The Inaugural David Jones Champagne Gala

The NV Brut Grand Cellier is fabulous. Rich, ample and creamy, the Grand Cellier is so alluring from the very first taste. All the Vilmart signatures - most notably uncommon elegance - come through loud and clear. Baked apple tart, pear, spice and a hint off butter add nuance, but it is the wine's overall feel that impresses most. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this seductive Champagne from Vilmart. ANTONIO GALLONI

Light,bright gold. Heady, complex scents of poached pear, vanilla, anise and pungent flowers. Fleshy but focused and pure, offering vanilla-accented orchard fruit and lemon curd underscored by chalky minerality. Finishes long and toasty, with lingering florality and noteworthy clarity. JOSH RAYNOLDS

A blend of 30% pinot noir and 70% chardonnay, this has a complex and sophisticated nose that delivers peach fruits and citrus, plus some bolder yellow plum fruits too. The palate is assertive, energetic and concentrated with peach and nectarine flavors met with lemony acidity. Long, really powerful Champagne here. JAMES SUCKLING

Incredible value for a blanc de noirs (100% Pinot Noir) grower Champagne from the grand cru vineyards of Bouzy. It shows gorgeous aromas of stone fruit, citrus and strawberry, with complex brioche nuances, remarkable balance, ongoing elegance and a rich, refined, persistent finish. DECANTER

Release after release, year after year, I have always marvelled at the lemon blossom freshness that Clouet manages to capture in pinot noir from two of Champagne's most powerful terroirs.  Here it is again, in a captivating interplay of fleshy mirabelle plums, white peaches, crunchy golden delicious apples, and even a hint of pepper.  Wild honey and mixed spice join the maelstrom along the way, gliding obediently into a well-defined finish of soft minerality and integrated dosage.  TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide

The NV Brut Grande Reserve offers up layers of mineral-infused red fruits on a silky, mid-weight frame, with gorgeous length and a refined, subtle mousse. This impeccable, elegant wine shows terrific overall balance as well as complexity. I loved it. ANTONIO GALLONI

The effusive nose of candied citrus, ripe pear and brioche pulls you into this fresh and creamy champagne that hits all the pleasure buttons for a non-vintage Brut. Then the chalky freshness at the finish pulls you back for another sip. Excellent balance! 100% pinot noir. JAMES SUCKLING

The NV Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru is a pure Pinot Noir from Bouzy. It's pure, fresh, fine and aromatic on the nose and round and delicate on the palate. The fruit-intense finish is chalky-mineral and stimulatingly fresh in its salty finesse and elegant yeastiness. Nice lemon juice flavors give an extra kick of refreshment. This is a picture-book NV Brut. STEPHAN REINHARDT, Wine Advocate

The latest release of André Clouet's NV Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru is showing well, exhibiting a nicely integrated bouquet of red apple, ripe citrus fruit, honeycomb and blanched almonds, followed by a medium to full-bodied, enveloping palate with a fine mousse, ripe but racy acids and an elegant, understated profile, concluding with a well-defined finish. This is a stylish, harmonious wine WILLIAM KELLEY

Pale gold. Fresh peach, pear and nectarine on the nose, with a complicating note of white flowers. Fleshy, plush and ripe, with strong peach and ripe pear flavors in a more powerful and less restrained style than last year's release. Firms up on the finish, picking up a mineral note and showing very good balance and length. STEPHEN TANZER

The NV Brut Special Cuvée is fabulous. Hints of pears, pastry crust and hazelnut lead to an expansive core of fruit. There is plenty of the signature Bollinger oxidative style in this rich, enveloping Champagne. Once again the Special Cuvée is one of the best Champagnes in its price range. ANTONIO GALLONI

… The complexity and richness of Special Cuvée is unparalleled among the entry non-vintage blends of every Champagne house, short of ascending to the mesosphere of Krug. Its grand recipe explains why, built on incredible depth of 50%-60% reserves. Triumphant complexity is a given at Bollinger, but it's the dynamic freshness and vitality that really set it apart as one of the most affordable Champagne benchmarks. (96) TYSON STELZER

Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy  mousse, it's a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs. WILLIAM KELLEY

