High end Champagne 2012 vs 2013, tasted blind (Bad Ragaz): 60% PN, non-blind. Medium yellow, Wonderful nose, lots of brioche, generous. Very complex and generous, ripe yuzu, apricot, pineapple, cinnamon spice, brioche. A crowd pleaser that will also appeal to the connoisseur. Ripe and rich, but fresh enough. 96pt
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Probably in its best phase for me where ageing is just starting to show but freshness is ahead. Brioche, lemoncest, salty minerality and extremely long finish.
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Classic Bolly style: rich, broad, intense with brioche, smoke, butter, cheeserind etc. Fruit mostly lemon and lime with just hints of riper stuff like apricot and yellow plum. Good structure and minerality underneath. Great wine.
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Similar to prior note after PNP & went beautifully with our delicious fish dinner at Sea Salt in Naples; outstanding & probably the best QPR of the bigger champagne houses, drink or hold
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Grande Champagne: Juicy, round, yummy in the best sense. This stood out in comparison to the other straighter styles of champagnes we had this evening.
A tad above the '14 for me, but not a huge difference.
92-94
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Notes of brioche, ripe white fruits, and crushed stones. Good structure, round on the mid palate, with nice acidity that provides excellent delineation on the finish.
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★★★+++ VDS 2-99-1. Bollinger, La Grande Annee 2012
이쁜 골드컬러에서부터 뭔가 맛있보이는…. 일단 노즈에서 시트러스, 핵과실, 미네랄, 딱 좋을 만큼의 옥시데이티브를 선사하는 잘익은 사과의 완벽한 조화가 반겨준다. 팔렛에서도 노즈부터 이어지는 과실과 산미의 밸런스가 샴페인의 정석을 보여줌. 스페셜뀌베의 가성비가 한층 더 섬세하게 잘 다듬어져서 훌륭한 완성도를 보여준다.
Absolutely gorgeous bottle of champagne. Incredible concentration, balance, and finish. Can't say anything others haven't said already. Best champagne I had in 2023.
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Always reliable and powerful, excellent structure and balance on the palate, long finish, excellent concentration. Still needs a couple years although not bad at all tonight. WOTN of all 7 vintage champers. Newport Seafood Champagne Lunner. 93+
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Delicious! Lots of brioche, yeast, poached pear, lemon curd, honey. Bright acidic spine, intense (but not painfully so) fruit and some light development already.
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Great champagne, well balanced with some great fruit & showing subtle brioche notes. Very young but cracked open to celebrate arrival of new puppy - Alba!
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Like previous bottle, I love Bollinger GA,and I love 2012 vintage, but this wine does not hit for me. The 2012 GA Rose was incredible and 2008 GA is breathtaking, this goes down overly sweet, and a bit clunky. Not a bad bottle of wine by nay means, it was good, but not delivering what a GA should
This is a beautiful Champagne with vertical bubbles (may be glad dependent), luscious ripe fruit, and a long mouthwatering finish. It is very young at this state of its evolution and is likely to develop more complexity with bottle aging. Consumed on a close friend's birthday with great pleasure.
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No formal notes taken, but just wanted to scribe that this was marvelous on this night. An absolutely perfect champagne with so much beauty and luscious balance throughout.
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Pale golden appearance Lovely nose showing some Bolly richness, salty/saline aromas and caramel (could say salted caramel!), a little ginger bread and chalk dust. Excellent intensity, properly dry with a stony vein, touches of dried fruit (quince). Very fine mousse, excellent concentration, chalky, taut, and salty fine finish.
Others commented on citrus fruit character, which I wasn't really picking up on, it wasn't too tightly wound but clearly a youthful wine. I really enjoyed it.
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blind I guessed 12 or 13 but I thought it is BdB or at least CH dominated. Fresh but missing a bit in length. Balanced, lemon driven. At least one more decade ahead. 93
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Pale straw yellow colour with medium perlage and still very young. At first, the nose was a little restrained, but with a little air, nice notes of brioche, green apple and citrus emerged. The palate is straightforward with good acidity and minerality. For my personal taste, the wine is accessible but still too young and will gain complexity with age.
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Magnum best bottle (Restaurant Holz und Feuer, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Sophienwald From Magnum. Fresh, tart, young. Very good Champagne, but did not excite me or touched me. Compared to the Krug 168 we had this night, it felt simple and one dimensional. Give it some more time. 91-92+
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Lonny's btl at our Old Guys Lunch @ The Kenwood. 5 members in good standing present! DM,MA,LI,JV & CV. We brough the wines we wanted and then figured out how to make the menu work :). The Kenwood's lunch menu is desperately missing some seafood! 3rd time I've had this and it continues to improve. Really like its Tete Cuvee focus and precision while also offering Bollinger's signature bold richness & plethora of fruit flavors. This is a real pleasure and excellent pairing with The Kenwood's fries that are my favorite in MSP. Thanks Lonny!
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Still youthful but show sign of developing into a good Champagne. Notes of green apple, grapefruit and lemon. High acidity. Felt that it have not enter its drinking window and probably have to few for another 2-3 years to see.
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Slightly developed golden/yellow. Nose of lemon cream, touch of brioche, chalk and minerality. Very fine bubbles. High acidic backbone, slightly oxidized notes of bruised apple, beautiful peach and toasted peanuts, strong minerality. Finishes long, complex and pleasant with some spicy ginger. Enjoyable wine but clearly still young. Needs more time to really show it's true potential.
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Lots of citrus notes on the nose, particularly lemon and orange along with almond and a light toast quality. Medium bodied (12% ABV) and starts with a base of white orchard fruit along with both rounded lemon and more tart lemon, progressing to orange through the middle and grapefruit behind. All the citrus notes show this mix of roundness and brighter, more tart qualities. Behind the fruit notes there are nut qualities (almond, hazelnuts) that emphasize the depth through the mid-body and blend well with the fruit, leaving the wine showing excellent density and purity of flavor. Acidity on the backside was outstanding and complemented the mid-body depth and amplifies the citrus qualities. This wine is already showing great expression and while some may find the combination of citrus and acidity to leave the wine tight or austere, I found it contributed well to the wine's overall balance and thought it showed beautifully over two hours. Clearly, this wine has many years to go and I'll certainly consider picking up some more while the citrus notes, tart qualities and acidity play so well off the depths of the mid-body.
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Complex notes of bouquet of crisp peach, grapefruit, brioche and toasted walnuts. Concentrated and full-bodied with a finish that lingers for over a minute. Beautifully made and likely has a long life in its future.
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Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. Faintly floral with lots of orchard fruit plus lemon peel. Somewhat austere, certainly acid- and mineral-driven for now, this needs a few more years to harmonize slightly further.
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1st of 3 magnums. Crazy delicious, laser-like acidity, nuttiness and bread crust, lemons and green apples, nutmeg and spice. Lovely vintage Champagne from a stellar house, drink through 2035+.
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Everything that a fine champagne should be. Light, delicate, exquisite and persistent bubbles, complex flavors that include green apple, sourdough bread, pear, and citrus. Endearingly long finish.
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Danish Top 20 champagne blind tasting vintage 2012 (24 btls) (Nimb): Horisontal half blind tasting of 24 top champagnes from vintage 2012. Conclusion: It is a great vintage. My topratings were to some extent unexpected. My winner was Diebolt-Vallois Fleur de Passion which I rated 96. In a shared second place with 94+ were Legras Saint Vincent (unexpected but I don't forget that 1996 might be the best champagne I have ever tasted so far. Try to get a btl. if you can. It is difficult but worth it - still in a perfect drinking window), Veuve Clicquot vintage(!), Moet & Chandon Grand vintage(!) and Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque.
This wine: Gol color. Closed on the nose in the beginning but opens up: Red currant, toast and wet stone. Not closed on the palate but delicate including toffee and nutty notes. 93+
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Drunk the evening after tasting the 2014 iteration of this wine, the 2012 is clearly the more profound of the two wines at the current moment. Essence of the Bollinger style, but with a depth of nuanced expression, and layered complexity that elevate this to an extraordinary bottle of Champagne. Fresh yeasty bread notes (fabulous with fresh out of the oven sourdough!), sublime texture, long amd well-modulated finish.
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Exquisite and flawless as always. Crisp clean nose of citrus and sweet brioche. Pear fruit with touch of citrus sweet pastry on the palate. Beautifully balanced with a fine mousse. There is never enough to satisfy me in a single bottle!!
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Komplex och uttrycksfull doft med toner av boket äpple, kanel, syrliga karameller, torkad frukt, nougat och vanilj. Kraftfull och rund smak av höstäpplen, grillad citron, brioche, mineral och honung. Härligt krämig och koncentrerad. En champagne som trots sin generositet och intensitet känns finstämd och precis i munnen. Alltid en fröjd att prova en Bollinger GA.
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Tremendous wine... didn't have time to right notes until now (2 weeks later) but I remember the wine being extremely expressive with acidity, not overly yeasty or bitter, but with apple, quince, and pear.
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Drinking well after an hour of air. A very good pairing with lobster campanelle. The mousse is fine and persistent, there is great complexity of yellow and white stonefruit, brioche, and yeast, but in balance. A large styled bottle but very easy to love.
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eple, barnål, søt gjærbakst, grapefrukt på lukt. Veldig fyldig munnfølelse, kanskje litt rosin? Søte epler, sitron. Lang, deilig og frisk ettersmak. Herlig kombo av friskhet og fylde. Delikate bobler! Harmonisk både på lukt, i munnen og i ettersmaken. Super!
