Reviews

Gardet Champagne Tradition Brut Chigny-lès-Roses

White stone fruit with bits of lemon citrus make their way on to the palate, with a bit of a biting, steely effervescence that stifles the fruit and simplifies the attack quite a bit. Some pith and…

Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Special Club

Same notes as a few months ago. Last minute pull. Still needs a couple of years ideally in-bottle, but performed fairly well after a few hours of air.

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

Same as my tasting notes from a couple of months ago. Paired fantastically with an array of raw and broiled oysters from Saltwater Oyster Depot!

Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Veuve Clemence Brut Blanc de Blancs

Bubbles faded fast in coupe stemware. A blasted-out white winey effect occurred almost immediately. More air equated to a quick decline in tension and effervescence. Not a fan this time around. Some…

Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast

White stone and high-pitched yellow citrus core fruit. More linear in its delivery when compared to the 2010 Ultramarine served next to it. A little bit of the usual saline funk I associate with this…

Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast

Funky yellow citrus, quince, chalk, seaweed, bruised lemon rind, and some wet hay. An interesting display of flavors across the palate, offering a unique complexity certainly not seen with domestic…

Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Special Club

A really enjoyable Special Club. Clean yellow citrus with the perfect amount of yeast and saline to provide a beautifully enticing body and cut. Nice oyster shell and salted lemon curd additions made…

Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut

70/30 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir. Disgorged September 2016.

Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon

This was the sparkler of the evening, with superb balance and delivery of flavors across the palate from entry to the finish. Mature oxidative notes of salty butterscotch, bruised lemon peel,…

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 165eme

Previous notes from two months ago apply, except that I bumped this up another point primarily because of the nice oxidative butterscotch and plantain notes that developed over time in the glass with…

Famille Moussé Champagne Special Club Les Fortes Terres

Crisp and refreshing, but with that signature Pinot Meunier funkiness that pushed out earthy, saline notes of peach and red apple skin, strawberry seed, watermelon, white stone fruit, and rocky soil.…

JCB Gala Brut

2008 base. Yellow citrus, bruised lemon peel, marmalade, dried banana chips, hay, and some wet white stone. A nice hit of earthiness on the back end made for an interesting finish, elevating this…

JCB N° 9

2014 base from Carneros. A simple sparkler with white stone a high toned yellow citrus. A straight pop across the palate, with a flinty, pithy finish. Much more of a simple Jack when compared to its…

Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Veuve Clemence Brut Blanc de Blancs

All previous notes apply. Improved with air over the course of two+ hours.

Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Veuve Clemence Brut Blanc de Blancs

Same as all previous notes. An ok starter to the evening meal. Served in a flute (usually I prefer a BDX stem). A bit chalky and linear on the attack. A decent amount of bubbles drawing away from the…

Gosset Champagne Célebris

Previous notes apply. Good lift and tension, with just enough subtle oxidation to provide interest and depth. Classy and elegant. Still has years of life ahead of it. Paired great with potato rosti…

J Vineyards & Winery Cuvée 20

White and subtle/hollow yellow citrus and stone fruit. Some unripe pear and bitter apple. The bubbles masked most anything worth talking about here. Your basic 7-11 sparkler that you take to a friend…

Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Les Maillons

2013 base. Disgorged 2/15/2017.

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

Notes of yellow and red apple skin, marzipan, quince paste, freshly grated ginger, wet limestone, crab shell, and hints of Dalmatia fig orange spread (but without the sweetness). A bit of a funky but…

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 165eme

2009 base. Seemingly more mineral driven and acidic, with an initial pucker factor that needed some time in the glass to sort out before it started to display what I would consider any semblance of…

Salmon Champagne Special Club

Similar to my notes on this wine a few months ago. A little more push and energy down the center of the palate than I recall from last time. Also, a little less ripe than I recall from the last…

Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Veuve Clemence Brut Blanc de Blancs

Same as my previous notes. This displays a nice steely-driven push of white stone fruit and some upper register light yellow citrus notes. Effervescence was strong but not distracting. Compared to…

Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Special Club

Quince jelly, lemon seed, unripe pear, wet cement, and some sea foam. Youthfully vibrant, if not a little tight and linear on initial entry. About 15+ minutes in the glass deepened the mid-palate a…

Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut

My previous note from March 23, 2018 applies. Unfortunately, I find very little interest to be had here with this Champagne. It doesn't do much to offend necessarily, but it sure ain't trying to win…

Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Pierrières

2013 base. The nose on this Champagne was utterly captivating. Freshly washed green apple skin and chalky sea foam. PnP was hyper-punchy and steely, with aggressive white stone fruit and heavy chalk…