WTN: Be aware of friends bearing gifts (Veuve, Leroy)

[David M. Bueker]

In what has quickly become a welcome tradition, Karl Wee dropped by today to share some wine.

I baked up a fresh focaccia, and we drank a mid-day toast with:

1985 Veuve Cliquot Rosé
Salmon pink with a slightly gold tone. Cherry and truffle, toast and a barely vegetal tone that went away with air. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, with a delicate mousse and excllent pesistence of flavor. Laura and I have never been Veuve fans, but Karl served this blind, and we were won over.

A quick side note: I thought this wine showed much better with about 45 minutes of air. People tend to open and the quickly guzzle Champagne before moving on to the "real" wine. In my opinion, Champagne frequently needs air just as much as other wines. This bottle benefited from air, and I find things like Salon, that show very caramelly on opening, gain lots of fruit over an hour or two. End of side note.

Showing great generosity, Karl also brought:

1980 Maison Leroy Savigny-les-Beaune Les Marconnets
Slightly rusty ruby color. Lovely nose of rose, cherry, earth and truffle. The fruit deepened over time. Tart cherries on the front end, but richer through the mid-palate with good acidity and plenty of finishing strawberry and cherry fruit. A delicious experience that we were privleged to share. For those who know my wife, it will come as the highest compliment to this wine that she had not one, not two, but three sips, and proclaimed it even better on the third sip than the first.

Thanks so much Karl!

People tend to open and the quickly guzzle Champagne before moving on to the "real" wine.

Good point, David. We had a NV Gatinois (Ay GC) a few weeks ago that peaked somewhere around 6 hours after opening. The youthful exuberance mellowed and the richness of the flavors really came forth.

Laura and I have never been Veuve fans, but Karl served this blind, and we were won over.

What really is up with Veuve? It seems that the ones I've tried have had an overpowering yeasty stink to them which I found really off-putting. Yet I constantly read nice reports on their older wines. Do they really transform from ugly ducklings into swans with age? Or has there been a change in the way they are made?

-O-

[James Roscoe]

The Veuve rose is always good IMHO. I have always found the other Vruve to be just okay. I am always wondering what the deal is with Veuve. The rose is the only one of their NV champagnes that tells me what may have been and no longer is.

Otto, I think it is just the general consensus that Veuve's (non-LGD) bottles have gone downhill from sometime around 1990 on.

David, I sure would be on the lookout for such a friend - especially if he lives 15 minutes from me!

Best,
Joe

BTW, just looked at Veuve’s website, I suggest everyone go see the Clicquot Cellar Box so we can mock it together.

[David M. Bueker]

I suggest everyone go see the Clicquot Cellar Box so we can mock it together.

I don't need to look. Their advertisements say it all. Drink Veuve Cliquot and be ever so fabulous.

David,

Thanks again for hosting and the TNs. That was a great visit!

Joe,

Yes, we should meet up some time, a bit closer to home than Connecticut. Give me a holler and we'll see if we can set up something after work.

Karl

[David M. Bueker]

And always remember that I make a living out of driving to offlines!