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This is my first time with this Tête de cuvée. It's been far too long, and I'm realizing that I have seriously missed out in not buying this wine for the last decade+ of my wine life. There's a depth & complexity on the nose that reminds me of my first time with the 1996 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill back in 2011. Notes of brioche, green apple, with hints of lemon zest lingering in the background. The finish on this is long and seems to come in waves...beckoning for another sip. Sadly, with four of us...this didn't last more than 45 minutes. Outstanding!!!
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Amandes, raisins, brioche et levures au nez. Très expressif. En bouche, l'acidité est très présente, la finale est longue avec une légère touche mielleuse. Bulles fines, corps moy+. Délice.
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Golden in color. Toast, clotted cream, and green apples on the nose. In the mouth, I’m struck by how much this tastes like a macintosh apple- crisp and juicy. Then comes a rush of acidity, some candied lemon, and then prominent toasty notes. Complexity is medium and the finish is nice and long. After about 4 hrs open, I notice a bitter note start to creep into the finish that I’m not a huge fan of; it’s a subtle and very minor complaint though.
Overall, this is a nice wine, and quite approachable. Reading through other CellarTracker comments is interesting; many comments say the wine is youthful, others say it's surprisingly advanced. To me, it's a bit of both. The green apple and citrus fruit profile feels very vibrant, young, and honestly could do with some mellowing out. But there is also a toastiness, nuttiness, somewhat oxidative quality that points toward maturity. An interesting mix that, to me, makes this especially enjoyable to have in the glass. Would be interesting to see how it progresses over the years.
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good bottle of bubbles. still young, a bit linear with crisp apple and tropical notes. More approachable then the 2008, but not on the same level. The 2012 GA Rose I consumed a few months ago was far better. I was hoping for more from the 2012, a good wine but not on par with some other GA
Pale to mid yellow. Very fine perlage. On the nose intense smell of butter and croissant and bread. A hint of green apples. On the taste citrus, apples and butter, apple-crumble. Mid to long finish. Can still improve and evolve very much. Intense and still delicate
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Darker yellow-gold; Deep rich aromatics, yeast, gingerbread, sourdough, lemon cake; sappy and full on the palate, with near perfect balance and structure. Long, powerful, pedigreed, Showing well on release unlike some of the '08's. fantastic stuff. Wally's Santa Monica $45/gl
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A typical powerful Bollinger-style nose with red and apples, apple compote/cooked apple notes, some peach, some spice notes including pepper, a herbal hint, hints of truffle some nuts and other developed notes. Already in the nose it comes across as a somewhat mature (and really good) Bollinger rather than a young one. On the palate there's a lot of concentration, the same fruit components, good acidity and a bit of spice. Ready to drink now, but built to last, 95 pts.
This champagne was much more approachable than I had expected, and slightly better. For those who enjoy Pinot Noir-style champagnes with some weight this one is pure joy and more user friendly in its youth than 2008 was! The bottle was disgorged in March 2020.
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Heidi's Gang: Grand Cru and First Growths (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. This was the second time having the '12 LGA. It is oxidative in style, yet there's so much going on that even in it's youth you don't get lost in that. Lifted fruit, sweet almost on the palate, full bodied and a very creamy texture, almond custard, creme brulee, very linear with stone and lemon, hints of grapefruit and apple peel with some nice salinity that comes through on the back end. Very nice and still quite youthful.
Is there a better way to celebrate St Patty's Day then sharing world class French wine & food at cozy low key St Genieve in Minneapolis with long time buddies? One of my favs in the Twin Cities. Six of us gathered for killer btls & laughs. This is a lovely btl. Round & rich but w/ lifted orchard fruit, pastry, spice & citrus. Very nice, thanks Lonny!
After the Chartogne-Taillet Orizeaux this offered much more lushness and was clearly the preferred wine at the oyster/sushi dinner tonight. Citrus, elements, caramel, white flowers, bakery. Very classic middle of the road large house style. I read in some tasting notes that the 2012 was rich and baroque. I would not say so. Even after the racy Chartogne-Taillet this did not come across as plump. Like so many 2012, I find this vintage immensely appealing. It drinks well young but has the structure to age.
Second time having this in the last 9 months. Not a remarkable difference, but time seems to continue to round this bottle out.
Upon opening, lots of green apple, brioche, and bready/yeast character. After about an hour of being open, the wine begins to show more stone fruit, citrus, and even a hint of mango. Acidity is very balanced and mouthfeel is plush and pillowy on the palate. Mousse is fine with moderate beading. It finishes quite clean and urges you to continue taking the next sip.
I think this bottle will continue to improve with age, but is drinking beautifully now. 93pts now with 1-2 more pts of upside.
This didn't woo me as much as I'd hoped. The 2007 was such a remarkable wine, and has been my benchmark for powerful, leesy Champagne, but this doesn't really live up to it.
Very fresh and certainly shows some body, but not remotely as much as I'd come to expect from the 07. I imagine that this was rushed to the market a little bit due to the vintage hype. I have 4 remaining bottles that I'll either sell or lay down for a few more years.
Two very consistent bottles on the day and was well round and welcoming but much like the times before (and many other vintages of it) failed to make the transition to super cuvee. A touch creamier this time too than we remember and albeit with a charm we always are left wanting more from it. 91 July 2019 Disgorgement.
- tasted in parallel with Krug grand cuve 169 and louis XV champagne de venoge 1996.
- Nose: Intense aromas of slightly sweet, expressive red fruit as well as oranges, flowers, lemon peel, quince and grapes. Extremely fresh and vibrant, then also shows more and more vanilla and light toasting. Has a slightly sweet, rather ripe appeal. A little air in the glass gives this still young vintage a boost of complexity.
- Palate: Medium + acidity and lots of power and length. On the palate, the aromas are not as varied as on the nose, but the finish is very long. Shows lots of ripe fruit with medium + to full body. Will gain in complexity with more bottle maturity. - 93 points with upside potential.
- Context: Almost too much red, ripe fruit for me personally. Is not as expressive as a Bollinger RD. This "La Grande Année" is more light-footed but lacks a bit of straightness for me. The Krug grand cuve 169 (base vintage 2013, 40% reserve wines) tasted at the same time was without grams of fat, more straightforward and despite a share of only 1/3 Chardonnay more balanced with more fresh citrus fruit. The grand cuve 169 also showed a finer perlage (therefore 94 points).
What a fantastic champagne. The bubbles were so fine and soft. Delicate and light on the tongue. You can taste the Pinot in it, but it’s so smooth and velvety, no hard edges. This wine is fantastic. You won’t get as much flavor with this wine, but everything is so balanced. I plan on finding more.
Opened New Years day for a birthday celebration. Color was a gorgeous pale metalic gold. Resembled an old faded gold watch. Medium creamy effervescence. The nose had strong yeast and gunflint with a flowery perfume hiding somewhere in the middle. Amazing creamy mouthfeel on the palate with nice acidity and great balance. There wasn't much fruit, as the star of the show was a croissants and a racy gunflint-like minerality. The mid-palate brought out some bartlett pear with some sweetness from the dosage, and the ending was an amazing sea salt caramel burst, with emphasis on the sea salt. LOVED this. Maybe takes the cake as my favorite Champagne I've ever had. I just love Bollinger's house style. Would love to revisit this in 10 years, it can only get better.
Beautiful golden color in the glass. Clean, round bodied, crisp, balanced acidity, with notes of green apple. A gorgeous wine and for the money there are few better.
Réveillon blanc et début d'année en fanfare: Grandissime bouteille, approchable en l'état même si quelques années de cave pourront lui apporter davantage de complexité. Le caractère finement oxydatif est plus présent au nez (pomme) qu'en bouche, où l'attaque droite est suivie d'un magnifique milieu de bouche ultra-gourmand mais maîtrisé, terminée par une finale encore stricte mais super classieuse. Bulle ultra fine, veine acide tout du long, une très belle expérience.
Nose and flavor are dominated by yeasty notes: brioche, biscuit. Moderate acidity and rather low effervescence.
I kept coming back to overall impressions of heavy, intense, and serious. I enjoyed it but was somewhat underwhelmed. I plan on waiting a few years to revisit.
Great Champagne from a great Champagne House. The NV bottling is excellent, but this is a step up. Stunning. Currant, citrus, layers. A celebration Champagne.
Beautiful nose with toast, brioche, mousse and some green apple and gala apple flavors. Minerally, great acidity, smooth already, fantastic and understated mousse, more brioche, some raw almonds on the ending… refined. This is a great wine and will be even better in 5-6 years!
By the glass at Ozwalds. Effortless, Decanter's description of a "creamy, toasty core" which is "energetic, vital and brimming with potential" is spot on. Very enjoyable.
Bollinger La Grand Année 2012. Fra interenettet kan man lese at den er bestående av 21 crus med en blanding av PN (65%) og chard (35%), dosage 8g/l og degorgert 07/19, der både remuage og degorgering er gjort for hånd. Fatlagret + malo.
SÅ til saken: Farge: Dyp gul, lys gyllen og klar og ren. Mousse: Lekker, delikat, kremete. Duft: Åh! Kompleks, intens men delikat og med aromaer som appelsin, mandelkake, søt brioche, modne epler, sitron og litt honning . Ørlite hint av kaffe, om man legger hele viljen til. Smak: nydelig fyldig munnfølelse, medium pluss høy syre og lang ettersmak med deilige, modne sitroner.
