Reviews

Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant Extra Brut

This takes a few minutes to wake up and start performing (it was also a bit too cold on initial serving), but once it gets into gear, the apple and pear notes flow effortlessly, with Levant’s…

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

This particular sample is more pear and ripe yellow/red apple-driven than previous bottles. Dollops of honey and cardamom show off the oxidative elements with balance and depth, offering some juicy…

Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

Green citrus, yellow and red apple skin, green apple flesh, light petrol, honey, and wet slate. This is a bit of a trickster in that the front end rolls in with what would seem to be a sweeter…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée L'Aphrodisiaque

As before, deftly placed flavors of ginger and spice are given volume and weight from apple, pear, grilled lemon, limestone, and honey notes. With air, this balances out quite wonderfully, with what…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles

Iodine, lime and lemon zest, green mango, lemon juice, clementine, sea spray, and yellow pear notes make for an incisive delivery, marked by a slow flowing of fruit and saline elements. This is much…

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

In keeping with previous vintages of Nogers, the 2020 is a worthy follow-up to the alluring 2019. Similarly stacked with lemon, pear flesh, melon rind, yuzu, limestone, and cardamom flavors, this…

Gaspard Brochet Champagne 333.f Rose

An even more alluring performance than the bottle I had from the same lot a few months ago, this shows an extra layer of fruit and depth without sacrificing focus and freshness. Rhubarb, watermelon,…

Gaspard Brochet Champagne 333.f Extra-Brut

Another successful go at the 333f, this time with an even cleaner entry; I find the red apple components here to carry especially fresh and pure presentations of flavor. Very Pinot-driven, but with a…

Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Le Mont Benoit

Lush and funky, and even a bit wobbly at first, the 2022 Le Mont Benoit is a cuddly baby cow compared to previous iterations. Precision struggles to come to full form, though a couple hours of air…

Ultramarine Rosé (Late Disgorged) Heintz Vineyard

This pours an almost-concerning color that looks like a cranberry cocktail and the bottom of a bottle of pomegranate juice had an unfiltered berry baby; but fear not knights of the domestic sparkler…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Brut Zéro Les Monts Ferrés

Another solid bottle from 2018, but a later disgorgement here (June 2024 vs February 2024 of previous bottles). Yellow apple, yuzu, olive oil, iron, and a hint of pineapple rind. The strong mineral…

Savart Champagne Premier Cru Bulle de Rosé Extra Brut

Light and airy at first, with chalk and froth circling around the strawberry, watermelon, and citrus spray notes. With air, it deepens a bit more, with the pleasantly pink fruit becoming slightly…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

A downshift since my last bottle a couple of years ago, this bottle is dominated by the ripe red apple flesh note that, especially with extended air, turns it into an overly apple juice-driven…

Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Rosé d'assemblage Extra Brut

Rich, dark, and fruity, with black cherry, black raspberry soda, and licorice dominating the profile. Lacks the chalky tension and/or citrus elements that I personally prefer in a rose. No watermelon…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Blanc de Blancs Heurtebise

Another crack at this from the same lot shows that a year or two more on its side might do it well. It is slightly angular (especially when side-by-side with a much silkier 2012 Taittinger Comtes).…

Michel Fallon Champagne Brigitte Fallon Avysia Avize

Best bottle of this so far, with a sophistication that has developed since last year. The 2014 is clean and fresh, and also carries a perfectly balanced sense of volume and sapidity that keeps it…