Champagne, chardonnay
Champagne
The chalky soils of Champagne combined with its frigid growing environment create wines that are electric and salivating. But it’s the creation of bubbles that makes these wines stand out.
The bubbles are formed during a secondary fermentation in bottle, known as Méthode Traditionelle. The longer they age, the more nougat and brioche flavours develop and the finer the bead (bubble) becomes.
In terms of who invented Champagne, the English make a strong case as they worked out the formula for purposely making the fizz happen and their stronger coal-fired glass bottles - resulting from the Industrial Revolution - could hold the pressure. Whereas the French were still bottling in wood-fired glass which wasn’t strong enough and they hadn’t cracked the technique of creating bubbles on purpose.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay
Red: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Styles
Nowhere in the world can emulate the fineness and electric detail of these wines. Non-vintage Champagnes should be enjoyed earlier in their lives, while vintage wines have more structure and can age beautifully. House styles differ too. Blanc des Blancs (100% Chardonnay) offer a more elegant and fragile expression while Blanc des Noirs (100% Pinot and or Meunier) are darker fruited with more obvious structure and power.
Favourite Producers
Pierre Peters, Louis Roederer, Vilmart, Andre Clouet, Taittinger, Larmandier, Egly-Ouriet, Jacques Selosse
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Lilbert Fils Extra BrutSTAFF PICKS 2024 - ALEX WILCOX
The Prince Wine Store team uncovered the Lilbert on a recent trip to France and we were very lucky to be given a small allocation for Australia. This tiny producer (3.5 hectare) is a great addition to our Champagne portfolio. For me this is what champagne is all about - pure fine and elegant with an underlying power - this is truly an anywhere, anytime great bottle of Champagne. If you haven't tried it, you really should.
Bertrand Lilbert's crafts his wines from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Northern part of the Cote du Blanc, the NV is a blend of 50% reserve wine and 50% from 2016 for this most recent bottling. As small grower Champagne prices continue to skyrocket this cuvee is great value for money and will stand up against many bigger name Blanc du Blanc. Elsewhere, these wines have a cult like following, something we hope to help build here. This will be a feature of my Christmas Day in Tamworth. ALEX WILCOX
Lilbert-Fils is a small, slightly under-the-radar grower in Cramant with a loyal following, and it's easy to see why. With 50% of the blend for the first wine of the house coming from a perpetual reserve of Cramant Chardonnay started in the 1990s by Bertrand Lilbert's father, this is an entry level that is anything but simple and youthful. The style is rather floral, with apricot and jasmine notes floating over a real hit of savour from the reserve and a bone dry, mineral presence. It's singular, yet harmonious; a blanc de blancs that takes care of the simple pleasures, yet hides rather a lot under the bonnet. TOM HEWSON, decanter.comNote on previous release:
As is consistently the case with this wine, the nose is airy and almost delicate with its softly yeasty aromas of Granny Smith apples, lemon-lime and a floral top note. The ultra-fine if firm mousse contributes to the impression of refinement on the equally pure middle weight flavors that terminate in a clean, dry and delicious but not really austere finale…BURGHOUNDNVchardonnayFrance376$125.00 As low as $112.50 -
Lilbert Fils Blanc de Blancs PerleThe NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Perle Grand Cru is fabulous. A Champagne of uncanny depth and intensity, the Perle is quite structured in this release. White pepper, flowers, crushed rock, mint and lemon peel abound. More than anything else, I am struck by the wines. ANTONIO GALLONI
A lower-pressure cuvée originally inspired by Mumm's erstwhile Crémant de Cramant, it offers up attractive aromas of yellow orchard fruit, sweet citrus, hazelnuts, buttery pastry and flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pillowy and charming palate that's suave and fleshy, concluding with a saline finish. WILLIAM KELLEY, wineadvocate.com
Bertrand Lilbert's wines have long been insider favourites, particularly the intensely characterful, clean-cut and aromatic Cramant Chardonnay, and the Perle - which follows a tradition in the village of reducing the pressure of the mousse by one third to give finer, creamier bubbles. This hits a sweet spot with its pear, apricot juice and citrus oil intensity, fragrant with jasmine-like florals and rounded out by a third of the blend coming from a perpetual reserve system… TOM HEWSON, decanter.com
NVchardonnayFrance376$160.00 As low as $144.00 -
Pierre Gimonnet Special Club Grand Terroirs de Chardonnay 2014More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2014chardonnayFrance376$160.00 As low as $144.00 -
