Champagne, Cahors
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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Marcel Malbec 2020More 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!
2020MalbecFrance360$22.00 As low as $19.80 -
Chateau du Cedre Cahors 'Heritage' 2020“The 24-ha estate of Pascal and Jean-Marie Verhaeghe has done as much as any to improve the recent quality of Cahors and provide the challenge it should be giving to the most profound Malbecs of Argentina - and some of the other great wines of France. Not only does the Domaine lead by example, but Pascal Verhaeghe has also been the driving force behind the Cahors ‘Quality Charter.' ANDREW JEFFORD The New France.
Made from 100% Malbec including fruit grown by local producers that Pascal consults to. About 70% is lighter and finer material from the limestone plateau (the causses) and 30% richer and denser fruit from the iron-rich gravelly terraces of the Lot River valley. The vines average 25-30 years and about 85% of the fruit is currently certified organic, with one grower at year 2 in conversion.
Fermented for a total of 20 days, with regular punch-downs for the first 3 or 4 days only. Malo-lactic conversion is carried out in tank, then the wine is matured for 16 months in concrete tanks. 2020 was an excellent vintage, mostly sunny and dry and harvested in ideal conditions.2020MalbecFrance360$33.00 As low as $29.70 -
Fabien Jouves Les Agudes 2019More 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!
2019Chenin Blanc, sauvignon BlancFrance360$45.00 As low as $40.50 -
Cosse Maisonneuve Cahors Solis 2019Matthieu Cosse and Catherine Maisonneuve created Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve in 1999 after taking over the 5-hectare estate in the small region of Prayssac, near Cahors in the south west of France. The property was planted with 40-year-old Malbec (locally known as 'Cot') and they have now moved towards Certified organic and work with some biodynamic principles. Everything is by hand here and the wines are uncommonly elegant and round compared to the more rustic versions we are used to seeing.
No oak in this cuvee and it is so much better for it. That typical mulberry and boysenberry fruit leap out of the glass with a touch of licorice interspersed between wild bracken aroma. Approachable and fruity, with a soft, supple texture and dressed with a fine layer of smooth rich tannin. Vibrant and full of energy but still solidly built without feeling cumbersome or heavy. They really pull this off beautifully.
2019MalbecFrance360$47.00 As low as $42.30 -
Cosse Maisonneuve Cahors Solis 2020Matthieu Cosse and Catherine Maisonneuve created Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve in 1999 after taking over the 5-hectare estate in the small region of Prayssac, near Cahors in the south west of France. The property was planted with 40-year-old Malbec (locally known as 'Cot') and they have now moved towards Certified organic and work with some biodynamic principles. Everything is by hand here and the wines are uncommonly elegant and round compared to the more rustic versions we are used to seeing.
No oak in this cuvee and it is so much better for it. That typical mulberry and boysenberry fruit leap out of the glass with a touch of licorice interspersed between wild bracken aroma. Approachable and fruity, with a soft, supple texture and dressed with a fine layer of smooth rich tannin. Vibrant and full of energy but still solidly built without feeling cumbersome or heavy. They really pull this off beautifully.
2018MalbecFrance360$47.00 As low as $42.30 -
Chateau du Cedre Cahors 'Chateau' 2022More 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!
2022MalbecFrance360$60.00 As low as $54.00 -
Thierry Fournier Blanc de Blanc NVJulien explains that the Marne Valley vines sit in clay limestone soils, often giving richer Chardonnay notes than fruit from the Cote de Blancs. That said this is still very, very precise and fine with a rich mid palate for sure but then a precise, linear finish. To describe the flavour profile as ‘Chablis with bubbles’ would be perhaps to over-simplify things but this certainly makes for a sleek yet flavourful NV. Importer CellarHandNVChampagneFrance376$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Lallier Grand Rose Grand Cru NVCrafted from Pinot Noir grapes originating from Montagne de Reims (Verzenay, Verzy, Bouzy et Ambonnay) with a hint of Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs, and then blended with 7% of still red wine originating from the Bouzy Grand Cru.
65% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay, 20% reserve wines, 36 months of aging at 8g/L disgorgement.NVChampagneFrance376$110.00 As low as $99.00 -
Lallier R.020 Brut NVSourced predominantly from the 2020 harvest, which makes up 81% of the blend. For the first time since the creation of Réflexion, Chardonnay dominates the blend at 51%. Grapes were sourced from over 50 crus within Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Montgueux for the Chardonnay, and Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims and Côte des Bar for the Pinot Noir. An early harvest, starting in late August, yielded a superb quality of grapes, combining delivering intensity and freshness. The resulting base wine is strong, elegant and persistent, with a high maturity.NVChampagneFrance376$110.00 As low as $99.00 -
Hure Freres Ludes Invitation Brut NVThis offers an up-front note of marzipan, with the richness well-balanced by the palate's vivid acidity. The fine, lively mousse carries flavors of plum, herb and lemon pith, revealing a tang of salted almond on the finish. Drink now. 1,000 cases made, 100 cases imported. ALISON NAPJUS, Wine SpectatorNVChampagneFrance376$115.00 As low as $103.50 -
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Saint-Anne NVThe NV Brut Sainte Anne is a gorgeous wine, as it so often is. Pliant and inviting, with superb textural richness, the Sainte Anne shows Alexandre Chartogne's style off to great effect. Dried pear, chamomile, mint mad dried flowers are some of the many notes that run through this super-expressive Champagne. This release is a 50/50 blend of 2015 and reserve wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, also in equal measure. Disgorged: December 2017. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous MediaNVChampagneFrance376$120.00 As low as $108.00 -
Leclerc Briant Brut Reserve NVChampagneFrance376$120.00 As low as $108.00 -
Pierre Gimmonet NV Cuvee Rose de Blancs NVLight orange-pink. Complex, highly perfumed bouquet displays scents of pink grapefruit, orange zest and strawberry, with a sexy floral note building in the glass. Mineral-driven red berry and blood orange flavors show excellent clarity and are underscored by a spicy nuance. Finishes tight, dry and long, with repeating minerality. JOSH RAYNOLDS
NVChampagneFrance376$122.00 As low as $109.80 -
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 -
Lallier Blanc de Noirs NVThis unique blend of regional grapes allows Blanc de Noirs to take Pinot Noir’s remarkable complexity to a new level of purity and deep character. The combination of maturation in stainless steel tanks (90%) with 228L wooden barrels (10%) adds to the blend complexity, while the long aging on lees and low dosage (7g/l) completes the Blanc de Noirs’s signature profile. A 100% Pinot Noir blend made with 70% of harvest of that year. The result is a powerful, refined and generous wine.NVChampagneFrance376$130.00 As low as $117.00 -
Lallier Blanc de Blanc NVCultivated with 100% Chardonnay grapes from two magnificent grand cru regions: Aÿ and the Côtes des Blancs (Avize, Cramant, Oger), an approach pioneered in the late 90s by James Lallier, at a time when Chardonnay was chosen exclusively from Côte des Blancs. Perfectly timed harvesting to ensure that the grapes used in Blanc de Blancs Champagne are fully matured and at their pinnacle. Inspired by Lallier’s sincere respect and outstanding understanding of terroir, this pure Chardonnay is grown on chalky hillside plots, allowing the vine’s roots to penetrate deeper, providing excellent drainage, yet still retaining sufficient moisture for nourishment. A tribute to the legendary Champagne terroir.NVChampagneFrance376$130.00 As low as $117.00 -
Chartogne-Taillet Rose NVThe NV Brut Le Rosé is another attractive Champagne from Alexandre Chartogne. Creamy and supple, the Rosé offers good up-front appeal, if not quite the persistence or energy of the very best wines in the range. I would prefer to drink it over the next few years. Dosage is 6.7 grams per liter. Disgorged: April 2018. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous MediaNVChampagneFrance376$135.00 As low as $121.50 -
Adrien Bergere Grand Blanc de Blanc NVBased on the 2020 vintage with 25% reserve wines. Fruit is sourced from Avize, Oger, Mesnil sur Oger, Cramant villages of the Côte des Blancs. Dosage 4 g/l Importer Cellarhand
NVChampagneFrance376$135.00 As low as $121.50 -
Hure Freres Insouciance Rose NVThe NV Brut Rosé L’Insouciance (2016 base) is ethereal, lifted and very pretty, if a touch eccentric, with lovely red berry and floral character. The relatively high percentage of Chardonnay and partially blocked malolactic fermentation keeps the flavors bright. This release is 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 25% Meunier and 5% still red Pinot, based on 2016. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: July, 2018. ANTONIO GALLONI, VinousNVChampagneFrance376$140.00 As low as $126.00 -
Billecart-Salmon Brut NV GBMore 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!
