Les enfants du champagne in Modena.
The desire to have our session in Modena at the “Hosteria Giusti” with Matteo Morandi and his family had been boiling in the pot for a long time. To tell the truth, some of our group, myself included, had recently been with Matteo, guests of Vincenzo Tardini for a historic tasting of Champagne Krug, an unrepeatable experience (see Oinos n. 35). Supporter, more than the others, of making this evening was Leo Damiani, Matteo’s friend for many years. Unfortunately Roberto Schneuwly and Maurizio Tarquini were not present at the evening. At the tasting-dinner there were six of us Les Enfants du champagne: Stefano Azzolari, Leo Damiani, Marco Maffei, Valerio Mearini, Orazio Vagnozzi and myself. Guests of the evening were Alberto Lupetti, Carlo Cavicchioli and Vincenzo Tardini. The latter has been present at other of our evenings and is considered our alternate member when someone from Les Enfants du Champagne is missing.
The evening was dedicated to magnum formats of champagne, vintages 2002, 2008 and 2012.
My reflections on the vintages, 1996 was a very important vintage for me for champagne. The 2002, contrary to what has been said, was a somewhat inflated vintage as the 2010 vintage was, again for me, in Montalcino.
I followed some Maisons in the 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 vintages and I found that the quality of the champagnes, in general, went up with the rise of the vintages mentioned. For example, I remember well the Perrier Jouet with the Belle Epoque, which with the 2008 vintage reached its peak of pleasantness compared to the 2002, 2004 and 2006. Finesse and elegance, rich olfactory variety, fine bubbles and good persistence. The 2011 a little lacking in structure but with very generous freshness. The 2012, also from the Belle Epoque, which recalled, with a slightly lower tone, the 2008. The 2013 was the big surprise: finesse, elegance and power. But let’s not go off topic by talking only about the Belle Epoque..
Each bottle makes its own story, as demonstrated in this tasting by the magnum of Cristal 2008 with an unexpected scent, for me in a negative sense, of green banana.
Surprising for me was the Thienot Cuvée Alain 2008 in which I felt a strong mineral note of flint and popcorn, which made it look like Dom Perignon.
There were several surprises.
Everyone knew which champagnes would be served but not the order of service. For me, the typically woody champagnes, such as Bollinger and Jacquesson, were unmistakable.
The Grande Dame 2008 was surprising for everyone both for the color and for the youth that it expressed both to the nose and to the taste.
We had 10 champagnes, 9 in magnum format and one in 0.75 liter format due to the negligence of a Les Enfants Du Champagne. Sin is said but not the sinner.
Matteo served the champagnes matching them perfectly to his dishes.
He started the evening eating dumplings with cold cuts in the courtyard, drinking what turned out to be the Gosset Grand Millesime 2012 which had an incredible flavour. With the Belle Epoque 2012 and with the Mum RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2012 we were served a fabulous tagliolini with butter and parmesan.
Followed by macaroni with duck sauce accompanied by Cristal 2008 and Alain Thienot 2008. What about the Guanciale paired with Dom Perignon 2002 and Cuvée Louise 2002? Perfect match!
Continuing this pleasant food and wine walk with stewed cod with peppers and fried dumplings, the two champagnes were rightly served which had a little presence of wood and exactly the Bollinger RD 2002 and the Jasquesson – Millésime 2002.
Finally we were served the fried cotechino paired with the Grande Dame 2008, a perfect pairing given its youthful taste expressed by a rich freshness.
It was a beautiful evening, we all wanted to relax and enjoy the pleasure of company, food and champagnes.
At the end of the evening, since all the bottles were not empty, I enjoyed the Dom Perignon 2002 and the Thienot 2008 together with Valerio Mearini.
Then someone enjoyed a good cigar, I smoked the “Presidente” cigar from the Tuscan cigar family.
We were all satisfied with the splendid evening.
