NV  Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - Disg - 2021

Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - Disg - 2021

2007  

98 WE / 98 JS / 97 WA / 97 VM / 96 WS / 17.5 JR

2002  

100/100 Wine & Spirits, 19.5/20 La Revue du Vin de France, 99/100 Guia Penin, 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson, 98/100 Falstaff, 98/100 Wine Enthusiast, 97/100 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  Extra Brut Grand Cru

Extra Brut Grand Cru ---- 70% Chardonnay from Le Mesnil sur Oger and 30% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, including 3% still Pinot Noir which gives the wine its delicate salmon hue.

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

2007  Gonet-Médeville Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut

Gonet-Médeville Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut ---- "A firm, focused Champagne, with floral, chalk and spice notes that are fragrant on the nose and accent the palate's baked pineapple and plum fruit, slivered almond, mandarin orange peel and sea salt flavors as they ride the fine mousse. Mouthwatering and minerally on the well-cut finish." - 93pts, Wine Spectator ---- La Grande Ruelle overlooks Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay vineyard and is named for the path that runs up the slope between the two sites.