Institute of Masters of Wine Prestige Champagne Tasting

Hawk Wakawaka

Oct 1, 2015

Institute of Masters of Wine Prestige Champagne Tasting

The Institute of Masters of Wine (MW) hosted their annual Champagne Tasting event this week featuring over 100 cuvées from top Champagne houses. Prior to the walk-around tasting, three Masters of Wine led a panel discussion of 24 Prestige Cuvées tasted in three flights. Prestige Cuvées are considered the tête de cuvée, or best wine produced from a particular terroir of a producer. They are often smaller production than their other bottlings, though not necessarily.

The 24 wines were selected by the MW panelists – Charles Curtis, Joel Butler, and Tim Marson – around 3 themes each presented in a single flight. The first flight selected 8 of the best examples of Blanc de blancs prestige cuvées; the second side-by-side top cuvées from a single house; and the third sought to discuss the cacophony of factors that go into flavor development looking specifically at vintage versus time en tirage. In the final flight it was difficult to come to conclusions, but part of the point was considering which houses hold wine for aging on lees versus aging after disgorgement, with emphasis on the point that really the question of time in bottle on or off lees is only one powerful though small element in the quality of the final wine alongside terroir, ripeness, vintage conditions, technique, etc.

Following are notes are each of the wines poured during the panel.

Flight 1: Blanc de blancs

* 2009 Non-dosé Blanc de blancs Premier Cru “Terre de Vertus” Champagne Larmandier Bernier $65 The “Terre de Vertus” presents a beautiful floral lift and freshness that balances the giving fruit of the vintage. With a more generous year, Larmandier Bernier chose not to use dosage finding the balance intrinsic to the wine already. The result is a sense of delicacy and purity. This wine carries a fine mousse, fresh blossom, a kiss of citrus, just a hint of caramel, and a long persistent mineral finish. Delicious.

2009 Brut Blanc de blancs Millésime Premier Cru “Clos de l’Abbaye” Champagne Doyard $95 Showing some of the richness of its vintage, the “Clos de l’Abbaye” offers a giving, round palate with nuance and no heaviness. Notes of light caramel, a fine mousse, and a persistent crushed sea-salt minerality carrying through to a long finish.

* 2002 Brut Blanc de blancs “Le Mesnil” Champagne Salon $433 Nuanced and giving, the 2002 Salon offers a floral and seaside-brine lift carried on a body of spiced baked apple dusted by chalk. Juicy and full flavored with ample acidity and a long finish, the 2002 is just beginning to open and will surely give a long fulfilling life.

2006 Brut Blanc de blancs “Fleur de Passion” Champagne Diebolt-Vallois $143 With a floral lift of apple and lemon blossom, cascading into baked apple and pear, the “Fleur de Passion” is both soft, elegant and at the same time finessed with a giving mid palate, silky mousse, rich flavor, and a long finish.

NV Brut Blanc de blancs Grand Cru “Les Aventures” Champagne A.R. Lenoble $97 Dynamic, structural and racy. Showcasing white blossoms, mixed citrus and herbal-oil notes of apple leaf with baking spice accents, the “Les Aventures” is finessed, nuanced and intriguing, with a fine while firm mousse, and a persistent finish.

2004 Brut Blanc de blancs Champagne Dom Ruinart $152 With an emphasis on both fruit and structure, the 2004 Dom Ruinart remains taut currently while promising both nuance and complexity – notes of lush fruit, dusty earthiness, and metallic zing wound through racy acidity, and a finessed, textural palate. Give it a bit of time in bottle.

2005 Brut Blanc de blancs “Comtes de Champagne” Champagne Tattinger $ 163 Clean. Finessed with real density. Spiced orchard fruit aromatics with metallic accents leading into a palate with notes of crisp, golden delicious apple, a kiss of peach and an accent of grapefruit pith. A creamy, round mid palate followed by a crisp ultra long finish.

1995 Blanc de blancs “Blanc des Millénaires” Champagne Charles Heidsieck $178 Showing notes of toffee and coffee grounds, with a hint of truffle and spice. Rich aromatics and a full mid palate with a soft mousse and persistent, delicate, long finish. Delicious and giving.

Flight 2: Side-by-side Prestige Cuvées

2007 Brut “Belle Epoque” Champagne Perrier-Jouët $160 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier. Dusty, orchard fruit aromatics carry into a full, rich fruit mid palate and a long finish. Persistent, racy acidity wound through a full palate.

