WTN: Three bubblies

[Jenise]

NV Knot Wines Halyard Brut Sparkling White Blend (Sonoma/Napa/Mendocino)
French nose. Good small bubble but could have finer mousse. On the palate, creamy with green apple, lemon, bread dough and a hint of ginger. A very very impressive new American bubbly; and an absolute steal for $15 on Last Bottle. Good thing I'd read positive discussions of it here on WLDG sometime before--I jumped on the offer, got a case and a half.


2003 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut Anderson Valley Champagne Blend
Voluptuously elegant and substantial. Big and creamy but precise at the same time with focused flavors of lemon curd and biscuit. Coop said it's the best California bubble he's ever had; I agree.


2005 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Millésimé Chardonnay
Floral and a bit sweet-flabby and therefore not much substance--nothing about it said "Grand Cru". Bad bottle?

[David M. Bueker]

Feuillatte is generally undistinguished, and 2005 is an odd vintage, so bad combination.

[Jenise]

Feuillatte is generally undistinguished, and 2005 is an odd vintage, so bad combination.

That's been my impression of Feuillatte pretty much, too.

Have you had the Knot bubblies yet?

[David M. Bueker]

I have knot.

[Jenise]

Gave you a lot of rope there, didn't I.

[David M. Bueker]

I couldn't leave you hanging.

Feuillatte is a CM and not a particularly distinguished one (IMO). I've had RC's and many RM's that were better. Champagne Mailly comes to mind as an above average CM producer. I've had some really nice high end wines from them. RC's are rather hard to find in the US, but pay attention. What you don't want is an MA (Marque d'Acheteur) or ND, both of these are buy-outs and have the lowest credentials.

[Jenise]

Richard, thanks.

Question to you and David, who said that 05 is an odd vintage. Details? I have seen a lot of 'sales' on 05 which caused me to suspect it might be a warmer/earlier kind of vintage in Champagne as one might suspect based on 05 in general, so I've stayed away in favor of picking up 02's and 04's, but I really don't know what went down in 05. Elaborate on 'odd'?

[David M. Bueker]

Comments on 2005 come from both Terry Theise and Brad Baker. Both know their Champagnes. To quote Terry:

2005 is the geosmin vintage or whatever the hell it is, or was. Its basic nature is an undisciplined power; it is not a gracious vintage, even when it’s clean. Often it tastes like the soapacious side of Pinot Blanc. Yet one finds exceptions, wines of a certain gracefulness that absorbed their strength of fruit. And as for the dubious aspects, that rotten potato thing so many of them had… all I can say is let’s get ready to HUM-BLLLE… because we didn’t know where it came from or why, and now we don’t know where
it’s disappearing to (in some wines) or why.

I found the 2005s to have an "earthy" element in some cases, which is probably my interpretation of Terry's comments.