Champagne & Sparkling
In 1668, Dom Pérignon is said to have discovered how to make sparkling wine; today his technique is used the world over, although Champagne continues to make some of the finest. France’s most northerly wine region, Champagne is now home to 15,000 growers and 290 ‘houses’. A blend of grape varieties is usually required: white Chardonnay to add fruit and elegance, and two reds – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – to provide body and backbone.
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2012 Champagne R&L Legras, St. Vincent
The Cuvees St Vincent, using their best wines from old vines plot aged with lees for 10 years before being released, stand easily the test of time and get better with age. The outstanding 2012 vintage Champagne has a promising and pleasant color with twinkling little reflections. A generous mousse with fine bubbles. On the nose the wine expresses a gourmet and powerful personality with buttered notes of hot brioche and an exceptional freshness due to Chardonnay. It offers a gustative aromatic richness, some complexity and a great balance – which reflect an exceptional cuvee. On the palate, the wine is sublimated by notes of pineapple flambe which give a very pleasant feeling of warmth. 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, 4gr/L dosage.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2012{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
2012 Champagne R&L Legras, St. VincentChampagne2012 Champagne R&L Legras, St. VincentBottle Price 75cl $795.00 -
2013 Champagne R&L Legras, Cuvée Presidence Vieilles Vignes, Blanc de Blancs
Originating from Chardonnay de Chouilly Grand Cru white grapes, this vintage is only made on the best years. It ages in cellar for more than four years. A deep yellow colour. Strong aromas of fruit including peaches and pineapple. Once served in flute, it is to be left a few minutes while it opens up. Will go perfectly with lobster carpaccio, sushi, grilled mullet or simply with a foie gras.
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2013{vintage}{***}
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2006 Krug, Clos Du Mesnil (Gift Box)
Slated for release later this year, Krug's 2006 Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil unwinds in the glass with aromas of buttered citrus fruit, crisp green pear, warm pastry, freshly baked bread, apricot and licorice. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, the 2006's comparatively extroverted and gourmand bouquet is in contrast to its deep, chiseled and tightly wound palate, and it's here that the site really dominates the vintage signature. Long, sapid and penetrating, complemented by a pillowy pinpoint mousse, this is a brilliant Blanc de Blancs that has been well worth the wait. By the standards of young Clos du Mesnil, it's already quite approachable and can already be drunk with considerable satisfaction. - Wine Advocate
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{ratings} [] Vinous:: 97/100
[] James Suckling:: 99/100
[] Wine Advocate:: 97/100
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2006 Krug, Clos Du Mesnil (Gift Box)Champagne2006 Krug, Clos Du Mesnil (Gift Box)Bottle Price 75cl $10,500.00 -
2013 Champagne Dom Pérignon, Brut
Disgorged in October 2022, the 2013 Dom Pérignon is a charming and elegant vintage for this cuvée. It reveals complex aromas of buttery pastry, spices, citrus oil, almonds, honey and, with aeration, a touch of smoke. The palate is medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, with a chiseled and tightly wound profile. The long, cool growing season has brought freshness and a delicate earthy note to the finish. Drink 2022-2043. - Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text} {vintage}2013{vintage} {ratings} []Antonio Galloni:: 94/100
[]James Suckling:: 98/100
[]Wine Advocate:: 95+/100
[]Jancis Robinson:: 18.5/20
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2013 Champagne Dom Pérignon, BrutChampagne2013 Champagne Dom Pérignon, BrutBottle Price 75cl $1,495.00 -
2008 Dom Perignon Rosé Lady Gaga Limited Edition (with Gift Box)The creative collaboration between Dom Pérignon and Lady Gaga continues this year. Finding harmony in a tense tension, they gave new life to their shared desire to create works with extremes and duality. To create yourself and your own story. And keep spinning the story over and over again. This is what Dom Pérignon embodies in every vintage, and what Lady Gaga does with boundless energy.
The 2008 Dom Pérignon Rosé is magnificent. Rich and deep in the glass, the 2008 offers up an exotic mélange of aromas and flavors. Sweet red cherry, mint, orange peel and rose petal all grace this beguiling beauty. Bright acids and a little less still red Pinot (21%) than in most recent editions yields a Rosé that is delicate and light on its feet, with less of the vinous intensity that marked vintages such as 2006. There is a classic feeling of austerity in the 2018 that is mesmerizing. Drink 2026-2048.
