Clos Cazals 2002 & Kistler 2003

Generalforsamling 23.5.14:

Champagne Clos Cazals Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2002

En rik BdB som de fleste mente hadde Pinot i seg. Mye frukt, god fylde, bred munnfølelse og litt endimensjonal. Men stor og diger, breial og deilig. Men den mangler betydelig presisjon. En snill BdB som blir slapp etter en tid i glasset. Merkelig egentlig at dette er xtrabrut. 90 poeng.

Fra dN.no;  6319 Cazals Clos Cazals Blanc de blancs Brut 2002 
Kroner 733,80 spesialpol. 89 poeng. Moestue Grape Selections 
Dufter av gjær, brødbakst og gule epler. Rik og noe fyldig frukt på smak kombinert med frisks syr. Vika og Valken. Drikk nå til 2020. Passer til skalldyr. MB

Kistler Pinot Noir 2003

Rik, moden og tydelig oversjøisk Pinot. Voldsom nese med blomster og rike bær. Det blir litt mye, men vinen har holdt seg forbausende godt i 11 år. Frisk og stram fremdeles i munnen, men produsenten lager
nok bedre hvite enn røde viner. 88 poeng.

From princeofpinot.com; Is there another winery in California that is been so successful without any marketing whatsoever, no public relations to speak of, no public tastings, no tasting room, absolutely nothing to suggest the owners have any interest in their consumer base? Probably the success has come through Robert Parker, Jr., who is one of the privileged few to be able to taste Kistler's wines and anoints them as royalty. That is not to say the wines are not worthy. Kistler's Chardonnays set the standard for a style of California Chardonnay that is now commonplace in California. The Chardonnays go through 100% MLF, are barrel fermented and come out the other side very buttery and appealing, although their greatest attribute is as a sipping wine and not primarily a food-friendly wine. My wife and I adore the Chardonnays.

The Pinot Noirs early on were highly extracted and heavily oaked, appealing to Parker's palate, but off-putting to many others especially in light of the high prices that were demanded. The winemaking style for the Pinot Noirs has mellowed in recent years to the benefit of the wines. The wines are composed of both French Dijon and heritage clones. They undergo extended maceration and cuvaison up to four weeks, and are aged 14 months in 100% new French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Pinot Noirs come from low-yielding vineyards in the Russian River Valley (Kistler Vineyard) and Sonoma Coast. Besides a Sonoma Coast blend produced for many years, in the late 2000s small production single vineyard Pinot Noirs appeared from three coastal vineyards including Silver Belt (Cuvée Natalie) , Occidental Station (Cuvée Catherine), and Bodega Headlands (Cuvée Elizabeth). The limited Pinot Noir production is variable in amount depending on vintage tonnage, but usually about 4,000 cases annually.

Not much is revealed publicly about the winery but production is probably around 25,000 cases of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay annually. Nine different Chardonnays were offered in 2009.Almost all of the wine is sold through a mailing list with allocations based on years of customer loyalty and volume of customer purchases. The list is almost ruthless in that those who do not regularly buy in significant amounts soon suffer the consequences of scrawny allowances or banishment from the list. These are wines for only the well-to-do as they start at $70 a bottle and go up to $120. The minimum purchase from each twice-yearly offering is one case.

The winery was founded in 1978 and the first several years were rocky with some serious winemaking problems Since then, success has come quickly and today all of the wine is quickly snapped up. The proprietors are Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler. Steve Kistler received a B.A. from Stanford University, studied at University California Davis and Fresno State University for two years, and was an assistant at Ridge Vineyards for two years before founding Kistler Vineyards. He serves as winemaker and oversees vineyard operations. Mark Bixler received degrees from M.I.T. and U.C. Berkeley, taught Chemistry at Fresno State University for seven years, and worked at Fetzer Vineyards for two years. Mark shares winemaking responsibilities, and is the chemist and business manager for Kistler Vineyards. Bill Price, who also owns a portion of Durell Vineyard and the Three Sticks label, is a majority shareholder.

The grape sources include some of the finest vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties. After years of planning, a new winery was built at the Kistler's Vine Hill Vineyard in the Russian River Valley in 1992. The facility is state of the art, optimized for the production of limited quantities of the very highest quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Vougeot 1cru Les Cras 2002, Mongeard-Mugneret

En moderat versjon av Kistler med nedjustert nese og kjølig, mere balansert frukt. Mangler kompleksitet, endimensjonal, men en god 1cru fra et godt og solid år. Les Cras ligger rett nord for muren og Grand Cru "Clos Vougeot". 89 poeng.

