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    My Column

    Richard Juhlin - Best Champagne Critic of the World

    Tb: What aspects you consider particularly crucial to succeed as a wine critic, and how have you succeeded in them personally?

    "As a wine critic, several crucial aspects contribute to success:  A wine critic must have a well-developed palate to accurately assess and evaluate wines. Effective communication skills are vital for conveying evaluations and recommendations to readers or consumers. This includes the ability to articulate tasting notes, describe wine characteristics, and offer guidance on aging potential in a clear and engaging manner. Maintaining objectivity and consistency in evaluations is crucial for building credibility and trust among readers. A successful wine critic should be able to provide unbiased assessments regardless of personal preferences or external influences."
     
    Tb: How does the evaluation of Champagnes differ from other wines, and what are your insights into the quality and price development of Champagnes in the future?

    "Evaluating Champagnes can differ from other wines due to several factors unique to the region and production methods:

    Terroir and Climate: Champagne's cool climate and diverse terroir can result in a wide range of styles. 

    Production Methods: Champagne involves considering how well these production methods contribute to the overall quality and complexity of the wine. 

    Acidity and Effervescence: Champagne is known for its high acidity and fine, persistent bubbles. Evaluating Champagne involves assessing the balance between acidity, fruitiness, and effervescence, as well as the texture and mouthfeel of the wine. Aging Potential Champagne often benefits from extended aging, which can enhance its complexity and develop tertiary aromas and flavors. Evaluating Champagne involves considering its aging potential and how well it will evolve over time.

    In terms of the quality and price development of Champagnes in the future, several factors may influence trends:

    Climate Change: Climate change could impact grape growing conditions in Champagne, potentially affecting grape ripeness, acidity levels, and overall wine quality. Champagne houses may need to adapt their vineyard management practices to mitigate the effects of climate change and maintain wine quality.

    Market Demand: Demand for Champagne is influenced by factors such as economic conditions, consumer preferences, and trends in the wine market. As emerging markets continue to grow and consumer tastes evolve, there may be shifts in demand for different styles and price points of Champagne.

    Supply and Production Costs: Champagne production is limited by strict regulations and labor-intensive production methods, which can affect supply and production costs. Changes in production costs, such as labor or grape prices, may impact Champagne prices in the future.

    Investment in Quality: Many Champagne houses are committed to producing high-quality wines through investments in vineyard management, winemaking technology, and cellar aging. Continued investment in quality could lead to further improvements in Champagne quality and reputation.

    Overall, while it's challenging to predict specific trends in Champagne quality and prices, ongoing investments in quality, shifts in market demand, and the impacts of climate change are likely to shape the future landscape of Champagne production and consumption."

     

     

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    My Today

    All of the tasting notes of the wine critic mentioned above in tastingbook, comes from press releases from wine importers and vineyards, or directly from the critic and can also be found on the critic’s own website, which can be easily accessed by clicking on the link above.

     

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    My Yesterday

    Shipwrecked 1830's Champagne uncorked!

    Wednesday, the 17th of November will always be a day to remember for champagne lovers around the world. It was the day when the 150-year-old shipwrecked bottles were opened and the worth of the Baltic Sea’s champagne treasure was assessed.

    Some think that I live a life of luxury and am a bit spoiled. As I tasted an estimated six million euros worth of shipwrecked champagne in just three days, it is perhaps a bit hard to argue with - but I will still give it a try. The re-corking of champagne is hardly something I advocate, yet I was appointed as a consultant to the Åland government behind the decision to re-cork all bottles that were found aboard the wreck at Åland. After observing leakage of far too many bottles and as the origin could only be traced through the bottom of the cap, we had no choice.

     

    I was flown to Mariehamn, alongside an archaeologist and a technical team from Veuve Clicquot, for three days to re-cork and taste all the 168 recovered bottles. The exercise was fascinating and I am quite pleased with the results of the grading of each and every individual bottle. More than sixty bottles ended up in the first category of tradable good to outstanding wines, with about one-third ending up in the middle tier. These bottles are likely to be used as reserve or dosage wine in exciting cuvées the champagne houses are planning. The last third was undrinkable, often with a touch of seawater having entered the bottle. A few bottles were so terrible that we had to evacuate the tasting room after opening them. Imagine a wonderful dinner where between the courses you had to smell putrefied water for two seconds. Or do you remember in high school when someone threw a stink bomb with the unpleasant stench of rotten eggs? I always escaped home then, but this time I could not . After recovering from the shock of these odours I took a short walk for a bit of fresh air and went back to the bottles again. Our mind works, unfortunately, in a way that we remember the unpleasant smells all too well. Therefore, I could not enjoy many of the fine bottles that I placed in the highest category either.

