Texan - Wine Nerd Herd Member
@Delectable Wine : This is the Late Disgorged Blanc de Blancs. I didn’t see it in the database.
I compared this 2017 Haliotide Late Disgorged BdB to the 2016 Ultramarine Heintz BdB to get a feel for styles. Followed over two days with no change.
I’ve had the Haliotide rosé and thought it was really expressive. Lots of bright red fruit. I love late disgorged offerings so I picked this up to try.
This Haliotide spent 68 months en tirage! However, I expected a more leesy profile as this wine is razor sharp. Nice, clean and pure. It’s like drinking Chablis with bubbles. Lemon, underripe pear, and honeysuckle aromatically. On the palate, it is mineral heavy with sea salt, lemon to the max, and a bright and crystalline acidic profile. The zero dosage nature comes across naturally without being too austere. Screams for food…sushi or oysters would be a killer pairing. I enjoyed drinking this, but I think I expected a bit more mid-palate richness. If you love Chablis or leaner style grower champagnes, this is your jam. — a month ago
I’m at 92-93 here, but this is absolutely going to improve. I should have bought more than just a couple!
Paul Dethune champagnes are quickly becoming a favorite of mine. This cuvée is 50/50 (Pinot noir/chard), with 30% coming from their Solera dating back to the 70s.
I’ve said that I feel Petit & Bajan are the equivalent of Bollinger Special Cuvée in grower form, but I stand corrected. THIS is Bolly SC with a grower champagne vibe. Gold in the glass. Aromatics of lemon cream, lemon croissant, golden raspberries, and honeycomb. On the palate, it has the toasted Bolly profile but it’s dialed back a touch…feels more focused. Less expansive, but there’s added power here. Beautifully balanced with the sweet (the fruit, not the dosage) and savory (honey roasted cashews, sea salt). Imagine Bolly SC and a CHeidsieck Blanc de Blanc…you’ve got this. Loved it. — a month ago
Zero expectations here, and I am now on the hunt for more. Absolutely killer and (evidently) a wonderful QPR.
Didn’t know what type of profile to expect here, but I (incorrectly) assumed it would be somewhere in the middle and while pleasant enough, nothing to write home about. What I found was a wine that reminds me an awful lot of Domaine de la Bongran’s EJ Thevnet (all time favorite of mine), yet dialed back just a touch. Light gold in the glass, big aromatics of ripe peach, yellow fruits, and a dash of baking spice. Texturally is leans bigger, but the finish snaps back with great acidity. Lemon cream, golden raspberries, limestone and a vibrant finish. Whereas the Bongran has a touch of sweetness, this has more of a small perception of sweetness. Loved it. — 13 days ago
92-93 for me.
Consumed half bottle at pop, then corked for another 4hrs before consuming the rest. No change.
What a beautifully elegant and refined ‘09. The highest compliment I can give this is that it was a simplistic joy. Some wines make it easy to get nerdy and command your attention…some wines are underwhelming and not worth your time. This was squarely in the middle. It was a joy to not feel the need to overthink…it’s exactly what it should be. No bricking at almost 15yrs. Decidedly black fruit heavy (black currant, cassis, underripe blackberries) with a sprinkling of raspberries and black cherries. Aromas of sweet pipe tobacco, dark florals. Integrated on the palate with good structure and acidity…not a massive wine, but it put on a bit of weight/length the longer it was open. Still sporting a fair bit of tannin at the finish, but it’s balanced. Drink or hold. — 20 days ago
In the running for shocker of the year so far. Not only because of how youthful it was, but in how it cleaned house at a small Syrah tasting with my local group.
I popped this ahead of time to try a glass because I was a bit skeptical of how it would show…my jaw about dropped when I smelled this wine. My goodness…deep and dark florals, violet, stemmy green herbs, black pepper. Wonderfully balanced and integrated on the palate. Whole cluster profile shines through in a supporting role, with the pepper-crusted blackberries, mocha, olive, charcoal. Not rich, not lean, fastball down the middle. Nervy acidity still. This has a cool-climate vibe to it with just a kick of richness to really seduce you. Brilliant. I may have underscored this. — a month ago
I picked up a couple of these when I visited the K Vintners tasting room outside of Seattle a couple years ago. Killer QPR.
