We drank what would have been a fantastic champagne if only it had more bubbles...
Herbert Beaufort Cuvee la Favorite Brut 2002, a pinot noir/chardonnay blend from The Sampler, had the most wonderful flavour - loads of toffee apple with a rich, lingering, toasty finish. The bubbles were good on pouring, but gone after a few sips. My husband didn't mind this as he thought the taste made up for the lack of bubbles. I'm all about the bubbles, though, so this was a bit of a deal-breaker for me. While I want to rave about this champagne, I just can't.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Nice, But Not Memorable
We had another of the champagnes from The Sampler the other day...this one was RH Coutier grand cru brut. This is a pinot noir/chardonnay blend, and while I remember that it was very drinkable and had perfectly fine bubbles, I don't remember much more about the champagne than that. It's a little sad, really, as we drink so many different champagnes that something so absolutely nice just fades into the background because there's nothing distinct about it. But perhaps sometimes that's what you want, something with bubbles that won't overshadow the food or the occasion. This will be one to try again, to see if it leaves more of an impression the next time.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Two More From the Sampler
We had two more champagnes from The Sampler:
The first was nice - Pierre Peters Extra Brut Grand Cru, a low dosage blanc de blancs. This had lovely flavours, citrus and nuts, with a slightly oxidised apple finish. The bubbles were OK, but I would have liked more of them through the glass. For what this is, I think it was a little expensive at almost £40 for the bottle.
The second was another disappointment from the people who make Inflorescence, this was Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs. The flavours in this champagne were really interesting, with a spearmint start, followed by some fir tree, with a spicy ginger end. But it was a little bit of hard work with all of that going on! Plus the bubbles didn't hold through the glass, a bit of spray to start, but then mostly flat as we sipped. For a £60+ bottle, this just didn't 'wow' us. I'm glad we started out trying the Inflorescence, which I really like, as the more I try from this maker, the less I like. Had I tried some of these later bottles first, I might not have bothered with the Inflorescence, which I still really like.
The first was nice - Pierre Peters Extra Brut Grand Cru, a low dosage blanc de blancs. This had lovely flavours, citrus and nuts, with a slightly oxidised apple finish. The bubbles were OK, but I would have liked more of them through the glass. For what this is, I think it was a little expensive at almost £40 for the bottle.
The second was another disappointment from the people who make Inflorescence, this was Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs. The flavours in this champagne were really interesting, with a spearmint start, followed by some fir tree, with a spicy ginger end. But it was a little bit of hard work with all of that going on! Plus the bubbles didn't hold through the glass, a bit of spray to start, but then mostly flat as we sipped. For a £60+ bottle, this just didn't 'wow' us. I'm glad we started out trying the Inflorescence, which I really like, as the more I try from this maker, the less I like. Had I tried some of these later bottles first, I might not have bothered with the Inflorescence, which I still really like.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
A Sampling from The Sampler
Just before Christmas, I ordered some champagne from The Sampler, and we've been drinking some of it in the last couple of weeks. A report on the four bottles we've tried:
We liked best Paul Dethune Grand Cru Brut, a 70/30 mix of pinot noir and chardonnay. This was everything I want in a champagne - it smelled of green apples and yeast, tasted like brioche, had a slightly tart and lingering finish, and had masses of tiny, never-ending bubbles. I bought this for around £30 for the bottle, and I think it was really good value. I would love to try other champagnes from this maker.
Next we liked RH Coutier Brut Rose. This was an incredibly dry rose for all of the lush berry scents it emitted, and we liked it for not being sweet. It had a touch of black pepper at the back of the mouth, but unfortunately no finish. While we enjoyed it, I preferred the English Pebblebed rose for having a similar balance but much better finish. Being slightly more expensive than the Paul Dethune, it didn't feel great value for money, so while we liked it, I don't think it will be a repeat purchase.
We had mixed feelings about Charlemagne Brut Nature, a non-dosage blend of 70/30 chardonnay and pinot noir - which I liked and my husband found disappointing. I liked it for being a straightforward, citrusy, bubbly aperitif, the kind of champagne you would serve in great quantities to guests on a nice day in the garden. I think my husband was expecting something more, some sort of complexity from it being a zero-dosage champagne. But I liked it for what it was, and also was impressed with the amount of bubbles it had. If you're looking for something challenging, this isn't it. If you're looking for something very drinkable, hold out your glass and say 'more please'.
Finally, the biggest surprise was the champagne we liked the least - La Parcelle blanc de noirs from Inflorescence. We couldn't believe how sweet this was, especially for a non-dosage champagne. Not to my liking at all, which surprised me considering how much I like the regular vintage version of their champagne. And at double the price of the Paul Dethune, definitely not a value-for-money drink.
We liked best Paul Dethune Grand Cru Brut, a 70/30 mix of pinot noir and chardonnay. This was everything I want in a champagne - it smelled of green apples and yeast, tasted like brioche, had a slightly tart and lingering finish, and had masses of tiny, never-ending bubbles. I bought this for around £30 for the bottle, and I think it was really good value. I would love to try other champagnes from this maker.
Next we liked RH Coutier Brut Rose. This was an incredibly dry rose for all of the lush berry scents it emitted, and we liked it for not being sweet. It had a touch of black pepper at the back of the mouth, but unfortunately no finish. While we enjoyed it, I preferred the English Pebblebed rose for having a similar balance but much better finish. Being slightly more expensive than the Paul Dethune, it didn't feel great value for money, so while we liked it, I don't think it will be a repeat purchase.
We had mixed feelings about Charlemagne Brut Nature, a non-dosage blend of 70/30 chardonnay and pinot noir - which I liked and my husband found disappointing. I liked it for being a straightforward, citrusy, bubbly aperitif, the kind of champagne you would serve in great quantities to guests on a nice day in the garden. I think my husband was expecting something more, some sort of complexity from it being a zero-dosage champagne. But I liked it for what it was, and also was impressed with the amount of bubbles it had. If you're looking for something challenging, this isn't it. If you're looking for something very drinkable, hold out your glass and say 'more please'.
Finally, the biggest surprise was the champagne we liked the least - La Parcelle blanc de noirs from Inflorescence. We couldn't believe how sweet this was, especially for a non-dosage champagne. Not to my liking at all, which surprised me considering how much I like the regular vintage version of their champagne. And at double the price of the Paul Dethune, definitely not a value-for-money drink.
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