     

    When I crawled into bed after officiating a hard day’s work, I remembered all too well the stench of manure, swamp and rotten eggs. Luckily, we managed to round off the evening with a few glasses of great red wines. It is not always easy being a Champagne expert!

     

    1830s Veuve Clicquot 87p

    One of two much spoken-about champagnes found onboard the unknown wreck in the southern section of the Åland archipelago in the summer of 2010. Since it is impossible to let the bottles remain at the bottom of the sea until the occasion for drinking them arises, the bottles that have been stored in individual water baths in the ”nursery” display great bottle variation and a lower carbon dioxide content than they had done at the bottom of the sea. Some bottles that appear perfect have unfortunately allowed seawater to leak in and so they are undrinkable. The bottles that are in good condition are a fantastic experience for all the senses to encounter. Apart from the characteristic aroma of farmyard, mature Brie de Meaux cheese and mushroom forest that immediately strikes one, there are exciting tones of leather, honey and crème brûlée. In the faintly tingling and extremely sweet basic flavour there is a very unexpected, green and youthful taste spectrum, in which lime and linden blossom are the leading notes. The entire wine is swept about by an enormous mystique and its intensity is almost numbing. As an experience, my assessment marks are miserly, but from an objective perspective of quality, they are completely fair.

     

    1830s Juglar 87p

    The first of the two champagnes to be salvaged from the Åland wreck during the summer of 2010. A firm that is nowadays extinct but that was in those days a second trademark at Jacquesson’s. Just as is the case with the bottles from Clicquot, I am waiting for the perfect item with lavish mousse. The six bottles I have tasted so far share the same Brie de Meaux nose as Clicquot and are actually even a touch sweeter. I want to describe Juglar as somewhat more robust and more rustic, and where the other champagne tends towards white blooms and lime, Juglar tends to breathe peach, mandarin and orange liqueur. This thing is also a joy for all your senses and considering that it is one of the oldest champagne in the world, its friendly drinkability and vivacity are a gift to humanity .


     

     

    In 1999 he made a film for Swedish Television called Treasures of Champagne, which was sold to seventeen different countries.

    In 2012 the TV series Nesevis was launched on NRK1 in Norway where Richard educated the Norwegian people in how to use there sense of smell in everyday life. The best nose in the world guided people how to awake their forgotten senses smell and taste. Nesvis was a huge success and one of Norway's most watched and talked about television series that year. The scent experiments made people amazed by what his nose could find. Mr.Juhlin was awarded “Best television host in the world” in Paris 2013 for his achievement in the Norwegian TV show Nesevis.

     Currently he is  working on a Television series in 30 episodes, entitled Drinks and Restaurants in Europe, for American and Chinese television among others. Richard also hosts wine shows for Chinese television.

    Aside from writing and TV, Richard Juhlin is often consulted as a speaker and host all over the world. He does fragrance consultant jobs and arranges VIP-trips to the Champagne district.

    In 2011 he was consulted to lead the project with the famous bottles found in the Åland archipelago from 1840. Two bottles were auctioned at a record price of 30 000 Euros per bottle and Richard was the only one tasting all 164 when they were recorked.

     Richard has designed a series of the perfect wine glasses. The Richard Juhlin Collection handmade by Reiimyre and the latest The Richard Juhlin Optimum by Italesse.

     

     

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    My Tomorrow

    Bollinger Treasures

     During a couple of rainy days at the end of June, we were a small select group of international champagne journalists who was invited to Bollinger to take part in something quite unique. The first night I ended up alone in an old nostalgia awakening restaurant in Reims overlooking the park where my interest in champagne started with a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvée 30 years ago. I sat there and dreamed myself away over a bottle of Echezeaux accompanied by foie gras and entrecote while the rain flooded the streets outside.

    The next morning we were picked up and driven to Aÿ. I sat myself next to my former mentor and motivator, the ever-vital and elegant queen of champagne - Serena Sutcliffe. Between us we shared what life brought us during the last 10 years. We certainly agreed that this would be mightily exciting because she, in recent years and I never, had tasted any old wines at all from Bollinger in the house's auspices.

     Over the last three years, the house has secretly pursued a gigantic inventory of every corner in the cellars. It was decided back in 2010, when they found a forgotten cellar with extremely old bottles, to renovate every single bottle in the form of disgorging and cork replacements, etc. The modern technology of laser aphrometer designed to measure the pressure in the bottles without opening them has been the key to success at work.

