Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse
Damien Hugot
Blanc de Blancs Brut Epernay Grand Cru Champagne Chardonnay
Slightly over-achieves its price point of $39.99. Happy Holidays.
Lemon meringue, pineapple juice, lime zest, tropical melons, white & yellow peach, bruised apple to cider, bruised apple, hues of golden apple, caramel notes, cream to whipped, brioche, white spice, crumbled, dry chalk, limestone marl, sea spray to fossils, white spring flowers, yellow lilies, racy acidity, nice balance, neatly tensioned finish that lands on minerality and lasts a full minute. — 2 years ago
Larmandier-Bernier
Terre de Vertus 1er Cru Brut Nature Champagne Chardonnay 2016
Nice soft mousse body, yellow peach, tropical melons, pineapple, some lemon meringue, lime zest, slightly bitter apple cider, whipped cream, hard chalkiness, alluvial limestone, saline, sea fossils, bread crust, yeastiness, yellow florals, racey acidity, nicely balanced & structured with a finish that lasts 90 seconds.
Needs a few more years in bottle. — 2 years ago
Boizel
Joyau de France Champagne 2000
This 2000 spent an incredible 15 years on lees. Bottled in 2017. This cuvée is roughly 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay. Pinot Noir is from the Montagne de Reims - Mailly, Cumières and Vertus. 35% Chardonnay in from the Côte des Blancs (the best region for Chardonnay)- Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize, Vertus. 10% oak.
The body is thick, heavy and creamy with that much time on lees. The fruit has settled and the complexity has arrived. Bruised apple & pear, a touch of apple cider, pineapple if it were an oil, an array of soft citrus- lemon, lime, orange peel, tangerine, ripe, juicy, yellow peach, some blackberries, marmalade, meringue, cream, malt, some caramel notes, brioche, baguette crust, sea fossils & spray, limestone marl, fine powdery chalkiness w/ speckles of grain, white spice-ginger, withering yellow flowers, excellent acidity, well knitted, perfect tension, balance and a long finish that lasts minutes. — 3 years ago
Philipponnat
Royale Réserve Brut Champagne Blend
For $35 at the Benchmark Bin Sale I’m happy.
Reductive in style with shades of oxidative. Golden apple, bruised pear, apple cider notes, lemon & lime citrus, green melon, some pineapple juice, ginger, crumbled chalkiness, limestone, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, yellow lilies, white flowers w/mixed greens. Good acidity with a nicely balanced finish.
Visited the property in October 2022 and it is impressive. The walk through the Clos de Goisses vineyard was spectacular. Ate two bunches of the unpicked Pinot Noir, which only furthered the reason I can no longer eat table grapes. As well, the view of the Cote de Blancs from there is stunning! — 3 years ago
Charles Heidsieck
Millésimé Brut Champagne Blend
95 vintage. Popped more than expected. Still has bub bub bubbles. With caviar scallops over latkes. Don’t drink a lot of heideieck but glad to find this bottle. Dark golden color. Nose has sea breeze, *cookie dough*, marzipan & fun dip. Palette: Carmel apple cider. peanut brittle. Whipped cream. Nice lemony acidity present. Finish isn’t exceptionally long, but certainly present (it’s sticky) with some lemon pith, and is, of course, pleasant. — 6 years ago
Krug
Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend
Starting the long Labor Day weekend in Big Sur the right way with a little N/V Krug Grande Cuvée. @Nepenthe
Happy Labor Day weekend all! 🍾🥂
Noses reveals; heavy bruised red apple, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, lime zest, white spice, sea fossils, deep crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, white & spring flowers & mixed greens.
The palate is, ripe, lush, fresh and lively. The mouthfeel all Krug beautiful. Bruised red & golden apple with hints of cider, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, white stone fruits, lime zest/candy, white spice, sea fossils, crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, cream soda, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, spring flowers & mixed greens. The acidity is near perfect. The long, elegant, well knitted & balanced finish is gentle until the long set when you get a full presence of white spice and minerality that persists for minutes.
This bottle was composed around 2011 and is made from over 120 different wines that span over 10 years. It is 47% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay & 17% Pinot Meunier. — 6 years ago
Paul Bara
Grand Millésime Brut Grand Cru Champagne Blend 2018
Tasted from 1/2 bottle. They come in handy for dinner for two in many cases, but especially at a restaurant that allows corkage. Most do in California. It is even harder to find vintage champagne in 375ml’s.
The 2018 vintage was good to very good. You need to taste and or read up for its best offerings.
