Reviews

Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut

Poached pear, grilled lemon, and butterscotch. This bottle seemed more advanced than what it should be, with some oxidized notes I don't normally associate with a young Cristal, even in an otherwise…

Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

I need to leave these alone for a decent tick of time. Heavy in the bread and yeast department, with a confection powdered sugar thing masking the white and yellow fruit. It is texturally luxurious,…

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

This bottle was much better than my confusing experience with this wine back in November. Today, the experience was akin to the bottle I had a year ago, where it was alive and kicking on the first…

Jacques Selosse Initial

Served side by side with another Initial disgorged in 2024 (2018 base), this 2016 disgorgement (2010 base) shows more mature orange, golden raisin, and honey notes, with a slight downshift in energy…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Blanc de Blancs Heurtebise

This particular bottle was really torqued up and super linear on the first pass. More chalky and white fruited, with a chiseled profile that was night and day compared to the much more giving 2016…

Jacques Selosse Initial

This bottle once again affirms my affection for more recently disgorged versions of this wine. Served side by side with another Initial disgorged in 2016 (2010 base), this 2024 disgorgement (2018…

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

Best showing of this so far. A beautiful kiss of honey runs through the delivery, complimented by pear, lemon, and olive oil flavors. Finishes with a perfect beads of white travertine and limestone,…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée L'Aphrodisiaque

This has done well to resolve some of its angularity and brashness over the last year since my last bottle. Signature Leclapart barrel spice is complimented by energetic flavors of pear, lemon,…

Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Le Mont Benoit

Red apple, apricot, honey, and pear notes are complimented by limestone and ginger flavors. The balance is notable, as is the bead of sophistication overlayed by a welcomed kiss of bark and funk from…

Dom Pérignon Champagne

As before, green and yellow pear, yeast, lemon and lime juice and pith, limestone, and white and green melon notes dominate. Finishes flinty and yeasty, with the compelling green notes repeating (not…

Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Bechalin

This thing is on absolute fire today, with a fistful of energy and drive darting out the gates from the get-go. White fruited and racy initially on entry, but almost instantly giving way to more…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Hors Serie

As before, pear, cardamom, ginger, lemon, limestone, and olive oil notes all make for a compelling experience. The perfect amount of acid and cut to counterbalance the enveloping volume saturating…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

There is a compounding richness here that balances volume with lift and freshness, maintaining a steady equilibrium that provides perfect weight with drive. The hallmark chestnut and peach notes are…

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

In a beautiful spot right now, with both expressive and focused fruit expansion, this vintage of Nogers unfolds with lovely cadence and stride. The honey and mildly oxidative notes are supported by…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Blanc de Blancs Heurtebise

A fantastic showing, and the best yet from this bottling, the Heurtebise displays wonderful pear, ripe lemon, and melon fruit flavors that are perfectly carried on a limestone and chalk carriage.…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

Baked apples and spices lead the charge, with honey, limestone, grilled lemon, ginger, quince, and Rainier cherry filling in the profile. In a lovely spot now, with solid freshness and focus. Never…

Huré Frères Champagne L'Instantanée Blanc de Noirs

Cherry, limestone, bruised lemon, and white raspberry. A fairly simple attack, with limited expansion and a constricted mid-palate that prevents the fruit from offering much added depth at the…

Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut

Ginger root, poached pear, apple pie crust, pecan, honey, and granite make for a gourmand experience, but one with sound cut and lift. The attack isn't sweet, which adds to the experience of focus…

Huré Frères Champagne Terre Natale

Yellow apple, yellow citrus, and yellow pear fruit dominate, with hints of oxidized and baked notes. Rounded and a bit one-note, this hits with "yellow fruit" (slightly poached) plopping on the…

Philipponnat Champagne Les Cintres

Similar in profile to the 2008 Cintres, this 2006 is an absolute stunner of a wine. Perfectly cadenced flavors of ripe red and yellow apple, ginger, honey, poached pear, limestone, olive oil, grilled…

Laherte Frères Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Les Longues Voyes

A broad (almost chewy) expression of honey, peach pit, cherry, bruised pear, grilled lemon, and orange. A bit loose on the finish, lacking some tension and intensity on the tail. Fairly one-note…

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

Salt rock, cherry water, unripe quince, granite, crunchy yellow and red pear, bruised lemon, chalk, and brioche. Zippy and a little high strung at first, deepening with time in the glass. More yellow…

De Sousa et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée des Caudalies Millésimé

At first pass, this presents as a little boxy and less refined in cadence and texture. With time and air, the flavors become more amalgamated, with tasty but predictable flavors of lemon, white…

Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Dans un Premier Temps Assemblage Extra Brut

Mostly white fruit and hints of yellow, with a linear mineral element dominating the delivery. Fairly strict and thin, with a short finish. Not much depth or complexity emerging from this bottle.…

Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Rosé Extra Brut Les Terres Roses

Decided to give another bottle a fair shake. This was as weak as the one back in June. Diluted strawberry water and tangerine, with some chalky fizz. Even food fails to elevate it. Anemic and bitter.…