     In the forgotten cellar behind huge amounts of empty bottles they succeeded to find vintages down to the historical inception in 1830 from the foundation of the house in 1829. At the end of this fantastic project they had secured 4,000 bottles. Most bottles were disgorged a la Volée and tasted separately. Bollinger have now created two unique vinoteque galleries - 1829 and La Réserve. T

    The new chef de caves Gilles Descôtes, who led the project, showed us around in the two very impressive cellars. The cellar La Réserve shows something even more unique. Because Bollinger is making its standard cuvée from the amazing collection of reserve wines, stored in magnums under light pressure, they have separate crus in a gigantic amount of vintages to follow. The entire 3000 magnum´s are located in the beautiful and by artist´s ornamented cellar aisle. It was with a slight weakness in the knees of anticipation we sat down at the table to get a taste of what the cellars had to offer. We would never had expected that we would get to taste the top wines Bollinger ever made. To get them served in the best condition made of course the experience even more magical. Here are my taste notes from the historic tasting in Aÿ.

    1969 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises  Collection 99p

    100% PN

    I just needed to dip my nose for a second before I realized what wine it was. Here you are met by a blast of smells with an equally unmistakable as indescribable crystal clear identity. The volume is huge, but the wine is extremely fresh and acidic thanks to vintage. The aromatic spectrum is ranging from jasmine, passion fruit, sea buckthorn, licorice toffee, black olives, tar and charcoal grilled meat. A perfect bottle from the debut year.

     

    1952 Bollinger RD Collection  97p

    75% PN, 25% CH

    Disgorged for Madame Bollinger´s private cellar in 1969 with 11 grams of sugar. A great depth and at the same time vitality charming with a creamy silkiness. Notes of freshly baked bread, dried fruits and caramel confide the chord.

     

    1945 Bollinger Collection       97p

    75% PN 25% CH

    Disgorged for Madame Bollinger´s private cellar in 1969. Not as dark and truffle-scented as bottles I previously encountered on the open market. There is a depth and a classic tight construction with a dry basis. Minerals, smoke and spicy funds dominate the overall impression.

     

    1937 Bollinger Collection       99p

    75% PN, 25% CH

    Disgorged for Madame Bollinger´s private cellar in 1969. Fantastic and impressive with juicy nectar notes, oily texture and a quite vibrant color and mousse. Young style with deep concentration and voluptuous overtones. A wonderful beauty filled with the most you can associate to in a champagne.

     

    1924 Bollinger Collection  96p

    80% PN, 20% CH

    Disgorged for Madame Bollinger´s private cellar in 1969. I had never before beheld a 1924, so it was no wonder I guessed on a 1929 when we got to try the delightful treasures directly at the house in Ay. Something lighter than the greatest vintages of Bollinger but still mightily impressive. Hazelnut notes, popcorn, mango, passion fruit and butterscotch take turns on leading the aroma spectrum into a long fresh aftertaste.

     

    1914 Bollinger Collection       99p

    75% PN, 25% CH

    Disgorged for Madame Bollinger´s private cellar in 1969 and now in perfect condition at Bollinger. Made from across 23 crus with Bouzy as a main component of 18%. A startling bouquet. Golden light color and a long majestic taste that lasted for hours. Most impressive is the incredibly intense scent which in its complex creation contains diverse and at the same time nicely orchestrated ingredients such as; cardamom, lavender, lilac, vanilla, orange blossom, bergamot, Chinese tea and mandarin. Well thickened fat and at the same time a youthful champion. Probably the house's most outstanding vintage.

     

    1830 Bollinger Collection 88p

    80% PN, 20% CH

    Disgorged 2016 without carbonic pressure and without any dosage. The first vintage Bollinger ever made and obviously a historical great experience to taste one of the 13 bottles that survived in good condition. However, I must point out that, considered objectively, that this wine appeared as the worst bottle the house picked up from the collection in June, 2016. Youthful color even though the bubbles were missing. Oxidative on the nose with great similarities with wine jaune or the finest sherry. Almonds, fallen fruit, figs, dates, and a fiercely refreshing acidity. Clean, very long and holds nicely in the glass. Lovely wine in its almost 200-year-developed style.

     

     

    MY TOP 10 WINES 

     

    1. 1966 Dom Pérignon P3 Magnum                   99, 5

    Probably the most perfect champagne to drink in the world for the moment.

     

    2. 1979 Krug Clos du Mesnil 99, 5

    As good as ever.

     

    3. 1985 Romanée-Conti            99,5

    My only 100 point red wine was this masterpiece in Jeroboam with my friend Philip Ng in Singapore a few years ago. In regular bottle perhaps just a tiny bit less unreal but still the most perfect beautiful red wine there is.

