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1998 Alfred Gratien Brut
Posted: 14:31 Wed 31 Dec 2014
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.
Re: 1998 Alfred Gratien Brut
Posted: 16:01 Thu 01 Jan 2015
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?
1998 Alfred Gratien Brut
Posted: 16:33 Thu 01 Jan 2015
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.