Reviews

Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

Green and yellow pear, green and yellow apple, lemon and lemon pith, honeydew, margarita, wet white rock, and quince. Subtle yeast, just enough to create body and nuance. With air, the fruit balances…

Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cramant

Wonderfully balanced, with Meyer lemon, lemon curd, honeydew, yellow pear, and wet white travertine notes hitting the palate with an instantly appealing sense of equilibrium. With air, its deepens,…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Apôtre Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Brought to the Caviar Co., Tiburon. This was the freshest of the three bottles I've had, with all the hallmarks of a more aged grower wine (sherry, oxidized notes, grilled orange, poached pear,…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Grand Cru Grand Blanc Brut Zéro Blanc de Blancs

Starts out a little sour and Hefeweizen-esque at first pass. With air, it balances out and shows deeper lemon, honeyed pear, lemon curd, orange zest, quince, yeast, and hints of funky apricot. Like…

Domaine Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet

At Single Thread.

Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Nogers

At Single Thread*** Restaurant, Healdsburg, CA

Aubert Chardonnay Powder House Vineyard

At Single Thread.

Yves Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret

From magnum. Fairly angular and foursquare, especially on the finish. Shows moments of imbalance, lacking an overall sense of seamlessness. Grilled lemon, melon, and olive oil. Less vibrant and fresh…

Pertois-Lebrun Champagne Grand Cru L'extravertie

Fine and all, but not especially memorable. A lot of white fruit and fizz. Some higher toned yellow citrus and while melon come to the party, but it stays pretty foursquare throughout consumption.…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Les Beaux Regards

Just as fresh and balanced as the bottle I had at the domaine last year, with perhaps a touch more depth and expansion here, the 2020 is a solid performer and one of my go-to wines in the Bereche…

Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet

Pure and clean on entry, fanning out with pear, fresh lemon juice, chalk, white melon, yellow apple, and additional hits of lemon juice and lemon pith, this Pernot is a beautiful balance between…

Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere Blanc Vieilles Vignes

Drinking nicely now, and held up over two days with solid persistence. Some riper and deeper yellow pear and lemon flavors show a little aging and the roundness of the vintage, but the acidity is…

Jacques Selosse Initial

Oxidative but exceptionally lively with notable lift, these fresher versions of Selosse with more recent disgorgement dates are certainly compelling. Any seeming divide between the Initial and the…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Apôtre Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

The sherry and oxidative elements are even stronger with this bottle. Yet, despite carrying a heavier and more aged profile, it holds up nicely with a frame that keeps it from collapsing. Like an…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Brut Zéro Les Monts Ferrés

A beautiful showing again, with iron, chalk, sea salt, and mineral elements jumpy-housing it out with olive oil, grilled lemon, white lemon rind, ginger, and white pear notes. I'm loving that iron…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Grand Cru Château d'Avize, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Zéro

Lemony lemonness with a side order of lemons. Succulent and even a bit chewy, but with a beautiful bead of acidity and white elements (melon rind, chalk, white pear) to keep it honest. Previous notes…

Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Le Parc

This bottle was sharper and more angular than the one I had back in December. Man I really hope we aren't gonna go through the same inconsistent nonsense we went through with the 2018s. Come on…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Hors Serie

One thing I can say with a high degree of certainty is that these Hors Serie wines from Chartogne-Taillet are built for the long haul and are generally spun up, locked up, balled up, torqued up, and…

Pertois-Lebrun Champagne Grand Cru L'ambitieuse

Fresh and straightforward in execution, with the perpetual reserve rescuing it from becoming too foursquare. Deeper lemon, red apple flesh, honeyed pear, almond, and melon notes accompany the…

Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère

Starting out a little sleepy-eyed, this took an hour or so to open up and express itself with adequate speed and flavor expansion, intently pushing out ripe lemon, yellow pear, limestone, and fresh…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Apôtre Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Poached pear, grilled lemon, sherry, brown butter, limestone, river rocks, almond skin, salt rock, prickly yellow and green pear, and baking spices (cardamom and coriander). The front end pushes a…

Julien Prélat Les Reines Brut Nature

A step up from Prelat's other offerings, Les Reines carries more interest due largely in part to the more statuesque Chardonnay varietal and the judicious wood treatment utilized here. It's a bit…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Le Clos des Trois Clochers Brut Zero

There are instantly captivating notes of lime pith, yuzu kosho, unripe honeydew melon, and lemon verbena that enliven the white melon rind, white travertine, and freshly squeezed lemon juice notes.…

Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Vénus Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs

There is an instant richness here that is immediately appealing, though such accessibility is countered by its medium intensity and dialed-back acidic tension. The flavor profile signals a more…

Adrien Dhondt Champagne Grand Cru Pisseraines Avize

Bosc and green pear, honeydew melon, white melon rind, lemon juice, green apple, wet white travertine and chalk, lime juice and zest, white marzipan, white pepper, and limestone. An array of flavors…