     

    4. 1988 Dom Pérignon Rosé P3 Magnum        99

    The P3 concept is out of this world. Every single wine transforms into perfection with time under the wings of Richard Geoffroy. This magnum in Versailles and on the beach of Seine in full moon might be the best rosé I have ever drank.

     

    5. 2006 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises    98, 5

    An exceptional and awesome wine drank on the most beautiful place in the world during my work with the book Champagne Hiking. The Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia.

     

    6.  1981 Taittinger Comtes Champagne Vinothèque Magnum 98. 5

    A perfect magnum that I got the honor of picking from the private Taittinger cellar with my VIP group at the Chateau Marquetterie in Pierry.

     

    7. 1996 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque Magnum 98, 5

    A perfect but youthful masterpiece in magnum served by Jean-Bapriste Lecaillon for my VIP group at Roederer private mansion in Reims.

     

    8. 1969 La Tache                           98, 5

    Everything you dream about in a great bottle of Burgundy is here right now.

     

    9. 1961 Chateau Petrus             98, 5

    For the first time I tasted a perfect bottle of this super star wine this year at a private dinner in London.

     

    10. Selosse Le Bout du Clos Ambonnay           98

    Perhaps a bit to an emotional choice as it was my son Henrik`s first real Champagne Hiking with me. In full moon in fairy tail gem Hallstadt in Austria. Incredible volume and intensity.

     

     

     

    My all time top 10 Champagnes

    1 Pol Roger

                   
    Pol Roger Grauves Vinothèque 1928         100p  

    Disgorged in July 1998. Ridiculously young! I'd heard that this wine was supposed to be exceptionally lively and pale, but I would never have been close in my guesses if it hadn't been served in the last round at Villa Pauli in 1999, where there were only oldies. The nose was fabulously, beautifully braided, with notes of lime, linden, and lily of the valley. The taste was super-fresh, with a wonderful oily fruitiness that lasted for several minutes. My second bottle of this “out of this world” wine had the same date of disgorging, so it was with a certain hesitation that I dared wait five years before releasing the cork. The wine was enjoyed at one of the most magical dinners in the history of Swedish gastronomy, at the Pontus in the Green House restaurant in Stockholm, March 2003. That evening we drank a 1986 Selosse, three legendary vintages of Bollinger, two phenomenal Dom Pérignon Rosés, a '61 Comtes de Champagne, Ramonet, Lafite, Romanée-Conti, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and a 1947 Cheval Blanc. The '28 swept the floor! The nose was so intense that I was moved to tears. Its already phenomenal bouquet of aromas had expanded further, with exotic notes of coconut, papaya, and mint chocolate. Somehow, this wine—on the very day we opened it—stood at the apex of its life it succeeded in uniting the '79 Krug Clos du Mesnil's acidic elegance with a '76 Comtes de Champagne's exoticism and a '38 Krug's mint notes. I must admit that—spoiled and pampered as I am—I didn't think that a wine could affect me so deeply as this wine did that evening. I am in love!

     

    2 Krug (Reims) Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Krug 1938 199403 57 16 27 99 99

    A year that is almost completely forgotten, but which produced the most delicious Champagne I have ever drunk. It was a shock of the positive kind when the cork flew off at great speed, and I saw the bubbling drink with its clear, middle-aged color. The nose cannot be described with words, but it was very like the 1945 Mouton Rothschild, with its tremendously rich tone of mint chocolate. There were also layers of fruit and minerals, and the wine was chewy and huge, with a divinely minty, bready, and nectar-like basic taste. The finish was majestic, with a clear tone of truffles and aged wood, alongside the mint chocolate. Is the '28 even better?

     

    3 Philipponnat

      Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Clos des Goisses Vinothèque  1955 201201 70 0 30 99 99

     

    4 Krug (Reims) Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Krug Clos du Mesnil 1988 201511 0 0 100 99 99

    A miracle of finesse mountain-stream-pure art when at its most subtle. Despite being only two points shy of absolute ripeness, I warn you that the wine is still very young and illusive. That I am delighted to the point of hearing angels sing is due to the delicate, subtle, spring-like beauty. Are birches more beautiful in bud or when they have just burst into leaf?

     

    5 Billecart-Salmon

      Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Billecart-Salmon Cuvée N.F. Vinothèque  1959 199906 60 0 40 99 99

    It was very easy to find this '59 at a blind tasting with Antoine Billecart. No other vintage has such force. I find it hard to imagine anything better than a typical, monumental '59, perfectly combined with Billecart's uniquely subtle and mineral-rich, fresh house-style. Absolutely perfect Champagne in its category, with a smoky, honey-soft, extremely long taste of walnut, orange blossom, and honey. Afterward, I heard that Antoine's brother did not want Billecart-Salmon to contribute just any old bottle to the Millennium Tasting. You can guess what happened. It won!