97/100 Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Nov 2021{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}Rose{color} {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text} {vintage}2008{vintage}
{ratings} []Vinous:: 97/100
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2004 Champagne Dom Pérignon, P2, Brut
The 2004 Dom Pérignon P2 is drinking beautifully on release, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet orchard fruit, fresh peach, pastry cream, buttered toast and cotton candy that display a less reductive profile than the original disgorgement. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and charming, with an ample, enveloping core of fruit, succulent acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a long, sapid finish. Forward and giving, there's no obvious reason to defer gratification. 95/100. William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
Delivers mandarin orange, ripe cherry, raspberry and apricot fruit notes, which are an exuberant burst of flavor at the entry point of this otherwise refined and subtle Champagne. The expressive fruit is joined on the lacy mousse by toast, pastry cream, Earl Grey tea leaf and an underpinning of minerally chalk and smoke. Lithe and graceful on the palate, but with a dancer's sense of restrained power. Drink now through 2037. 97/100 Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2004{vintage} {ratings} []The Wine Advocate:: 95/100
[]Wine Spectator:: 97/100
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2004 Champagne Dom Pérignon, P2, BrutChampagne2004 Champagne Dom Pérignon, P2, BrutBottle Price 75cl $3,035.00 -
2005 Champagne Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Brut
2005 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is finely aromatic, a rich and creamy Blanc de Blancs at its very best. Although the 2005 can be enjoyed from release, a decade of patience will be well rewarded.
When Pierre Taittinger first discovered the Champagne region, he was a young officer during the First World War. He returned several years later to invest his energy into developing a family-owned independent Champagne house in Reims which is still managed by the Taittinger family today.
Francois Taittinger chose Chardonnay as the dominant grape as he believed that modern tastes would increasingly appreciate the lightness, finesse and elegance of the Chardonnay grape in their flagship offering - Comtes de Champagne - first produced in 1952.
“We will never produce a large quantity of Comtes de Champagne because the technical characteristics we require so that this cuvée can be a very great wine are essentially unique in Champagne and very financially demanding.
The Comtes de Champagne displays an eternal youth derived from our province’s greatest Chardonnay, a triumphant blend of force and elegance. Connoisseurs will appreciate it.” Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text} {vintage}2005{vintage}
{ratings} []Jeb Dunnuck:: 95/100
[]Jancis Robinson:: 18.5/20
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2008 Champagne Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Brut
An incredibly fresh, mineral and focused Champagne with aromas and flavours opening up in the glass beautifully. The nose is highly perfumed bringing notes of white flowers, fresh citrus fruits, lemon, grapefruit-like, with white peach and fresh yeasty dough coming along. On the palate the wine has a gentle creamy entry and shows racy acidity, amazing purity and steeliness, it will go a long way. Flavours of lemon, lime and orchards with touches of white pepper with a chalky finish and impeccable balance, truly exquisite and amazing vintage of Comtes to buy now and leave in the cellar for a few years. Drink 2025-2040.
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text} {vintage}2008{vintage}
{ratings} []Jasper Morris MW:: 98/100
[]Antonio Galloni, Vinous:: 98+/100
[]Wine Advocate:: 98/100
[]Jancis Robinson:: 17++/20
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2002 Champagne Egly-Ouriet, Brut, Grand Cru
The 2002 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is spectacular today, soaring from the glass with a complex bouquet of smoky pear, lemon, mandarin orange and peach mingled with smoke, praline, crushed mint and hints of wet chalk. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and strikingly complete, with a textural attack that segues into a concentrated core framed by a vibrant spine of acidity and buttressed by chalky extract. Long and penetrating, this is one of the finest vintages Francis Egly has produced to date.
