Photo courtesy: Johnny

Tasting Notes:

As I slowly turn the bottle, I feel fine elasticity of the cork and healthy pressure inside the bottle – what a great relief! The cork turns out to be in such a superb condition that one can hardly believe this bottle was disgorged back in 2003!

As I pour the glass, the explosive, dazzling effervescence of so many fine bubbles just make my heart sing! Straw yellow robe glimmering with brass reflections.

On the nose, initially a bursting note of black currants with grassy undertone, then giving way to an imprint of prune and austere chalkiness. Just a sip, and the palate is overwhelmed by chalky minerality that is lifted by vigorous bubbles and simply explodes on the taste buds. Even the dense, dried fruits (prune, dried apricot and resin) are, for the moment, suppressed by the penetrating chalkiness. What a powerhouse terroir champagne that exemplifies champagne’s chalky legacy!

About 30 minutes after uncorking, there appears a seductive bouquet: prune, chalk, hazelnut and milk butter, lovely interwoven, while the palate becomes  more creamy and accessible as the bubbles subside, with fine bitterness and solid chalkiness building on the finish.

45 minutes after uncorking, the nose is more evolved, with oak influence  more pronounced: honey, nut, butter and woody spices. The palate becomes more rounded and richer(even a bit oily), with dense layers of dried dark fruits, while the chalky finish is still powerful.

Then this great wine continues to evolve in the glass with preserved fruits, rum and chocolate pleasing the nose. The mouthfeel is soft and caressing,  full of dried fruits, coffee and chocolate, with the classic chalky finish still faithful there.

What a rare, unforgettable terroir champagne journey! A real thrill in my champagne memories...