Reviews

Jerome Blin Champagne La Pluchotte Extra Brut Rosé

One of the best Rose Champagnes I've had in a long time...perhaps ever. Perfectly balanced flavors and just the faintest kiss of dry sweetness to keep it from being too tart or arid. Wild…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Platine

A medium-full and fairly fruity front end gives way to a round and inviting mid-palate; tails-off in a somewhat nutty-meets-earthy profile that encompasses the core fruit flavors. Yellow plum, red…

Jerome Blin Champagne La Pouillote Extra Brut

2015 base; disgorged 2019 with 40 months on the lees. 80/20 Pinot Meunier/Chardonnay.

Famille Moussé Champagne L'Extra Or Perpetuelle Blanc de Noirs Dégorgment Tardif

Mirabelle plum, dried apricot, black cherry/kirschwasser, red apple, echinacea, bruised lemon rind, brioche crust, and roasted hazelnut flavors stylishly surrender themselves on the front end of the…

Jerome Blin Champagne Les Caillasses Brut Millésime

Lemony citrus, brûlée, and brioche notes interplay with some more serious wet rock and kirsch flavors, with the brighter and richer yellow fruits predominantly prevailing on the palate (nice…

Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Special Club

Better depth than a couple of years ago, but still a little aggressive on the effervescence. Needed some time in a BDX glass to open up a bit and fan off the bubbles. The fruit is solid and shows…

Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Les Parcelles

Red apple flesh, golden raisin, quince, brassy yellow citrus, pluot, bark, and almond. Gorgeously weighted, with a cadence of delivery that allows for a mouthwatering flavor expansion. Finishes with…

Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Extra Brut Passion

Super angular and biting. Nails on the chalkboard kind of delivery. No real detectable fruit that's able to show its head without getting lopped off by the steely sword swipe across the palate. Rough…

Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut Millésimé

Sharp and linear. White lemon rind, green apple skin, chalk, and gravel dominate. Overly lithe mid-palate, with effervescence and mineral elements competing with the white, pithy "fruit." Jagged on…

Paul Dethune Champagne Grand Cru Brut

Yellow and red apple skin, travertine, ginger, Wonder Bread crust, grapefruit, and subtle copper notes.

Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut

Disgorged 10-2017. 70% Chard, 30% PN. Balanced and agreeable, with yellow citrus, white melon, yellow pear, ripe yellow apple, and some white stone notes. Medium all the way around, with a…

Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut (2015) Le Mont Benoit

2015 base, with PM, PN, and Chard components in fairly even thirds. Brassy and at times a bit unpolished, but still maintained brightness and energy. Grilled lemon, red apple, roasted walnuts,…

Salmon Champagne Special Club

Light bronze color. Biscuit and olive oil notes surround the brassy yellow citrus core on initial entry. Medium effervescence that allows the flavors to expand mid-palate. Finishes with moderate…

Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Extra Quality Brut

Disgorged 5/22/2018. 1/3 split of Chard/PN/PM. Blend of 09/10/11 vintages (I think).

Dom Pérignon Champagne

Spritely lemon and white stone fruit core, with hints of banana peel, pumice, quince, and olive oil. Effervescence was a bit aggressive, masking some of the would-be layering of fruit, but the PnP…

Armand de Brignac Champagne Ace of Spades Brut Gold

Yellow citrus, chalk, 9V battery, lemon rind, lemon seed, chamomile, varnish, and some twig notes. Slight oxidative notes on the attack, finishing bitter with an alkaline aftertaste. Not a ton of…

Drappier Champagne Carte d'Or Brut

Riper yellow citrus and stone fruit with a mineral streak on the back end. Hints of an oxidized/honeycomb component in the profile, but finishing with a steely cut that keeps it from seeming weighed…

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 165eme

Bruised lemon rind, roasted almond, chalk, and "other" oxidative notes TBD. With air, more plantain and lamp oil permeated through the profile. I like it, but I feel that the Krug style lacks some of…

Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Vintage

Quince, chalk, lemon pith, steel, panko, and some pumice. Fairly linear and straightforward on the attack. Never fully dropped on the mid-palate, riding superficial through the finish. Medium weight…

Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Le Mont Benoit

Same notes as 1/17/19. Best served in large BDX stemware. A wine with some heft, but also bright lift. Finishes seriously focused. Chiseled without ever being sharp. Amazingly complex. 94-95+ points.…

Gosset Champagne Célebris

Previous notes apply. Bright lemon and yellow citrus, white peach, stone fruit, and some pear. Add flecks of flinty minerality and some brioche to the profile, and you have yourself a fun and…

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 165eme

Bruised lemon, yeast, butterscotch, plantain, and graphite. Oxidative and a bit dry on the finish. An enjoyable sipper no doubt, but lacking some of the complexities I'd ultimately be looking for in…

Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Special Club

I still continue to enjoy this Champagne. A nice balance between saline and brioche, with yellow citrus and pear flavors carrying the weight of the core. Medium bodied, but with a cut that keeps…

Pierre Morlet Champagne Premier Cru Grand Reserve

Bruised lemon, lamp oil, marzipan, brioche crust, red apple pulp, white stone, and some faint plantain. A riper (darker bronze color/flavors) and rounder style, with an agreeable delivery and…

Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé

Strawberry water, watermelon, lemon seed, cantaloupe rind, and chalk. A lithe and instantly drying attack, with a hollow mid-palate; finishes dry and somewhat bitter, with the pithy lemon seed note…