Reviews

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

I prefer this on the colder side, where the lemon and melon flavors are better focused and honed. When it warms in the glass, they tend to flatten out a bit. Crunchy pear, white melon rind, lemon…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Artiste Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosé Trépail

Similar display as before, with the honeydew note leading the charge, accompanied by yellow pear, quince, citrus pith, white melon rind, and stone. Repeats with the white melon rind flavor on the…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Artiste Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosé Trépail

Similar display as before, with the honeydew note leading the charge, accompanied by yellow pear, quince, citrus pith, white melon rind, and stone. Repeats with the white melon rind flavor on the…

Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Roc Solare

Like a Krug Cuvee at half the price.

Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Brut Les Hautes Chèvres​

An exceptionally chiseled and precise version of Meunier, the 2015 Hautes Chèvres is a masterfully honed expression of the varietal. It presents as young and direct, but relaxes some with time and…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Extra Brut Les Couarres

Another go with this. As before, medium intensity overall, with fuller and rounder notes of grilled lemon, yuzu, olive oil, ripe yellow pear flesh, poached pear, and limestone. Drinks fine on the…

Champagne Suenen Champagne Grand Cru C + C Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

As before, this was "fine." Lacking a bit in the depth and profundity departments, but it carries a nice bead and drops solidly mid-palate with some lemony succulence, travertine, and honeydew…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Hors Serie

Cut and paste much of my note from December 2024, this bottle from the same batch continues on the upswing, with spicy pear, grilled lemon, orange rind, lime, limestone, cardamom, coriander, olive…

Champagne Suenen Champagne Grand Cru "La Cocluette" Extra Brut

Ripe grilled lemon, roasted nut, lemon curd, red apple flesh, yuzu, saline, yellow pear, limestone, and olive oil. There is a well placed intensity on the front end (almost more Pinot-esque in its…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Grand Cru Château d'Avize, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Zéro

This bottle shows better than the last time I had the 2013 Avize six months ago. It is still a little rough around the edges at first (angular with the acidity at the forefront), but it balances out…

Jacques Selosse Initial

A smoking jacket and leather chair showing this go around; from the same lot/disgorgement as the previous bottle I had back in February, this Initial shows similarly, but for stronger orange and oak…

Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut

Freshie McSpunkmeister. I've written quite a bit on this vintage of Cristal and these 2013s have not disappointed yet. Still in quite the upward trajectory. I'd say revisit in a decade from now, but…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Chemin de Reims

I need to keep my hands off of these. After a few hours, it really gets into gear. With its extra tick of intensity and focus, the 2019 out performs the less-honed 2018.

Jacques Lassaigne Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Clos Sainte Sophie

Grilled lemon peel and lemon juice, olive oil, sherry, hazelnut, cardamom, coriander, travertine, and yellow pear skin. Young and primary in the fruit department, with the barrel treatment adding…

Pertois-Lebrun Champagne Grand Cru Le Fond Du Bateau N°13

While the No.15 I sampled not too long ago was balled up and a bit linear, but still providing nice verve and energy, I find this No.13 to be somewhat thin and diluted by comparison. The flavors are…

Adrien Dhondt Champagne Grand Cru Les Potées Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

Even more expressive than when I had it six months ago, the Potees is a lemon verbena basket of strung up energy at first, with chalk, saline, mineral, and herbs hitting the palate with brilliant…

Vincent Couche Champagne "ADN" Montgueux

Both yeasty and steely, with a froth that seemed to mute the fruit trying to push through. Likely an off bottle.

La Rogerie Champagne Grand Cru Le Bourg Sud

This came across like a grocery store Champagne for me, lacking personality and a sense of identity. It had some snippets of decent ripe fruit and spice, but also showed a confection aftertaste that…

Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

The Comtes flavors were certainly present but the delivery seemed to lack oomph and finished rather horizontal. More of a tired and sluggish showing, as the bubbles dissipated in short order and the…

Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

The first sips of this wine were very nice. An expected 2006 Krug profile, with a broader posture and oxidized fruit elements that encompass those orangey and mature lemon flavors. The finish faded…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Le Clos des Trois Clochers Brut Zero

Amongst other Champagne in the blind, this was the clear BdB that exploded with its Chardonnay energy. Bright and citrus-juicy lemon. As mentioned in my previous note, unique flavors of crunchy…

Adrien Dhondt Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Chetillon de Haut

I was keen to pick this out in the blind, as I am starting to get a better bead on Adrien Dhondt's namesake wines. The Chetillon is the most oxidative (honey, nut, yuzu, spice) of the young bunch,…

Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

Every time I have this wine, especially the 2013, I am floored with how well it performs. In blinds, it always does especially well, shooting out wonderful vibrancy and intensity, with that…

Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

Intensity-wise, the 1996 Salon shows its age a bit (I mean, it is 30 years old after all). However, it has maintained a stable sense of keen focus and direction, even to the point of being slightly…

Claude Cazals Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Clos Cazals

A step down from my previous bottle two years ago, this displayed a chiseled white chalk and lemon juice front end, with nicely placed bristling acidity and cut, but then thinned out notably on the…