99/100 William Kelley, Wine Advocate{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink Now{maturity-text}
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[] Jancis Robinson MW:: 18+/20
[] Wine Advocate::99/100{ratings}
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2002 Champagne Egly-Ouriet, Brut, Grand CruChampagne2002 Champagne Egly-Ouriet, Brut, Grand CruBottle Price 75cl $6,150.00 -
2008 Champagne Krug, Brut
This is very structured and framed with an almost red sensibility. Very phenolic. Full-bodied in a tightly wound ball with so much going on. Very pinot like. Mineral and stone. Shell and stone. Iodine. Vinous. The bubbles just fade into the finish of the wine, which goes on for minutes. Turns to toffee and salted caramel with time in the glass. One for the cellar. Great length. Blend of 53% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, 22% Chardonnay. Disgorged in beginning of 2020. - James Suckling
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{ratings}
[] James Suckling:: 100/100
[] Wine Spectator:: 99/100
[] Wine Advocate:: 94/100
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2008 Champagne Krug, BrutChampagne2008 Champagne Krug, BrutBottle Price 75cl $4,004.00Was $4,550.00 -
2010 Champagne Dom Pérignon
Apricot, pastry, chamomile, mint and light tropical notes are all signatures of a hot vintage with a very fast final phase of ripening that trails only 2002 and 2003 in terms of sugars. Of course, the year had plenty of challenges. The first part of the year was marked by cold and very dry weather during the winter and spring. June saw heat and some stress in the vines. July and August were quite warm, with heavy rains on August 15 and 16 that caused a widespread outbreak of botrytis that accelerated rapidly in the days leading up to harvest. Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon explained that Chardonnay was favored over Pinot because better aeration within the clusters helped fend off rot, while parcels that had been less stressed by the June heat also suffered less from the effects of botrytis. Perhaps because of the unevenness in the season, there is also something disjointed about the 2010. While sugars were high, so were acidities, just behind 2008 in the decade of the 2000s. It will be interesting to see where the 2010 goes over time. It is the first vintage made under the direction of Vincent Chaperon, who worked alongside outgoing Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy for many years. Drink 2021-2035. Antonio Galloni
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2010{vintage} {ratings} []Antonio Galloni:: 93/100
[]James Suckling:: 98/100
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2010 Champagne Dom PérignonChampagne2010 Champagne Dom PérignonBottle Price 150cl $3,575.00Bottle Price 75cl $1,290.00 -
2010 Champagne Dom Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, Brut
A pretty and warm golden hue in the glass with flecks of green, the 2010 Dom Ruinart already speaks of opulence. On the nose, primary aromas of white flowers and slate give way to toasted hazelnut and nutmeg. The palate is incredible: it’s almost alive, with brilliant and fine effervescence that dances around the mouth. A rich and lively mouthfeel, which has flavours of fig and warm spices, held up by brilliant acidity and structure. Tremendous power and length, the citrus tang delivers great intensity. Drink 2023-2035.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2010{vintage} {ratings} []Antonio Galloni:: 97+/100
[]Jancis Robinson MW:: 17.5/100
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2010 Champagne Dom Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, BrutChampagne2010 Champagne Dom Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, BrutBottle Price 75cl $1,650.00 -
2015 Champagne Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame (with Gift Box)
La Grande Dame 2015 is an exceptional sunny vintage for a wine full of tension and elegance. It reveals this great wine’s verticality thanks to the Pinot Noirs harvested from our historical Grands Crus
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2015{vintage}
{ratings} [] Wine Spectator:: 95/100
[] James Suckling:: 93/100
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2002 Champagne Krug
Krug's 2002 Brut (ID 415064 disgorged IV/2015) has an intense citrus color and opens with a generous, intense yet fine and precise bouquet that indicates great depth and elegance. Red fruit flavors on the nose lead to a generously rich yet pure, highly refined and elegant palate, with lots of ripe cherry fruits and delicious yeasty flavors. This is a highly complex and tensioned but beautifully balanced 2002 with a charming dosage that gives perfect roundness. The finish, however, is clear, fresh and well-structured, if not taut, and very mineral. Tasted in Reims in April 2018.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
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[] Wine Advocate:: 97+/100
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2002 Champagne KrugChampagne2002 Champagne KrugBottle Price 75cl $4,150.00 -
Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut GoldIt is elaborated from a blend composed of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier, and sourced from 3 different vintages.