It’s tough to be excited about domestic Viognier, but this has so much texture and ripe fruit! Pop and pour. Yellow in the glass. Big aromatics of honeyed yellow fruits, honeysuckle and sea spray. Richly textured but not too unctuous, there’s loads of lemon, underripe white peach and a finish of savory mineral-type grip. A Viognier that, at 5yrs, still seems young with plenty of dense layers. Tasty. — 15 days ago
Opened for a buddy’s birthday party. What a lovely surprise. Cork was a struggle, but hardly any seepage at all. On a table with a ridiculous amount of bottles, including standouts like ‘95 Opus, ‘85 Freemark Bosche, ‘74 Sterling Merlot, ‘13 Salon.
Pop and poured. Excellent youthful color! Deep ruby, hardly any bricking. Gorgeous aromatics of red and black berries, vanilla pipe tobacco, sweet spices. On the palate, it is wonderfully integrated and layered with stewed red and black fruits, fig, espresso, dusty coco (maybe fading signature Rutherford dust?), and a small bit of tannin at the finish keeping this buttoned-up and well structured. Excellent finish and balance. Held strong all evening. Seems as though this had a toe in the early ‘90s style of more bright Napa cabs and one toe in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s style of starting to increase ripeness…great marriage of the two. Pop and enjoy! — 16 days ago
I compared this 2016 BdB to the 2017 Haliotide Late Disgorged BdB to get a feel for styles. Followed over two days with no change.
One of the better Ultramarine wines I’ve had, and definitely pre-funk. I feel like the last few vintages have shown a lot of bottle variation and sometimes a green/herbal profile, mostly in the BdN and BdB (never in the rosé, that’s my favorite wine in the portfolio).
The older vintages always had a distinct cream-soda aromatic to them that I loved, and this has it in spades alongside truffle Honeycomb and spiced apple. Oxidative flair but not an overly oxidative sparkler. Great depth and richness here…almonds, lemon cream, caramel-green apple. Wears the low dosage so well. Broad on the palate (in a good way). I’d be fine drinking this without food. Tasty. — a month ago
@Delectable Wine : This is Little Wine #11. I didn’t see it in the database.
My last bottle of the #11 Little Wine. At this point, my notes for Sami-Odi all come across as love letters because I am captivated every time I have one. I’ve still yet to smell a wine that smells as good as these do.
Pop and pour initially for a glass, then slow-ox overnight and consumed the next day. This is an assemblage of 2021 (46%), 2020 (18%), 2019 (16%), 2018 (2%), 2017 (9%), 2016 (5%) & 2015 (4%).
As is normal, the aromatics upon opening fill the room. I’ve had plenty of SamiOdi and it never ceases to amaze how powerful the aromatics are. Deep purple in the glass (stains the glass type purple). Heady aromas of concentrated red and black fruits, boysenberry jam, violets, and sweet spice. You’d think with all those big aromas the palate would slap you around, but as Fraser can do, there is a fresh profile here. It’s extremely concentrated but somehow stays light. More dark fruits (freshly squeezed), espresso, small hint of both oak and green herbs down the middle to frame it. Tannins were still powerful on day two, but by no means overly so. Give this a half day decant, or slow ox overnight, and you’ll be enthralled.
Thankfully I’ve got the HD’s resting, and more on the way. — a month ago
Shay A
I picked up a 3-pack of these a couple months ago after seeing these for a steal-of-a-price knowing who is behind it. Fun and easy. Probably no need to hold these, but enjoy over the next year or two.
100% Chardonnay from Sanford & Benedict. 40 months on lees, 5yrs aging in bottle post disgorgement. Zero dosage.
Yellow in the glass bursting with copious amounts of bubbles. Bright and zesty! Lemon everything (grilled lemon, lemon zest, lemon tart). Crisp and refreshing on the palate with honeysuckle, sea spray, honeyed Granny Smith apple and a sweet lemon crisp note at the finish. While lean, it’s not austere like some zero dosage sparklers can be (Cali’s warm profile certainly helps). You’re hard pressed to notice this spent as much time as it did on the lees and in bottle with how bright it is. Great for the $35 price. — 13 days ago