Reviews

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…

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.…

Julien Prélat Champagne Extra Brut La Lemblee

Unripe pineapple rind, lemon, limestone, apricot, yellow pear skin, salt rock, and cardamom. The flavor-push is medium in intensity and complexity, with a bit of plainness infecting the overall…

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…

Julien Prélat Champagne Blanc de Gris Extra Brut Les Côtes

Crisp and clean, but also simple and sterile. With air it gains some depth, with yuzu and lemon flavors adding interest. Finishes a little coppery and hollow. Nice speed overall, but struggles to…

Julien Prélat Champagne Rosé Chantemerle Gourmandise Rosé

Fruity and simple. Red raspberry and watermelon executed in a relatively flat delivery. There is some tension, but the depth of flavor is not only superficial, but too sterile, struggling to find…

Pertois-Lebrun Champagne Grand Cru L'Egoiste

Yeasty, doughy, and frothy, the 2014 L'Egoiste is mostly bread and white fruit that ride high and apéritif-y for most of consumption. Some lemon juice, sea spray, and fondant show up with air, as…

Pertois-Lebrun Champagne Grand Cru Le Fond Du Bateau N°15

Balled up and a little reductive at first, the N°15 presents its white melon rind, lemon meringue, white travertine, and yellow/white pear notes with an initial sternness and higher riding authority.…

Michel Fallon Champagne Brigitte Fallon Avysia Avize

2014 Millesime. Disgorged "02/11/2023" (which is likely November 2nd, but could be February 11th, depending on [among other things] if the sticker on the bottle was from France or in/for direct…

Michel Fallon Champagne Brigitte Fallon Avysia Avize

The below note is also posted in the NV section for this wine, but since this was a 2020 base and there is some confusion about determining these bottlings' base vintages, I thought I'd re-post the…

Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

Honeyed lemon and ginger, poached pear, marzipan, almond skin, and light toffee notes sound like a recipe for a buttery and battery delivery, but the flavors stay remarkably fresh and on-point…

Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut Rosé

Watermelon, orange spray, sea foam, lemon zest, funky unripe white/yellow raspberry, white travertine, melon rind, and chalk. This particular bottle presents as rather embryonic, with a linear front…

Michel Fallon Champagne Brigitte Fallon Avysia Avize

Though this is really just a baby, it is utterly seamless from stem to stern. Soft and round, and at once beautifully energetic and alive, this Fallon presents a perfect exhibition of breadth, poise,…

Adrien Dhondt Champagne Grand Cru Les Potées Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

Bunches of water-sprayed herbs lead the attack, with fresh tarragon, oregano, and mint, encasing the lemon, flint, chalk, yuzu, white melon rind, white/yellow pear, and limestone notes. The striking…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Brut Zéro Les Monts Ferrés

Iodine, saline, perfectly ripe lemon and yellow pear, grilled citrus, limestone, and hints of honey, yuzu, and iron provide the foundation for an exquisitely balanced and complex array of flavors.…

Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Roc Solare

A great showing, and one that I might be underscoring a bit just because this has been pegged as a more entry level Champagne in Adrien's range. Stigmas aside, this is an extremely well crafted wine,…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Abyss

This is my second go with this wine since having it at the domaine back in July. Once the bubbles subsided (careful, they are pretty aggressive at first and ripped off the cork due to the cage…

Claude Cazals Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Clos Cazals

At home, this bottle performs much better than the silly service from the domaine back in July. This is currently best served cold, as it quickly flattens out as temperature rises in the glass. The…

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

Similar sentiments on this as back in July. Definitely a "grand" entrance type of showing, with broad flavors and a gushing mouthfeel, the warm vintage shows here, but is deftly controlled. Ripe…

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

A ripe red apple flesh flavor dominates the front end of the attack for the first half of consumption. The speed, weight, cadence, and texture are all in point, but that singular apple juice note…

Dom Pérignon Champagne

Dude. This bottle killed it! I don't wanna love Dom, but the 2013 is a an exceptional next-level version of this Champagne. Ya, it's mass produced, whatever that means exactly in terms of actual…

Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Cuvée Prestige Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Similar to my previous experience at the Domaine in July. This is a fuller and rounder experience, with the 4 g/L dosage often presenting at the front of the yellow pear, lemon, and nougat flavors. A…