This golden bottle which characterizes Armand De Brignac has been created by the famous fashion house André Courrèges, and decorated with an Ace of Spades. The tasting really starts once you open it, then when the champagne unveils its beautiful golden yellow color in the glass. It develops rich and floral fragrances of peach, apricot and red fruits aromas, followed by orange blossom and a hint of brioche. The palate is extremely fruity and evolves towards pastry notes.{***} {region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {ratings}
[]Jancis Robinson:: 17.5/20
{ratings}{***}Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut GoldChampagneChampagne Armand de Brignac Brut GoldBottle Price 75cl $1,895.00 -
2010 Champagne Penet-Chardonnat, Les Fervins, Grand Cru, Verzy, Extra Brut
Champagne Penet-Chardonnet’s Les Fervins is another rare gem of the region: 2010 yielded several special vintage releases across Champagne, of which this is one. Unusually, vines were a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, located in a hallowed site signposted by an ancient metal cross. It is this cross that gives this domaine its emblem. The two types of grape were harvested and vinified together, encapsulating the unusual terroir. The wine spent 11 years on lees. Drink now E2040.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2010{vintage} {ratings}
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2010 Champagne Penet-Chardonnat, Les Epinettes, Blanc de Noirs, Grand Cru, Verzy, Extra Brut
Grapes for the Les Epinettes Blanc de Noirs are sourced from a north-west plot in Verzy, that offers more maturity than many of Champagne Penet’s wines. This blanc de noirs is a pure and chiselled celebration of Pinot Noir, from a Grand Cru village. Both the nose and palate are filled with notes of hay smoke, musk, and bursts of wild raspberry. The foam is fine, with a firmly mineral, defined, and long finish. Drink now E2040.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2010{vintage} {ratings}
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2009 Champagne Penet-Chardonnet, Cuvée Prestige Diane Claire, Grand Cru, Verzenay, Extra Brut
2009 was Alexandre Penet’s first vintage at the helm of Champagne Penet. In celebration, he decided to create the Cuvée Prestige Diane Claire: a prestige cuvée to celebrate the finest expression of Verzenay. Only the best parcels of the village are selected, and a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay is used.
The wine was vinified and matured in barrique before bottling. There is a notable richness, alongside fruit and oak spice with hints of roasted peach. There’s a welcome wash of mineral freshness on the finish, too.
Drink 2022 - 2030
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2022)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2009{vintage} {ratings}
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2011 Champagne Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Brut
The 2011 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is superb with generous, bright aromas of lemon cream, stone fruits, baked pastry and almonds. The palate has a subtle verve: rich but not overbearing and its weight is carried with deftness and elegance. There is freshness here and a fine mousse brings a lively energy. Beautiful acidity and with extraordinary length, it finishes with a twist of salinity leaving you reaching for a second sip.
Drink 2022 - 2038
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text} {vintage}2005{vintage}
{ratings} []Jeb Dunnuck:: 95/100
[]Jancis Robinson:: 18.5/20
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Krug, Grande Cuvée (171st Edition)
A light golden colour and fine, vivacious bubbles, holding a promise of pleasure. Aromas of flowers in bloom, ripe, dried and citrus fruits, as well as marzipan and gingerbread. Grilled notes and flavours of almond paste, quince, lemon, limoncello and dried fruit.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{ratings} [] Robert Parker :: 96/100
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Krug, Grande Cuvée (171st Edition)ChampagneKrug, Grande Cuvée (171st Edition)Bottle Price 75cl $1,695.00 -
Champagne La Closerie, Jérôme Prévost, Les Béguines, Extra Brut (LC15)
After a long day of tasting young Barolo, I craved Champagne. There is a sort of symbiotic relationship between Champagne and Piedmont that I can’t really explain except to say I enjoy it tremendously. The growers really seem to be on the same wavelength in so many ways, so when I saw Jérôme Prévost’s NV Les Béguines, I grabbed it.
The Béguines (2019 disgorgement) is wonderfully fresh and open-knit and so expressive. Sometimes I think we open these wines too soon after release; I know I do. But with a few years on the cork, the Les Béguines offers up pear, spice, ginger and dried flowers, all with notable freshness and verve. Drink 2022 - 2028
Antonio Galloni, Decanter.com (December 2022)
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}NV{vintage}
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Champagne Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, Brut
An illustrious yet unassuming Champagne house, Ruinart boasts a rich history dating back to 1729 when Nicolas Ruinart founded it in the charming city of Reims. The house gained prominence after Louis XV’s Royal Decree in 1728, which opened the doors for sparkling wines in the European market.
