Web Landing - 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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Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut NVIncredible 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
NVChampagneFrance376$105.00 As low as $94.50 -
Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Brut NV
Aromas of Italian croissant, cooked apple and tarte tatin. Medium-bodied with a roundness and freshness. Steely. Floats on the palate like you are in the clouds. (96) JAMES SUCKLING
It shines in this blend with clarity, precision and excellent freshness of apple, pear, grapefruit and lemon. All the theatrics of his masterful reserve solera build out a backdrop layered with enticing brioche and mixed spice. Its fruit presence contrasts a well-poised malic acid line, with the magnificent frothing salt mineral structure of Le Mesnil singing loud and clear… TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide
A precise, crystalline wine, the NV Brut Cuvée de Réserve is the perfect wine with which to explore the Péters Champagnes. Lemon peel white, flowers and slate are super-expressive throughout in a Champagne that impresses with its finely-sculpted personality and energy. The Cuvée de Réserve is quite powerful, but never heavy. Slightly tropical overtones add the final shades of nuance. It remains one of the best values in artisan Champagne. ANTONIO GALLONINVChampagneFrance376$150.00 As low as $135.00 -
Vilmart Grand Reserve NVA blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, the latest rendition of Vilmart's NV Brut Premier Cru Grande Réserve reveals a pure, delicate bouquet of pear, white flowers, confit citrus and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, pure, precise and seamless, it has a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and a crystalline texture that paves the way to a long, mouthwatering and ethereal finish. Based on the 2021 vintage complemented with 2020 and 2019, it includes 50% vins de réserve and was vinified and matured for 10 months. YOHAN CASTAING, robertparker.comA great edition of Grand Réserve, this 2021 base cuvée benefits from reserve wines of the two preceding vintages. Its impressively radiant fruitiness gets supported by spicy touches from ageing in large oak casks and a refined reductive toast. Brisk and energetic on the pristinely fruity palate of purity and juiciness. ESSI AVELLAN MWAlluring notes of nougat, cardamom spice and fresh honeycomb mix with red apples and berries on the nose. This beauty offers extravagance yet refinement, the nose promises a lot. The palate exceeds expectations, with a seamless flow of flavours; poached pears, preserved lemon and nougat collide beautifully on the cushioned core. A minerally tail combines with tangy acids on the finish, whipping your senses and enlivening the tastebuds. GABRIELLE POY, PWSNVChampagneFrance376$140.00 As low as $126.00