A note, I tasted at the Billecart-Salmon property in later October 2022 with Mathieu Roland-Billecart. As insightful as that was, he was asked other than Billecart Salmon champagnes, what was one of his favorite champagnes? His reply was surprisingly an older vintage Paul Bara he had recently. That’s a producer question that gets asked often. Normally generates a pause with some minor angst to answer.
The nose shows; lemon chiffon/meringue, bruised apple to slightly cider, bruised pear, yellow & white stone fruits, just ripe pineapple, orange citrus blend, lime pulp, tropical melons, whipped, white cream, white spice-ginger, yeasty bread dough, saline, crushed limestone pulp, crumbled chalk, sea fossils, white spring flowers set in yellow lilies.
The palate is round & soft. The mousse is delicate w/ micro oxidation. Ripe; lemon chiffon/meringue, white & yellow stone fruit, slightly bruised apple & Bosc pear, lime pulp, orange citrus rind, some tropical melons, cream, ginger white spice, yeasty bread dough, sea spray, saline, sea fossils, dry crumbled chalkiness, caramel notes, heather honey, warm perfectly toasted toast, graham cracker, nougat w/ nuts, yellow flowers set in a field of white spring flowers, excellent acidity with a nicely; balanced, structured, tensioned, polished finish that lasts a minute and falls on limestone laced with soft, dry, powdery chalkiness.
Photos of; the house of Paul Bara, chalky caves w/ riddling racks, old wood basket press & a vineyard picking party. — a year ago
Billecart-Salmon
Brut Réserve Champagne Blend
Some days are better than others to pop a bottle of champagne and drink a toast. Today is one of those better days! Cheers! 🍾🥂
Excellent with roasted chicken & mash potatoes.
Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, lime w/ zest, red & green apples, hints of apple cider, kiwi, green melon, ginger ale, whipped cream, caramel notes, bread dough, yeasty notes, vanillin, alluvial limestone, sea spray, refined chalkiness, yellow lilies, spring flowers, round yet crisp acidity, well; balanced structured & tensioned. Elegant and smartly polished finish that lasts 90 seconds. From 375ml. — 2 years ago
Alexandre Le Brun
Révélation Extra Brut Blanc de Meunier 2014
Small grower production…only 900 bottles. All fermented in neutral oak. You sense that as soon as you smell it and definitely on the palate. Slightly bruised pear and apple, apple cider, ginger ale, malt, older mixed citrus-grapefruit dominate, bread dough, yeastiness, crumbled chalk & limestone, sea fossils, saline, mixed withering lilies, round acidity, excellent structure, balance, tension, length and nicely not over polished finish that last minutes and lands on beautiful minerality. As good as it is today, room for improvement going forward. Hold at least three years. @ K&L Champagne tasting. — 3 years ago
David Léclapart
l'Apôtre Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Chardonnay
Toast & mixed nuts & sour citrus & herbs leap out of the glass. Well aged at 10 years.
The fruits are; lemon meringue, bruised red apple & Bosc pear, apple cider, ginger to ginger ale, muted lime pulp, overripe green melon, sour pineapple, griping limestone and chalkiness, sea fossils, saline. light, delicate white spice, dry herbs, caramel, cream brûlée, cream soda, hints of root beer float, pretzel, baguette crust, jasmine, green, yellow lilies, excellent acidity, well; structured, balanced, knitted finish that last minutes. Time in the bottle makes all the difference.
Happy Global Champagne Day! — 3 years ago
Taittinger
Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 2007
Well...this was one hell of a week. There is only one way to wind it down. Reach for an excellent bottle of vintage Champagne.
My first thoughts are how delicate this is on the palate. Further, how unbelievable it will be with another 8-10 years in bottle.
The nose shows; slightly sour lemon, the good parts of lemon Pledge, lemon meringue, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, brioche, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanilla, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies.
The body is light on its feet and dances on the palate. Delicacy abounds. Its soft, gorgeous mousse right there with the best money can buy. Slightly sour lemon, lemon meringue, green & with more bruised golden apple, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, touch of apple cider, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, ginger ale into cream soda, brioche, nougat, toffee notes, lighter nuts without skin, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanillin, marzipan, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies. The acidity is mellow yet lively, gorgeous and as good as it gets. The finish is all luxury. So well knitted & balanced, elegant, rich but not overpowering and gently persisting several minutes.
Photos of; The House of Taittinger, their caves so chalky white and built on the famous Crayères Cellars of Reims: 2.5 miles of tunnels (they own 1/4 to 1/3 of it) cut out of chalk by the Romans, the portrait of Thibaud IV who was a king, lord, manager, singer, conqueror, explorer & 11th century Crusader all rolled into one from which, this Cuvée was the catalyst creation and part of the 600 plus hectares they own in Champange.
