Reviews

Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut

Going through these 2007s is a lesson in balancing knowing when to drink these and when to exercise patience. In the case of this vintage, and especially in the .750ml format, the 2007 is not only…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

Apple cider all the way around. Heavy and sluggish. This particular bottle is even more advanced than the last. Oxidized and juicy to the point of being overly apple-y, this Le Cran is more Mott’s…

Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast

Yellow and white pear dominant, with lemon, malt, and frothy white mineral elements making for a rather ripe and hefty performance, but one in which balance and seamlessness is properly maintained. A…

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

I continue to appreciate the freshness of the overall delivery combined with the diligently placed oxidative and honey notes here with this vintage of Nogers. Lemon, pear, and wet granite make for a…

Adrien Renoir Champagne Grand Cru Les Montants

To try and crush this bottle with a quick pop and guzzle would certainly do it a disservice. The initial blast of foamy chalk, lemon juice, lime pith, and herbs is a speedway of hyper strung-up…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

I’ve been drilling through these 10+ year old Le Crans lately as I’ve unfortunately started to see a fairly steep declination in this particular bottling’s evolution in terms of desired freshness and…

Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines

Perhaps one of the best mature expressions of Pinot Meunier I’ve had in recent memory, this bottle of 2013 Beguines is much improved from the slightly more baked and oxidized bottle I had last year.…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

This bottle was slightly more sluggish out of the gate compared to the bottle I had six months ago. A bead of minerality saves it from becoming too heavy, but the prominent ripe apple core is full…

Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

Mirabelle plum, honey, brioche, white cherry, grilled citrus, and limestone flavors present a medium-bodied experience (at least as Churchills go). There is ample frame and energy to keep the flavor…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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).…