The scores of the champagnes of the evening follow, scores expressed by the six Les Enfants du champagnes present and by Vincenzo Tardini aspiring substitute member.
| Dom Perignon | 2002 | 95/100 |
| Louis Roederer Cristal | 2008 | 95/100 |
| Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque | 2012 | 94/100 |
| Bollinger R.D. | 2002 | 94/100 |
| Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame | 2008 | 93/100 |
| Thienot Cuvée Alain Thienot | 2008 | 93/100 |
| Jaquesson Millésime | 2012 | 93/100 |
| Gosset Grand Millésime | 2012 | 91/100 |
| Mum RSRV Blanc de Blancs | 2012 | 91/100 |
| Pommery Cuvée Louise | 2002 | 90/100 |
Personally I can say that I did not recognize the Cuvée Louise which I remembered was rich in both the nose and the taste of fresh parsley and celery.
The same goes for the Cristal 2008 which I drank several times in a 0.75litre bottle in which I don’t remember ever smelling the green banana.
Surprising for me was the Alain Thienot 2008 which I had initially mistaken for Dom Perignon due to its very rich minerality.
The bottles were revealed after the tasting-dinner.
MAISON GOSSET
GRAN MILLÉSINE, vintage 2012
(Grapes : 67% Chardonnay e 33% Pinot Noir)
Straw yellow color with gold reflections. The bubbles are initially coarse and then become quite fine and numerous.
Rich and varied nose made up of scents of brioche bread, minerals, iodine, parsley, slightly unripe rennet apple, Marseille soap, slightly unripe pineapple, saltiness, white flowers (hawthorn) warm starched cloth, ending with memories of Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk).
On the palate the bubble is a bit big.
Wine with medium body, sufficient, and mineral.
The freshness and minerality dominate the alcohol mass making the wine well balanced. The body goes away a little, weakening its persistence which however is supported by the freshness and therefore the wine becomes persistent with a yellow grapefruit finish. For me it is better on the nose than on the taste. (91/100)
MAISON PERRIER JOUET
Belle Epoque, vintage 2012
(Grapes : 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir e 5% Pinot Meunier)
Golden yellow color with initially quite fine bubbles and then fine and quite numerous.
Olfactory mix made of intense aromas of flint and Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk) followed by Kaiser pear, anemone, grilled salted almond, flower root with earth and broken cyclamen stem.
On the palate it has fine bubbles, medium body and is sapid and mineral. Well balanced wine with freshness that envelops the whole mouth and does not make the alcoholic mass feel in the least. Its persistence is long with a lemon finish.
Beautiful fine and elegant champagne in the footsteps of the 2008 and a little different from the 2013 which also has a little more structure. (94/100)
MAISON MUMM CORDON ROUGE
RSRV Blanc de Blancs, vintage 2012
(Grapes: 100% Chardonnay di Cramant)
Golden yellow coat, shiny, with fairly fine and quite numerous bubbles.
Aromas of flint, lemon, chamomile, core of rennet apple, blond leather, Coccoina glue, lemongrassa, light zabaglione and lemon hard candy rise from the glass.
Very savory and mineral taste.
The bubble is a little alive, but caressing.
Well balanced wine with freshness that completely dominates the alcohol mass.
The body is initially medium and then tapers off a bit but remains persistent thanks to the freshness. Final taste of lemon and yellow grapefruit. (91/100)
MAISON LOUIS ROEDERER
CRISTAL, annata 2008
(Grapes: 60% Chardonnay e 40 % Pinot Noir)
Bright golden yellow with fairly fine and quite numerous bubbles.
Surprised to smell the green banana scent. I have no recollection of such scent in this champagne. Followed by aromas of pastry, chalk, ripe rennet apple, intense blond leather, zibibbo grapes to end with whispers of the helichrysum flower (licorice).
On the palate the bubble is fine and the wine is sapid and mineral. The body is medium and the wine is well balanced between alcohol and freshness while the tannins are a bit drying.
You feel the upper gum pull a little. This bottle didn’t have any particular flaws, however I didn’t recognize the Cristal 2008 that I knew, so the bottle wasn’t perfect! (95/100)
MAISON THIENOT
CUVÉE ALAIN THIENOT, vintage 2008
(Grapes : 60% Chardonnay e 40% Pinot Noir)
Quite intense golden yellow with bubbles that are initially a bit coarse and then quite fine and numerous.
