This time Vova combined his forces with Mykola to organise a charity wine-tasting event in the Garage. The evening was dedicated to Champagne wines. The set is interesting as it covers several styles, several regions, several producers and several importers. Most of the bottles were new to me, so I had an extra reason to participate in this Bacchanalia.

The rules have not changed since the last event by Vova. All bottles are served blind, and no one except the person not participating in the event knows the order. All wines are revealed at the end. The list of wines is known upfront. What? Do you say it's easy? Believe it or not, only two participants guessed three wines (and that was the maximum).

To make things more interactive and easy, Vova prepared the following cards with extra information to make our guesses more educated (the numbers on the cards do not reflect the serving order).

Anyway, here is the list of wines in the order they were served.

Benoît Déhu Cuvée de La Rue Des Noyers NV

I guessed neither producer nor grape. A buttered croissant, pickles, chalk and Jerez. Intense, vinous, fresh and well-balanced. The aftertaste is long but not enough. It also has a nice touch of lemon and sea pebbles. Yet it's not fascinating, so my bet was on Lassaigne.

Françoise Bedel L'Âme de la Terre Millésime 2006

I guessed Bedel and this specific wine. My bet was based on the combination of style and age. What can I say? Marvellous wine. Wet leaves, wet cellar, Jerez, chalk, mushrooms, bruised apples, honey and nuts. Fresh, intense and almost perfectly balanced with a very long aftertaste. It's multilayered and sophisticated.

Jacques Lassaigne La Colline Inspirée NV

That was unexpected. My bet was on Ulysse Colline or Jacques Lassaigne, but then I got confused and decided to retract my guess. Why unexpected? Because for the first time in my life, I enjoyed this wine. Maybe the shadow of Bedel makes everything better, who knows?

It offers a delicate bouquet of cheese croquettes, dill, umami, and baked pear. It's fresh with very high acidity (hey Colline). The aftertaste is long with flavours of mould, lemon tart and meringue. Nice.

Benoît Déhu Cuvée de L'orme NV

My list of guesses was empty. Unpleasantly restrained. Some pears and apples. The beads are small. Bitter and short aftertaste. A bit of Jerez notes. Young, not fascinating.

Olivier Horiot Metisse (2017) NV

And again I had no educated guesses. A mix of flowers, bruised apples, chalk and sunflower oil. IMO lacks in the aftertaste, but overall round, sophisticated and pleasant.

Olivier Horiot Seve Blanc de Noirs 2014

And again I had no educated guesses. But this was beautiful. Pear candy, quince jam, lemon, ice cream, ginger, and red apple. It's spicy, rich and complex. I love the well-integrated oak influence. The aftertaste is long, delicious and flavourful.

Ulysse Collin Les Pierrières Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut (2015) NV

In my notes, I have scribbled Ulysse Collin. I didn't vote, so it doesn't count. This guess is hardly educated and based solely on two points. Firstly, the wine has a racy acidity. Secondly, I could not understand if the wine is so complex or so simple. But since I enjoyed it, my score was rather high.

A beautiful bouquet of lemon tart with meringue, wet cellar, mushrooms and crushed apple seeds. Not pompous, but rather delicate and nuanced. Fresh and persistent.

Jacques Lassaigne Le Cotet NV

I was already behind the pace, so didn't have enough time to crack this wine. In short, I didn't enjoy it. It was not bad, it showed some complexity and intensity, but I found it empty. Some medicinal notes, anise and pear. And a subtle Jerez touch. The aftertaste is short and shy. I was not surprised when the bottle was revealed.

Françoise Bedel Comme Autrefois 2005

And the Bedel style seduced me again. I guessed the bottle. Complex and rich bouquet of lemon tart, bruised apples, cider, Jerez, mushrooms, white flowers and some bakery. Multilayered and delicate palate despite being profound and persistent. Bravo. My favourite of the night.

Raw scores