1998 Alfred Gratien Brut

Anything but Port, this includes all wines other than fortified wines (which have their own section) even if they call themselves Port. There is a search facility for this part of the forum.
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Anything but Port, this includes all non-Port fortified wines even if they call themselves Port. There is a search facility for this part of the forum.
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djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
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1998 Alfred Gratien Brut

Post by djewesbury »

This was a strange beast. A rich, honeyed straw colour, with a nose almost of cheese or honey. Immediately in the mouth a big hit of nuttiness, which grows and transforms: firstly a slight, and quite unexpected chocolatey note, even coffeeish. This is very heavy and the richness is not all that pleasant: autolytic flavours have become somehow a bit 'baked', so that this is too dark in its flavour profile to be really enjoyable as champagne. The toast is burnt.
Daniel J.
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AW77
Morgan 1991
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Re: 1998 Alfred Gratien Brut

Post by AW77 »

What was the acidity like? Since you didn't mention that in your TN, there might not have been much left. I think it would have been more balanced with more acidity.
I only once tasted oldish champagne before and there also was not much acidity left. Is this common as champagne gets older?
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
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djewesbury
Graham’s 1970
Posts: 8165
Joined: 20:01 Mon 31 Dec 2012
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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1998 Alfred Gratien Brut

Post by djewesbury »

It was really dominated by the overly toasted flavours - chocolate and coffee. A very brown set of flavours, if you know what I mean. There was a low-key acidity but it was really disguised by the huge amount of roundness and the biscuity, dark chocolate sweetness.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
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