NVChampagneFrance376$145.00 As low as $130.50 -
Mouzon Leroux L'exaltant Ratafia de SaignéeMore 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!
NVChampagneFrance376$148.00 As low as $133.20 -
Jeaunaux-Robin Eclats de Meullere Extra Brut NVMeunier 60%, Pinot Noir 30%, Chardonnay 10%. A blend of 50% 2020 & 50% 2021 vintages. Assembled with 80% from a single vintage and 20% of the previous vintage. majority fermented in steel, a quarter in 228L barrels. Dosage (4.5g/l). Disgorge 07/2023 Like all their non-vintage white Champagnes, this cuvée is produced with approximately 1/6th of wines vinified in oak barrels.
NVChampagneFrance376$148.00 As low as $133.20 -
Bereche & Fils Brut Reserve NVThe NV Brut Réserve is bright and finely sculpted right out of the glass. There's terrific purity and energy running through the Brut Réserve. Crushed red berry fruit, white pepper, crushed rocks and mint all race out of the glass. This release is based on 2020, with a good bit of reserve wine (35%) that serves to create terrific balance. The 5.5 grams of dosage is not at all felt. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.comNVChampagneFrance376$150.00 As low as $135.00 -
Mouzon Leroux L'incandescent Rosé de Saignée NVFirm and fragrant, with an overtone of wild sage and thyme, this shows a lovely range of ripe black raspberry, mandarin orange peel, graphite, mineral and spice notes. There's real drive to this tightly meshed, mouthwatering Champagne, yet this is refined and creamy on the palate, with raw silky texture. Long, chalky finish. Alison Napjus, Wine SpectatorNVChampagneFrance376$150.00 As low as $135.00 -
Bollinger Rose NVPale, bright pink. Expressive aromas of fresh red berries, tangerine and toasty lees, with a suave floral nuance. Deeply pitched but quite energetic, offering pure strawberry and cherry preserve flavors underscored by zesty citrus and mineral notes. Becomes richer and smokier with air and finishes with excellent clarity, thrust and persistence. For such a powerful wine this Champagne is impressively lithe and incisive. JOSH RAYNOLDS
NVChampagneFrance376$155.00 As low as $139.50 -
Frerejean Freres Champagne RoseMore 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!
NVChampagneFrance376$155.00 As low as $139.50 -
Mouzon Leroux L'ascendant Solera NVDisgorged in March 2021 with 1.5 grams per liter dosage, Mouzon's latest NV Extra-Brut L'ascendant Solera is based on the 2016 vintage, complemented by 50% reserve wines drawn from a solera established in 2010. Exhibiting aromas of citrus oil, crisp green orchard fruit, nashi pear, macadamia nuts and nougat, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and fleshy, with fine depth at the core, racy acids and a long, mineral finish. This has turned out very nicely. William Kelley, ROBERT PARKERNVChampagneFrance376$155.00 As low as $139.50 -
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 -
Benoit Lahaye Brut Nature NVFrom brown limestone clay soils in Bouzy (80%) and Ambonnay (20%). 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay with reserve wines making up 40%. Spends a minimum of 30 months on lees. Bottled with no dosage and, “off the record” says Benoit, has no sulphur added. Delicately scented with bright ripe Pinot Noir fruits and deep layers of mineral and briny complexity with fresh red apple, a little mushroom and some oak complexity. Sweet ripe red apple and red berry fruits burst onto the palate tapering to a finer more mineral flavour spectrum before a long tangy finish. This is incredibly sweet and ripe for a Brut Nature. It would be hard to pick it as zero dosage. Vinous, ImporterNVChampagneFrance376$160.00 As low as $144.00 -
Jeaunaux-Robin Fil de Brume Brut Nature NV80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from 40-year-old vines. Mainly fermented in in tank with a quarter going into old barrel. Dosage 0 g/l. This vintage, aged for three years in their cellars and stands out with its finely floral character and its tangy notes borrowed from citrus fruits.