Allerede en godt utviklet nydelig champagne som selvsagt tåler mange, mange år. Lekker, delikat med mye aroma-glede og myk + syrlig i munnen. For en vin! Neste flaske om noen år, og btw, mye å spare på å kjøpe i Frankrike😉
Still rather reticent, young and fresh. Has good potential and higher score in a few years I’m sure. Very enjoyable now though more will come from the nose, it won’t be so tight and that bitterness on finish will ease up.
Wine Spectator 40th Anniversary; 10/21/2021-10/23/2021 (Marriott Marquis): Nice and bright and crisp. Served very cold and it was hard to get much flavor initially from the wine. ~65% Pinot Noir and remaining Chard. Made from 78% Grand Cru and 22% Premier Cru vineyards. As it warms up you get a bit more of the Pinot character. Still a very young wine. Would give it quite a bit of time. Has that raciness though that is very popular these days.
NYWE. Creamy mineral driven, fresh clean powerful. Stunning.
78% Grand Cru. 65% PN 35% Chardonnay. 100% fermented in barrel. Hand riddled & discourged. View 2012 as great year.
1829 founded. 450 AC owned. 90% exported. Ay. Family owned 200 years. Lilly 1941 took over until 1971. Came up with Grand Anee. Pinot Noir 60% creates power & structure. Only producer with own Cooper. Barrel ferment for 6 mos, aged 2x longer vs regulation.
First taste of this, BTG at 67PM rather than opening any of my bottles. A lot more finesse than I expected, and a way to go before being in my preferred drinking window. Fine cut, preserved lemon, perhaps even some quinine. A vibrant and superior aperitif, but nothing more than that for now.
4.8. #2 place in the flight with Bollinger RD 2007 grand cuve and Krug grand cuve. Tasting with Lisa Gudnason and Karen Freimark . M. Gold color. Was a close number 2 behind the RD. Honey, honeysuckle, sweet on the nose. Creamy honey and toast, a hint of apple. The nose one this one was dancing in the glass all night long, constantly evolving and changing, could just smell it all night long. Palate was creamy toast and honey, long finish. outstanding.
At last! The first two bottles out of this purchase were off to say the least. This one was really nice. Smooth, consistent mousse and that earthy note vintage bottles take on with some age. Lovely. Hopefully my last bottle will be like this one instead of its two flawed sisters.
It’s been a good six month since we had this last and generally as with a few of its kin we love it but also fails to make a proper grand cuvee impact. Very solid and ticks all the boxes as expected but just fails to take the next step higher to something superb. Very energetic now and we would suggest not ageing this too much. 90-91
Heidi's Redux: A Night to Remember (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an 45 minutes. Chalk, oxidative, orchard fruit and white citrus on the nose. The brightness carries the oxidative qualities fairly well along with the buoyant acidity on a full bodied palate with plenty of chalky minerality, baked peach, white grapefruit, and apple. This is pretty coiled right now and I feel this is not quite ready to make a full statement yet. Tune in a couple years from now. 93(+)pts.
Fun wine to try tonight. I haven't bought these since the 2002s I loved back in the day. Tonight this was reminiscent and in the same house style, wheelhouse. I just think my own palate has changed as this shows more youthful oxidation then I prefer in Champagne since the past 5yrs or so. Very nice and really appealing if you like the style. Scored based on quality of the wine, not personal preference. For myself, I prefer the Special Cuvee that likely sees less aging.
Initial scents of toast and brioche upon opening but after some decanting, it reveals really seductive scents of oysters, brine and limes. The tastes are rather good- loads of salty biscuits, limes, minerality and a finish I’d describe as scented like charcoal but flavours like berries. I’d say wait at least another 5-7 years for it to mature up a bit.
Popped the cork and let air-out for approximately 30 minutes before 1st glass. Drank out of Grassl Liberte. Very bright, vibrant and energetic with a strong presence of orchard fruits. The acidity was very present. The wine opened up with time in the glass and extended time in the bottle. The best glass was the last after 1.5hrs of air in the bottle. I think this wine will integrate and show a little better with more time in the cellar. It is a step below the 2008 but still very enjoyable. I have 1 bottle left and if I have any restraint, I would like to revisit in 2+ years.
Birthday Bubbles for Shaner's birthday (Shane's, Washougal WA): Nose: The nose is elegant and fragrant with warm dough, red apples, biscuits, pears, quince, spring-time florals, baking spices, and custard. There is very good depth and while it shows a lot of autolytics, they don’t overwhelm and there is an overall refinement to the nose:
Taste: The feel is Medium bodied with crisp, high acidity. The acidity is noticeable and youthful, but still very much in balance. The feel is lovely, textured, and balanced with red apples, pears, quince, baking spices, custard, boscuits, and warm dough.
Overall: This still needs a few years to fully come together, but the materials are pretty good. There is a real elegant side to this that is highly enjoyable with excellent balance and length.
Sitrus, nøtter, brødbakst. Ren presis munn med sitrus, kalkmineraler, gravenstein, brødbakst, nøtter. Veldig ren og pen, samtidig som konsentrasjonen er superb. Meget lang. 95
As soon as the glass reached my nose I knew I was in for a treat. Disgorged in July 2019, this is already fairly developed and drinking lovely. Nose and palate are typical Bolly with extra definition and power - orchard fruit, pears, with some ripe red fruits as well. Perhaps a slight touch of baking spices too. The lemony-zing acidity typical in 2012’s is already remarkably well integrated for such a young wine, making itself known without shouting down the rest of the fruit. While this will improve with a year or two, it’s basically ready to drink 18 months post disgorgement, long before the 08’s will be. Recommended.
One of the best Champagnes I have had and for the cost tough to beat. Vanilla and nut overtones with slight citrus. Delicious and thoroughly enjoyed before our meal.
Very saline nose of ocean spray, oyster jus, yellow orchard fruits. Palate follows the nose with a slightly clenched character owing to youth. For my preferences this is enjoyable but I'd hold 2-3 years before the next bottle. Much better than my last bottle of this vintage. But for my preferences, there are other choices I'd make at this price.
Consistent once again but frankly if we have to blame it for one thing is that it would never reach the levels of other higher level cuvée and it’s ageing is questionable . Good at this stage while is still bright and fresh and pretty solid 91
A good champagne and with enough star power to kick off any celebration. Still though a bit on the obvious side and lacks and special side. Don't get us wrong this is a very solid wine and will not disappoint but we felt it had a feel of too straight forward and lacked an exciting side. Good 91
Superbe! Robe jaune plutôt soutenu. A l'ouverture, arômes de pommes, puis de levure, de pain frais, de noisettes et de fleurs blanches. En bouche, une première impression de douceur se dégage immédiatement, puis la puissance arrive, en finesse d'abord, puis plus marquée, acidité, complexité, finale sur de beaux amers, longueur. Difficile de résister aujourd'hui même si on sent que ce champagne ira loin. 95+
Courtesy of LostVerse. This is a fine vintage for this wine. 2012 overall should be an excellent vintage for Champagne. Showing very well at this young age. Bright and crisp with lively pear and lemon/lime notes. Long finish. Great potential and better than any of the previous vintages of this wine that I have had (90, 96, 97, 99, 02 and 04). 94-95 points.
Courtesy of TLV. Similar to the 2008 on release, this shows a slight earthy/funky quality. Apple, pear, wet dough, toasted almond and cooked ginger notes. Medium bead. Dough and apple flavors with an unripe stone fruit note in the finish.
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Delicious... ripe red apple, baking spices, lemon bar, and great autolytic notes, especially showing on the finish. Powerful, with more finesse showing through as it was open longer. Nose on this is a knockout and the finish goes. Great champagne.
Mid gold color, aggressive fine bubbles. Ripe apple, apricot, lemonade, creamy, lactic acid, hint of nuts, oak and toast with defined autolytic and smoky flavours. It is more linear and focus than the exuberate 08. Styles are similar, both approachavle with 12 on the elegant side while 08 is the powerful aide.
Popped for Xmas eve.... Nice deeper golden color than many champagnes... Predominate yellow apple up first followed with lemon curd and nicely bright and acidic finish... Quite a lovely sparkler.....
Rich and full bodied. Toast, lemon curd, vanilla, mustiness, mineral, and stone fruit. Compact and precise but still flashing some nice opulence. Needs time for the acidity to mellow out but no complaints now. Delivers nicely but my preference for big house still leans to Dom.
So the Saturday Arvo Cellar soiree and the Tigers winning the AFL premiership had morphed into a full blown dinner at La Luna in celebration as suggested by Marky W's BIL Chaps. This Champagne supplied by Cam from rathedowne cellars ( the greatest bottle shop along with Cloudwine in Victoria) was the starting wine for arguably the "greatest collection of wines in one sitting I have ever had". Let me start with this Champagne then i will list the rest and their scores and then Yodamark's avid readers, protegees, students and junior palates can venture to those wines in the search function or search for my Yodamark tasting notes.
Its been a while since I've had the Bollinger LGA, last one being an 02. but this 2012 was simply stunning. it was so smooth and complex but incredibly delicate. the mouthfeel was like fruit laced marshmallow that once past the opening sweet layer just exploded in the mouth . the acid was so finely balanced and the lovely sweet yeast flavors just complimented ever corner of the palate. one of the most complete young vintage Grand Cru champagnes I've ever tasted. impossible to put the glass back on the table unless it was empty. it drank like velvet.
So such an amazing starting wine and 5 of us drinking ( Yodamark, Marky W, Chaps, RathCam, Timmy Two Shoes) was followed by the list below.