En Corton Charlemagne fra 1973

Vinmøte Jon  22.4.14

Chablis 1cru La Forest 1995, Vincent Dauvissat

Lys og gylden med eldet preg.  Varm frukt, men fremdeles relativ frisk med godt sitrusbitt. Tydelig chablis med kalkaktig mineralitet og den typiske karakterfulle og rike Dauvissatstilen. Blir renere etterhvert i glasset. Vi har jo hatt flere oksiderte flasker av denne, kan det være at premox blir borte med alder ? 89-91 poeng.

Corton Charlemagne 1973, Renè Kirsch

Linoleum, mørk og sauternes-gylden. Eldet preg med snev av eddik og sennepssaus. Flat i munnen med touch av botrytis. Tørket frukt, semi-ødelagt vin med kork og eple-oksidert. Spennende og utviklet mente Øyvind. Kun utviklet mente de øvrige. 80-84 poeng.

Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles 2005, Henri Boillot

Lysere mot strågul. Frisk og i starten ikke et eldet preg. Over tid litt møllkuler og persianerkåpe på nesa. Modner i glasset og blir "tung i sessen" med Grand Cru aromaer og litt mye alkohol. Fat og krydder lurer oss til Mersault. Noe honningtone og bør drikkes ? Merkelig hvis denne drikker optimalt nå. Noe flat og kjedelig i munnen. Årgangen gjenspeiler ikke vinmarkens kvalieter.
90-92 poeng.

Roar hadde denne med som kandidat til White Wine of the Year mai 2014:

Mere hvite blomster, mere mineralitet og en korrekt Pucelles-typisitet. Noe røkte fattoner, spenstig i munnen med tydelig citrus. Slank som en Pucelles skal være. Flere trodde dette var en Leflaive og det var vel årgangen som spilte litt inn her. Mister litt kompleksitet, men stram og lang i ettersmak. Fokusert med kjølig frukt. Sjø, jordsmonnspreget og med en livlig energi. Kim syntes denne var best. 94 poeng. Roar hadde med denne

Chablis Montmain 2005, Domaine Pinson

Litt støv i glasset, frisk og fet i duften. Ikke så mye sjø, mere grønt gress og noe undermoden. Slank med hint av champignon. Elegant, komplett og kompleks. Kjølig årgang, genuin og en veldig bra Chablis. En produsent man bør kjøpe mere av. 92 poeng.

Pol Roger Winston Churchill 1998

Vinmøte Jon 22.4.14

Champagne V.O. Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Jacques Selosse

Bløt, flat og oksidert. Moden med mye smak. Vinøs og oksidativ. Vanskelig å vurdere. Retur flaske. Ikke vurdert.

