Popping Some Exciting Champagnes

I recently had the pleasure to attend a wine dinner at Le Cafe Descartes at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. The dinner, focused on the Bordeaux estate Domaine de Chevalier, was organized by my friend and Bordeaux wine guru Panos Kakaviatos. 

But, before the dinner, attendees brought some Champagne for popping, and I had a blast tasting through some interesting bottles. 

This was something of an embarrassment of riches, but I was happy to taste these wines and jot down some notes, which are below.

Cheers to good Champagne!

N.V. Champagne Lallier Champagne Grand Cru Zero Dosage - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Super chalky with notes of quinine, crushed oyster shells, limes and lemons. Intense and bright, but perhaps lacks a bit of depth to the fruit to balance the zero dosage. Still a lovely take, though. (90 points)

2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
Wow, this was everything I was hoping it would be. Rich, biscuity, doughy, lots of apples and lemon curd fruit, but the richness is matched with briskness, brightness, depth, minerality. Gorgeous, deep fruit, lots of minerals and chalk. Showing well but built for the long haul. (95 points)

2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut - France, Champagne
Loving the red fruits (raspberry, strawberry) mixing with the brisk, salty, chalky elements. Good amount of musk, spiced tea, rose potpourri, hints of mushroom coming out. Lots of evolution ahead but beautiful stuff. (94 points)

2006 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Palmes d'Or - France, Champagne
Broad, concentrated, and bready, but also shows brightness, zestiness, minerality. Baked apple, toast, biscuits, chalk, honey. Bold but inviting, I'd like to see what happens to this in five to eight years. (93 points)

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne
Deep nose of apricot, graham crackers, biscuits, sea salt. Nervy yet dense on the palate, the apricot, quince mixes with toasty bread, saline, crushed shells. Lots going on, seems young and a bit dense, but beautiful. (93 points)

2006 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Fleuron - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Lively but leesy on the nose. Nougaty, doughy richness on the palate meets bright acidity and chalk, citrus peel, honeyed notes. (93 points)

2008 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Fleuron - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Nervy and bright, this had a lot of similar riffs as the 2006, but a bit less opulence perhaps. (92 points)