Bubbles and Burgundy and Rioja

Sorry it's been a week (!) since I've written... been a little busy... R passed his Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Exam! He deserves it... he put the time and energy into passing it. Cheers! While he was gone (which was why I was so busy last week...) I got to try a few great things... first and foremost... the 1976 Maison Leroy Pommard-Arevetis (I'll have to check spelling later) was simply stunning. Still a beautiful ruby red center going towards a slightly orange/brown rim (but much less than I was expecting)... the nose was beautiful cedar, spice box, strawberry, raspberry, leather, and turned light dry earth - it was incredible. On the palate, the wine was silky-smooth and had a long finish. The amazing thing about this wine was that at 29 years old, it needed an hour (!) to open up and show it's true self. Right next to the Leroy was a 1980 Opus One. I was a little hesitant to bring this bottle out, but I thought what the heck. The wine was still in good condition (not overly oxidized, nor corked), but it wasn't really very good. It showed tremendous green stemmy notes right off the bat, and those only faded as all of the fruit left the wine completely. The color was still good, but not terribly bright. Oh well. Let me say something here... how is it that Opus One, made mostly from the long-lived Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend, can be dead when the generally shorter aging Pinot Noir can be 10 times the wine... Three words - Lalou Bize-Leroy. She is the great brains behind Domaine Leroy - in my mind, the single greatest wine producer in the world. She makes Pinot Noir give all that it has - and she does what she does better than anyone else. Amazing. If you've never had the thrill of enjoying a bottle or two of her outrageously expensive, but certainly not overpriced, wines - do yourself a favor and get a bottle somehow. Doesn't matter which one, I assure you, they are all spectacular.

From Burgundy to bubbles... and the Champagnes of Piper-Heidseick and Charles-Heidseick. Tried 10 wines with the best being Charles Heidseick Brut Reserve, 1996 Charles Heidseick Brut Rose, 1985 Charles Heidseick "Cuvee Charlie", and Piper Heidseick Brut 1998. Charles is more rustic, but has more body than the Piper-Heidseick wines. Piper wines are generally much cleaner - more classic champagne.

One more... 200o Muga Reserva Seleccion Especial Rioja - a great leathery wine... as R said "it tastes like I just licked a horse saddle"... but in a good way(!). Great rustic, classic Rioja nose. A good wine... had better, but worth the money.