Champagne Sunday - 7/13

My parents stopped by this afternoon to help paint, and we decided to turn the visit into a great evening of wine. Today was a Sunday in July, therefore soft shell crabs were on the menu. We began with a 1995, Krug, Champagne, Brut that was very full bodied and powerful. The flavors were dominated by a distinct lemon quality and the finish was extremely long. A great Champagne.

Next up was bottle of 2004, Olivier Leflaive, Batard-Montrachet, Grand Cru. The color of the wine was pale with a tinge of green, almost Chablis like. The nose revealed some oak and flowers. In the mouth, the wine was full bodied and elegant. The finish showed some minerality and caramel quality. Very nice.

Lastly, a bottle of 1990, Fargues, Sauternes. The wine's golden color was the exact shade of yellow that I would expect from an 18 year old Sauternes. The nose revealed some honey and nuts. The palate was rich, creamy and elegant. The wine' flavors were a beautiful combination of honey, nuts, vanilla and apricot. When young, Sauternes is very sweet, and, when old, the wines tend to be dry and nutty. At 18 years old this wine is balancing both spectrums. The secondary, nutty flavors are being to emerge, but there is still a sweetness and fruitiness to the wine. Fargues is owned but the Saluces family and is made in the same style as Chateau d'Yquem, but the terroir is not very good. As a result, Fargues is very similar to d'Yquem, but not possess the same complexity. The 1990 Fargues is a great Sauternes.