Since its founding, Ruinart has remained a beacon of excellence, cherished for its dedication to crafting exquisite Champagne that stands the test of time.
At the heart of Ruinart’s allure is its unparalleled Blanc de Blancs. Inspired by an 18th-century original, this Champagne is encased within a signature clear bottle and embodies the finest qualities of the Chardonnay grape. Its luminous hue, gracefully rounded structure, and enduring character creates an unforgettable sensory experience.
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}NV{vintage}
{ratings} [] Wine Advocate:: 91/100
[] James Suckling:: 92/100
[] Decanter:: 93/100
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Champagne Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, BrutChampagneChampagne Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, BrutBottle Price 75 cl $608.00 -
Champagne Penet-Chardonnet, Terroir & Sens, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru, Extra Brut
The Terroir & Sens Blanc de Blancs from Champagne Penet-Chardonnet is a rare gem, stemming from a Grand Cru village known almost exclusively for Pinot Noir. This wine demonstrates the richness, complexity and minerality of the terroir.
The nose is vinous, smoky and reminiscent of white Burgundy, helped by its time in used barrel. The palate is detailed, with crispy and supple white fruit, alongside notes of cardamom, saffron, and patisserie. There’s a fine, minerally charged mousse.
Drink now until 2035
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}NV{vintage}
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2002 Dom Pérignon P2
The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wines volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off. Geoffroy describes the vintage as very ripe and adds that some of the Chardonnay showed the ill-effects of the hot growing season in the somewhat burned, dehydrated fruit that came in that year. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2032.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2002{vintage} {ratings} []The Wine Advocate:: 96/100
[]Decanter:: 97/100
[]Vinous:: 98/100
[]Jancis Robinson MW:: 18/20
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2002 Dom Pérignon P2Champagne2002 Dom Pérignon P2Bottle Price 75cl $3,500.00 -
2007 Champagne Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Rosé, Brut
The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow! Drink 2018 - 2038.
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}Rose{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text} {vintage}2007{vintage}{ratings} []Antonio Galloni, Vinous:: 97/100
[]Jancis Robinson:: 17.5+/20
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Champagne Lafalise Froissart, Cuvée 276, Grand Cru, Brut Nature
This is a completely different terroir expression to the 045, and the last vineyard to harvest each year EPaul never encounters problems with this ‘golden child Eplot. The soil is a deep, limey chalk. From the 2020 vintage, this has not gone through malolactic fermentation and has no added sugar, in order to express the purity of the Pinot Noir in Verzenay. A gourmand, exuberant champagne, this has been aged in 100% Burgundy barrels and demi-muids.
The nose has more tropical, exotic fruit flavours, extremely pure and intense, while the palate has a beautifully fine texture and citrus flavours. The finish is pure Pinot Noir, with a hint of iodine and a lovely minerality; this is such a food wine Ebut best paired with seafood.
Drink now to 2030
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}NV{vintage}
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Champagne Leclerc Briant, 150th Anniversary, Brut Zéro (Disgorged in 2022)
‘When we arrived, we did not think we’d launch a cuvée for the 150th anniversary of Leclerc Briant, Esaid Frédéric Zeimett, managing director of the house since its purchase by an American couple, Denise Dupré and Mark Nunelly. ‘To celebrate this birthday, we wanted to mix the past and the present.’
It’s a link between the work of the current team and the work of Pascal Leclerc, the former owner. For this, Hervé Jestin, the cellar master, made a singular cuvée of only 3,000 bottles, composed of the 2014 vintage (a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Pinot Meunier) with a solera from 2013 and 2011, and three vintages (2008, 2009 and 2010) sourced from the historic 2.5ha parcel of Les Chèvres Pierreuses, in the village of Cumières.
This is the only parcel that belonged to the original estate during the Pascal Leclerc era. It is co-planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged in February 2022 with a dosage of 2g/L, Leclerc Briant’s limited edition 150th Anniversary cuvée has a delicate, energetic and perfumed bouquet with lemon oil, citrus, herbs, pear, and peach aromas intertwined with hints of spices and spring flowers.
