2016  

2014  

"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. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter." - 98pts Vinous

2002  

The 2002 Cristal is now entering its first plateau of maturity, which makes it a terrific Champagne for drinking now. Hints of apricot, brioche, lemon confit, honey, hazelnut, baked apple tart and spice give the 2002 striking layers of nuance. Rich and generous, the 2002 show plenty of the natural opulence of the year and yet retains terrific freshness as well. As always, Cristal is a blend of Pinot from Ay, Verzenay, Verzy and Beaumont sur Vesle, and Chardonnay from Mesnil, Cramant and Oger. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. - 97pts Vinous

2018  

"The 2018 Tradition Sparkling Rosé is a new cuvée from Cruse Wine Co. Made using the traditional method, it is composed of 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay from several vineyards including Rorick Heritage in Sierra Foothills, Alder Springs in Mendocino, Keefer Ranch in Sonoma and Linda Vista in Napa. "Vins clairs don't often taste great," notes winemaker Michael Cruse. "But the 2018 rosé tasted incredible from barrel." Cruse Wine Co.'s sparklings are technically non-vintage—you won't find the vintage listed on the label—but this first iteration is composed entirely of fruit from the 2018 vintage. Grapes were fermented in barrel and disgorged with six grams per liter dosage after two years on the lees. About 7% red wine was added to the blend to produce its medium cherry-pink color, and it has 5.5 bars of pressure. The nose offers a layered, singular perfume of warm peaches and strawberries, biscuit, spring butter and toast, expertly balancing ripe California fruit and savory autolytic character. Medium-bodied and dry, the palate is intense and savory, with biscuit-laced flavors and bright bursts of pure raspberry character. It has a fine, creamy texture, a long finish and loads of personality! 565 cases were made." - 96pts WA

2012  

"What a magnificent bouquet for this Dom Pérignon 2012! Pastry, a hint of smoke and autolytic notes provide a compelling counterpart to eager yet elegant aromas of citrus (lime, tangerine and kumquat) joined by those of fresh fruit, herbs, liquorice, and menthol. There is even a refreshing note of ivy. The palate is tense, vibrant, and very fresh despite its impressive density, which meets its match with an unending finish. This 2012 incarnates the very essence of Dom Pérignon with such a concentrated degree of intensity, along with a capacity for ageing, that it is surely destined for a second life in a P2 edition." - 98pts Decanter

NV  Le Ru Des Charmes

Le Ru Des Charmes ---- 60% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir, and 20% Chardonnay from 60 year old vines. ---- "The latest release of Goutorbe-Bouillot's NV Brut Rosé Le Ru des Charmes is showing very well, wafting from the glass with an inviting bouquet of warm biscuits, red plums, pear and a discreet touch of leesiness. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and charming, it's bright and incisive, with ripe but racy acids and an elegantly fleshy core of fruit." - 91pts WA ---- "A toasty version, with bright acidity creating a mouthwatering frame for the flavors of white peach puree, ripe raspberry, spun honey and chopped almond. Salty mineral and spice notes play on the creamy finish. Drink now through 2023. 350 cases made, 100 cases imported." - 91pts WS

2004  

NV  

"When Cyril Brun was briefed to recreate this iconic cuvée, he struggled to achieve the plenitude and drama he was looking for. Then, he dug in the Heidsieck archives and discovered, as he tells it, that the famous vintages of Charlie, while vintaged on paper, actually contained reserve wines. Brun therefore gave himself carte blanche to draw on the house's best lots to put together the inaugural NV Champagne Charlie, based on the 2016 vintage but incorporating fully 78% reserve wines dating back two decades. Bursting with aromas of golden orchard fruit, brioche, honeycomb, peaches, spices and buttery pastry, it's full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a layered core of fruit, racy acids and a beautifully refined pinpoint mousse. Some 52% of the blend is Chardonnay, with Brun looking for ripe, exotic Chardonnay to complement more tensile lots of Pinot Noir. It's a compelling, flamboyant wine—the only thing that may make consumers smart is the price." - 96pts WA

2009  Avize Grand Cru

"The 2009 Extra-Brut Avize Champ Gain captures an intriguing combination of the richness of the year and the clean, mineral inflections that are such signatures of Avize. All the elements are turned up a few notches. Petrol, apricot, dried flowers, orchard fruit, orange confit, honey and marzipan all develop in the glass. Even with all of its intensity, the 2009 retains striking translucence. It's a big wine, but there is plenty of complexity too. Disgorged May 2019. Dosage is 1.5 grams per liter." - 94pts Vinous

NV  Rosé de Saignée Meunier Extra Brut

Rosé de Saignée Meunier Extra Brut ---- 100 % Pinot Meunier. Terroir de Chavot. Plots planted in 1953, 1958, and 1965. Clay and silty soils, not very deep, with a little of flints and little stones. Chalky subsoils.

2018  Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut ---- 100% Chardonnay

2013  Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chemins d'Avize Grand Cru

Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chemins d'Avize Grand Cru ---- "Disgorged in October 2019, Larmandier-Bernier's 2013 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Les Chemins d'Avize is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with a lovely nose of citrus oil, fresh apricot, peach and pear, complemented by hints of fresh walnuts and almond paste. Full-bodied, deep and vinous, it's layered and elegantly muscular, with a concentrated core of ripe fruit, racy acids and a long, mineral finish. Pierre Larmandier invariably excels in cool, late growing seasons, so the 2013 vintage was perfectly adapted to his talents." - 96pts WA