Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/118688
BLUE REVIEWS Moët & Chandon: A Well-Deserved Reputation If you're on top, complacency is the best way to lose your edge. Clearly there is no evidence that such a malady has afflicted Moët & Chandon; their new releases set the bar extremely high. The new Moët wines were presented recently in Los Angeles by their heartthrob winemaker, Benoît Gouez. Actually, there were two new wines and a newly released older wine. Richard Geoffroy has been Chef du Cave for Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon's tête-de-cuvée, since 1990. His new wine, which he presented to me at the Hotel Bel-Air over a lovely lunch, is the 2002 Rosé. He also brought along the 1993 Oenothèque Rosé. 92 Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial ($41) This spectacular wine replaces White Star as the flag bearer for the brand. It is a stunning improvement with a lovely citrus nose that shows hints of white flowers, minerals and brioche; it is smooth textured with graceful structure, bright acidity and showing long, precise and vivid flavors. 93 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2004 ($60) The house's 70th vintage champagne is a doozy. The nose shows peach, pear and honeysuckle; lush and smooth with ripe juicy fruit and notes of nuts and minerals; bracing, full and long. 88 Bogle Vineyards 2010 Petite Sirah, California ($11) Dark, deep and spicy with smooth texture and rich plum, cassis and blackberry; ripe, balanced and long with lots of charm. 88 Soleca 2012 3 Generaciones Chardonnay, Central Valley, Chile ($12) Juicy and bright with clean, smooth flavors of pear and citrus; fresh and balanced. DANGEROUS WINE GROUP 88 Waterbrook Winery 2011 Malbec, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla ($12) Forward vanilla oak and smooth texture; tangy and long with sweet fruit notes; mellow and seamless with a long, lush finish; likable and rich. PRECEPT WINE 89 Francis Coppola 2011 Director's Chardonnay, Sonoma County ($17) Smooth and elegant with delicate flavors and good balance; bright, ripe peach and vanilla; long and stylish. 88 Jean-Luc Colombo 2012 Cape Bleue Rosé , Vin de Pays de la Méditerranée, France ($12) Dry, juicy and fresh with strawberry fruit and good acid structure; tangy, bright and long; charming and delicious. 67% Syrah, 33% Mourvèdre. 92 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 1993 ($140) Rich nose of honey, bread and nuts; toasty, yeasty and rich; burnished, round, complex and smooth with deep, structured flavors and vibrancy. 98 Dom Pérignon 2002 Rosé ($300) This exquisite rose-colored wine has a nose of cherry and soft citrus; it is creamy textured and precise with flavors that are at once complex and rich yet delicate and pure; focused and elegant with subtlety and depth; graceful, balanced and astonishingly beautiful. 100 Dom Pérignon 2002 Rosé Oenothèque ($750) Imagine the wine above with an extra layer of mature, luscious flavor; profound, deep and ethereal; Dom Pérignon is one of the few ultra-luxury products in the world that lives up to—and often exceeds—its reputation, as it has done here; a magnificent achievement. MOËT-HENNESSY USA PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL 88 Tormaresca 2011 Nèprica, Puglia, Italy ($12) Meaty and ripe with concentrated black plum and boysenberry; deep and balanced with lovely flesh and style; 40% Negroamaro, 30% Primitivo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. ST. MICHELLE WINE ESTATES 88 Primarius 2011 Pinot Noir, Oregon ($15) Crisp and clean with tangy acidity and bright red cherry with lively structure and smooth texture; elegant, fresh and balanced. PRECEPT WINE 68 / the tasting panel / april 2013