10 good friends, a lot of fresh seafood and 13 good wines made up the evening of June 12th. Here are the notes from the dinner.
Pierre Peters Champagne Cuvee de reserve grand cru blanc de blancs brut
Straw colour, small bubbles. Fine and complex nose with hints of dark bread, minerals (chalk), flowers. Quite rich in the mouth and with
a touch of sweetness in the fruit. Concentrated. Quite flowery and a little simpler than on the nose. Fine acids and length. Not
the most mineral Les-Mesnil-sur Oger, but a fine Champagne.
Palmer Champagne brut millesime 1996
Straw colour, medium large bubbles. More mature and more fruity nose. Hints of apples, biscuits and some mineral. Medium bodied and
fine Champagne in the mouth. Different from the Pierre Peters with a slimmer structure and a little less concentration. Fruit more
evoloved, showing biscuits, apples, some mineral. Acidic finish with some citrus. A Champagne lacking a little depth, but with fine
structure and good foodwine.
Bonnaire Champagne cuvee Prestige grand cru blanc de blancs brut 1996
Straw colour. Fine mousse, small bubbles, better integrated. Mineral (chalk) nose with hints of mushrooms, apples and seaweed. Fullbodied
with the typical concentration and flowery, mushroomy character of the Cramant. Fruit a little closed today. Great structure, acidic
citrusy long finish. Can age further.
R & L Legras Champagne blanc de blancs brut grand cru Chouilly NV
Light straw/greenish colour. Subdued nose with some lime. Mineral and chalky. Fine character, but this is suffering for being served after
the much more intence and complex Bonnaire. Young and quite aggressive mousse in the mouth. Needs time to settle. Medium
concentration. Fine and mineral. Chalky. Fine acids. Give it more time.
Franciacorta Grand Cuvee brut 2002, Bellavista
Straw/greenish colour. Large bubbles. A little shy nose showing some old flowers, some pear and soap. Fullbodied
Franciacorta with some obvious residual sugar. Aggressive and not very fine mousse. Fruit does not show as much. Some sweet flowers.
Medium acids and length. Highly disappointing and untypical wine from this producer. Must try another bottle later.
Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne brut cuvee speciale millesime 1999
Straw colour. Quite large bubbles for Champagne, but finer than the Franciacorta. Flowery nose with some hints of apples and soap.
Medium bodied Champagne in the mouth with aggressive mousse. Quite unelegant flowery fruit with hints of apples and soap. Lacking
depth. Medium acids and length. Where is the greatness of Champagne??
Jacquart Champagne brut millesime 1990
Straw/yellow colour. Fine and floral nose with hints of dark, toasted bread, chalk, mineral. Great depth. Fullbodied Champagne in the
mouth. Shows a little the ripeness of the vintage. Sweet flowers, dark bread, chalk, mineral. Concentrated and evolved fruit. But also
fine acids and length. Very good and the Champagne of the day.
Bollinger Champagne Grande annee 1989
Yellow colour. Oxidative nose of nuts, old wood, dark bread and flowers. Powerful Champagne in the mouth, typical Bollinger with the
oxidative fruit and dark bread. Concentrated fruit. Some citrus in the finish. Lacking a little minerality, depth and elegance.
Medium acids and good length. Good if you like the Bollinger-style. Unfortunately not my style.
Chablis Vieilles vignes 1996, La Chablisienne
Corked.
Chablis 1er cru Montee de Tonnerre 2002, William Fevre
Straw colour. Nose shows new oak, seaweed, apples. In the mouth the wine is closed and oaky. This needs time to settle and
integrate. The concentration seems decent, but the oaking too hard. Fine acids. Oaky finish.
Chablis grand cru Vaudesir 2000, Jean-Marc Brocard
Corked.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru 2004, Domaine Marc Morey
Straw/greenish colour. Very fine and young nose showing citrus, spices, nuts, some oak and minerals. Fullbodied and concentrated
Puligny-Montrachet in the mouth. A little fatness. Even more spicy in the mouth. Young fruit and shows some oak, but well balanced.
Needs time to integrate, but drinks fairly well now. Fine acids and length. Very good wine.
Bonnezeaux 1993, Chateau de Fesles (Gaston Lenotre)
Lightly golden colour. Fine and typical chenin-nose of wool, dark bread, liquorice, flowers and honey. Some botrytis. Medium bodied
for a Bonnezeaux and not too sweet. Fine fruit that is quite mature now. Shows honey, some botrytis, salt liquorice and stoney
minerals. Good acids and length. Fine and typical. Can probably age a long time.
Arnt Egil Nordlien
Tasting notes: June-06