Intensely mineral nose, aromas of popcorn (for me a symptom of a lot of minerality), chalk, white melon, toasted peanuts, intense Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk) sweet from the outside of the sugared almond, slight chamomile, with an intense finish of parsley.
The taste reveals a medium body and a lot of minerality and flavor.
Well balanced wine with alcohol and freshness in perfect harmony with each other.
Long is its gustatory persistence.
The champagne spreads throughout the mouth giving you a very pleasant minerality.
For me it is the most mineral champagne of the evening. (93/100)
MAISON MOËT & CHANDON
DOM PÉRIGNON, vintage 2002
(Grapes : 52% Chardonnay e 48% Pinot Noir)
Shows an intense golden yellow with quite fine and numerous bubbles.
The sense of smell is characterized by the aromas of flint and an intense note of juniper berry, followed by notes of hard almond shell, sweet dried fruit, LPG gas, to end with intense aromas of Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk) , zabaglione and helichrysum (plant with mixed aromas of licorice, mint and chamomile).
On the palate it reveals a pleasant fine bubble and an important medium body. Almond flavour. The wine has a rich acidity which, with the mineral note, makes it the winner on the alcohol mass and makes us understand its potential for longevity. Its aromatic persistence is long, with a finish of Coccoina glue. (95/100)
MAISON POMMERY
CUVÉE LOUISE, vintage 2002
(Grapes: 65% Chardonnay e 35% Pinot Noir)
Shiny golden yellow colour. The bubbles are initially coarse and then thin out a bit and are quite numerous.
The nose is not particularly generous but stands out among all an intense aroma of pastry followed by the rennet apple, slight blonde leather (the fresh one), ending with hints of broken cyclamen stem.
In the mouth the bubbles are felt a little, they do not go unnoticed. The body is initially medium sufficient but immediately tends to undress. The freshness dominates the alcohol mass making the wine balanced. Long but not very long is its intense aromatic persistence with a finish that reminded me, due to its bitter note, of brewer’s yeast.
I had other memories of this champagne as in other vintages the parsley and fresh celery were clearly perceived. (90/100)
MAISON BOLLINGER RD, vintage 2002
(bottiglia 0,75 lit)
(Grapes : 60% Pinot Noir e 40% Chardonnay)
Shiny golden yellow dress. The bubbles are fine and quite numerous.
From the glass rise aromas of pastry and intense green banana, blond leather and boisé. The wood note is somewhat its characteristic and we find it more or less always.
The oral cavity is caressed by very fine bubbles. The body is medium and the wine has a good gustatory balance between alcohol and freshness. The tannins from the wood dry out the upper gum a little. flavors of green banana, hairy peach, rue leaf and tomato leaf. its gustatory persistence is long with a boisé finish. (94/100)
MAISON JACQUESSON, vintage 2002
(Grapes : 57% Pinot Noir e 43% Chardonnay)
Intense and bright golden yellow dress. The bubbles are fine and numerous.
The nose seems to be evolved, it has intense notes of zibibbo grapes, cold coffee, mango, papaya, helichrysum (mix of licorice, mint and chamomile), ripe rennet apple, cooked apple with final memories of woody distillate.
On the palate the bubbles are fine. The wine has a lot of structure even if it is balanced with the alcoholic mass which is imperceptible. Taste of cold coffee already felt on the nose.
Its persistence is long with a sweet finish of dried fruit, especially dried apricots. Its intense aromatic persistence is long. (93/100)
MAISON VEUVE CLIQUOT
LA GRANDE DAME, vintage 2008
(Grapes: 92% Pinot Noir e 8% Chardonnay)
A light straw yellow with gray reflections shines from the glass.
The bubbles transform from quite fine to fine and are numerous.
Olfactory mix made of aromas of parsley, fresh celery, flint, blond leather, lemon, Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk) to finish with pleasant whispers of freshly made popcorn.
On the palate it manifests, as it did on the nose throughout its youth. The bubbles are fine, the wine has a medium body and is savory and mineral. The generous freshness makes the wine well balanced with the imperceptible alcohol mass. During the examination of the gustatory persistence one feels that the body thins a bit and it is the freshness that sustains it during its journey.
Surprising in color and flavours. Very young. (93/100)
