Vintage - NV, Champagne, chard...
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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Vilmart Ratafia de Champagne 500mlSTAFF PICKS 2024 - KAYLEEN REYNOLDS
Easily the best Ratafia I have ever tasted. Yes, the sample size is not large but it comes as no surprise knowing Vilmart's track record of making fine wines. Ratafia de Champenois AKA Champagne's vin de liqueur.
100% chardonnay from premier cru sites in village Rilly-la-Montagne of Montagne de Reims. Fermentation is stopped before completion by adding young grape spirit resulting in a sweet, full-flavoured wine that is delicate and oh so elegant. A must have for the festive season alongside Nan's pavlova or a stinky wash rind cheese. (serve chilled)
Candied apricots, lemon curd and cashew nut, instantly we know we are onto a great thing here! On tasting, we see wild honey on buttered toast with orange peel and white nectarine, all laced around stoney minerality. The impeccable balance of flavour intensity, residual sugar and grape spirit is remarkable. Persistent length is matched with refreshment. Finesse through and through. KAYLEEN REYNOLDS, pws
The 2013 Ratafia (Chardonnay) is laced with hints of dried fruit, almond, dried flowers and chamomile. It offers gorgeous complexity, along with notable energy and freshness. It is a very fine, elegant Ratafia. ANTONIO GALLONI
NVchardonnayFrance376$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Andre Jacquart Vertus Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs NVA sleek Champagne, with flavors of white cherry and blood orange that are ripe and expressive, accented by honeysuckle, minerally chalk and sliced almond notes. Well-knit and fine in texture. Mouthwatering finish. Alison Napjus, Wine SpectatorNVChampagne, chardonnayFrance376$120.00 As low as $108.00 -
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 -
Bruno Paillard Brut Premiere Cuvee NVPinot noir leads this accurate, well-crafted aperitif style of elegant finesse and persistence. A primary red cherry, wild strawberry and lemon fruit focus is underlined by taut acidity and expressive chalk mineral depth. Nuances of honey, anise and ginger are building as it gains maturity. It's clean and taut, a low dosage keeping the finish fresh and lively. TYSON STELZERNVchardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot noirFrance376$140.00 As low as $126.00 -
Andre Jacquart Mesnil Experience Blanc de Blancs NVMouthwatering acidity focuses this racy blanc de blancs, with flavors of lemon parfait, baked quince and pickled ginger, while a hint of salted almond lingers on the refined finish. Alison Napjus, Wine SpectatorNVChampagne, chardonnayFrance376$145.00 As low as $130.50 -
Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Blanc NVOne of the pioneers of the blanc de blancs style, Charles Heidsieck only relaunched its 100% Chardonnay NV Champagne in 2018. Round but incisive and fresh, this has lovely balance between its creamy, woody mouthfeel and its fresh, saline acidity. A lovely food wine. JAMES BUTTON, DecanterNVchardonnayFrance376$145.00 As low as $130.50 -
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