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Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2018. More Chardonnay heavy than I usually choose - 50% Chardonnay, 47% Pinot Noir, and 3% Pinot Meunier. Aged for five years on the lees, with less dosage than you tend to find, making it quite dry. On the nose it’s very pleasant - hint of peach, but if pears and apples - what you’d expect for the composition. Then on the palate, very citrus, quite acid, sharper than the Pommery I had the other week, balanced a bit by the Pinot Noir, but still quite a fresh ‘celebration’ champagne type style. I think the ageing gave it a lovely bit of balance and took out some of that youthful kick. I think it’s quite young for a vintage, and having drunk it, if I had another, I’d be stashing it for a few years to settle down. At £70 a bottle, there’s a lot to love. I do feel I’d choose a Bollinger Special Cuvée over it most days… but if I get the chance to pick another up at a reasonable price, I’d love to see what a few years would do to it and revisit it. by @first.formula

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2 months ago

Pommery Grand Cru Royal 2009 - Something a bit different for me. A fifty fifty Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend, aged nine years on the lees. This gives it some serious chops - a nice stability and richness in flavour, that beautiful complexity that comes from ageing, along with the gentleness on the plate - none of the sharpness of a younger champagne. On the nose it was a bit bland for me - apples, pears. Not too spectacular. However, on the palate is was delicious. Pears, bit of brioche, bit of honey - really gentle, really settled. I thought it punched way above its weight. Great champagne for its price. Which is the real bonus here - it’s a grand cru champagne for a jot over seventy quid if you shop around. That’s a great wine, with loads of ageing, from proper grand cru vineyards… for barely more than the standard cru of some bigger houses. A smashing bargain - I’d recommend it. by @first.formula

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2 months ago

I’ve been holed up at home recently. In a cast, then in an orthopedic boot… so I’ve been trying straps on my watch. I’m really taken with @ndcstraps Marine Nationale straps… super comfortable. Just bulky enough for my taste, and easy to use. I’ve tried modern alternatives and not liked them very much. Sometimes, the old ways are the best. by @first.formula

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2 months ago

I do like a nice watch. I’ve worn Omega or Rolex divers for the better part of twenty six years. Most wearers of these bits of kit could best be described as ‘desk divers’ but before our boys were born, I was a diver, I have hundreds of dives under my belt, and every single time I got in the water, I took a Rolex Submariner down with me as my backup timer. by @first.formula

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3 months ago

I’m not normally a fan of straps. I’ve tried to be, it’s just never taken. Until recently. Comfort is usually the killer, so I’ve been trying different kinds of strap. Here’s my Submariner on a Marine Nationale style strap. Im@finding it fits snug, doesn’t move, and because it’s parachute material, isn’t too tight. It’s worth a try if you’ve fancied mixing it up. #rolex #submariner #rolexsubmariner #rolex124060 #submariner124060 by @first.formula

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3 months ago

Laurent Perrier La Cuvée - LP’s ‘house’ non vintage. I drank this as a follow on from the last bottle - it’s a livelier blend of 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 15% Pinot Meunier. That means it doesn’t have that depth and richness that comes with a heavier Pinot Noir dose. It’s aged in the cellar for four years and so by that alone manager a lot of complexity than you’d get in a standard house Cuvée. On the nose this is very much lemons and green apples, and it’s strong. Less bready than what I usually like, but it still had a bit of that. On the palate it’s really fresh and crisp, and it tastes very much like it smells - lemon and green apples, and very fresh. It’s a lovely house NV, not big and bold like a Bollinger, but zesty, light, fresh, very drinkable. Time was this was my favourite but I’ve moved on. A lovely bottle, punching well above its weight when it’s on sale, always good to have a bottle in - a great one to share with friends. I strongly recommend it for meals and celebrations. by @first.formula

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3 months ago

Laurent-Perrier Brut Millésimé 2015, an unusual choice for me owing to the higher Chardonnay content. This is a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot noir. This was aged for seven years in the cellar, which absolutely shows when you take a sip. On the nose it was a bit of lemon and even orange, a tiny bit of cookie dough (which was nice), very citrusy. On the palate it was super, super smooth, really creamy - benefiting hugely from aging in the cellar. It was citrus without being too sharp, really fine, really mature and complex, even hints of green apple. This really isn’t my usual style, but I thought it was absolutely gorgeous. You can pick a bottle up for around £64-80, in my opinion it punches well above its weight and drinks better than some much more expensive marques. If you’ve never tried a bottle, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’ll be adding this to my list of favorites. by @first.formula

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3 months ago

Mercier Brut Millésimé 2007, picked up in Epernay a couple of years ago. This was a beautiful champagne and it pains me that it’s not readily available in the UK. 42% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir, and 19% Pinot Meunier. It had a depth and complexity to it that you just don’t get with many NV champagnes, punching well above its price point. On the nose it was brioche, toast, almost a bit like an apple pie, and on the palate had a mature baked apple and citrusy fruit note. It really was stunning and I’d recommend a @mercierworld Mercier vintage to anyone. by @first.formula

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4 months ago

This was a generous gift from one of my guests this weekend. A mix of 65% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir, and 15% Chardonnay, aged in the cellar for three years before release. On the nose there’s yellow fruit, apple, and a hint of pastry, which was really nice. On the palate it was quite fruity and creamy, not too citrusy. It had that bit of brioche I really like, but it didn’t have the complexity and depth of, say, a Bollinger Special Cuvée. I did rather enjoy this - it’s not that pricey for such a tidy champagne. I’d recommend it… by @first.formula

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4 months ago

It was far, far too hot, and when I went to the supermarket to get some food, half bottles of @champagnelanson were on sale. I really fancied one… so I chilled it up, and sat in the garden to enjoy a few big glasses. Lanson Black Label is one of the best value bottles you can buy - it had a richness and depth that Chardonnay based champagnes just don’t have… I hugely recommend it. by @first.formula

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4 months ago

Again, something out of the ordinary for me. As someone who hugely prefers a Pinot Noir heavy champagne, a Blanc de blancs is an off-piste choice. I was drawn to this by hearing Agnese @blancdenoir sing its praises. Accepting I struggle with the nose, I got lemon and citrus fruits with a sort of bready brioche. On the palate this was a tale of two glasses… the first glass, when the wine was colder and hadn’t fully opened up, was sharp and a bit like green apples. As the wine sat and warned up and opened up it was much richer, much smoother, more pear-like and had a lovely mousse. As I was drinking it, what I thought this wine needed was time. I opened this too early in my opinion. I think this would benefit hugely from sitting in the cellar for a few years. Five, even ten years, if you have the patience. It would give it that complexity and richness that only time can. If I buy another, it will be to leave it in the cellar for many years and see how it tastes in…. 2036. A lovely Blanc de blancs, even for a Pinot-lover. by @first.formula

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5 months ago

I’m at the Renold Building in Manchester for a conference, having perhaps the worst mocha I’ve ever had in my life. My spirits were uplifted to hear @lanadlelreyy singing ‘First Light’ play in the music stream. I’m really happy to hear game music go mainstream… great song that deserves some love and attention. by @first.formula

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5 months ago