2006 Brut Rosé “Belle Epoque” Champagne Perrier-Jouet $353 Unfortunately this wine did not arrive in time for the tasting.

2005 Brut Vintage Champagne Dom Perignon $172 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Spiced, orchard fruit aromatics carry into a crisp, full-flavored mid palate followed by a long, crisp finish. Lots of concentration and a sense of density through the palate. The 2005 hosts a fuller mid palate and less drive than its accompanying 2004 rosé.

2004 Brut Rosé Champagne Dom Perignon $324 A sense of delicacy throughout. Fresh floral with berry accents lifting over baked orchard fruit and dried berry with a buttered croissant accent. Metallic zing throughout. More vinous while also less concentrated than the accompanying 2005 blanc. Elegant.

2005 Brut “La Grande Année” Champagne Bollinger $128 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Fresh orchard fruit coupled with spiced, baked apple and pear, and orange cream accents. Ample, nuanced aromatics followed by a full palate of flavor and finessed structure. Oxidative accents throughout carrying into a long finish.

2002 Extra-Brut “R.D.” Champagne Bollinger $321 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Perfumed and nutty with notes of ground coffee, toasted almond brioche, and perfumed apple blossom. A softer mousse than its 2005 counterpart. Oxidative accents throughout leading into a persistent metallic finish. Focused while also giving. Intriguing.

NV Brut “Grande Cuvée” Champagne Krug $175 Blend unclear. Includes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and 15-20% Pinot Meunier. Notes of bruised and spiced mixed fruit, and brioche with toffee and coffee grounds. Nuanced and complex palate and aromatics with a full mid palate, firm mousse, and racy long finish.

2003 Brut Vintage Champagne Krug $255 46% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Meunier. Dried blossom and light spice. Pert, fresh pear and apple opening through the round mid palate followed by a crisp, focused finish. Fresher and more focused through the finish than the Grand Cuvée.

Flight 3: Vintage & en tirage

* NV Extra-Brut Grand Cru “V.P.” Champagne Egly-Ouriet $119 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Aged 7 years on lees. Fresh and secondary notes throughout. Lively and energetic while lean palate. Notes of blossom lift over toffee and ground coffee. Rich mid palate with lean structure and long finish. Nice complexity and nuance. Beautiful.

2000 Brut “Cuvée des Enchanteleurs” Champagne Henriot $199 Aged 12 years on lees. Bold and risky. Notes of oyster liqueur, toffee and apple with toasted nut. Ripe and supple with a long, drying finish. Funky. The aromatics linger into hints of amontillado sherry with air.

2002 Brut Cuvée “Sir Winston Churchill” Champagne Pol Roger $263 Only from older vines. 10 years on lees. Subtle aromatics. Soft mousse. Persistent, firm acidity. Deliciously vinous with a nice crispness. Notes of bruised fruit, croissant and metallic zing – somehow both oxidative and fresh with a focused, long, drying finish. Powerful with nice density of flavor. Delicious.

2004 Brut Grand Cru Millésime “Bouzy” Champagne Pierre Paillard $70 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay. 9 years on lees. Notes of ground oyster shell, cocoa, and fresh apple with light berry accents and a metallic zing. Vibrant, youthful acidity. Focused, crisp and long finish. Delicious and unique.

2004 Brut “La Grande Dame” Champagne Veuve Cliquot $146 6 years on lees. Oyster liqueur, mixed fruit – crushed berry, bruised orchard fruit, and orange cream – on brioche. A rich, lush, giving wine with a persistent finish.

2005 Brut Grand Cru Millésime “Cuvée Perle d’Ayala” Champagne Ayala $144 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir. Both fresh floral and perfumed aromatics follow through a palate of orchard fruit and cocoa with a confected apple finish. A rich palate with firm and persistent acidity.

2005 Brut “Clos des Goisses” Champagne Philipponnat $195 2/3 Pinot Noir. 1/3 Chardonnay. 8-10 years on lees. Fresh orchard fruit and perfumed aromatics. Fresh and bruised apple with toasted nut and light coffee accents through the palate. Crisp acidity cut through a rich palate and a metallic, spiced finish. Distinctive.

2005 Brut Rosé “Comtes de Champagne” Champagne Tattinger $213 70% Pinot Noir (15% red), 30% Chardonnay. 5-6 years on lees. Notes of crisp pear, metallic berry, cocoa, toasted nut and spice. Subtle aromatics need air upon opening. Full mid palate and full, giving mousse lead into an ultra long finish with firm structure.