SPARKLING WINE - 2014

One of our key wine team members in Sydney, Alex Dobson has chosen this for his staff pick for 2021, here's why:

The pure mineral expressions of Chardonnay from Larmandier Bernier were the first that drew me to grower Champagne and if you love incredibly fine, pure and precise Champagnes that aren't plumped up with dosage, then this is going to be right up your alley. The 2014 Terre de Vertus  is drawn from the two 1er Cru vineyards of Les Barillers and Les Faucherets in Vertus which are particularly renowned for their chalky, mineral character and this Champagne delivers those in spades leaning savoury and mouth-wateringly saline on the finish. Give this a little time to open and shake out it’s feathers and then pair it up with oysters and fried fish for a pairing that will make this Champagne sing. Grab a few more bottles for the cellar though as this one will really grow into itself with a few more years under it’s belt. ALEX DOBSON, PWS

 

Taittinger's 2014 Brut Millésimé is a good choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Orchard fruit, spice, pastry and attractive toast notes are nicely delineated in this easygoing vintage Champagne. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous 2020

            

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The 2014 Brut Spécial Club is a blend of fruit taken mostly from Cramant, with Chouilly and Cuis in supporting roles. The breadth and power of Cramant comes through loud and clear. Readers will find a potent, at times austere, Champagne that needs a bit of time in the cellar to soften. The Special Club does not offer the immediacy of the Chouilly or Cramant Special Clubs, but it has plenty of its own allure. Dried pear, spice, crushed flowers and chamomile are some of the aromas and flavors that linger on the imposing finish. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 13, 2019. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous 2020

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!

The 2014 Cristal is another in a long line of gorgeous wines from Roederer and long-time Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. A dazzling, vibrant Champagne, the 2014 impresses with a stunning combination of fruit density and linear energy that brings to mind a hypothetical blend of 2012 and 2008. At times, the bubbles feel totally wrapped up in waves of creamy, resonant fruit to the point the mousse is barely perceptible, especially with aeration. The flavors are bright and finely sculpted, leaning very much into the citrus, floral and mineral end of the spectrum.
The blend is a classic: 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay taken from 39 of the 45 parcels that comprise the Cristal estate. The 2014 Cristal is a riveting Champagne. Don't miss it. (98) ANTONIO GALLONI

Medium straw-yellow colour, with a super-complex bouquet that summons nougat, almond-iced pastries, peanut brittle and lemon juice. A hint of milk powder. The palate is searingly intense and powered by vivacious lemony acidity, while the creaminess of the mousse is exquisite. The finish is very long and refined, the texture creamy and seamless in its effortless flow. A wonderful wine, but the acidity is challenging solo and it really cries out for food, even something as simple as oysters. I'd give it more time to lose its austerity. (98) HUON HOOKE

An enlightened expression from a season of extremes, this has intensity, ripeness and depth of fruit that is underpinned by chalk soil-derived structure and freshness. Complex nose with lemon and grapefruit aromas, as well as closed red apple, blood orange, light biscuit spices and toasted hazelnuts. Super fresh. The palate starts pithy and fleshy with pink grapefruit, blood orange, red apple, sliced strawberry and nectarine. Expansive and mouth-filling build that is driven by concentrated fruit, Then it tightens and turns to a more mineral edge, before smoothly honed phenolics finish it long. It is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, 32% oak fermentation in those same proportions, no chaptalization, no malolactic and a dosage of 7g per liter. From organically farmed grapes. Very complex, it strikes a natural balance and is very drinkable already, though will develop well for more than a decade in the cellar. (97) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine's sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren't often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive.
The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can't recommend the 2014 highly enough. It's a total knock-out. (98) ANTONIO GALLONI

Racy acidity drives this mouthwatering Champagne, enlivening the rich panoply of flavors. Features a fine and creamy mousse that's still a lively springboard for aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, glazed tangerine, roasted hazelnut, ground coffee, pickled ginger and white blossoms. Long and satiny, with minerally salt and chalk notes gaining momentum on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. (97) WINE SPECTATOR

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!

60% Pinot, 40% Chardonnay from vines averaging 60 years. This spends 6 years on lees.
Vilmart's 2014 Brut Rosé Emotion is laced with sweet dried cherry, dried herbs, blood orange and mint. It offers terrific breadth for the year, with the Pinot more in evidence than in the 2015 tasted alongside it (the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay for both). Eight grams of dosage feels expertly judged. Disgorged: February 2022. ANTONIO GALLONI

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!

The 2016 Le Blanc de Blancs is one of the better wines I have tasted here of late. Exuberant and quite expressive, the 2016 soars with cents of lemon confit, marzipan and sweet spice, all in a forward, open-knit style that offers good near-term appeal. All this needs is a bit more focus in its bouquet, but is still a big step up from the past. Light tropical accents linger on the close. Antonio Galloni, Vinous