A complex, reliable Champagne that would show well in all occasions thanks to its freshness and class. Drawing on all three grapes (chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier), this has a complex grilled-nut and autolysis character overlayed across red berries and citrus fruits. Definitely a lot of reserve wine character here. The palate delivers lemons, grapefruit, peaches and mangoes in a refreshingly pure, fleshy style. The bright acidity, handy balance and tannins smoothly frame the finish JAMES SUCKLING

One of the great signatures of the region, its calligraphy flowing with elegance, panache and balance, the last reflected in the equal proportions of the three great varieties of Champagne. A flamboyant straw gold lustre, and an immediately seductive nose, encyclopaedic in its indulgence. Nougat, praline, white pepper, spice and nectarine were first to the page for this taster, but there is much more behind that, the sugar discrete yet edifying, the long yeast ageing responsible for a happy and altogether luminous marriage of power and finesse. Consistently excellent. SIMON FIELD MW, Decanter

the wine wafts from the glass with an alluring bouquet of green apple, brioche, pastry cream and buttered toast. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, impressively layered and complete, with a crisp but fleshy core of fruit, a youthfully frothy mousse and bright acids, concluding with a delicately chalky finish. This is one of the very finest—as well as among the most consistent—non-vintage brut bottlings from any of the Grandes Marques, and comes very warmly recommended. While it will be drinkable on release, it will reward some bottle age too. WILLIAM KELEY

Equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier. It pours a bright silver straw hue and is fresh on opening, with a floral perfume of white flowers, fresh pear, and fresh almond. Medium-bodied, it’s attractive and approachable, with juicy peach fruit that fills the palate, although it stays refined, with a pinpoint mousse and a clean finish. It is a lovely entry to the range to enjoy now or over the next 6-8 years, and I love this as an aperitif style. JEB DUNNUCK

Clouet's rose epitomises elegance and focus, while flamboyantly celebrating the generous red cherry, strawberry, watermelon and pink pepper fruit of Bouzy.  It encapsulates that wonderful talent of pinot noir to build and rise on the finish, all the while retaining graceful precision as delicate as rose petal perfume.  Structure is fine and elegant, driven both by chalk minerality of the village and a very finely executed tannin presence.  It finishes with great length and poise of exquisite red cherry fruit.  A pristine and enticingly priced rose. Older disgorgements have taken on savoury suggestions of tamarillo, while upholding their primary integrity.  TYSON STELZER

The NV Brut Rosé No 3 Grand Cru is a pure Bouzy Pinot Noir that gets its beautiful intense onion-skin color from the addition of 8% red wine. The nose is rich and complex but at the same time pure and refined, with a nice chalky layer and vinous fruit intensity. Round and rich but fresh and vital on the pure and elegant palate, this is a full-bodied, pretty intense and persistent rosé to be served with main courses. This rosé is seriously complex and expressive, with grip, tension and a long finish. Remarkable in class and style. STEPHAN REINHARDT, Wine Advocate

(made from 100% Grand Cru Bouzy pinot noir, with 8% still wine): Vivid orange-pink. Aromas and flavors of ripe red berries, candied rose and toasty lees. Fleshy but nervy and focused, with strong mineral cut and hints of bitter herbs on the very long, energetic finish. Smoothly blends richness and vivacity, making it extremely flexible with food or without. JOSH RAYNOLDS

 

Light, bright orange. Intensely perfumed scents of raspberry, orange zest, white flowers and chalky minerals.  Juicy and precise in the mouth, offering vibrant red berry and blood orange flavors and a complicating hint of brioche.  The floral quality comes back strong on the very long, incisive finish, which features a subtle anise quality and smoky minerality. JOSH RAYNOLDS, Vinous Media

The base wine is equal parts pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier from the'07 vintage, and 40% reserve wine is added prior to the wine being bottled for its second fermentation. The reserve wine has an average age of 10 years, so after three years on lees prior to disgorgement the Brut Reserve has an average age of just under six years. Aromas of brioche, almond and peach; the palate has great length and complexity, the youthful base wine's freshness contrasting with the velvety/creamy nuances of the Reserve. JAMES HALLIDAY

Pale yellow. Highly perfumed aromas of tangerine, pear, white flowers and ginger. Silky and focused on the palate, offering vibrant orchard and citrus fruit flavors that gain flesh and weight with air. Shows a seamless texture and finishes long, with clinging pear and honeysuckle qualities. JOSH RAYNOLDS