Wine Advocate November, 2011 If Initial can be described as feminine, the NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru V.O. (Version Originale) is decidedly masculine. Here the fruit shows off remarkable depth and muscle, with deep, burnished tones that add complexity and weight to a dense, structured, yet plush expression of Chardonnay. The wine literally covers every inch of the palate with layers of mineral-drenched fruit. This is a fabulous showing for the Version Originale. Disgorged October 20, 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2016. Robert Parker''s Wine Advocate 30/11/2012 Selosse’s NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru V.O. represents an attractive middle ground in range. It isn’t as bright as the Initial, nor is it as complex as the Substance. Hazelnuts, dried pears, honey and crushed flowers come alive in the glass, but the aromas and flavors are really quite secondary to the wine’s incredible textural depth and  richness. Generous and inviting, the V.O. is another superb wine. This release is a blend of vintages 2003, 2004 and 2005 all from Avize, Cramant and Oger. The fruit, from hillside parcels, and the extended bottle both contribute significantly to the wine’s personality. Disgorgement date: October 27, 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. Despite all of the acclaim and recognition Anselme Selosse has received over the years, he continues to push the envelope of what Champagne is and can be. The new lieu-dit Champagnes, which now encompass six different bottlings – all of them multi-vintage blends – are off the charts, but frankly, so are the rest of the wines.Selosse fans might also want to consider a stay at Les Avizes, the hotel Anselme Selosse and his wife Corinne recently opened in Avize, which is probably the best way to visit this iconic producer. This set of wines opens with the superb NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Version Originale, a blend of 2002, 2001 and 2000 juice from Avize and Cramant. The wine reveals an extraordinary array of honey, cloves and candied orange peel in what is an unctuous, full-bodied style at the outset. The wine turns more delicate in the glass, with notes of minerals and spices that come forward. The rich texture and slightly oxidative notes make this a wonderfully complete wine to enjoy now and over the next few years. The Originale is made from hillside vineyards, and Selosse describes the wine as vertical, but to me the expression of fruit is linear and focused. The dosage is 1.2 grams per liter and this bottle was disgorged on October 23, 2007 Anticipated maturity: 2008-2014. Readers will need to drop all preconceived notions about what Champagne is and can be in order to fully experience the wines of Anselme and Corinne Selosse, as these are Champagnes like no other. No one has pushed the boundaries of what Champagne can be further than Selosse. As great as his own wines are, Selosse’s most lasting legacy may very well be influencing the younger generation of producers who have worked alongside him over the years. For the last six years Selosse has been absent from the US market and his wines virtually impossible to obtain, but thankfully that is starting to change. Selosse represents the most poetic voice behind the idea that Champagne is first and foremost a wine before it is anything else. Selosse takes this one step further by eschewing vintage designations for most of his wines, as the qualities he seeks to exalt most are those of his 7.5 vineyards in Avize, Cramant, Oger, Le Mesnil, Ay, Mareuil-sur- Ay and Ambonnay. The various cuvees are assembled barrel by barrel based on how the wines taste to Selosse, rather than through technical analysis and/or predetermined selection of sites, parcels, etc. Selosse’s newest wine is a solera-style Champagne from the famed Le Mesnil vineyard, perhaps the most storied site in all of Champagne. I tasted the first vintage, the 2003, which will ultimately be blended with subsequent vintages to form a solera-style Champagne. It was superb. I also tasted similar solera-style wines from Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil, Mareuil-sur- Ay and Ambonnay from barrel, all of which were compelling. The Selosse Champagnes possess extraordinary aromatics and a very fine mousse that is the result of density and richness in the fruit. With a few minutes in the glass, the bubbles will completely disappear from most of the wines. These Champagnes are best enjoyed with food, and should be served in generous white wine glasses rather than the customary flutes, which will allow for the full range of the wines’ aromas and flavors to emerge. Simply put, these are among the most monumental, profound wines being made anywhere, but like a great novel, painting or symphony, the greatest enjoyment and purest pleasure awaits those who engage the wines fully. (92) (94)

Champagne Sir Winston Churchill 1998, Pol Roger

Mere mousse, ivrig og intens. På den slanke siden, elegant med et litt surt og kledelig bitt på slutten av smakskurven.Noe sødme i midtparti, Henriot mente Are. Noe uenighet om en tørket frukttone dro ned eller ikke. Noe tanniner fra skall. En stor champagne fra en middels årgang. Litt skuffene mht. pris og cuvee.     90-92 poeng.

Dosage: 10.5 g/l

Churchill's relationship with Pol Roger dates back to 1945, although he had been a loyal customer as far back as 1908. At a luncheon given by the British ambassador to France after the liberation of Paris, Churchill met the charming and captivating Odette Pol-Roger and began a friendship, indulged by his wife Clementine, which lasted until Sir Winston's death in 1965. Each year on his birthday, Odette would send him a case of vintage champagne. In honour of his friendship, Churchill named one of his favourite racehorses after her, and made sure that she was invited to lunch at the British embassy every time he was in Paris. Despite never actually visiting 44 Avenue de Champagne, Churchill proclaimed it "the most drinkable address in the world". So close was his relationship with the family that, on Churchill's death, Pol Roger put black-bordered labels on the bottles destined for the UK. In 1975, Pol Roger went one step further and named their prestige cuvée after him, making it in the robust, mature style that he liked so much.

The exact composition of this Cuvée is a family secret but it is likely that Pinot Noir dominates 70-80% of the blend with the rest being Chardonnay. The grapes are all from Grand Cru vineyards which were under vine during Churchill’s lifetime and it is only made in the very best vintages. The 1998 vintage shows all the hallmarks of a truly outstanding year with high natural sugar content in the grapes and an excellent level of acidity indicating an exceptional overall balance and long ageing potential.

Given its youth the wine still holds a lot in reserve but it has a masculine structure and phenomenal length.