Reviews

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée L'Aphrodisiaque

On first pop, this is a powerful and almost brutish showing, with an angularity and pushy posture that makes that extra 1% of alcohol (listed at 13.5%) seem like a shot of Wild Turkey. Fear not…

Savart Champagne Premier Cru Le Mont des Chrétiens

Medium bodied all the way around, with an oxidative vein that runs through the otherwise spritely lemon and yellow stone fruit flavors. It's a little straightforward at first and fires off at about…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Les Beaux Regards

Lime and lychee powers activate! A beautiful combination of zing and flavor expansion. There is a nice fullness to the profile here that adds concentration and depth to an otherwise energetic BdB. I…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée L'Aphrodisiaque

Well, well, well. This performed exceptionally well, with its flawless combination of power, acidity, profundity, depth, energy, and layered flavor profile. This bottle really did everything right…

Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or

After having this a few times now, I ultimately think this is just too round and doughy for me. The balance and delivery are sound, as is the body, but the core fruit is masked by what seems to be…

Marguet Sapience

A contemplative and dimensional wine, trading some of its would-be vibrancy for more serious bass tones. Poetry (Robert Frost.or rather Edgar Allan Poe) in a bottle vs. a Pitbull party in a bottle.…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

Strikingly better on Day 2. More depth and a broader flavor expansion. So, either hold for a few more years or give it plenty of air so it can fan out and deepen.

Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Terre de Vertus

At Larmandier-Bernier, Blancs-Coteaux.

Larmandier-Bernier Longitude

At Larmandier-Bernier, Blancs-Coteaux.

Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut

At Larmandier-Bernier, Blancs-Coteaux.

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Les Beaux Regards

At Bereche, Ludes.

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Meuniers Brut Zéro

At Maison Leclerc-Briant, Epernay.

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Les Basses Prières Hautvillers

At Maison Leclerc-Briant, Epernay.

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Brut Zéro Les Monts Ferrés

At Maison Leclerc-Briant, Epernay.

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

At Maison Leclerc-Briant, Epernay.

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

Give this air. It is a billion times more elevated when it can stretch its legs a bit. Perhaps even a decant if you can keep it cold. The 2012 is still the one to beat, but this 2014 isn't anything…

Marguet Sapience

Better than the previous bottle I had 6 months ago, this performance was a bit more focused and direct, which helped keep the nutty and oxidative notes from overwhelming the requisite tension and…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

Along with a nicely lingering oxidized layer, there is a bit of funk and savage that circle the profile wagon here, with bruised lemon, limestone, quince, mirabelle plum, and hints of cherry water…

Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or

Dough and yeast give off an initial sluggishness to the front end, with the focus a bit of a misfire upon first pour. With time in the glass and slowly draining the bottle over a few hours, it calmed…

Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée

This was good. It wasn't amazing. I wanted an extra layer or two here. White fruit on the initial pop, with brioche and more yellow tinged fruit coming to the fold with air. It stayed a steady Edward…

Marguet Sapience

More mature notes of grilled lemon, olive oil, cantaloupe rind, poached pear, and brioche collide with pithy seed and mineral elements, making for a somewhat clipped back end that keeps the flavors…

Jacques Selosse Champagne Premier Cru Lieux-dits Extra Brut Mareuil-sur-Ay Sous le Mont

Signature Selosse, with all the oxidative (but not brassy) hallmarks that make this a unique but not completely isolating Champagne. This was more deeply pitched and colored than a 2006 VC Grande…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Mont Martin

Pours a salmon hue, resembling a Rosé in the glass. Somewhat aggressive bubbles, with no aromas in the nose at all. At first, this is notably bitter and extremely linear on the palate. (This needs…

Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut

70/30 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir. Disgorged January 2020. LGC01-20-BT. 12.5%ABV. Brut. Bright and airy, with beautiful lemon and chalk notes caressing and invigorating the palate. The acid and…

Hervieux-Dumez Champagne Premier Cru Les Grains Blancs Nature

Though this checks in as a zero dosage Champagne, there is a touch of sweetness (from full malo perhaps) that launches off the front end and makes for a more party house bubbly, which of course - all…