The NV Brut Cuvée Ste.-Anne (base 2022) is terrific. I tasted it in the middle of the range after many of the single-vineyard Champagnes, but the wine did not suffer at all from its placement. If anything, this tasting reinforced my long-held view that the Ste.-Anne is one of the very finest grower Champagnes in its price range. This release, based on 2022, is brisk and energetic to its core. Citrus, white pepper, chalk and floral top notes are finely cut. This is an especially brisk edition of the Ste.-Anne. Chardonnay planted on chalk increasingly plays a leading role in this bottling. Superb. Dosage is 2.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 2024. ANTONIO GALLONI

The work that Alex Chartogne has done with his single-vineyards benefits also cuvée Sainte Anne, which delivers fantastic value for money year in and out. This 2022 based blend is showing deliciously drinkable with crystalline fruitiness and impeccable energy. Fresh, vibrant and transparent, finishing on a saline zest. ESSI AVELLAN MW

Crushed rose petals, cranberry, white pepper and mint are some of the signatures in Paillard's pale-colored NV Extra Brut Rosé Premier Cuvée. Lifted, precise and refined, the Rosé is nicely balanced throughout. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 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

100% pinot noir from Clouet's 10 best plots, dubbed by Jean-Francois 'the golden square of Bouzy'; 50% 2006 fermented in Sauternes barriques; 50% solera of reserve wines; full malolactic fermentation; a symbolic production of just 1911 bottles; 6g/L dosage.

Clouet’s flagship is a radiant, golden silk-satin ballgown of ravishing complexity and breathtaking grace, a delicate high-heeled balancing act of refreshing poise in the midst of profound concentration. Its richness ventures to champagne’s outer limits of succulent white fruits of all kinds, grilled pineapple, honey and great complexity of brioche, nougat and butter. Celebrating a generous 50% reserve from solera, its rumbling maturity is proclaimed in hints of butterscotch, coffee beans and smouldering hearth. Just when you fear it’s all too much to behold, the vibrant energy of its 2002 base swoops into a finish defined by well-poised acidity and softly mineral, fine chalk texture. It holds its posture of tall, slender magnificence for minutes without ever dropping its determined gaze. TYSON STELZER, Champagne Guide

The NV Un jour de 1911... is another 100% Bouzy Pinot Noir with an ancient label design. The shining golden-colored cuvée combines ripeness, complexity and finesse with intensity and elegance on both the nose and palate. It's a powerful and rich yet very fine and balanced Champagne with great freshness and complex length. It is juicy and intense but also highly delicate, and its mineral tension and persistent finish make it a first-class wine for elaborate dishes. A great Champagne, with a label that doesn't give any more detailed information regarding vintages or disgorgement date, but we know it's always a 50/50 blend of three vintages (including one great millésime at least 10 years old) and reserve wines from a solera system. I tasted the wine as a Brut with Clouet's German importer in Bremen. You shouldn't drink it too early, as it would be a waste of its talents. STEPHEN REINHARDT, www.robertparker.com

Pale, 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

The NV Brut Blanc de Noirs Récolte Noire is a touch more elegant than the Récolte Brute, with layers of perfumed Pinot fruit that emerge gracefully from its medium-bodied fame. This delicious Champagne possesses lovely balance in an understated style. ANTONIO GALLONI

The NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut is a clear, fresh and chalky Chardonnay from Cramant in the Côte des Blancs that opens with lovely intense and soft white fruit aromas. It is a mouth-filling, very elegant and finessed Cramant with highly digestible balance and stimulating lightness in alcohol (12%). The finish is charmingly round and fruity but also has the typical chalky texture that gives it perfect balance. This is an excellent cuvée with a delicate, salty, well-structured finish. I didn't see a lot number on the label nor on the bottle, but this should be a pretty fresh disgorgement and is mainly based on the 2013 vintage, as Jean-Emmanuel Bonnaire told me. Tasted April 2018.’  STEPHAN REINHARDT, The Wine Advocate

Bright straw. Vibrant aromas of lemon pith, pear skin and honeysuckle, with a chalky topnote.  Dry, sharply focused lemon and lime flavors become deeper with air and pick up brioche and ginger nuances.  Firm, chewy and dry, finishing with very good clarity and stony persistence. JOSH RAYNOLDS

