Reviews

Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine

A nicely blended hybrid between the 2015 and the 2016 vintages in terms of the delivery of flavor complexity and speed, with a savory-meets-tense red apple flesh/skin element I found compelling in…

Marie-Courtin Champagne Efflorescence Extra Brut

100% Pinot Noir. 0g D/L. (unfortunately disgorgement date was unreadable).

Marie-Courtin Champagne Présence

Lean, clean, and a little mean in its current state, with an angularity that stutters the delivery a bit while the salty and chalky high-pitched citrus pith flavors strain to blossom. This rides…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Platine

A more improved bottle from my last note. More complexity here, with the speed and lift most notable for a base model Champagne, rolling out the red apple flesh, oyster shell, and bruised lemon…

Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Terre de Vertus

Much improved from last year's bottle, with a fresh and flinty-spice combo that makes for a lively delivery. Pale yellow in color, with yellow citrus and white stone bringing vivacity and excitement…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

This bottle was even better than the previous one from last year. Perfect delineation of flavor and precise focus. A straight-line bead of effervescence lets the beautifully layered and exacting…

Pierre Gerbais Champagne L'Originale

Similar to the 2014 base in profile, with lemon, quince, white stone, white flowers, and a bit of herb (Italian parsley) flavors. Approachable now with a delivery that offers up the fruit and stone…

Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Mottelettes

Lemon, chalk, almond slivers, white melon, and white flowers cascade openly in an accessible and full delivery of flavor and succulence. Less of a steely or chiseled stature, and instead more of an…

Pierre Gerbais Champagne Extra Brut L'Osmose

TN also posted on the 2015 vintage section.

Pierre Gerbais Champagne Extra Brut L'Osmose

TN also posted on the NV section.

Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblé

Precision and focus dominate the chiseled profile here, with heightened effervescence on the initial pop of the cork taking a fair amount of air to dissipate before the perception of fruit and flavor…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Montchenot

2016 base with 20% reserve. 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier. Disgorged 09/2020. 4g/L dosage.

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Les Loges

Disgorged 11/2020. 2018 base. 100% Pinot Noir. 0g/L dosage.

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

Coming into a nice drinking window now. Starts out with some decent oomph and gains more finesse with air. Drink or hold. I'll likely be doing more of the former with my remaining bottles.

Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Octave Extra Brut

2015 base. 100% Chardonnay. Disgorged 3/2019. 2g/L dosage.

Famille Moussé Champagne L'Or d'Eugène Perpetuelle Blanc de Noirs

Once you're able to claw your way past the aggressive effervescence, there is ripe and round fruit lurking underneath. I'd actually recommend decanting this for a short period of time just to let it…

Jerome Blin Champagne Les Caillasses Brut Millésime

Similar to the 2008 in style and delivery, with an affable execution with medium richness and a fuller-friendly mouthfeel. The 2011 has the slight edge over the 2008 in that the 2011 has a little…

Remy Massin & Fils Pinot Blanc Champagne "Special Club" Brut Millésime

Light and pale, with an almost translucent white hue. Medium bodied, with slightly aggressive effervescence initially that gives way to white stone fruit, light lemon pith, and chalk. Somewhat fuller…

Pierre Gerbais Champagne L'Originale

Notes from 04/18/2020 and 11/24/2019 - Duplicates posted in the NV section, though these bottles clearly show vintage specific - hence, why I'm posting these notes here in the "2014 Pierre Gerbais…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Grand Cru Jolivettes

Pouring a translucent light salmon color (akin to a light colored Rosé), Maillart's 2016 Jolivettes quickly goes from spritely and radiant on the initial attack to a deeper-pitched down shift at the…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Mont Martin

From premier cru vines planted in 1972, the Nicolas Maillart 2016 Mont Martin is an extraordinary 100% Pinot Meunier Extra Brut that immediately impresses for its classy and harmonious flavor-display…

Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Octave Zero Dosage

I had to open another bottle of this since the epic fail the previous evening where its busted sibling was all about dog-in-the-rain and floppy-cardboard-in-a kiddy-pool flavors.

Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Octave Zero Dosage

Pours an apple juice/slightly coppery-yellow color. Wet cardboard on the nose. Wet newspaper and dog fur on the palate, with an extremely bitter alkaline finish. Little-to-no detectable fruit. With…

Paul Dethune Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé

For those who want for a more bready and yeasty mouthfeel, the Dethune is stylistically geared for immediate pleasure with its fuller push of luscious yellow fruit and dosage-driven richness. Never…

Geoffroy Champagne Meunier Millésime Brut Nature Les Tiersaudes

Disgorged April 2018.