Tasting, 3 flights
The champagnes to begin with are the tight Drappier Brut Nature NV and the fliral Drappier Grande Sendree 2006. Both are quite edging, detailed and good enough as starters.
In this first flight, the best for me is the classic Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2007 which remains cracky in the nose, ripe in the palate and thick with the citrus and stone fruit. With extended fruit length, it is very intense. The next best is the very butter-scotched 2007 Vougeraie Vougeot 1er Cru Le Clos de Blanc de Vougeot 2007, which gives excellent palate(fermented out, dry stone-fruited, extreme). Les Combettes 2007 is excellent in the trunk (complex, woody, round, nutty, ripe, intense) yet the palate length does not support the good impression from the nose. The other 2 wines are 'kerosene' and passionate. The first white from the left is elegant, structured, fermented out and is very spicy. Changing from start and fills me with surpeises. Trimbach's fruitiness and intensity are excellent despite the age(green apple, nutty, oily, musky and textured). Actually, all wines in this first flight are at very high level.
In the second flight, Ornellaia 2007 is beyond words for a short write-up of this nature, and to me is the best in this flight. My Second goes to Volnay 2009 for the beautiful, floral and fruit characters. The palatr falls short of elegance though. Allegrini La Pola 1994 is ripe for drinking. The 1997 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel is drinking fine by now. And the Falesco Montiano 2007 is adequately expressive for IGT.
The best in this last flight for me is 2007 Mouton. . Before Mouton 2007, my long-time favourite Pichon Lalande 2000 seems not as concentrated and fruity as before and its ripeness and brightness from this stellar 2000 vintage seem not showy any more. Leoville Barton 1996 remains elegant and expressive, yet it does not have the fullness of Mouton 2007. Pegau is fine, but drums on a different speed.
A noisy event, and is as enjoyable.
