2002 Michel Arnould "Mémoire de vignes"

100% Pinot Noir

Age of vines: 40 years from Moulin de Verzenay hillside

2002 is the debut release of this cuvée

Glass: Spiegelau Adina "Red Wine"

Bugger – I can’t find the paper were I scribbled a few lines down about this wine. Oh well – I will have to do it from memory then.

I have tasted this Champagne once before in a big Champagne tasting I held in May-09 – but this is the first real date. I bought this Champagne from the recommendation of Richard Juhlin and having the chance to ask him when he thought it would enter a drinking window he said; “10 years”. Well I can’t wait this long – but it’s certainly a Champagne with further potential. It’s also a somewhat old school bottle of Champagne – but in a good way. Old School is notes of dark bread and sour dough and the autolysis notes just slowly starting to shine through. But there is a brilliant harmony and intellect to be found in the spicy section – which are both adding edge and sophistication. The taste is very concentrated and the spices are also found here and again they provide beautiful balance to a long vibrant, very smooth and mouth-coating aftertaste. I can’t help to compare it a little bit with cuvée Winston Churchill from Pol Roger.

A solid and very good bottle of Champagne.