Tense and profound, perfectly balanced with a pinpoint mousse, the palate is fresh and elegant and has an underlying crystalline sensation serving as a counterpoint to the fullness of the texture. The final is long and chalky. It will mature over the next six to eight years.
Drink 2022 - 2030
Yohan Castaing, Decanter.com (August 2022)
{***}{region} Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}NV{vintage}
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Champagne Lafalise Froissart, Cuvée 045, Grand Cru, Extra Brut
Our latest allocation of this cuvée is based on the 2020 vintage (80% from the vintage, 20% from reserve wine), and is a wonderful example of how organic and biodynamic practises can create incredibly characterful champagnes. Pinot Noir dominant, this north-west exposure plot is complex Ethe winemaker Paul even referred to it as the Eulky, teenage Evineyard, requiring constant management. The wine has a beautiful roundness, still elegant and fine but with a power that is irrepressible.
Highly aromatic, with red fruits bursting from the nose, the palate is full and round with a beautiful texture and a hint of pepper. There is also a strong minerality in the finish, with a tantalizing taste of chalk on the tip of your tongue. This is without doubt a perfect gastronomic wine, to enjoy and share with oysters or white meat dishes.
Drink now to 2028
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
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2012 Champagne Waris Hubert, Clos de la Corneille, Grand Cru, Avize, Extra Brut
This rare and exclusive Clos is nestled above the domaine above the town of Avize. 2012 marks its introduction into the Waris Hubert range, which marries the extraordinary quality of the vintage E0% fermented and matured in barrique, 50% in inox tank.
This rich and complex Champagne takes its position amongst the finest Clos in Champagne. The nose is seductive, with a distinct crepe suzette character. There is autumnal spice on the palate, and foam surges over golden apple and roasted stone fruit, typical of Avize village, which added richness to the 2012 character. Mineral, poised and brimming with energy.
Drink 2023 - 2040+
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2012{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
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2019 Champagne Domaine Nowack, Les Terres Bleues, Extra Brut
This rare and exclusive Clos is nestled above the domaine above the town of Avize. 2012 marks its introduction into the Waris Hubert range, which marries the extraordinary quality of the vintage E0% fermented and matured in barrique, 50% in inox tank.
This rich and complex Champagne takes its position amongst the finest Clos in Champagne. The nose is seductive, with a distinct crepe suzette character. There is autumnal spice on the palate, and foam surges over golden apple and roasted stone fruit, typical of Avize village, which added richness to the 2012 character. Mineral, poised and brimming with energy.
Drink 2023 - 2040+
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2012{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
2019 Champagne Domaine Nowack, Les Terres Bleues, Extra BrutChampagne2019 Champagne Domaine Nowack, Les Terres Bleues, Extra BrutBottle Price 75cl $750.00Was $795.00 -
2015 Champagne Leclerc Briant, Les Basses Prieres, Premier Cru
This organic single vineyard is located directly under the historical cradle of Champagne, Hautvillers Abbey. Pinot Noir (80%) gives this wine a rich fruit profile, with plum, black fruits and roasted red Macintosh apple. Chardonnay (20%) keeps the palate taught and serious, with electric energy. The cuvée spent nine months in mixed oak barrels prior to secondary fermentation, giving the wines an almost Burgundian character and seasoned oak spice while retaining mineral freshness. It’s unfiltered with minimal dosage, revealing the purity and sapid expression of the terroir. Bottled July 2016, disgorged November 2020. Drink now to 2035.
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2021)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2015{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
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2012 Champagne Bérêche & Fils, Montagne, Grand Cru, Brut
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2015{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
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2012 Champagne Domaine Nowack, La Tuilerie, Extra Brut
The complex and subtle aroma of champagne is dominated by tones of candied citrus fruits and ripe stone fruits, decorated with delicate nuances of dried apricots, almonds and minerals. The fresh, concentrated acidity in the champagne flavor maintains the brightness and richness of the bouquet. Notes of green apple, lemon and cherry in a long aftertaste are set off by salty and yeasty touches.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2012{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
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2015 Champagne Domaine Nowack, Les Riceys, Brut
Great elegance and charm with precise aromas, imposing but very fine tannins and great length.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2012{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
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2016 Champagne Ulysse Collin, Les Pierrières, Blanc de Blancs, Extra Brut
The 2016 base of Pierrières is incisive, powerful, and complex. It covers an incredibly wide range, from layers of citrus to stone fruits, stony minerality, smoke, and herbs. There's an amazing radiant expansiveness to the wine.