You know you are in the presence of VINEOUS ROYALTY when a Cliniced 1983 Grange was the worst wine of the night!!! Search tasting notes of these...
Disgorged in November 2019 so very young and fresh. Very slight golden hue. Nose: pear, peach, some orange, butter, oak and vanilla. Really lovely fat and creamy smell. Palate: apple, orange, butter, oak, vanilla and slight hint of cocoa. Perfectly balanced bitterness with a beautiful crisp and slight racy acidity because of the young age. Long and lovely aftertaste with a lingering oakiness.
Bollinger has become my favorite champagne. I had a 2002 a few months back, which was extraordinary. This bottle was also fantastic. This is such a treat. Integrated. Complex. Toast notes. Vanilla. Incredibly small bubbles. A complex wine in its own right. We corked it last night to celebrate Joe Biden's election to the US Presidency. A perfect reason to celebrate with a great wine. This wine might improve with a little bit more bottle age.
This wine is ready to go IMO - it's layered and deeply complex, very bass-heavy, no shrill acidity here. It almost has already taken on a more advanced flavor range, with honey, sherry and nutty notes emerging. For my taste I'll drink up over the next 3-5 years.
Lovely nose of toast and yellow fruit. On the palate fine, creamy, mousse and intense, slightly sweet fruit with apple, ripe lemon and peach. Long finish with more of the delicious fruit mixed with a bit of chalk and iron. Very good, drinking superbly despite its youth but obviously has the stuffing for a long snooze in the cellar as well.
First bottle was corked! Never had that happen with Champagne before. Second bottle was drinkable but didn't have near the level of mousse we expected.
This was quite meh on day 1, just seemed lost in its sulfur and not saying anything. It's better on day 2, and while I like the proportions here it's just not saying enough yet to impress. It tastes more like a nice bottle of Special Cuvee versus what I expect from LGA. Finally on day 3 I found myself really disliking the way the wine had developed, sigh. For the vinous and pinot noir-heavy Bolly style I seem to prefer Filaine these days. But given the preponderance of strong notes here, I suspect this bottle may not have been representative.
Bollinger Grande Annee 2012 Nydelig intensitet, røde saftige epler, blomster, gjærbakst, og våt stein. Flott dybde - særdeles tiltalende. Kremet mousse av beste kvalitet. God modning i frukten. Ypperlig konsentrasjon og oppløftende friskhet. Rent og elegant. En særdeles vellaget vin vil jeg si - strålende balanse. Denne gir masse drikkeglede nå. Brer seg skikkelig ut i finish. Sitter meget lenge med prikkende mineralitet. Fy søren så bra GA de lager om dagen! 94p
A bit young at the moment, need some time to open up. Lovely nose of white fruits accompanied by yeastiness. My impression is that this will be ready before the 2008, which was pretty much muted on release. Mild acidity, a refreshing one.
What a rich wine. Nose of apple, honeyed almonds, brioche. As it opened, apricot, citrus, vibrant acidity and a long dense finish.
Had the 2008 a few months back and that wine was fantastic, showing secondary and tertiary flavors. By comparison this wine is clearly very young but still delicious.
Wow, this is a delicious wine. Pop of the cork, was green apple. The palate is very full, expansive and deeply rich. This wine has tremendous acidity and has a really long time to come around and settle down. I detect some slight oxidative notes and a slight hint of reduction, but very slight. I’ve had many bottles of this wine from ‘02 though ‘12 and I find this by far the most fun and exciting. Reminds me a lot of the ‘08 Cristal. For the price, I’d buy this over many other wines.
The official premiere of this wine, and it seemed suprisingly open; it has already some sweet cofee notes, som bodoir, but make no mistake, the acidity and the vibrant youth is still the core of this wine. It will live a long time. 94+ point. #Kanalen
5/10/2024 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
High end Champagne 2012 vs 2013, tasted blind (Bad Ragaz): 60% PN, non-blind. Medium yellow, Wonderful nose, lots of brioche, generous. Very complex and generous, ripe yuzu, apricot, pineapple, cinnamon spice, brioche. A crowd pleaser that will also appeal to the connoisseur. Ripe and rich, but fresh enough. 96pt
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5/4/2024 - Ulveström Likes this wine: 96 Points
Probably in its best phase for me where ageing is just starting to show but freshness is ahead. Brioche, lemoncest, salty minerality and extremely long finish.
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4/30/2024 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Bolly style: rich, broad, intense with brioche, smoke, butter, cheeserind etc. Fruit mostly lemon and lime with just hints of riper stuff like apricot and yellow plum. Good structure and minerality underneath. Great wine.
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4/8/2024 - z747gdgh45 wrote: 94 Points
Ripe mcinstosh apples, apple cider, brioche, hint of caramel, peaches. High acidity. Still young, very enjoyable.
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3/23/2024 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior note after PNP & went beautifully with our delicious fish dinner at Sea Salt in Naples; outstanding & probably the best QPR of the bigger champagne houses, drink or hold
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3/23/2024 - Pontus Palmenäs wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly oxidized, matured. Not performing on top blindly, but stable and strong
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2/18/2024 - lukeintowine wrote: 93 Points
Grande Champagne: Juicy, round, yummy in the best sense.
This stood out in comparison to the other straighter styles of champagnes we had this evening.
A tad above the '14 for me, but not a huge difference.
92-94
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2/14/2024 - Swintonblade Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazing bottle, perfect balance of toasty/oaky/brioche with then lots of fruit/apples/citrus and huge long finish.
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2/10/2024 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
PNP, creamy lemon with bread notes, outstanding, drink or hold
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2/10/2024 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
Notes of brioche, ripe white fruits, and crushed stones. Good structure, round on the mid palate, with nice acidity that provides excellent delineation on the finish.
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2/5/2024 - wiscgrad wrote: 96 Points
delicious bubbles. wonderful creamy mousse. on the richer side which I enjoyed. can hold but tasty now
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1/27/2024 - tdiehn Likes this wine: 96 Points
Crisp, citrus, extremely long. Fascinating. Great Champagne.
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1/18/2024 - moment_du_vin Likes this wine: 94 Points
★★★+++
VDS 2-99-1. Bollinger, La Grande Annee 2012
이쁜 골드컬러에서부터 뭔가 맛있보이는….
일단 노즈에서 시트러스, 핵과실, 미네랄, 딱 좋을 만큼의 옥시데이티브를 선사하는 잘익은 사과의 완벽한 조화가 반겨준다. 팔렛에서도 노즈부터 이어지는 과실과 산미의 밸런스가 샴페인의 정석을 보여줌. 스페셜뀌베의 가성비가 한층 더 섬세하게 잘 다듬어져서 훌륭한 완성도를 보여준다.
"역시 믿음의 볼랭져!"
Balance 4 / Proportion 4 / Complexity 4 / Finesse 3
#와인 #wine
#와인스타그램 #winestagram
#와인일기
#Champagne #샴페인
#Bollinger #볼랭져
#LaGrandeAnnee #라그랑아네
#울프스덴
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1/1/2024 - pdxwinefan Likes this wine:
Delicious. Tart apple, yeasty brioche. Bright and mouth-watering.
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12/31/2023 - kaush Likes this wine:
Absolutely gorgeous bottle of champagne. Incredible concentration, balance, and finish. Can't say anything others haven't said already. Best champagne I had in 2023.
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12/31/2023 - cubswinws wrote: flawed
Tart and acidic. Suspect this was a flawed bottle.
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12/10/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Always reliable and powerful, excellent structure and balance on the palate, long finish, excellent concentration. Still needs a couple years although not bad at all tonight. WOTN of all 7 vintage champers. Newport Seafood Champagne Lunner.
93+
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12/2/2023 - ccn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow! Very mature nose and golden colour.
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11/25/2023 - Darbus123 wrote: 94 Points
Brilliant wine. Very complex nose, even better after an hour or so. Lots of brioche, citrus and buttery notes. So drinkable and classy.
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11/7/2023 - Bullsgate Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brioche and citrus aromas. Fantastic balance displayed with the interplay of apples and citrus. Really fresh and drinkable.
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10/15/2023 - Jahull03 wrote:
Drinking great right now. Needs an hour of air to fatten up but then does so beautifully and the last glass was wonderful the following day.
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10/14/2023 - Jeroenve Likes this wine: 90 Points
A lot of green apple and citrus. When given a bit of air and temperature brioche and butter begin to show. Very pleasant champagne.
Drinks fine now, could develop over time.
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10/2/2023 - wineton.mee wrote: 94 Points
Delicious! Lots of brioche, yeast, poached pear, lemon curd, honey. Bright acidic spine, intense (but not painfully so) fruit and some light development already.
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9/29/2023 - Silvano Wendel Likes this wine:
Royal Society of Medicine dinner
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8/23/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spectacular, again, precise and fine but powerful and more depth than the Moncuit 2008 which was no slouch. Bacari w/ gang for tripple header b-day
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7/5/2023 - MaxRad Likes this wine: 93 Points
delicious, complex, mature wine.
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6/2/2023 - Swintonblade Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great champagne, well balanced with some great fruit & showing subtle brioche notes. Very young but cracked open to celebrate arrival of new puppy - Alba!