     

    6 Krug (Reims) Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Krug Clos du Mesnil 1985 201511 0 0 100 99 99

    The height of elegance! The '85 reminds me of the '79, but I wonder if this wine doesn't reach even greater peaks. What balance and indescribable finesse! Sadly it's rare these days that I become so awestruck by a wine that I go through an almost religious experience. This wonderful, lime-fruity Champagne with its polished butteriness and sparkling clarity succeeded in inducing that feeling three days in a row during a tour with Henri Krug in November, 1995. A full and perfect wine.

     

    7 Taittinger

    (Reims) Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Comtes de Champagne 1976 201506 0 0 100 99 99

    This '76 was one of the Champagnes that sparked my obsession with the area and its wines. Never before have I tasted anything so exotic, fruity, and enjoyable. It still holds up very well, even if the character has changed a little. An enormous nose and taste of sweet lemons have now replaced the butteriness. These can be found in many mature Champagnes, but never as clearly as in the Comtes de Champagne '76. A classic milestone, and absolutely one of the ten Champagnes I would pick out for someone who doubts that Champagne can be really good and big. A champion in its class!

     

    8 Henriot

    (Reims) Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Les Enchanteleurs Vinothèque 1959 201103 40 0 60 99 99

    One of the most magnificent wine experiences I have been through and probably the most delicious wine I had drunk in the last five years. Very reminiscent of Veuve Clicquot surreal 1955 vintage magnum. It has a spring-chirping sensual appropriation embedded in silk and caresses the soul as the sweetest love. While the wine is monumental and rich as a meal in itself. Another soulmate is actually the 1959 vintage from Billecart-Salmon who won the Millennium tasting..

     

    9 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

    (Reims) Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Veuve Clicquot Extra Rare Vintage 1955 200601 67 0 33 99 99

    Only in magnum. Magically young and elegant. A perfect wine.

     

    10 Roederer, Louis

    (Reims) Vintage  Tested  PN  PM  CH  Score  Pot. 
    Cristal 1955 200203 55 0 45 99 99

    During an incomparable evening at the restaurant Pontus in the Green House, we succeeded in picking out three basically perfect Champagnes in different styles. A beautifully floral and acidly austere 1961 Salon was the first on the stage, before a Latour-like 1914 Bollinger blew away any memory of the Salon bottle. Last but not least was this perfect charmer. Simply the most perfect, caramel-sated cuvée.

     

     

     

    MY TOP 10 WINES TASTED IN 2016

    1 1914 Bollinger Collection   99 points

    2 1979 Krug Clos du Mesnil 99 points

    3 1988 Krug Clos du Mesnil 99 points

    4 1969 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises  Collection 99 points

    5 1966 Dom Pérignon P3 (Magnum)  99 points

    6 1979 Krug Clos du Mesnil  99 points

    7 1937 Bollinger Collection   99 points

    8 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque (Magnum)  99points

    9 1976 Comtes de Champagne  98 points

    10 1962  Chambertin Clos de Beze Rousseau  98 points

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    Me

    Richard Juhlin is the number one Champagne expert in the world.

    He is world famous for his skills in blind tasting. At the annual Spectacle du Monde tasting in Paris in 2003 he correctly identified 43 out of 50 champagnes when the runner-up identified 4.

     Richard Juhlin was awarded the Chevalier del Arc in 1997

    He was awarded the Merite d’Agricole by the French Ministry of Agriculture in 2002 and upgraded to the highest level in 2010. In 2013 Richard Received the highest rank in France when he was given the medal National Order of the Legion of Honour by the French president Mr Hollande.

     

    Richard Juhlin is the author of seven books:

    Champagneboken 1995

    2000 Champagnes 1999

    The Great Tasting 2000

    3000 Champagner 2002

    4000 Champagnes 2004

    Richard Juhlin Champagne Guide 2008

    A Scent of Champagne 2013

     

    He holds the world record since 1998 in the number of champagnes tasted, having currently tasted over 10 000 different champagnes. In 1999 in Stockholm he arranged the greatest champagne tasting in history, with the 150 best champagnes ever made.

     

    Mr.Juhlin wrote the catalogue for the biggest champagne auction of all time to be held in the States, with Christie’s back in 1999, at the occasion when his book 2000 Champagnes was released at the Rockefeller Center. He also sold signed bottles of Richard Juhlin Collection at the auction.

