2017 Chartogne-Taillet Hors-Série
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Extra-Brut Hors Série is a very pretty wine in a very challenging year. Apricot, dried flowers and tangerine oil are some of the notes that grace this decidedly airy edition of the Hors Série. All this is lacking is a bit of mid-palate pliancy, but 2017 was a hard vintage in the field. There's a touch of oxidation in the aromatics and a bit less body than in the best years, both of which suggest the 2017 is a wine for near- and medium-term drinking. Dosage is 0.75 grams per liter, perhaps a bit low for this vintage given its relatively understated structure.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Champagne Hors Serie Avize Extra Brut was the most decadent of the three expressions of Chardonnay in this tasting, taking on gorgeous depth and classic toasty aromas of toasted brioche, lemon bars, baked apple, and coffee cake. A wonderful contrast in the range to the Heurtebise, the palate is rounded and full of underlying tension that creates impeccable balance. It is concentrated and long, with a pleasant snap of salinity. Drink over the next two decades, but it is drinking well now.
The 2017 Extra-Brut Hors Série, 100% Chardonnay from Avize, is fabulous. Rich, dense and quite tropical in this vintage, the Hors Série has so much to offer. It’s a fabulous Champagne from Alexandre Chartogne that shows the essence of his craft. Lemon confit, hazelnut, apricot, yellow flowers and exotic tropical notes all build into the substantial finish. The Hors Série is wild, exotic and perhaps a bit marked by oak, but it is also a total pleasure bomb. What a wine! Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: June, 2022.