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5/22/2023 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Like previous bottle, I love Bollinger GA,and I love 2012 vintage, but this wine does not hit for me. The 2012 GA Rose was incredible and 2008 GA is breathtaking, this goes down overly sweet, and a bit clunky. Not a bad bottle of wine by nay means, it was good, but not delivering what a GA should
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5/6/2023 - DH90 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a beautiful Champagne with vertical bubbles (may be glad dependent), luscious ripe fruit, and a long mouthwatering finish. It is very young at this state of its evolution and is likely to develop more complexity with bottle aging. Consumed on a close friend's birthday with great pleasure.
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4/14/2023 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 94 Points
No formal notes taken, but just wanted to scribe that this was marvelous on this night. An absolutely perfect champagne with so much beauty and luscious balance throughout.
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3/23/2023 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale golden appearance
Lovely nose showing some Bolly richness, salty/saline aromas and caramel (could say salted caramel!), a little ginger bread and chalk dust. Excellent intensity, properly dry with a stony vein, touches of dried fruit (quince). Very fine mousse, excellent concentration, chalky, taut, and salty fine finish.
Others commented on citrus fruit character, which I wasn't really picking up on, it wasn't too tightly wound but clearly a youthful wine. I really enjoyed it.
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3/22/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 93 Points
blind
I guessed 12 or 13 but I thought it is BdB or at least CH dominated. Fresh but missing a bit in length. Balanced, lemon driven. At least one more decade ahead. 93
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3/18/2023 - Bordolski10 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale straw yellow colour with medium perlage and still very young. At first, the nose was a little restrained, but with a little air, nice notes of brioche, green apple and citrus emerged. The palate is straightforward with good acidity and minerality. For my personal taste, the wine is accessible but still too young and will gain complexity with age.
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3/17/2023 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 92 Points
Magnum best bottle (Restaurant Holz und Feuer, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Sophienwald
From Magnum. Fresh, tart, young. Very good Champagne, but did not excite me or touched me. Compared to the Krug 168 we had this night, it felt simple and one dimensional. Give it some more time. 91-92+
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3/3/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Lonny's btl at our Old Guys Lunch @ The Kenwood. 5 members in good standing present! DM,MA,LI,JV & CV. We brough the wines we wanted and then figured out how to make the menu work :). The Kenwood's lunch menu is desperately missing some seafood! 3rd time I've had this and it continues to improve. Really like its Tete Cuvee focus and precision while also offering Bollinger's signature bold richness & plethora of fruit flavors. This is a real pleasure and excellent pairing with The Kenwood's fries that are my favorite in MSP. Thanks Lonny!
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3/1/2023 - Sean Tay wrote: 94 Points
Still youthful but show sign of developing into a good Champagne. Notes of green apple, grapefruit and lemon. High acidity. Felt that it have not enter its drinking window and probably have to few for another 2-3 years to see.
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2/24/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious, deep, energetic.
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2/12/2023 - mjrobson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful acidity, nice toasty notes. Very young.
Drinks well and evolves as it warms in the glass.
Going to give this another few years.
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2/10/2023 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 91 Points
Très bon mais moins que le Pierre Peters ouvert au même souper.
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1/14/2023 - ca@aspet.nu wrote: 91 Points
Skall nog ligga några år till.
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1/8/2023 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic bollinger toastiness but with high acidity. Rich, dense, high acidity. Very enjoyable.
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12/31/2022 - dera Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slightly developed golden/yellow. Nose of lemon cream, touch of brioche, chalk and minerality. Very fine bubbles. High acidic backbone, slightly oxidized notes of bruised apple, beautiful peach and toasted peanuts, strong minerality. Finishes long, complex and pleasant with some spicy ginger. Enjoyable wine but clearly still young. Needs more time to really show it's true potential.
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12/31/2022 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had with steaks and red pepper bisque Not very bubbly Balanced. Some yeast
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12/25/2022 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lots of citrus notes on the nose, particularly lemon and orange along with almond and a light toast quality. Medium bodied (12% ABV) and starts with a base of white orchard fruit along with both rounded lemon and more tart lemon, progressing to orange through the middle and grapefruit behind. All the citrus notes show this mix of roundness and brighter, more tart qualities. Behind the fruit notes there are nut qualities (almond, hazelnuts) that emphasize the depth through the mid-body and blend well with the fruit, leaving the wine showing excellent density and purity of flavor. Acidity on the backside was outstanding and complemented the mid-body depth and amplifies the citrus qualities. This wine is already showing great expression and while some may find the combination of citrus and acidity to leave the wine tight or austere, I found it contributed well to the wine's overall balance and thought it showed beautifully over two hours. Clearly, this wine has many years to go and I'll certainly consider picking up some more while the citrus notes, tart qualities and acidity play so well off the depths of the mid-body.
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12/25/2022 - brh_wine wrote: 88 Points
A but flat in the glass, not as much effervesence as I would expect from the provenance of the vintage. Good aged color, "ok" for flavors.
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12/24/2022 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Complex notes of bouquet of crisp peach, grapefruit, brioche and toasted walnuts. Concentrated and full-bodied with a finish that lingers for over a minute. Beautifully made and likely has a long life in its future.
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12/17/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. Faintly floral with lots of orchard fruit plus lemon peel. Somewhat austere, certainly acid- and mineral-driven for now, this needs a few more years to harmonize slightly further.
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12/10/2022 - drrobvino wrote: 94 Points
1st of 3 magnums.
Crazy delicious, laser-like acidity, nuttiness and bread crust, lemons and green apples, nutmeg and spice.
Lovely vintage Champagne from a stellar house, drink through 2035+.
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12/4/2022 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Nez léger de beuré et noisette grillée... Pomme verte et jaune, bien fait, mais sans plus...
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11/14/2022 - mark.gularte@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Everything that a fine champagne should be. Light, delicate, exquisite and persistent bubbles, complex flavors that include green apple, sourdough bread, pear, and citrus. Endearingly long finish.
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11/5/2022 - Kim Gerner wrote: 93 Points
Danish Top 20 champagne blind tasting vintage 2012 (24 btls) (Nimb): Horisontal half blind tasting of 24 top champagnes from vintage 2012. Conclusion: It is a great vintage. My topratings were to some extent unexpected. My winner was Diebolt-Vallois Fleur de Passion which I rated 96. In a shared second place with 94+ were Legras Saint Vincent (unexpected but I don't forget that 1996 might be the best champagne I have ever tasted so far. Try to get a btl. if you can. It is difficult but worth it - still in a perfect drinking window), Veuve Clicquot vintage(!), Moet & Chandon Grand vintage(!) and Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque.
This wine: Gol color. Closed on the nose in the beginning but opens up: Red currant, toast and wet stone. Not closed on the palate but delicate including toffee and nutty notes. 93+
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10/28/2022 - Marc wrote: 97 Points
Drunk the evening after tasting the 2014 iteration of this wine, the 2012 is clearly the more profound of the two wines at the current moment. Essence of the Bollinger style, but with a depth of nuanced expression, and layered complexity that elevate this to an extraordinary bottle of Champagne. Fresh yeasty bread notes (fabulous with fresh out of the oven sourdough!), sublime texture, long amd well-modulated finish.
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10/9/2022 - VinVet Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exquisite and flawless as always. Crisp clean nose of citrus and sweet brioche. Pear fruit with touch of citrus sweet pastry on the palate. Beautifully balanced with a fine mousse. There is never enough to satisfy me in a single bottle!!
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10/1/2022 - aChave Likes this wine: 94 Points
Marvelous balance of energy, brightness, lift and fruit. Persistent fine bead. Light toast. Class in a bottle.
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9/30/2022 - dera wrote: flawed
Woody and dull, corked bottle. Damn.
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9/24/2022 - @chardonoir Likes this wine:
Komplex och uttrycksfull doft med toner av boket äpple, kanel, syrliga karameller, torkad frukt, nougat och vanilj. Kraftfull och rund smak av höstäpplen, grillad citron, brioche, mineral och honung. Härligt krämig och koncentrerad. En champagne som trots sin generositet och intensitet känns finstämd och precis i munnen. Alltid en fröjd att prova en Bollinger GA.
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9/10/2022 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 91 Points
crisp clean and delicious
celebrating Samantha and Quade
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9/4/2022 - adnorthup wrote:
slightly oxidative, loads of apple, lemon curd, brioche, nuttiness. Tasty.
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9/3/2022 - Pontus Palmenäs wrote:
Grilled lemon, brioche and almonds. Some maturity notes and long finish.
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8/14/2022 - williamdavieshp@gmail.com Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tremendous wine... didn't have time to right notes until now (2 weeks later) but I remember the wine being extremely expressive with acidity, not overly yeasty or bitter, but with apple, quince, and pear.
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8/14/2022 - gatobarbieri wrote:
Drinking well after an hour of air. A very good pairing with lobster campanelle. The mousse is fine and persistent, there is great complexity of yellow and white stonefruit, brioche, and yeast, but in balance. A large styled bottle but very easy to love.
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7/17/2022 - daghaug Likes this wine:
eple, barnål, søt gjærbakst, grapefrukt på lukt. Veldig fyldig munnfølelse, kanskje litt rosin? Søte epler, sitron. Lang, deilig og frisk ettersmak. Herlig kombo av friskhet og fylde. Delikate bobler! Harmonisk både på lukt, i munnen og i ettersmaken. Super!
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7/15/2022 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This is my first time with this Tête de cuvée. It's been far too long, and I'm realizing that I have seriously missed out in not buying this wine for the last decade+ of my wine life. There's a depth & complexity on the nose that reminds me of my first time with the 1996 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill back in 2011. Notes of brioche, green apple, with hints of lemon zest lingering in the background. The finish on this is long and seems to come in waves...beckoning for another sip. Sadly, with four of us...this didn't last more than 45 minutes. Outstanding!!!
