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.
Showing posts with label inflorescence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inflorescence. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 January 2012
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.
Friday, 6 May 2011
Newbie
A friend is staying with us who is curious about champagne but doesn't often drink it. He had never tried anything from Billecart-Salmon and was keen to, so we arranged a nice dinner for him with a bottle of their Brut Reserve, one of my favourites. So that he could compare it with something of similarly high quality, we also opened a bottle of Inflorescence which was highly-rated among the group at my last BYOBB.
It was an interesting comparison. Having tried a little of each champagne, my friend decided that the Billecart-Salmon should be served with dinner since it had a crisper, cleaner style that would complement rather than compete with the lemon-caper chicken and cauliflower risotto that we made. We served the Inflorescence afterward, so that the deep, apple-orchard flavour could be appreciated on its own. Both champagnes were wonderful and, as usual, had lots of bubbles. It was a treat to drink them both in one night!
It was an interesting comparison. Having tried a little of each champagne, my friend decided that the Billecart-Salmon should be served with dinner since it had a crisper, cleaner style that would complement rather than compete with the lemon-caper chicken and cauliflower risotto that we made. We served the Inflorescence afterward, so that the deep, apple-orchard flavour could be appreciated on its own. Both champagnes were wonderful and, as usual, had lots of bubbles. It was a treat to drink them both in one night!
Monday, 6 September 2010
BYOBB Sept'10
We held this year's second round of Bring Your Own Bottle of Bubbly - BYOBB (TM) yesterday. Like the one in May, it was good fun, great company, and a lot of yummy bubbles. We re-tasted some of the sparklers from May, as well as a few new ones. The ground-rules remained the same as in May: non-vintage bubbles, blind tasting, and marks out of 10 points for each bottle, with 10 being the best you've ever drunk and 1 being undrinkable. I will report on the order in which we drank, although please keep in mind we didn't find out until the end of the afternoon what each bottle was.
The first bottle was a re-run from May, Philizot et Fils numero 1. This champagne had a slightly poorer showing this time around, receiving marks of 5s to 7s (compared to 6s and 7s in May), and with tasters commenting that it was 'fine, but characterless' and that it had no finish. The total score was 38/70, leaving it in 5th place out of 6 bottles.
The next bottle was a new entry, Inflorescence by Bouchard, which I had drunk before and thought my tasters might enjoy. I was right, as the champagne received consistent marks of 6s and 7s across the group, who agreed that it was a 'fresh, well-made' champagne. The total score was 45/70, placing 2nd out of 6 bottles.
Our third bottle was another champagne that we had tried in May and that had scored toward the lower end of the spectrum then. Charles Ellner Brut Integral gathered marks ranging from 3s and 4s to a 6. Compared to the previous bottles we had opened, this champagne smelled almost medicinal, with one taster saying it 'smelled like a hospital' (funnily enough, the same person gave it the '6' ranking). By the end of the afternoon, more than half of this bottle remained undrunk (and now awaits its final fate in my fridge as an ingredient in champagne risotto), it just couldn't compete in the line-up we had. It placed last out of the 6 bottles with a total score of 28/70.
Our fourth bottle was a huge hit after the disappointment of the third bottle, with tasters commenting on the 'strong bubbles that evaporate quickly in your mouth' and the full-flavour of the champagne being more like a 'wine with bubbles'. Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs, was another re-run from May (and a regular in my fridge!). Despite the positive comments and a quickly-emptied bottle, it scored less well than I would have expected with marks ranging from 4s to 8s (it was our top-scorer in May, receiving all 7s and 8s). The total score was 43/70, placing this champagne 3rd out of 6 bottles.
The only rose of the day came next, another new entrant in the field. This was Champagne Thienot Brut Rose, a fruity, bubbly, luscious wine that also disappeared from our glasses very quickly with tasters commenting that it was 'very drinkable'. It scored mostly 6s, book-ended with one 5 and one 7 ranking. With a total score of 42/70, it placed 4th out of the 6 bottles. It's also worth noting that this champagne was a particularly good match with the apple and blackberry pie we had for dessert.
At this point, we noted that while we had so far drunk some very good sparklers, none of them had really wow'ed us as a group. That ended with our final bottle, which had loads and loads of bubbles, and 'flavours of apricot and lychee' - a totally different taste and style to all of the other bottles we had opened. Camel Valley Brut, the only non-French sparkler in the group, topped the tables as a new entrant with rankings of 5s to 8s and a total score of 47/70. This comes with a caveat, though - some of our tasters felt that where they could drink some of the other high-scorers throughout an evening or throughout the year, the distinct flavour of this wine limited its appeal to a single glass as an aperitif, or possibly as a warm weather sparkler. So even though it scored well, I ended up finishing the bottle while I was washing up after everyone left (yet still managed not to break any of my Billecart-Salmon-branded glassware)!
(NB While I was typing up my notes, I noticed that the Camel Valley was a 2007 vintage, so technically should be disqualified from this year's BYOBB competition which was to include only non-vintage bubbles!)
My thanks to everyone who came for bringing bottles, eating almost everything I cooked, giving honest feedback, and helping to take notes and clean up! Cheers!!