NVChampagneFrance376$165.00 As low as $148.50 -
Hure Freres Inattendue Blanc de Blancs 2018The 2018 Extra Brut Inattendue is a pure Chardonnay picked in Ludes and Rilly La Montagne. Slight creaminess and fresh, ripe yellow apple flesh appears on the nose. The palate is clearly very youthful with its foamy, exuberant mousse taking center stage and primary fruit still holding sway, deliciously so. This is bright, fresh and vivid, but there is dimension beyond fruit and freshness that shows pure and concentrated fruit . Dosage 3gr/ L Disgorged 2023. ANNE KREBIEHL MW, vinous
2017ChampagneFrance376$165.00 As low as $148.50 -
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 -
Leclerc Briant Millésime Extra Brut 2018Full-bodied, it has a lush and pillowy mousse and a fantastic texture, filling the palate with ample fruit, a chalky texture, and a rounded and fleshy personality. Although, at first, it feels as if its oak is not well-integrated, it impresses me more as it opens and is approachable in its ripe fruit now. It’s long on the palate and is a very well-made wine, but I’d like to see how this harmonizes over time. AUDREY FRICK, Jebdunnuck.com2018ChampagneFrance376$175.00 As low as $157.50 -
Hure Freres Instantanee Blanc de Noirs Brut 2018A blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, this extra-brut sparkling (3g/l dosage) is both rich and elegant. Golden in the glass, there's a lively shot of citrus lemon zest with subtle edges of caramel and toast. Nicely gourmet in style, this balances high acidity, zingy and vibrant fruit with a full body and firm structure. Soft perfumed florality is evident as well as grapefruit, lime and toasted brioche. Made every year to showcase the vintage, this is fresh with plenty of life ahead. decanter2009ChampagneFrance376$175.00 As low as $157.50 -
Laherte Freres Les Grandes Crayeres 2018More 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!
2018ChampagneFrance376$195.00 As low as $175.50 -
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 -
Bollinger PN VZ19
Bollinger continues its quest to highlight its Pinot Noir expertise with arguably the most exciting and focused wine yet in the PN series, focusing on the grand cru village of Verzenay from 2019 (although backed up with reserves from all around the Montagne de Reims and Grande Vallée, 25% of which comes directly from magnums). It weaves a beautiful line between the clear, long and ultra-fine Pinot of Verzenay, mineral and understated, the quiet power of the 2019 vintage, and the stunning complexity of reserves. Roast apricot, scorched orange citrus and soft raspberry fruits are backed up beautifully by toasty nougat, cocoa and dried pear ageing characters. It's a striking wine of persistent, tightly packed quality, holding terrific mid-term potential. DECANTER
The NV (2019) PN VZ is another terrific wine in this new range of Champagnes from Bollinger that is now in its fifth release. Exotic floral and spice notes play off a core of Pinot fruit in this captivating, mid-weight offering. Time in the glass accents the wine's inner sweetness and perfume. Pear, mint, jasmine and white pepper linger. In this release, the (2019) PN VZ is like a mini-Vieilles Vignes Françaises. It's an incredibly racy, sexy Blanc de Noirs. This release is based on 2019, with 50% reserve wines back to 2009. About half of the reserve wines were aged in magnum ANTONIO GALLONI
Something new in the range, the NV Champagne PN VZ19 is 100% Pinot Noir from Verzenay. It's assertive on opening, with aromas of raspberries, fresh baked bread, black cherries, violets, wet stones, passionfruit, and sweet citrus. It brings forward a good deal of intensity on the palate, with a lot of purity and a distilled feeling, its black cherry fruit gliding through a long finish with a saline flourish. This lovely wine has a lot to offer now but will improve with time and is going have 15 or more years of longevity. There's a fresh umami feel through this wine JEB DUNNUCK
The latest rendition of Bollinger's blended blanc de noirs bottling is the NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN VZ19; it is based on the 2019 vintage, which represents 52% of the blend, and the village of Verzenay, which accounts for the origin of 40% of this bottling's components. 2019 is complemented by fully 48% reserve wines, and above all, fully a quarter derives from 2009; and it has the tension of Verzenay by Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Tauxières and Mutigny. If all that sounds complicated, the wine's appeal is easier to see, as it offers up a demonstrative bouquet of yellow stone fruit, mandarin and praline, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and pillowy palate that's charming, even giving, but also attractively racy, concluding with a saline finish. It was disgorged with six grams per liter dosage. This doesn't tower above its 2018-base counterpart (perhaps unsurprisingly, as the percentage of reserve wines in this bottling is so high), but it does seem to be marginally the strongest iteration of this cuvée to date. WILLIAM KELLEY
NVChampagneFrance376 -
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 -
Chartogne-Taillet Les Couarres 2018The 2018 Extra-Brut Les Couarres is a dense, potent Champagne. The blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay works so well here. A wine of substance and presence, Les Couarres impresses with its poise more than anything else. White flowers, kirsch, spice, Poire William and crushed rocks lend an exotic flair throughout. I especially admire the precision here. This is beautifully rendered. Dosage is 4-5 grams per liter. Disgorged: February 2023. ANTONIO GALLONI2018ChampagneFrance376$225.00 As low as $202.50 -
Dhondt Grellet Les Terres Fines (base 2019)More 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!