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7/1/2022 - Tige Likes this wine: 91 Points
Amandes, raisins, brioche et levures au nez. Très expressif.
En bouche, l'acidité est très présente, la finale est longue avec une légère touche mielleuse. Bulles fines, corps moy+.
Délice.
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6/18/2022 - NoahCap wrote:
Golden in color. Toast, clotted cream, and green apples on the nose. In the mouth, I’m struck by how much this tastes like a macintosh apple- crisp and juicy. Then comes a rush of acidity, some candied lemon, and then prominent toasty notes. Complexity is medium and the finish is nice and long. After about 4 hrs open, I notice a bitter note start to creep into the finish that I’m not a huge fan of; it’s a subtle and very minor complaint though.
Overall, this is a nice wine, and quite approachable. Reading through other CellarTracker comments is interesting; many comments say the wine is youthful, others say it's surprisingly advanced. To me, it's a bit of both. The green apple and citrus fruit profile feels very vibrant, young, and honestly could do with some mellowing out. But there is also a toastiness, nuttiness, somewhat oxidative quality that points toward maturity. An interesting mix that, to me, makes this especially enjoyable to have in the glass. Would be interesting to see how it progresses over the years.
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5/23/2022 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 92 Points
good bottle of bubbles. still young, a bit linear with crisp apple and tropical notes. More approachable then the 2008, but not on the same level. The 2012 GA Rose I consumed a few months ago was far better. I was hoping for more from the 2012, a good wine but not on par with some other GA
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5/15/2022 - Sam-wine wrote: 92 Points
Pale to mid yellow. Very fine perlage. On the nose intense smell of butter and croissant and bread. A hint of green apples.
On the taste citrus, apples and butter, apple-crumble. Mid to long finish.
Can still improve and evolve very much. Intense and still delicate
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5/9/2022 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Darker yellow-gold; Deep rich aromatics, yeast, gingerbread, sourdough, lemon cake; sappy and full on the palate, with near perfect balance and structure. Long, powerful, pedigreed, Showing well on release unlike some of the '08's. fantastic stuff. Wally's Santa Monica $45/gl
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4/24/2022 - Vintomas wrote: 95 Points
A typical powerful Bollinger-style nose with red and apples, apple compote/cooked apple notes, some peach, some spice notes including pepper, a herbal hint, hints of truffle some nuts and other developed notes. Already in the nose it comes across as a somewhat mature (and really good) Bollinger rather than a young one. On the palate there's a lot of concentration, the same fruit components, good acidity and a bit of spice. Ready to drink now, but built to last, 95 pts.
This champagne was much more approachable than I had expected, and slightly better. For those who enjoy Pinot Noir-style champagnes with some weight this one is pure joy and more user friendly in its youth than 2008 was! The bottle was disgorged in March 2020.
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4/22/2022 - lepetitchateau wrote: 89 Points
More oxidized than expected, particularly on the nose, and the palate was surprisingly flat. Decent fruit, fine character but no love lost here.
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3/17/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Heidi's Gang: Grand Cru and First Growths (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. This was the second time having the '12 LGA. It is oxidative in style, yet there's so much going on that even in it's youth you don't get lost in that. Lifted fruit, sweet almost on the palate, full bodied and a very creamy texture, almond custard, creme brulee, very linear with stone and lemon, hints of grapefruit and apple peel with some nice salinity that comes through on the back end. Very nice and still quite youthful.
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3/17/2022 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Is there a better way to celebrate St Patty's Day then sharing world class French wine & food at cozy low key St Genieve in Minneapolis with long time buddies? One of my favs in the Twin Cities. Six of us gathered for killer btls & laughs. This is a lovely btl. Round & rich but w/ lifted orchard fruit, pastry, spice & citrus. Very nice, thanks Lonny!
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3/12/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
After the Chartogne-Taillet Orizeaux this offered much more lushness and was clearly the preferred wine at the oyster/sushi dinner tonight. Citrus, elements, caramel, white flowers, bakery. Very classic middle of the road large house style. I read in some tasting notes that the 2012 was rich and baroque. I would not say so. Even after the racy Chartogne-Taillet this did not come across as plump. Like so many 2012, I find this vintage immensely appealing. It drinks well young but has the structure to age.
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3/11/2022 - tyfabes Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second time having this in the last 9 months. Not a remarkable difference, but time seems to continue to round this bottle out.
Upon opening, lots of green apple, brioche, and bready/yeast character. After about an hour of being open, the wine begins to show more stone fruit, citrus, and even a hint of mango. Acidity is very balanced and mouthfeel is plush and pillowy on the palate. Mousse is fine with moderate beading. It finishes quite clean and urges you to continue taking the next sip.
I think this bottle will continue to improve with age, but is drinking beautifully now. 93pts now with 1-2 more pts of upside.
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3/7/2022 - Rallerboy888 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This didn't woo me as much as I'd hoped. The 2007 was such a remarkable wine, and has been my benchmark for powerful, leesy Champagne, but this doesn't really live up to it.
Very fresh and certainly shows some body, but not remotely as much as I'd come to expect from the 07. I imagine that this was rushed to the market a little bit due to the vintage hype. I have 4 remaining bottles that I'll either sell or lay down for a few more years.
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3/5/2022 - VinVet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Citrus and peach nose. Fine mousse, stone fruit and lemon zest soft mouth feel and delicious clean finish. This wine just begs you to drink more.
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3/5/2022 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Two very consistent bottles on the day and was well round and welcoming but much like the times before (and many other vintages of it) failed to make the transition to super cuvee. A touch creamier this time too than we remember and albeit with a charm we always are left wanting more from it. 91
July 2019 Disgorgement.
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3/5/2022 - jmoon Likes this wine: 95 Points
Thoroughly satisfying. Tasty thirst quenching, good rich mid palette and satisfying fresh finish. Delicious now, why wait.
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3/2/2022 - westywines Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of my favorite Champagnes of all time!
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2/14/2022 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young, delicious, lots of depth, lively yet rich brioche (but not maturity) flavors. 94 now, likely significant upside over time. Deceptively attractive.
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2/11/2022 - J_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
- tasted in parallel with Krug grand cuve 169 and louis XV champagne de venoge 1996.
- Nose: Intense aromas of slightly sweet, expressive red fruit as well as oranges, flowers, lemon peel, quince and grapes. Extremely fresh and vibrant, then also shows more and more vanilla and light toasting. Has a slightly sweet, rather ripe appeal. A little air in the glass gives this still young vintage a boost of complexity.
- Palate: Medium + acidity and lots of power and length. On the palate, the aromas are not as varied as on the nose, but the finish is very long. Shows lots of ripe fruit with medium + to full body. Will gain in complexity with more bottle maturity.
- 93 points with upside potential.
- Context: Almost too much red, ripe fruit for me personally. Is not as expressive as a Bollinger RD. This "La Grande Année" is more light-footed but lacks a bit of straightness for me. The Krug grand cuve 169 (base vintage 2013, 40% reserve wines) tasted at the same time was without grams of fat, more straightforward and despite a share of only 1/3 Chardonnay more balanced with more fresh citrus fruit. The grand cuve 169 also showed a finer perlage (therefore 94 points).
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1/16/2022 - gymnastpro Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a fantastic champagne. The bubbles were so fine and soft. Delicate and light on the tongue. You can taste the Pinot in it, but it’s so smooth and velvety, no hard edges. This wine is fantastic. You won’t get as much flavor with this wine, but everything is so balanced. I plan on finding more.
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1/16/2022 - BaroloRob wrote: 94 Points
Very clean and crisp with a long lemony finish. Good acidity and sugar balance.
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1/2/2022 - GuanYu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful Bollinger, fit for a 007.
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1/1/2022 - IDKDavid Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened New Years day for a birthday celebration. Color was a gorgeous pale metalic gold. Resembled an old faded gold watch. Medium creamy effervescence. The nose had strong yeast and gunflint with a flowery perfume hiding somewhere in the middle. Amazing creamy mouthfeel on the palate with nice acidity and great balance. There wasn't much fruit, as the star of the show was a croissants and a racy gunflint-like minerality. The mid-palate brought out some bartlett pear with some sweetness from the dosage, and the ending was an amazing sea salt caramel burst, with emphasis on the sea salt. LOVED this. Maybe takes the cake as my favorite Champagne I've ever had. I just love Bollinger's house style. Would love to revisit this in 10 years, it can only get better.
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1/1/2022 - jmtierney3rd wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful golden color in the glass. Clean, round bodied, crisp, balanced acidity, with notes of green apple. A gorgeous wine and for the money there are few better.
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1/1/2022 - vinum bonum wrote: 94 Points
Réveillon blanc et début d'année en fanfare: Grandissime bouteille, approchable en l'état même si quelques années de cave pourront lui apporter davantage de complexité. Le caractère finement oxydatif est plus présent au nez (pomme) qu'en bouche, où l'attaque droite est suivie d'un magnifique milieu de bouche ultra-gourmand mais maîtrisé, terminée par une finale encore stricte mais super classieuse. Bulle ultra fine, veine acide tout du long, une très belle expérience.
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12/29/2021 - Tremendous_Slouch Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose and flavor are dominated by yeasty notes: brioche, biscuit. Moderate acidity and rather low effervescence.
I kept coming back to overall impressions of heavy, intense, and serious. I enjoyed it but was somewhat underwhelmed. I plan on waiting a few years to revisit.