Pierre Gimonnet Special Club Grand Terroirs de Chardonnay 2015The 2015 Extra-Brut Spécial Club Grand Terroirs de Chardonnay is a dense, powerful Champagne. I would give the 2015 another year or two in bottle, as the 2015 is painfully tight and unyielding. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, graphite, tangerine oil and chamomile open with time in the glass, but only reluctantly so. The 2015 remains painfully unyielding. Perhaps time will help, but I have my doubts given how expressive the other 2015s are here. The 2015 is a blend of mostly Cramant and Chouilly, both Grand Crus, with some Premier Cru sites as well. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: May, 2022. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com
2015chardonnayFrance376$170.00 As low as $153.00 -
Lilbert Fils Blanc de Blancs Cramant 2017From two parcels of Chardonnay planted in 1936 in Cramant comes Bertrand Lilbert's small production of vintage blanc de blancs. Without the prominent effect of the perpetual reserve used in the non-vintage, the character of the year comes across strongly with a smoky, toasted brown bread and frangipane breadth quickly twisting into roasted lemon, fresh clementines and kiwi - it's juicy, joyous and punchy, needs some time to settle and smoothen out. Full of natural tension and verve, this is a blanc de blancs of considerable character in a year which occasionally excelled in the Côte des Blancs. TOM HEWSON, decanter.com2017chardonnayFrance376$200.00 As low as $180.00 -
Pierre Gimonnet Special Club Cramant Grand Cru 2015The 2015 Brut Spécial Club Oger Grand Cru is an attractive, powerful wine. Citrus peel, white flowers, chalk and the savory notes typical of so many 2015 are nicely laced together. I would give the 2015 a year or two in the cellar to come together, as it is a bit disjointed at present, but I would not wait too long, as flavors that are savory today may very well develop into more overpowering vegetal notes over time. The Oger is a blend taken from the Terres de Noël, Brulis, Champ Nérons and Fondy lieux-dits. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 14, 2019. Antonio Galloni, VINOUS
2015chardonnayFrance376$214.00 As low as $192.60 -
Vouette et Sorbee Blanc dArgile Brut Nature R20It's a super mineral, nutty wine with crunchy stone fruits. There is lovely, pulpy fruit but also racy, crunchy acidity and terrific length with a twist of pleasant astringency. It takes you (the 60 miles) to grand cru Chablis and back again. ROB WALTERS, importer
Review on a previous release
Proving superior Blanc de Blancs is quite possible in the Aube's Pinot Noir paradise, this opens with lemon cream and persistent white chocolate and nougat through the palate. Details of white flowers, peach and almond. Very gourmand and complex, and quite a counterpoint to the more austere Chardonnay Champagnes from further north. 100% Chardonnay. Single parcel. Oak fermented. TIM HALL, decanter.com2020chardonnayFrance376$300.00 As low as $270.00 -
Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee 201580% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir from vines averaging 60 years old, the wine spends nearly 6 years on lees. Most importantly only the heart of the pressing is taken - 1400 litres instead of the usual 2100 litres, hence the name 'coeur de cuvee.'
The 2015 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is a pretty dense wine that belies its deceptively mid-weight structure. What surprises me most about the 2015 is how closed it is. In most years, especially warm years, Coeur de Cuvée is quite a bit more open and voluptuous, but the 2015 does not come across like that at all. Rather, it is super-classic in bearing, with tons of gravitas from the 60-year-old vines just waiting to emerge. There are none of the awkward herbal notes that penalize so many wines. Bright saline notes extend the finish effortlessly. The 2015 is a brilliant Coeur de Cuvée. ANTONIO GALLONI
2015chardonnay, Pinot noirFrance376$325.00 As low as $292.50 -
Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee 2016The 2016 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is an elegant, sensual Champagne. In other words, classic Vilmart. Crushed flowers, mint, chalk, slate, dried herbs and citrus peel are all beautifully delineated. Brisk acids wrap it all together in style. The 2016 needs a few years to be at its most expressive, as it is pretty reserved today. Even so, all the elements are impeccably put together. The barrels used here are one to three years old. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: September, 2022. (94+) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
Notes of honeysuckle and lime blossoms, blood orange peel, anise and cardamom are a fragrant overtone heralding this fresh Champagne, which shows good tension and drive. The refined, chalky mousse is lacy in texture, buoying finely meshed flavors of ripe apricot and quince paste, raw almond, vanilla wafer and candied ginger. Ends with a long, mouthwatering finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged September 2022. Drink now through 2036. (95) WINE SPECTATOR2016chardonnay, Pinot noirFrance376$340.00 As low as $306.00