Pillowy and charming, the latest rendition of Delamotte's NV Brut offers up attractive aromas of orchard fruit, fresh bread and citrus oil. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with a pretty pinpoint mousse and lively balancing acids, it's drinking well out of the gates but will also develop gracefully for a few years in the cellar. WILLIAM KELLEY, Wine Advocate 2021

The Delamotte NV Brut blends approximately 55% Chardonnay with 35% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier. It is clear, round and spicy on the predominantly fruity and vinous nose with its delicate chalk and hazelnut flavors. On the palate this is a lithe, finessed, fresh and elegant Brut with good structure and a pure, salty-mineral and cleansing finish. The mousse is highly delicate, the whole performance almost filigreed yet well structured. This is a delicious Brut STEPHAN REINHARDT

A cleverly orchestrated reductive edge to the nose, this has a layer of toasted cashew ahead of citrus, peach, spice, fine cherry and raspberry fruits. The palate's nicely crafted to deliver an even and smooth impression. Red fruit flavors run long and smooth, with some fresh bread dough notes too; nicely yeasty to close. JAMES SUCKLING

Firm 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 Spectator

Sourced from the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay and Vallée de la Marne and comprising 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Pinot Meunier, it delivers aromas of pear, orange zest and dried flowers, mingling with blanched almonds. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, saline and vinous, with racy acidity and a precise, saline finish. Its attractively bitter phenolics further underscore the wine’s chalky character. KRISTAPS KARKLINS, thewineadvocate.com

The NV (2022) Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs, a blend of equal parts Meunier and Pinot Noir, is rich and exuberant right out of the gate. Kirsch, white pepper, cranberry and chalk soar from the glass. Delicate and vibrant, with gorgeous aromatic presence and excellent balance, the Blanc de Noirs is especially fine today. Multiple disgorgements throughout the year. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com

45% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meuniere

An exotic sparkler, displaying rich, caramelized smoke and brioche notes, balanced with citrusy acidity and flavors of ripe apple, candied pineapple, lemon meringue and crystallized honey. Mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2018 Wine Spectator

The 2015 Brut Blanc de Blancs marries textural intensity with a good deal of freshness. White pepper, dried herbs, chalk, mint and citrus make a strong opening impression. I especially like the energy and tension here, but there’s plenty of depth, too. I would give the 2015 a year or two in bottle, maybe more, as it is quite reticent in the early going. It, too, is seriously impressive for the year. Disgorged: July 2021. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

The 2015 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill shows off the savory side of the vintage to great effect. Hints of dried pear, sage, mint, dried flowers, lemon oil and chamomile open gradually in this mid-weight, lithe edition of Pol Roger's tête de cuvée. The 2015 unfolds nicely with time in the glass, but I wouldn't think of opening a bottle anytime soon. Readers will find a nervy Winston Churchill marked by notable freshness and vigor more than size. This is a fine effort in a vintage that has proven to be far trickier than most observers originally envisioned. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged September 2022. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

A strong effort in a less-acclaimed vintage, Pol Roger's newly released 2015 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill opens in the glass with aromas of confit citrus, ripe orchard fruits and dried white flowers mingled with hints of honeycomb, freshly baked bread and anise. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and concentrated, with bright acids, chalky structuring extract and a pinpoint mousse, this inherently rather rich, gastronomic Champagne is quite tightly wound out of the gates and will reward a bit of bottle age. Stylistically, it is somewhat reminiscent of a modern-day version of the 1985. (94+) WILLIAM KELLEY, The Wine Advocate

Subtle and restrained pastry nuances with a hint of mushroom. Lots of seriousness and generosity of fruit but in a more restrained, quiet style. Gentle autolysis with mellow apple flesh and some earthiness, bright and classic. Elegant, with reserve wine complexity. Brisk on the finish with a nougat edge. Great stuff. DECANTER

Driven by Vincent and Raphaël’s desire to bottle “a true picture of the [Ludes] terroir,” Le Cran was first made in 2004. They chose two of their finest old-vine Premier Cru parcels planted by their grandfather, which now have an average age of 50 years. These sites, rich in limestone and chalk, are the highest in Ludes. The blend is equally split between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—the former from the west-facing vineyard of Les Hautes Plantes, planted in 1969, while the Pinot comes from 1973 vines planted in the east-facing lieu-dit of Les Vignes Saint-Jean.