     The following year The Great Tasting was released in London in cooperation with Sotheby’s. That book and 3000 Champagner both received the prize for the Best Book on French Wines in the World at the World Cook Book Awards.

     The book 4000 Champagnes was released in the USA in conjunction with a Dom Pérignon restaurant tour in 2004, and it received an important prize from Louis Roederer at Vinexpo 2005.

     In 2008 Richard launched his sixth book, the Richard Juhlin Champagne Guide. An elegant and definitive yet handy travel guide featuring more than 6,500 different champagnes. The same year Richard received his greatest prize of all when 4000 Champagnes was chosen as the best Book on French Wines through All Times at The Gourmand Awards in Frankfurt. Richard is now one of only two wine book authors who have been awarded three World Championship titles.

     In 2014 Mr.Juhlin´s ultimate champagne book “A scent of Champagne” was translated into five languages and won the prestigious title “Best wine book in the world at the World Cook Book Awards in Beijing and was also elected “Hall of Fame”.

     

     At present Richard Juhlin is working as a freelance journalist, writing for several magazines such as Spectacle du Monde, La Revue de Champagne, Decanter, Wine International, Fine Wine and others.

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    Pro Me

    Would you like to gild your existence with some help from Richard?

    Richard is available for wine tasting, lectures, dinners, tours, consulting, journalistic assignments, media events, interviews and more. The possibilities are nearly endless! If you are interested or would like to discuss the possibility of engaging Richard’s services, please send your request to contact@champagneclub.com.

    If you are interested in Richard's amazing books or the beautiful series of glassware under the "Juhlin" label (created by Richard and made by Reijmyre) please contact us via info@champagneclub.com.

    Samples and info can be sent to:
    The Juhlin Champagne Company
    Brotorpsvägen 12
    SE-181 64 LIDINGÖ
    SWEDEN

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    Digital Me

    Welcome to The Richard Juhlin Champagne Club

    Whether you are a loyal visitor, a revered member or a new acquaintance, we hope you will enjoy these pages. As many of you already know, the primary idea behind the site is to offer access to Richard Juhlin´s vast digital library of tasted and evaluated champagnes. In order to get access to the digital library, as well as to articles and other material produced mainly by Richard himself, you must first become a member. If you have any questions about membership or other issues, that can´t be answered on these pages, please don´t hesitate to www.champagneclub.com

     

     

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Wine Moments

Here you can see wine moments from tastingbook users. or to see wine moments from your world.

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  12 Wines  from  7 Producers 

Krug Clos du Mesnil 1982 / The wine of the vintage. More Krug-like than Mesnil-like. The color is reminiscent of a big, white, toasted, oak-barrel Burgundy—even the scent points in that direction. It has an oriental, spicy nose. Toffee, honey, coffee, linden, cream, butterscotch, sun-ripened oranges: it's got everything! Enveloped in a Corton-Charlemagne-like fat, nutty, enormous taste. The acidity is incredibly high but it hides beneath a layer of sweet fruit. One of myWINNERS  at the Millennium Tasting. The last two bottles have shown a rich big maturity and less refinement so the gigant is now down on 98 points.

4m 11d ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  11 Wines  from  1 Producers 

1914 Bollinger Collection  99p.  75% PN, 25% CH
 Disgorged for Madame Bollinger´s private cellar in 1969 and now in perfect condition at Bollinger. Made from across 23 crus with Bouzy as a main component of 18%. A startling bouquet. Golden light color and a long majestic taste that lasted for hours. Most impressive is the incredibly intense scent which in its complex creation contains diverse and at the same time nicely orchestrated ingredients such as; cardamom, lavender, lilac, vanilla, orange blossom, bergamot, Chinese tea and mandarin. Well thickened fat and at the same time a youthful champion. Probably the house's most outstanding vintage.

11m 9d ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  9 Wines  from  8 Producers 

A champagne from the legendary La Côte aux Enfants plot, a Grand cru from Aÿ. Ever since 1829, Champagne Bollinger have strived to make the Champagne terroir ever more perfect, and their identity is clearly expressed in the wines they produce. Through continuous research and innovation, Champagne Bollinger have enriched their understanding of the many profiles of La Côte aux Enfants vineyard in Aÿ, a legendary plot of land established with great perseverance by Jacques Bollinger himself between 1926 and 1934.
Aware of the vineyard’s potential, it became Champagne Bollinger’s ambition to produce a great vintage champagne, made of 100% Pinot Noir grapes from the north-west side of the hill, revealing the otherwise hidden side of La Côte aux Enfants vineyard.
La Côte aux Enfants Champagne, Bollinger’s first single plot cuvée, offers fine wine enthusiasts a truly unprecedented tasting experience. La Côte aux Enfants joins Champagne Bollinger’s Pinot Noir collection, alongside the PN cuvée and the Vieilles Vignes Françaises.