The first bottle was a re-run from May, Philizot et Fils numero 1. This champagne had a slightly poorer showing this time around, receiving marks of 5s to 7s (compared to 6s and 7s in May), and with tasters commenting that it was 'fine, but characterless' and that it had no finish. The total score was 38/70, leaving it in 5th place out of 6 bottles.
The next bottle was a new entry, Inflorescence by Bouchard, which I had drunk before and thought my tasters might enjoy. I was right, as the champagne received consistent marks of 6s and 7s across the group, who agreed that it was a 'fresh, well-made' champagne. The total score was 45/70, placing 2nd out of 6 bottles.
Our third bottle was another champagne that we had tried in May and that had scored toward the lower end of the spectrum then. Charles Ellner Brut Integral gathered marks ranging from 3s and 4s to a 6. Compared to the previous bottles we had opened, this champagne smelled almost medicinal, with one taster saying it 'smelled like a hospital' (funnily enough, the same person gave it the '6' ranking). By the end of the afternoon, more than half of this bottle remained undrunk (and now awaits its final fate in my fridge as an ingredient in champagne risotto), it just couldn't compete in the line-up we had. It placed last out of the 6 bottles with a total score of 28/70.
Our fourth bottle was a huge hit after the disappointment of the third bottle, with tasters commenting on the 'strong bubbles that evaporate quickly in your mouth' and the full-flavour of the champagne being more like a 'wine with bubbles'. Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs, was another re-run from May (and a regular in my fridge!). Despite the positive comments and a quickly-emptied bottle, it scored less well than I would have expected with marks ranging from 4s to 8s (it was our top-scorer in May, receiving all 7s and 8s). The total score was 43/70, placing this champagne 3rd out of 6 bottles.
The only rose of the day came next, another new entrant in the field. This was Champagne Thienot Brut Rose, a fruity, bubbly, luscious wine that also disappeared from our glasses very quickly with tasters commenting that it was 'very drinkable'. It scored mostly 6s, book-ended with one 5 and one 7 ranking. With a total score of 42/70, it placed 4th out of the 6 bottles. It's also worth noting that this champagne was a particularly good match with the apple and blackberry pie we had for dessert.
At this point, we noted that while we had so far drunk some very good sparklers, none of them had really wow'ed us as a group. That ended with our final bottle, which had loads and loads of bubbles, and 'flavours of apricot and lychee' - a totally different taste and style to all of the other bottles we had opened. Camel Valley Brut, the only non-French sparkler in the group, topped the tables as a new entrant with rankings of 5s to 8s and a total score of 47/70. This comes with a caveat, though - some of our tasters felt that where they could drink some of the other high-scorers throughout an evening or throughout the year, the distinct flavour of this wine limited its appeal to a single glass as an aperitif, or possibly as a warm weather sparkler. So even though it scored well, I ended up finishing the bottle while I was washing up after everyone left (yet still managed not to break any of my Billecart-Salmon-branded glassware)!
(NB While I was typing up my notes, I noticed that the Camel Valley was a 2007 vintage, so technically should be disqualified from this year's BYOBB competition which was to include only non-vintage bubbles!)
My thanks to everyone who came for bringing bottles, eating almost everything I cooked, giving honest feedback, and helping to take notes and clean up! Cheers!!
Monday, 6 July 2009
An Explosive Bubbly
I was at Selfridges the other day, and had a quick look around their wine department. It's the sort of place that I like, as they always have something a little different. On this occasion, I received high praise when I took my selected bottle, a blanc de noirs champagne called Inflorescence to the register - apparently it's the most interesting bottle of bubbly they have at the moment, with Bouchard, the maker, having produced only 2000 bottles.
We opened it yesterday, as my husband was trying out the new smoker equipment he bought for the BBQ and had prepared some absolutely amazing and perfectly cooked smoked duck legs (the skin was crunchy, the meat was tender, moist, and well-flavored, I can't wait for him to make them again!). The wine didn't let the food down. It was very clean, with the complex flavours of honey but none of the sweetness. It had a creamy-smooth and very long finish with a mild toastiness to it. The only down-side was that it was so bubbly it literally exploded in my hands when I opened the bottle (and trust me, I've opened enough bottles that my technique is pretty good!) - I wound up drenched in champagne which was such a waste.
I'll be buying another bottle of this the next time I'm at Selfridges, hoping that they don't sell out before I get back!
We opened it yesterday, as my husband was trying out the new smoker equipment he bought for the BBQ and had prepared some absolutely amazing and perfectly cooked smoked duck legs (the skin was crunchy, the meat was tender, moist, and well-flavored, I can't wait for him to make them again!). The wine didn't let the food down. It was very clean, with the complex flavours of honey but none of the sweetness. It had a creamy-smooth and very long finish with a mild toastiness to it. The only down-side was that it was so bubbly it literally exploded in my hands when I opened the bottle (and trust me, I've opened enough bottles that my technique is pretty good!) - I wound up drenched in champagne which was such a waste.
I'll be buying another bottle of this the next time I'm at Selfridges, hoping that they don't sell out before I get back!
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