Le Cran is arguably the most smouldering, mineral and tightly wound of the Bérêche single-vineyard wines. Viticulture and vine age result in lower yields of concentrated fruit, balanced by super-low pH, naturally racy acidity and intense chalky minerality. The current release is jaw-dropping. A wine like this will go with anything delicious (even if the dream match would be oven- or BBQ-roasted fish). Le Cran is vinified with indigenous yeasts in oak barrels up to 600 litres in size. The current release aged for 72 months in the cellar, mostly on lees in bottle under cork. Dosage for this release was around 3 g/L. BIBENDUM

55% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir from 15 Crus, aged 6 years.
The grapes are strictly selected to retain only those that have both a high potential degree and a low acidity, allowing the wine to achieve the desired balance without the addition of any dosage. LAURENT PERRIER

Light yellow. Mineral-tinged peach, melon and pear aromas display excellent clarity, picking up a subtle floral quality with aeration.  Supple and seamless on the palate, offering vivid honeydew and pit fruit flavors accented by a vibrant lemon zest quality.  Finishes very long, silky and precise, with an echo of juicy melon and strong mineral lift. JOSH RAYNOLDS, Vinous Media

100% Pinot Noir from 10 different Crus located in the Montagne de Reims, aged for 5 years. The grapes from carefully selected plots are sorted and destemmed before vatting. Maceration – lasting from 48 to 72 hours depending on the harvest – helps in the extraction of colour and allows us to obtain unequalled aromas, revealing all the richness of the best Crus of Pinot Noir. LAURENT PERRIER

Enticing, fragrant aromas of toast, lemon zest and an earthy-smoky nuance lead to a palate of subtle Bosc-pear, mango, papaya, even pineapple flavors. Lifted by fresh acidity on the medium-bodied palate, the wine keeps unfolding in toasted walnuts, honey and a dash of bitter marmalade. It's mouth-filling, alive with acidity and full of finesse. (96) JAMES SUCKLING

Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2015 Brut La Grande Année was disgorged last year with eight grams per liter dosage. The wine has turned out beautifully, exhibiting a more muscular, old-school Bollinger profile in contrast to the unusually racy, fine-boned 2014 that preceded it. Wafting from the glass with notes of pear, orange oil and white flowers mingled with notions of mocha, toasted hazelnuts and fino sherry, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, with a dense core of fruit framed by chalky structuring extract, concluding with a long, sapid finish. (95+) WILLIAM KELLEY

If the 2014 vintage was especially open and demonstrative, the 2015 Cristal is going to require more patience. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp stone fruits, white flowers, crushed mint and subtle hints of buttery pastry, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a deep, concentrated and rather introverted core of fruit framed by chalky extract and animated by a pretty pinpoint mousse. This is a serious, vinous Champagne that has considerable substance to age and may well evolve along the lines of the lovely 1985. 95+ WILLIAM KELLEY, the wine advocate

62% pinot noir and 38% chardonnay from "La Riviere" vineyards from villages Cumieres and Chouilly. Rose created by a long and gentle infusion of pinot noir and co-fermented with chardonnay. The 2016 vintage was characterised by particularly marked weather variations: spring was cool, wet and relatively late whereas summer was warm and dry with a heatwave in late August followed by dry and sunny weather over the harvest period which was highly beneficial to the ripening of the grapes. Louis Roederer

PLATINUM - DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS
Outstanding elegance and finesse pervade this exceptional wine with its well-honed toasty sourdough, gunflint and grilled citrus notes, razor sharp acidity and mouth-filling mousse. Brilliantly poised and brimming with potential, the long and zesty finish runs and runs. (97) DECANTER

100% Chardonnay made from the oldest vines of the estate, grown on two of the very best parcels in Cramant: the lieu-dits of Le Bateau and Les Terres de Buisson. Showing a very fine mousse with chalky minerality and citrus notes it finishes with great length and palate presence. This is the essence of Cramant, a stunning blanc de blancs with impeccable finesse and pinpoint balance. Matured for 6 1/2 years on lees and disgorged in December 2021, with a 5 g/L dosage. Importer, Vintage and Vine

80% 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. 

The year 2020 followed a similar trajectory to that of 2019 with a mild and rainy winter followed by a dry summer with several heatwaves which, although less extreme than in 2019, still had an impact on the vine. Fortunately, the weather was rather dull and a bit wet in June which gave us a welcome humid interlude between two dry spells. Despite our impressions of relentless heat and sunshine, the temperatures and sunshine levels over the 2020 harvest period were actually relatively normal. These continental conditions, but with “normal” annual averages, enabled the production of mature and well balanced wines! The harvests took place between 22 August and 11 September 2020.