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2012{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
2016 Champagne Ulysse Collin, Les Pierrières, Blanc de Blancs, Extra BrutChampagne2016 Champagne Ulysse Collin, Les Pierrières, Blanc de Blancs, Extra BrutBottle Price 75cl $3,300.00Was $3,750.00 -
2015 Champagne Waris Hubert, Annexä, Blanc de Noirs, Grand Cru, Aÿ, Extra Brut
The Annexa Grand Cru Ay is a Blanc de Noirs grown from a single lieux-dit, “Les Freres Martin E Vines were planted in 1930, on the hillside above the Grand Cru village of Ay. No oak was used here; vinification was purely in steel to best preserve and celebrate the charming, musky richness of Pinot Noir. This wine is perfumed and floral, rich with notes of jasmine, white tea and red apple tart tatin. There's some racy, chalky freshness too. Only 2005 bottles were produced. Drink 2023 E2040.
Davy Żyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros & Rudd (Sep 2022)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2015{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
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2015 Champagne Leclerc Briant, Clos des Trois Clochers, Brut
This is the second release from Leclerc Briant’s new clos in Montagne de Reims; the panoramic site was chosen for the longevity it gives its wines, and for their lucid nature. The 2015 vintage was vinified in mixed oak barrels Eincluding second fill from Haut-Brion Blanc Egiving it added texture. The nose is pretty and tightly coiled, with white flowers, green apples, nectarines and wild honey.
The palate is cleansing, with racy white-and-yellow fruits, sweet hay, camomile and much more; it’s got lip-puckering tension and salinity. This is finely woven, with beautifully integrated mousse and minerality. Bottled July 2016, disgorged May 2019. Zero dosage.
Drink now to 2035
Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2021)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2015{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
2015 Champagne Leclerc Briant, Clos des Trois Clochers, BrutChampagne2015 Champagne Leclerc Briant, Clos des Trois Clochers, BrutBottle Price 75cl $1,289.00Was $1,465.00 -
2012 Champagne Leclerc Briant, Château d'Avize, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru, Brut Zéro
The 2012 Chateau d’Avize is an ethereal Champagne that personifies the meticulous processes at Leclerc Briant. The nose shows layered citrus fruits, pear, white flowers, and fresh patisserie. The palate is ripe and shows notes of brioche and toast underpinning the white fruits. Drink 2023-2033.
Paul Keating, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (Oct 2022)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2012{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}
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Champagne Ulysse Collin, Les Perrières, Blanc de Blancs, Extra Brut (Base 2017)
Disgorged in March 2021 after 36 months sur lattes, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2017) is based on the 2017 vintage, complemented by fully 70% reserve wines. Wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp green orchard fruit, white flowers and wet stones that are framed by a deft patina from its élevage, it's a full-bodied, vinous Champagne with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, concentrated mid-palate. Chalky and incisive, it concludes with a long, saline finish. As ever, this cuvée—which takes its name from the black flints that abound in the chalk in this area—is worth a special effort to seek out. (WK) 96+ Wine Advocate
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Champagne Emmanuel Brochet, Rosé de Saignee, Extra Brut (Base 2019)
This is the second release from Leclerc Briant’s new clos in Montagne de Reims; the panoramic site was chosen for the longevity it gives its wines, and for their lucid nature. The 2015 vintage was vinified in mixed oak barrels Eincluding second fill from Haut-Brion Blanc Egiving it added texture. The nose is pretty and tightly coiled, with white flowers, green apples, nectarines and wild honey.
The palate is cleansing, with racy white-and-yellow fruits, sweet hay, camomile and much more; it’s got lip-puckering tension and salinity. This is finely woven, with beautifully integrated mousse and minerality. Bottled July 2016, disgorged May 2019. Zero dosage.
Drink now to 2035
Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2021)
{***}{region}Champagne{region} {color}White{color} {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text} {vintage}2015{vintage} {ratings} {ratings} {***}