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12/25/2021 - Wine_Bear Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great Champagne from a great Champagne House. The NV bottling is excellent, but this is a step up. Stunning. Currant, citrus, layers. A celebration Champagne.
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12/11/2021 - J+B_Wines Likes this wine: 97 Points
Beautiful color right out of the bottle. Nice subtle bubbles
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11/20/2021 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful nose with toast, brioche, mousse and some green apple and gala apple flavors. Minerally, great acidity, smooth already, fantastic and understated mousse, more brioche, some raw almonds on the ending… refined. This is a great wine and will be even better in 5-6 years!
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11/16/2021 - ManhattanBeach Likes this wine:
By the glass at Ozwalds. Effortless, Decanter's description of a "creamy, toasty core" which is "energetic, vital and brimming with potential" is spot on. Very enjoyable.
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10/31/2021 - p.bechthold wrote:
Burgundy Village 2018 Tasting: Not many bubbles, so maybe not a perfect bottle.
Still good stuff, fresh, not too broad, very well balanced
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10/31/2021 - Vanja1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bollinger La Grand Année 2012. Fra interenettet kan man lese at den er bestående av 21 crus med en blanding av PN (65%) og chard (35%), dosage 8g/l og degorgert 07/19, der både remuage og degorgering er gjort for hånd. Fatlagret + malo.
SÅ til saken:
Farge: Dyp gul, lys gyllen og klar og ren.
Mousse: Lekker, delikat, kremete.
Duft: Åh! Kompleks, intens men delikat og med aromaer som appelsin, mandelkake, søt brioche, modne epler, sitron og litt honning . Ørlite hint av kaffe, om man legger hele viljen til.
Smak: nydelig fyldig munnfølelse, medium pluss høy syre og lang ettersmak med deilige, modne sitroner.
Allerede en godt utviklet nydelig champagne som selvsagt tåler mange, mange år. Lekker, delikat med mye aroma-glede og myk + syrlig i munnen. For en vin! Neste flaske om noen år, og btw, mye å spare på å kjøpe i Frankrike😉
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10/30/2021 - KB_001 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mycket god och kraftfull smak. Blir naturligtvis bättre om några år men var mycket trevlig redan nu.
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10/27/2021 - Mbad77 wrote: 92 Points
Still rather reticent, young and fresh. Has good potential and higher score in a few years I’m sure. Very enjoyable now though more will come from the nose, it won’t be so tight and that bitterness on finish will ease up.
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10/22/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Wine Spectator 40th Anniversary; 10/21/2021-10/23/2021 (Marriott Marquis): Nice and bright and crisp. Served very cold and it was hard to get much flavor initially from the wine. ~65% Pinot Noir and remaining Chard. Made from 78% Grand Cru and 22% Premier Cru vineyards. As it warms up you get a bit more of the Pinot character. Still a very young wine. Would give it quite a bit of time. Has that raciness though that is very popular these days.
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10/22/2021 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
NYWE. Creamy mineral driven, fresh clean powerful. Stunning.
78% Grand Cru. 65% PN 35% Chardonnay. 100% fermented in barrel. Hand riddled & discourged. View 2012 as great year.
1829 founded. 450 AC owned. 90% exported. Ay. Family owned 200 years. Lilly 1941 took over until 1971. Came up with Grand Anee.
Pinot Noir 60% creates power & structure. Only producer with own Cooper. Barrel ferment for 6 mos, aged 2x longer vs regulation.
1995 first time in bond film
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10/3/2021 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Light yellow, profuse small bubbles, crisp, clean, tart lemon, Granny Smith apple, and a long lemon meringue pie finish. Pure Bollinger at its best
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9/27/2021 - Likawine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brutal. Very Nice.
Deliv more than I expected.
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9/26/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 91 Points
First taste of this, BTG at 67PM rather than opening any of my bottles. A lot more finesse than I expected, and a way to go before being in my preferred drinking window. Fine cut, preserved lemon, perhaps even some quinine. A vibrant and superior aperitif, but nothing more than that for now.
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8/21/2021 - gudnasonWine Likes this wine: 98 Points
4.8. #2 place in the flight with Bollinger RD 2007 grand cuve and Krug grand cuve. Tasting with Lisa Gudnason and Karen Freimark . M. Gold color. Was a close number 2 behind the RD. Honey, honeysuckle, sweet on the nose. Creamy honey and toast, a hint of apple. The nose one this one was dancing in the glass all night long, constantly evolving and changing, could just smell it all night long. Palate was creamy toast and honey, long finish. outstanding.
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8/14/2021 - Trickyone wrote:
At last! The first two bottles out of this purchase were off to say the least. This one was really nice. Smooth, consistent mousse and that earthy note vintage bottles take on with some age. Lovely. Hopefully my last bottle will be like this one instead of its two flawed sisters.
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8/5/2021 - GraffCellar Likes this wine: 95 Points
I love this wine
Bready, doughy, great acidity!
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7/24/2021 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
It’s been a good six month since we had this last and generally as with a few of its kin we love it but also fails to make a proper grand cuvee impact. Very solid and ticks all the boxes as expected but just fails to take the next step higher to something superb. Very energetic now and we would suggest not ageing this too much. 90-91
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7/23/2021 - BradE wrote:
I was pleasantly surprised by this, and it held it's own in a flight of 90 Krug and 02 Cristal. I'd encourage everyone to grab a bottle and try it.
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7/21/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Heidi's Redux: A Night to Remember (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an 45 minutes. Chalk, oxidative, orchard fruit and white citrus on the nose. The brightness carries the oxidative qualities fairly well along with the buoyant acidity on a full bodied palate with plenty of chalky minerality, baked peach, white grapefruit, and apple. This is pretty coiled right now and I feel this is not quite ready to make a full statement yet. Tune in a couple years from now. 93(+)pts.
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7/21/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Fun wine to try tonight. I haven't bought these since the 2002s I loved back in the day. Tonight this was reminiscent and in the same house style, wheelhouse. I just think my own palate has changed as this shows more youthful oxidation then I prefer in Champagne since the past 5yrs or so. Very nice and really appealing if you like the style. Scored based on quality of the wine, not personal preference. For myself, I prefer the Special Cuvee that likely sees less aging.
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7/13/2021 - Order66 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Initial scents of toast and brioche upon opening but after some decanting, it reveals really seductive scents of oysters, brine and limes. The tastes are rather good- loads of salty biscuits, limes, minerality and a finish I’d describe as scented like charcoal but flavours like berries. I’d say wait at least another 5-7 years for it to mature up a bit.
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6/29/2021 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped the cork and let air-out for approximately 30 minutes before 1st glass. Drank out of Grassl Liberte. Very bright, vibrant and energetic with a strong presence of orchard fruits. The acidity was very present. The wine opened up with time in the glass and extended time in the bottle. The best glass was the last after 1.5hrs of air in the bottle. I think this wine will integrate and show a little better with more time in the cellar. It is a step below the 2008 but still very enjoyable. I have 1 bottle left and if I have any restraint, I would like to revisit in 2+ years.
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6/18/2021 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Birthday Bubbles for Shaner's birthday (Shane's, Washougal WA): Nose: The nose is elegant and fragrant with warm dough, red apples, biscuits, pears, quince, spring-time florals, baking spices, and custard. There is very good depth and while it shows a lot of autolytics, they don’t overwhelm and there is an overall refinement to the nose:
Taste: The feel is Medium bodied with crisp, high acidity. The acidity is noticeable and youthful, but still very much in balance. The feel is lovely, textured, and balanced with red apples, pears, quince, baking spices, custard, boscuits, and warm dough.
Overall: This still needs a few years to fully come together, but the materials are pretty good. There is a real elegant side to this that is highly enjoyable with excellent balance and length.
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6/12/2021 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 94 Points
Very good Champagne - crisp
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5/24/2021 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sitrus, nøtter, brødbakst. Ren presis munn med sitrus, kalkmineraler, gravenstein, brødbakst, nøtter. Veldig ren og pen, samtidig som konsentrasjonen er superb. Meget lang. 95
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5/4/2021 - OhPorto Likes this wine: 95 Points
As soon as the glass reached my nose I knew I was in for a treat. Disgorged in July 2019, this is already fairly developed and drinking lovely. Nose and palate are typical Bolly with extra definition and power - orchard fruit, pears, with some ripe red fruits as well. Perhaps a slight touch of baking spices too. The lemony-zing acidity typical in 2012’s is already remarkably well integrated for such a young wine, making itself known without shouting down the rest of the fruit. While this will improve with a year or two, it’s basically ready to drink 18 months post disgorgement, long before the 08’s will be. Recommended.
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4/29/2021 - westywines Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of the best Champagnes I have had and for the cost tough to beat. Vanilla and nut overtones with slight citrus. Delicious and thoroughly enjoyed before our meal.
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4/24/2021 - Pontus Palmenäs wrote: 94 Points
Already delicious, mature notes, honey, almonds.
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2/13/2021 - 5laton wrote:
Very saline nose of ocean spray, oyster jus, yellow orchard fruits. Palate follows the nose with a slightly clenched character owing to youth. For my preferences this is enjoyable but I'd hold 2-3 years before the next bottle. Much better than my last bottle of this vintage. But for my preferences, there are other choices I'd make at this price.
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2/6/2021 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Consistent once again but frankly if we have to blame it for one thing is that it would never reach the levels of other higher level cuvée and it’s ageing is questionable . Good at this stage while is still bright and fresh and pretty solid 91
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1/23/2021 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
A good champagne and with enough star power to kick off any celebration.