Lovely golden yellow hue. Steady lively bubbles. Bouquet of yellow fruits (nectarine) and ripe, concentrated citrus (lemon) complemented by sweet notes of petals, pollen, sugared almonds and wheat. We find an impressively ripe, complex and intense fruit which elevates the pure and intense bouquet interwoven with smoky overtones. The palate is velvety, unctuous, rich and juicy. The bubbles have an almost saline character to them and coat the palate with a broad and concentrated texture. The wine reveals an exceptional balance between structure and a crisp, powdery, saline chalky freshness. Smoky and slightly oaky notes linger on a deliciously well-honed finish.

1/3 our “la Rivière” Estate, 1/3 our “la Montagne” Estate, 1/3 our “la Côte” Estate. 41% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot noir, 24% Meunier. Collection 245: 35% Perpetual Reserve (2012-2019 incl.), Reserve Wines Aged In Oak: 10% (2010, '13, '15, '17, '18, '19), 2020 Harvest: 55%, 22% Malolactic Fermentation, 7g/L dosage. LOUIS ROEDERER

Lovely salmon hue with fine bubbles. Subtle notes of strawberry and raspberry dominate the aromatic structure. Aromas of red fruit unfold over an elegant, delicate palate. Enjoy our Cuvée Rosé Brut as an aperitif or paired with Asian cuisine. CHAMPAGNE ANDRE BERGERE

A blend of 90% Chardonnay, 10% Coteaux Champenois Pinot Noir, sourced from the villages of Fèrebrianges, Etoges, Congy which feature soils of clay & limestone. 7g/L dosage.

Les Grands Champs Meunier is a wine with a gastronomic character, appearing rich and fresh in the mouth, balanced between the tension and volume of the fruit, with a rich, persistent and saline finish. In short, this wine really demands to be accompanied with food. DISALTO WINES

100% Meunier, 36 months aging on fine lees. 2020 was an especially hot year, so around 50% of this cuvée was aged in 350 liter barrels from Burgundy, and the remaining 50% was aged in 10 liter stainless steel vats, in order to achieve a good balance for this wine. THIERRY FOURNIER

In spite of his doctor's disapproval, Louis XIV preferred the good wines of Champagne to any other and the wine of Bouzy was thus one of the items in the King's inventory ledger at the Court of Versailles.
Paul Bara's Bouzy Rouge is one of the best in this category of still red wines. It is made from old vines of more than fifty years in age that are grown in a vineyard with ideal exposure.

The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand on a sorting table, ensuring that only the ripest and healthiest of them go into the wine. Bouzy Rouge is then fermented and matured in stainless steel vats until reaching its full potential. The resulting red wine makes a sensational partner for light grilled meats, roasted veal in herbs or country-style ham. Maison Paul Bara is a member of the famous Académie des Vins de Bouzy. MAISON PAUL BARA

 A subtle balance of richness and finesse, our Vintage is the expression of the characters of the great years, captured in true Thiénot style.
Straw-coloured and tinged with gold. Highly expressive on the nose, defined by aromas of orchard fruits, apples and ripe pears. Fresh and fleshy on the palate. The notes of orchard fruits linger, accompanied by delicate flavours of bergamot. Impressive length on the finish. The ultimate champagne to enjoy with food - a perfect match with creamy chicken or veal cutlets and aubergines.

60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Meunier. 100% Malolactic fermentation, bottled in 2016 and aged for at least 7 years in the cellars at rue des Moissons. 6g/L dosage. CHAMPAGNE THIENOT

Oyster shells, almond croissants, dried lemons, figs and hazelnuts. Lots of flavor, with creamy bubbles and bright acidity. Tasty pastry notes on a lengthy, dry finish. JAMES SUCKLING

A concentrated and floral Blanc de Blancs from clay, white marl and flinty soils. The wine shows bright fruit aromas (white seed fruits and lemon peel) intertwined with flinty and discreet oaky notes on the nose, leading to a straight, firmly structured yet lush and fruity palate. The finish shows a kiss of oak and very fine tannins as well as a vitalizing citrus freshness. WINE ADVOCATE