Some producer notes; Taittinger's history can be traced back to 1734, when it was originally known as Forest-Fourneaux, founded by Jacques Fourneaux who worked closely with local Benedictine monks to learn how to produce wine. They were just the 3rd Champange house.
The estate was bought by the Taittingers – a family of wine merchants – in 1932, and thanks to the great depression and subsequent low land prices, the family also picked up huge swathes of vineyard. From 1945-1960, Francois Taittinger established the cellars in the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, and after his death in 1960 his brother Claude took over, pushing the estate into a Champagne house of world renown. Such was the status of the label that the Taittinger family soon expanded its business into other luxury goods. However, this eventually led to financial difficulties, and in 2005 the Taittinger brand – including the Champagne house – was sold to the American owned Starwood Hotel Group. The sale was badly received by the Champagne industry, with many fearing the new owners – unfamiliar with the culture of Champagne – would put profit ahead of quality.
Just one year later, Claude’s nephew, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who had always been opposed to the sale, negotiated a €660m deal with the Starwood Group, and the Taittinger family resumed ownership of the company.
In 2017, Taittinger planted its first vines in England, near a village in Kent, for its venture into English sparkling wine. The first bottle will be ready in 2023.
1/8/21 — 5 years ago
Bollinger
Special Cuvée Brut Champagne
Our friends deck coming along nicely. The kitchen bar & lighting is in.
Tastes really good tonight. Showing more of the right kind of oxidative notes I enjoy.
Golden & green apple, braised pear, overripe pineapple, lemon, lime juice, nougat, some apple cider, vanillin, yeast, bread dough & crust, sea fossils, grey volcanics, limestone, white spice, gentle, powdery chalkiness, micro oxygenation, excellent with spring flowers, yellow flowers & withering white lilies. Excellent acidity. The finish is rush, smartly balanced, elegant and persistent. — 6 years ago
Henriot
Millésime Brut Champagne Blend 1996
Happy New Year! 🎉🎈🎆🎊 🧨
From Mag. 96 an excellent vintage. Magnum is the preferred storage for Champagne.
You can sense the age from the very first sip.
Nose has a little bruised apple & pear, apple cider, dry apricots, malt, notes of caramel, sugar in the raw, cream, sea spray/fossils, understated lemon/lime pulp, slightly fermented pineapple, white spice, baguette crust, graham crackers, withering yellow flowers, lilies.
The palate is bruised apple & pear, apple cider, dry apricots, malt, notes of caramel, sugar in the raw, cream, sea spray/fossils, understated lemon/lime pulp, slightly fermented pineapple, yellow melons, white spice, baguette crust, graham crackers, hints of understated maple soda , limestone marl, crumbly, moist, white chalk, withering yellow flowers, lilies, perfect, racy acidity, excellent; balance, tension, structure and a smartly polished finish that last minutes and falls in white spice and minerals. — 2 years ago
Pol Roger
Réserve Brut Champagne Blend
It has been sometime since I have had this white label. Nice pair with Apple Tart from the Adorable French Bakery.
The nose is; bruised apple, touch of apple cider, yellow bruised pear, lime zest, lemon juice, orange citrus with zest, tropical melons, white cream froth, brioche, white spring flowers.
The palate is fresh, ripe, juicy; bruised apple, touch of apple cider, yellow bruised pear, lime zest, lemon juice & tropical melons. Gingerale, caramel notes, honeycomb, understated white spice, sea fossils & spray, white cream, delicate chalkiness, limestone marl, almond slivers, field of white, spring flowers with both lilies, crisp, fresh, lively acidity and nicely made, well balanced finish that lasts 90 seconds. — 2 years ago
Bollinger
La Grande Année Brut Champagne 2007
Lovely. Spent sometime in neutral oak. Apple cider-green & dominate red, bruised pear, overripe pineapple juice, tropical melons, ginger ale, white cream, some overripe white peach, saline, sea fossils/spray, limestone alluvial minerals, bread dough, yeastiness, moist/wet chalkiness, yellow, white flowers, excellent, round, acidity, well; knitted, structured, nicely tensioned, balanced & evenly polished finished that lasts two-minutes. — 3 years ago
Billecart-Salmon
Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart Brut Champagne Blend 2002
Happy birthday Honey. 🥳🎂🎉 🌹
This is absolutely as exquisite as when we had it for Christina’s birthday March 1, 2023. The benefit tonight is time & attention to focus on it. Delicious.