Still though a bit on the obvious side and lacks and special side. Don't get us wrong this is a very solid wine and will not disappoint but we felt it had a feel of too straight forward and lacked an exciting side. Good 91
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1/20/2021 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superbe!
Robe jaune plutôt soutenu.
A l'ouverture, arômes de pommes, puis de levure, de pain frais, de noisettes et de fleurs blanches.
En bouche, une première impression de douceur se dégage immédiatement, puis la puissance arrive, en finesse d'abord, puis plus marquée, acidité, complexité, finale sur de beaux amers, longueur.
Difficile de résister aujourd'hui même si on sent que ce champagne ira loin.
95+
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1/15/2021 - Philip Yang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very fine bubbles, brioche, lemon, apples, complex, lovely, lovely.
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1/7/2021 - Vino Me wrote: 95 Points
Courtesy of LostVerse. This is a fine vintage for this wine. 2012 overall should be an excellent vintage for Champagne. Showing very well at this young age. Bright and crisp with lively pear and lemon/lime notes. Long finish. Great potential and better than any of the previous vintages of this wine that I have had (90, 96, 97, 99, 02 and 04). 94-95 points.
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1/3/2021 - afaheem Likes this wine:
Nye drinking
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1/2/2021 - Filippo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredible champagne to start the new year. Fairly broad shouldered which is my style. Very long and with many years of life ahead.
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1/1/2021 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Full bodied with long tasty finish.
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1/1/2021 - socidelvino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasting note to be added
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12/31/2020 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 94 Points
No formal notes but the group really enjoyed this bottle NYE.
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12/31/2020 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Courtesy of TLV. Similar to the 2008 on release, this shows a slight earthy/funky quality. Apple, pear, wet dough, toasted almond and cooked ginger notes. Medium bead. Dough and apple flavors with an unripe stone fruit note in the finish.
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12/31/2020 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Delicious... ripe red apple, baking spices, lemon bar, and great autolytic notes, especially showing on the finish. Powerful, with more finesse showing through as it was open longer. Nose on this is a knockout and the finish goes. Great champagne.
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12/31/2020 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 95 Points
Mid gold color, aggressive fine bubbles. Ripe apple, apricot, lemonade, creamy, lactic acid, hint of nuts, oak and toast with defined autolytic and smoky flavours. It is more linear and focus than the exuberate 08. Styles are similar, both approachavle with 12 on the elegant side while 08 is the powerful aide.
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12/25/2020 - KJD45$ wrote: 94 Points
Popped for Xmas eve....
Nice deeper golden color than many champagnes...
Predominate yellow apple up first followed with lemon curd and nicely
bright and acidic finish...
Quite a lovely sparkler.....
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12/24/2020 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Rich and full bodied. Toast, lemon curd, vanilla, mustiness, mineral, and stone fruit. Compact and precise but still flashing some nice opulence. Needs time for the acidity to mellow out but no complaints now. Delivers nicely but my preference for big house still leans to Dom.
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11/25/2020 - rhit wrote: flawed
Corked.
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11/22/2020 - yodamark Likes this wine: 98 Points
So the Saturday Arvo Cellar soiree and the Tigers winning the AFL premiership had morphed into a full blown dinner at La Luna in celebration as suggested by Marky W's BIL Chaps. This Champagne supplied by Cam from rathedowne cellars ( the greatest bottle shop along with Cloudwine in Victoria) was the starting wine for arguably the "greatest collection of wines in one sitting I have ever had". Let me start with this Champagne then i will list the rest and their scores and then Yodamark's avid readers, protegees, students and junior palates can venture to those wines in the search function or search for my Yodamark tasting notes.
Its been a while since I've had the Bollinger LGA, last one being an 02. but this 2012 was simply stunning. it was so smooth and complex but incredibly delicate. the mouthfeel was like fruit laced marshmallow that once past the opening sweet layer just exploded in the mouth . the acid was so finely balanced and the lovely sweet yeast flavors just complimented ever corner of the palate. one of the most complete young vintage Grand Cru champagnes I've ever tasted. impossible to put the glass back on the table unless it was empty. it drank like velvet.
So such an amazing starting wine and 5 of us drinking ( Yodamark, Marky W, Chaps, RathCam, Timmy Two Shoes) was followed by the list below.
You know you are in the presence of VINEOUS ROYALTY when a Cliniced 1983 Grange was the worst wine of the night!!! Search tasting notes of these...
2016 Disgorged Rockford Black - 95 pts
1967 Penfolds Bin 7 - 100pts
1954 Woodleys Treasure Chest - 100 pts
1961 Chateau Lascombes - 99 pts
1978 Moss Wood Dry Red - 97 pts
1982 Yarra Yering Dry Red 1 - 98 pts
1990 Giaconda Cabernet - 97 pts
1969 Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 - 96 pts
1983 Penfolds Grange - 95 pts
1980 Chateau D'yquem - 96 pts
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11/12/2020 - Lehto Likes this wine: 93 Points
Disgorged in November 2019 so very young and fresh. Very slight golden hue.
Nose: pear, peach, some orange, butter, oak and vanilla. Really lovely fat and creamy smell.
Palate: apple, orange, butter, oak, vanilla and slight hint of cocoa. Perfectly balanced bitterness with a beautiful crisp and slight racy acidity because of the young age. Long and lovely aftertaste with a lingering oakiness.
Definitely let this beast age.
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11/8/2020 - A&C Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bollinger has become my favorite champagne. I had a 2002 a few months back, which was extraordinary. This bottle was also fantastic. This is such a treat. Integrated. Complex. Toast notes. Vanilla. Incredibly small bubbles. A complex wine in its own right. We corked it last night to celebrate Joe Biden's election to the US Presidency. A perfect reason to celebrate with a great wine. This wine might improve with a little bit more bottle age.
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11/2/2020 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
Disgorged July 2019. Ripe yellow fruit, sea salinity, peach, citrus, toasted nuts, grapefruit, creamy vanilla, river stone, variety of bouquet. Sharp acidity, high sweetness, superb balance and good structure. Really lovely. 94
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10/28/2020 - spacewrangler Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is ready to go IMO - it's layered and deeply complex, very bass-heavy, no shrill acidity here. It almost has already taken on a more advanced flavor range, with honey, sherry and nutty notes emerging. For my taste I'll drink up over the next 3-5 years.
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10/24/2020 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely nose of toast and yellow fruit. On the palate fine, creamy, mousse and intense, slightly sweet fruit with apple, ripe lemon and peach. Long finish with more of the delicious fruit mixed with a bit of chalk and iron. Very good, drinking superbly despite its youth but obviously has the stuffing for a long snooze in the cellar as well.
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10/1/2020 - Trickyone wrote:
First bottle was corked! Never had that happen with Champagne before. Second bottle was drinkable but didn't have near the level of mousse we expected.
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9/4/2020 - 5laton wrote:
This was quite meh on day 1, just seemed lost in its sulfur and not saying anything. It's better on day 2, and while I like the proportions here it's just not saying enough yet to impress. It tastes more like a nice bottle of Special Cuvee versus what I expect from LGA. Finally on day 3 I found myself really disliking the way the wine had developed, sigh.
For the vinous and pinot noir-heavy Bolly style I seem to prefer Filaine these days. But given the preponderance of strong notes here, I suspect this bottle may not have been representative.
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8/7/2020 - hajoha wrote: 94 Points
Bollinger Grande Annee 2012
Nydelig intensitet, røde saftige epler, blomster, gjærbakst, og våt stein.
Flott dybde - særdeles tiltalende.
Kremet mousse av beste kvalitet.
God modning i frukten.
Ypperlig konsentrasjon og oppløftende friskhet.
Rent og elegant.
En særdeles vellaget vin vil jeg si - strålende balanse.
Denne gir masse drikkeglede nå.
Brer seg skikkelig ut i finish.
Sitter meget lenge med prikkende mineralitet.
Fy søren så bra GA de lager om dagen! 94p
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8/4/2020 - ETT95 wrote: 94 Points
A bit young at the moment, need some time to open up. Lovely nose of white fruits accompanied by yeastiness. My impression is that this will be ready before the 2008, which was pretty much muted on release. Mild acidity, a refreshing one.
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6/30/2020 - spacewrangler wrote: 95 Points
Stunning juice. Better as it warms. Coffee, nougat, honey, buttered popcorn nose. Great mouthfeel, very polished.
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6/18/2020 - tjbsmf Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a rich wine. Nose of apple, honeyed almonds, brioche. As it opened, apricot, citrus, vibrant acidity and a long dense finish.
Had the 2008 a few months back and that wine was fantastic, showing secondary and tertiary flavors. By comparison this wine is clearly very young but still delicious.
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6/3/2020 - JohnnyBark Likes this wine:
Wow, this is a delicious wine. Pop of the cork, was green apple. The palate is very full, expansive and deeply rich. This wine has tremendous acidity and has a really long time to come around and settle down. I detect some slight oxidative notes and a slight hint of reduction, but very slight. I’ve had many bottles of this wine from ‘02 though ‘12 and I find this by far the most fun and exciting. Reminds me a lot of the ‘08 Cristal. For the price, I’d buy this over many other wines.
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5/2/2020 - Bob Bimon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Balans.
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2/17/2020 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
The official premiere of this wine, and it seemed suprisingly open; it has already some sweet cofee notes, som bodoir, but make no mistake, the acidity and the vibrant youth is still the core of this wine. It will live a long time. 94+ point.
#Kanalen
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