1y 4m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  4 Wines  from  3 Producers 

‘It is striking that Winston Churchill 2013 is now lighter and more shy at launch than they used to be in the past. On the other hand, they seem to end up very close to the older vintages after a few years of their own storage. This slow development with Verzenay as such a clear mineral-rich stringent protagonist is noticeable not least in the glass. Just like in 2012, the wine is much more impressive and rounded rich a few hours after opening the bottle. Then a little cautiously, the whole Winston bouquet appears in the form of baguette, dark chocolate, strawberry jam, olives, gunpowder smoke, black coffee and sweet gravenstein apples. Drink after 2028.’

90(94)p

1y 8m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  31 Wines  from  20 Producers 

Thiénot x Penfolds Blanc de Blancs 2012 / The dosage stored in Penfold's Australian barrels. In all three wines where Peter Gago had a hand and his barrels in the production, you have an added and impressive power and butterscotch oakiness. The wines are simply larger and more expressive than in the steel tank-fermented prestige champagnes from Thiénot. The very best in the trio with a Comtes de Champagne-like opulence and fullness. Even more roasted and coffee-scented than the model and at least as smooth texture. Not quite the same depth and elegance, but it is a fantastic champagne in any case.

1y 10m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  20 Wines  from  16 Producers 

Salon Oenothèque 1961 / 99 points / If I was close to crying in disappointment over the 66' on the Tidelius tasting, the tears really came in the next flight when this bottle disgorged at the same time and with exactly the same low dosage was so lovely that the emotions overflowed. In fact, this wonderfully youthful champagne is the bottle that most reminded me of the world's best wine 1928 Pol Roger Grauves. Here was the same unlikely contrast between youthfulness and nicely mature notes. The scent is so unreal with its euphoric pheromone-like perfume uplifted by linden, geranium, lily of the valley, acacia, ginger, fresh tarragon, mint, lime peel and Sorrento lemon. Glass-clear brilliance and laser-sharp sharpness and precision. Caressing with faint undertones of vanilla, brioche and roasting. Pure flint mineral finesse and swirling little pearl necklace bubbles that dance ballet in the palate. What is missing in relation to 28' Grauves is a well thickened oiliness that may come in twenty years or so. Imagine that a 51-year-old can personify snowmelt, spring winter and the rebirth of life.

2y 10m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  21 Wines  from  5 Producers 

Already in the 1600s, Fiacre Taillet was a wine-grower in the small village of Merfy in the Massif de Saint-Thierry planted in mostly sandy soils, while Chartogne-Taillet was formed in 1920. Today, Chartogne-Taillet is still a family business. Alexandre Chartogne run a quality-controlled property with access to very old grapevines—even a little pre-phylloxera rootstock. Alexandre was educated in Burgundy and has a strong faith in the recipe: low yield equals high quality. He also worked with Anselme Selosse and returned to the family estate in 2006. He took full control the following year, and his influence has elevated the domaine to the top ranks of grower-producers in the region.The grapes come from 11,5 hectares in Merfy, Chenay, and Saint Thierry. Fiacre is a brilliantly refreshing, elastic, potent wine with a deliciously concentrated young fruit. Truly genuine terroir character is, of course, missing but this deficiency is well compensated for by its tart, rich, fruity cannonade. The Clos des Barres is a beautiful and super intense pure Pinot Meunier. Close to 4 stars today.

3y 1m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a wine moment

“Dom Perignon 2010 / This is a wine that risks being misjudged due to the slightly unknown reputation of the vintage. I think a lot of people will jump straight from the classically cool, elegant 2008 to 2012, but please don't! This is a wonderful wine right from the start with a much longer joyful life ahead of them than most people would expect.

The problem with the vintage is related to colossal rainfall on August 15th and 16th which caused problems with botrytis. If you, like Dom Pérignon's eminent team, accepted 20% lower harvest withdrawals and had ice in the stomach and harvested their pinot noir a few weeks later and also concentrated their selection on the steepest slope with good drainage, you could create magically fine wines with impressively high stats.
The maturity and concentration of this wine is extremely impressive and the acidity is significantly higher than that experienced on the tongue. Here is a richness and natural sweetness even though the dosage is only 5.3 grams / liter. Bouzy, Mailly and, above all, the rocky critical Verzenay have been given more room than usual to compensate and balance up the Burgundian sun-ripened chardonnay that was used when the cuvée was created.

