Notes from the Champagne dinner at the Mandarin's Tivoli Restaurant. Unfortunately the food was blah ( except for the superb dessert) and some items clashed with the wine. Good thing we had unlimited pours of Krug!
Veuve Clicquot Brut NV - Good depth but weak finish.
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial NV - Much drier than the last bottle I had of this a little over a year ago so this is definitely an improvement. Some coffee and citrus rind. Decent stuff but again, a weak finish.
Krug Grande Cuvee NV - Bernd's sharp eye discerned two different bottlings of the Krug being served. We initially started with Krug with the new label which was certainly a vast improvement over the first two Champagnes we got but Bernd saw that they also had Krug with the old label and he made sure this was the bottle to be served at our table. A world of difference! Dry, great depth of flavor, strong coffee, nuts, bready, and a caramel-like finish that went on forever. Great complexity. A great Champagne. I must have finished the better part of a bottle.
Dom Perignon 2000 - Muted flavors and lightish for DP. Perhaps served too young. Hopefully age will turn this into something more interesting. Maybe this should have been served before the Krug. A big letdown for me.
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Rose NV - Very light pink color. Like the regular Brut Imperial with a bit more weight. Just had one glass and stayed with the Krug.
The day before, we had a tasting of wines from Quinta do Portal, Portugal. Most of the wines were good, if a bit pricey but one wine stood out:
Quinta do Portal Vintage Port 2003 - Inky. Rich, weighty wine. Espresso, plums, pepper, lots of complexity. Surprisingly approachable for such a young port but the concentration of this wine leaves no doubt that it will age very well. Finishes long and a bit dry with tea and tobacco leaf nuances. Excellent wine.
