipponnat Mareuil Royal Reserve Champagne n/v

Cellared since Dec 2005. Straw gold. Fine bead. Fruity pinot nose with fresh bread notes and peach flowers. Fresh and clean palate with elegant but good ripe fruit and medium autolysis. Everything lingers on the finish. 18/20 Ay, Champagne, France [tasted 30-12-2011]

Ch Segur de Cabanac 2000

Mid-deep red with just a hint of brown. Touch of lanolin with lovely forest mushrooms, sweet blackcurrants and blackberries. Mild palate of ripe fruit and silky tannins. Black fruits and berries linger on the finish. Very good red. Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux, France 17.5/20 [tasted 26-12-2011]

Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne 1996

Straw gold. Fine bead. Bread dough and light florals, quite reserved nose. Dry and clean, elegant florals, a touch heavy but good acid with apple, lime and citrus characters that linger. A good bubbles. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Vertus, Champagne, France 18/20 [tasted 26-12-2011]

Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Champagne 2000

Touch of SO2 but that blows off. Bready/toasty lees, stone fruits and pretty florals. Rich and round palate although an initial sharpness (possibly the sulphur). Good long finish with yeast and stone fruits lingering. Very good wine once it cleans up in the glass, and better than last year’s Christmas bottle. Épernay, Champagne, France 18.5/20 … Continue reading →

Duval-Leroy Brut 1996

Straw gold. Fine bead. Yeasty marmite nose with apricots and stone fruits sitting nicely in the background. In the mouth, a touch oxidative, ripe stone fruits and more marmite yeast. Good length with the stone fruits and some florals lingering, nicely balanced with the acid. Vertus, Champagne, France 17.5/20 [tasted 10-12-2011]