This wonderful wine is very reminiscent of how the legendary ’82 performed at launch. The scent is extremely generous and rich in deliciously inviting notes of roasted coffee beans, orange chocolate, nougat, mandarin, lily plants, freshly baked baguette and madeleine cookies. At the same time, there are exciting darker overnotes of mushroom cream, undergrowth and petroleum-like features of diesel fumes. The taste is impressively full with a super concentrated sweet & fruity boost with elements of both exotic fruits, sweet citrus and peach.
This wealth is embedded as usual in a seamless cocoon of silky texture with fine depth. Notice that the finish is paradoxically fresh with a little tannin that guarantees that this mighty wine will hold up very well in the cellar despite already showing impressive maturity with striking aromatic similarities to the 1998 P2.’”

3y 8m ago

1 Wines 1 Producers

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  16 Wines  from  2 Producers 

1970 DOM PÉRIGNON P3, A previously unreleased rare wine which gained greatly by being stored in the producer’s cool cellars. Great complexity and density. However, I am not so fond of the round taste profile and the architecture. The taste is classic nougat sweet with hints of coffee. The scent however breathe lake plants and mid-Swedish summer evenings. A lot of bottle variation unfortunately.’ RJ 93(93)

3y 9m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  24 Wines  from  18 Producers 

A large 1990's Champagnes tasting / Dom Pérignon P2 1995 / Lights are so beautiful with an iridescent color, crackling mousse and a dense hazy mature taste of high class. Almost P3 mode.
Here is a wine that has always been elegant and extremely enjoyable. However, the intensity and depth have been screwed up another notch in this nice extra-stored edition.

3y 11m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  26 Wines  from  23 Producers 

Moet & Chandon vintage 2012 / A stylish and very promising vintage where elegance and finesse are stronger keywords than power and concentration. Chardonnay dominates the overall impression at the launch as the Pinot grapes work more as a structural moderator in the first years. Delicate polished buttery and spring floral notes dance beautifully over the tongue in a lovely youthful harmony.

4y 6m ago

Richard Juhlin/ BWW2024 Finalist, Wine Writer (Sweden)  had a tasting of  65 Wines  from  6 Producers 

Henriot Vinothèque 1985 95 points/ It is a never-ending piece of theatre to witness the transformation that certain champagnes go through when they are allowed to remain as a chrysalis for a few extra years in the cellars of the producers, before arriving on the dining-table of the consumer. This 85 is a highly normal if very good champagne in its usual garb. Now, as a late release and like a great sportsman who has been pumped up at a training camp, it is so beautiful that it takes one's breath away. The aroma is a blend of the toasted, smoky 76 and the elegant 79. In the middle of the toastiness there is a Charles Heidsieck-like orange complexity to luxuriate in. The aftertaste is not especially long and the concentration could have been greater, but one's enjoyment is nearly maximal on condition that one may take great gulps! More serious and more meanly ascetic in a slowly developing Jeroboam. Last time a lot of similarities with the mushrom notes of Bollinger RD.

4y 11m ago

Dom Pérignon Rosé P3 1993, Moët & Chandon
Dom Pérignon Rosé P3 1995, Moët & Chandon
R.D. Bollinger 1975, Bollinger
R.D. Bollinger 1988, Bollinger
Cuvee Baccarat 1981, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1971, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1969, Champagne Henriot
Cuvee Baccarat 1976, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1990, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1995, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1998, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1989, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1962, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1955, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 2005, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1979, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 2002, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 2005, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 2006, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 2000, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1996, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 2007, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1985, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1999, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1961, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1998, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1959, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1966, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1949, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1954, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1964, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 2003, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1995, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1989, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1983, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1976, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1990, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1953, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1928, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 1999, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 2002, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 2008, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 1988, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1976, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 1990, Champagne Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1988, Champagne Henriot
Brut Souverain NV (10's), Champagne Henriot
Rose Noire NV (10's), Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 1971, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 1973, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 1975, Champagne Henriot
Rosé Millésime 1998, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1973, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1975, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1985, Champagne Henriot
Vinothèque 1985, Champagne Henriot
Cuvee Baccarat 1983, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 2000, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1996, Champagne Henriot
Millésime 1982, Champagne Henriot
Les Barres 2006, Chartogne-Taillet
Vintage 1999, Chartogne-Taillet
Vintage 1996, Chartogne-Taillet
Grande Réserve NV (10's), Vilmart & Cie
Blanc de Blancs NV (10's), Philippe Gonet
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