Green apple, lime, lemon pineapple, stone fruits, slightly bruised golden apple and pear, leans into apple cider, cream, ginger ale, nuts w/ skin, very fine powdery chalkiness, limestone, saline, biscuit dough, sea fossils. Amazing body and acidity, fruit blossoms, jasmine, yellow florals and well; structured knitted, balanced, extremely well polished finish that lasts two-minutes. Drinking beautiful now & with time & life for 10 yrs or more. Love you Sofia.
#MaxwellThisWomansWork — 3 years ago
Pierre Paillard
Les Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru Champagne Blend
Haven’t been able to get this since winter. So good for the price point, $40 ish. Good to be able to get this locally again.
Ripe, juicy pear, green & golden apples, pineapple, white stone fruits, touch of cider, sea fossils, limestone, grey volcanics, yeasty bread, baguette crust, caramel, yellow lilies, spring flowers, acidity is perfect with length, balance & smartly polished for days.
Great on both ends, cheese & shortbread cookies. — 5 years ago
Gosset
Grande Réserve Brut Champagne Blend
Nice with our cheeses. One, (Four Fowl) sent from our friend @Severn Goodwin. Really excellent.
Happy Holidays! 🎄🎁🎅⛄️❄️🌟
The Gosset was opened by our friend Christina. This has seen air through oak & leans into an oxidative style which, is good but, not my favorite.
Lots of bruised, golden & apple, bruised pear, touch of spoke cider, pineapple, ginger ale, strong, grey bulky minerals, bread dough, yeast, saline, sea fossils, chalky stones, some flint, limestone, white flowers, some yellow lilies & jasmine/spring flowers. The acidity is racy with a well balanced, smartly polished finish that is nicely persist. — 6 years ago
Domaine Dauvissat-Camus
La Forest Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2009
Nose reveals beauty & grace. Sweet & just sour lemons, lime candy, green dominate apples with shades of golden, cream, vanillin, ginger, ripe squeezed pineapple flesh, grapefruit with pith, touch of apple cider, salted caramel, cream soda, sea fossils, sea spray, light volcanics, marmalade fruit, Stone fruit with yellow & spring flowers flowers set in mixed greens.
The palate is very full, round, waxy, rich with excellent viscosity. Beautiful mouthfeel. Great time for a bottle. Sweet & just a sour lemons, lime candy, green dominate apples with shades of golden, cream, vanillin, ginger, ripe squeezed pineapple flesh, grapefruit with pith, touch of apple cider, salted caramel, cream soda, healthier honey, sea fossils, white spice with the perfect depth & heat, sea spray, reductive, melted molasses, light volcanics, wet stone, elegant flintiness, marmalade fruit, stone fruit-apricot, nectarines, white & yellow peach with yellow & spring flowers flowers set in mixed greens. The acidity is like a cool stone filled stream. The long, round finish is; waxy, round, lush, with excellent balance fruit & earth, gentle white spice palate heat that persists endlessly. On the long, longboard set, I get soft subtle cream notes of whiskey/scotch w/o any heat. It Hoovers center mouth.
Photos of; one of Dauvisst Cru vineyards, staff caning in the spring, Vincent, Dauvisst and photo of a vineyard that shows every bit of reason why White Burgundy tastes the way it does!
Some producer notes I read. Vincent started helping his father René in 1976 and, during the last decade, has gradually taken control of viticulture and winemaking. For him, the ultimate goal is to harvest healthy grapes that are fully ripe and concentrated which, he declares, can only be achieved consistently by hard work in the vineyard. His passion for wine enables him to put this work ethic into practice with real vigour - close pruning the vines (40 years old on average) during the growing season to restrict yields, hand harvesting at vintage time and ruthlessly discarding any rotten or split grapes. His vinification and maturation methods see him join the small band of Chablis producers who employ oak. The wines are vinified and aged in a mixture of steel vats and 6-to 8 year old wooden barrels. The wood is old and therefore doesn’t stamp any oak flavour onto the wines but does give them an extra depth of flavor and density of body, whilst still retaining their unique identities. These are intensely terroir-driven, mineral wines of such concentration that they take longer than most to reach their best, though they are every bit worth the wait. — 6 years ago
Somm David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
Nice. Lots of micro, fine, precision bubbles. Leans just into a soft oxidative style.
Slightly bruised, apple & pear, touch of apple cider, lemon chiffon/meringue, understated pineapple juice, tropical melons, lime zest, white stone fruit, fluffy whipped cream, bread dough, white spice, some oyster, sea fossils, crumbled limestone, sharpe toned, chalk powder, white spice, dry top soil layered over the top, excellent acidity, nice, round, evenly tensioned, well balanced, elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and lands evenly on fruit & earth. — a year ago