NVChampagneFrance376$235.00 As low as $211.50 -
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Les Orizeaux 2019More 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!
2019ChampagneFrance376$240.00 As low as $216.00 -
Chartogne-Taillet Chemin de Reims 2019The 2019 Extra-Brut Chemin de Reims is a bundle of focus and tension. I would prefer to cellar it for a few years, as it is quite tense. Chalk, crushed rocks, salt, white pepper, and mint all race across the palate. This chiseled Blanc de Blancs is terrific, a wine of tremendous substance and palate presence. This serious, contemplative Champagne is lights-out. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: January 2024. 96 ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous2019France376$240.00 As low as $216.00 -
Vouette et Sorbee Blanc dArgile Brut Nature R18(R18, disgorged Nov 2020. Magnums R19, disgorged Dec 2021). Within the cold, west-facing, Kimmeridgian limestone-rich lieu-dit of Biaunes, there is a small plot of Chardonnay that Gautherot planted wild: without preparing the soils and amongst the native vegetation (a totally crazy idea). The Côte des Bar is overwhelmingly planted to Pinot Noir, but in 2000 Gautherot chose Chardonnay. He used massale cuttings from Anselme Selosse’s vines (in Avize) and Vincent Dauvissat’s Valmur Grand Cru vineyard. This plot has become the base of what Antonio Galloni calls “one of the most beautiful and distinctive wines in Champagne.”
The vines here yield only 15 to 20 hl/ha each year—one of the keys to the intensity on offer. The 2018 and 2019 wines also took in some Chardonnay from Fonnet (from 2020, upcoming vintages will also take in Chardonnay from the Vouette vineyard, which was previously planted to Pinot Noir but was replanted to Chardonnay a number of years ago).
Fermentation for this wine was wild and took place in used 500- and 600-litre barrels, with a small portion of fruit fermented and raised in Georgian amphora (see Textures). As with the Fidèle, this wine spent roughly 15 to 18 months in bottle on lees, before being disgorged by hand with zero dosage.
2015Pinot noirFrance376$245.00 As low as $220.50 -
Frederick Savart L’ Ouverture NVThe NV Extra-Brut L’Ouverture is a bright, exuberant Champagne. Crushed rocks mint, white flowers, apricot, tangerine peel and citrus confit all race out of the glass. Bright and finely cut, this steely, delineated Champagne has a ton to offer. Time in the glass brings out burnished Pinot character and a good bit of breadth, but there’s a ton of Chardonnay-like vibrancy here too. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com
Savart's NV Brut Premier Cru L'Ouverture offers up expressive aromas of pear, honeyed orchard fruit, baking spices and fresh bread. Medium-bodied, lively and fine-boned, with a pretty core of fruit, lively acids and a pinpoint mousse, it's an attractive wine that's showing well out of the gates. WILLIAM KELLEY, Wine Advocate
A very fragrant blanc de noirs with 20 per cent of the second press and three years on lees. The wild red fruit is super fresh, delicate and floral; the lees time has this on a neat, reductive edge. The palate is very fine, fresh and crisp. Great depth and elegance here. JAMES SUCKLING
NVChampagneFrance376$250.00 As low as $225.00 -
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Les Barres 2019More 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!
2019ChampagneFrance376$270.00 As low as $243.00 -
Frederic Savart Bulle de Rose NVGrapes from the village of Ecueil : 70% Pinot Noir, 22% Chardonnay, 8% Pinot Noir (Red Wine), 6 g/L dosage. 80% stainless steel, 20% old oak barrels and partial malolacticNVChampagneFrance376$275.00 As low as $247.50 -
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