Obviously not quite as good as the Clos des Goisses, but that is now the wrong side of €250 (if you can get some).
Here are my (very brief) notes on the six wines we tasted:
(tasted 20/11/23) Philippponat Royale Reserve Brut NV
67 PN 31 C 2 M 34% reserve wines. 2019 base. 8g/L dosage.
Warm toast and baked apple fruit. Rich and soft mousse. Hint of phenolic. Complex finish. Very good 91
Philipponat Royale Reserve Non-Dosé NV
67 PN 31 C 2 M. Exactly as above other than dosage
34% reserve wines. 2019 base
Citrus and elderflower aromas. Fresh and floral. Lemon citrus flavours. Lemon verbena and some mild honey autolysis. As last year, I think I prefer the wine with the dosage. 90
Philipponat Clos des Goisses Extra Brut 2014
71 PN 29 C 4.25g/L
Rich honey and autolytic aromas with brioche and pastry. Soft and round with lovely palate coating texture and depth. Very long and very fine. 98
Philipponat Grand Blanc Extra-Brut 2009
C 4.5g/L disgorged 2023, min 3 yrs sur pointe. Bottled in dark glass as experiment for LV. Now, as of 2016 no more clear glass.
Fresh and vibrant green apple and straw aromas. Lots biscuitty autolysis. Some oatmeal. Rich creamy and with soft mousse and balanced acidity. Delicious. 93
Philipponat ‘1522’ Extra Brut 2016
70 PN 30 C 4.5g/L
1522 year of founding, and first vineyard acquisition.
Distinct bronzing to the colour. Rich and deep with rhubarb, baked apple and brioche. Very rich and concentrated. Long finish. 93
Sublime Réserve 2009
C Sec 30g/L. Likely last ever release.
Sweet toffee apple aromas with some tarte tatin and pastry. Concentrated and deep. Some lime blossom freshness to balance. Little bit icing sugar. Dry in the mouth despite the sugar, with great depth of multilayered flavour. Baked apple and caramel. Soft mousse. Lovely with the dessert. 92
Searching the shelves of the supermarkets in Tenerife for a wine to go with home cooked food tonight. Celeste is a good fruity wine with ripe tannins, texture and some fruity mouthfeel. 8 euros so not a bad price
Went to a small Italian restaurant this evening and the wine that I chose was not available. Being in an unknown restaurant I went very uncharacteristically for an expensive wine for Spain. It was a 2015, had a lot of bottle age, ripe figgy fruit, leather and deep, layers, very nice.
Trying a vertical tasting of Artemis for Thanksgiving. Stags Leap Wine Cellars are famous (or infamous depending on where you live!) for being the top-rated red in the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976.
Chasse Spleen 2016.
In a restaurant.
In Paris.
For €50!
What a find! And, although (too) young, the wine was amazing : rich, ripe and yet elegant and refined.
I remain convinced that 2016 is the greatest vintage since 1989, and probably eclipses that.
Chasse-Spleen is notoriously ungiving in its youth, but this has nearly half Merlot, and modernity, and after two hours in the decanter was wonderfully pleasure-giving. With a perfectly prepared saignée onglet certainly.
Went to an organised ‘Prestige’ Champagne tasting last night.
We all had a great night.
Most I have not had before.
The P2 was superb.
Henri Giraud Mv18 Ay Grand Cru 2018
J Lassalle Blanc De Blancs 1ER Cru 2012
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015
Philipponnat Clos Des Goisses 2013
Rare Champagne 2008
Charles Heidsieck Blanc Des Millenaires 2006
Dom Perignon P2 2004
Don’t usually get taken with emails offers from the local merchant, but their label Claret is nice enough to invest upmarket in a 6 pack of Super-Claret …which suspiciously tastes rather similar but no better than their ordinary Claret, it is however a six super quid extra a bottle more tho’.
Thanks for this. My usual approach for a bottle like this would be to decant into a decanter (using a fine sieve and an aerator thing), wash out the bottle, then decant back into the bottle and then leave it uncorked in the pantry until drinking time. I guess I would usually open it and go through this procedure about 2 hours prior to drinking, but your post suggests longer.
I’d welcome your comments (and anyone else’s): procedures and timings for decanting is not something I know a lot about.
I also use the double decanting method Bobby. Looking at recent comments on CellarTracker one person drinking it in September suggested 4 hours. Given how austere St Estephe can be, that doesn’t surprise me. The most recent review gives it a really positive rating so I think you have chosen well. Maybe give it a slightly longer double decant than usual. I probably don’t drink enough BDX to give you a categorical view. I guess if still a bit closed you will be swirling your glass vigorously.
For any members that happen to have some 2009 Chateau Clarke in their cellar, I initially bought six bottles and I’ve been waiting patiently for it to settle in. I opened bottle #2 in 2019 thinking that 10 years aught to do it, but I was wrong. It was still quite tannic which I am somewhat adverse to and just too young yet.
But I opened #3 a few weeks back and it was finally ready after 14 years, which reminded me of some 2006 Barolo I had. Other people on Cellar Tracker and such where drinking the same Barolo, same vintage, at 8 to 12 years and where not impressed with it. I waited till 2022, 16 years and it was wonderful.
Anyway, the Chateau Clarke is ready now and will be fine for a few more years for sure. I’m sure the 2010s were ready at 12 years, but 2009 was such a hot growing season. Low yield, but great wines.
Love this hobby …
