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

2009  Avize Grand Cru

"Complex aromas of flowers and citrus fruits; crystal-clear base, as dense as it is transparent, crystalline structure, taut like a bow, eternally long, with fresh notes of green pomelo; great wine, by far the best version of this vineyard cuvée!" - 20/20 points, Vinum Wine

2007  Gonet-Médeville Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs

(Slightly scratched label) Gonet-Médeville Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs ---- "Features fragrant aromas of jasmine and stargazer lily that waft through a lovely range of white cherry, chopped almond and candied ginger flavors and a rich, underlying streak of salinity. Plush in texture, with the detailed flavor range structured by a mouthwatering, crystalline frame of acidity." - 94pts, Wine Spectator ---- "You’d think the debut of Gonet-Médeville’s 2007 Grand Cru ‘Louvière’ would be met with deafening fanfare and critical acclaim. Instead, just 60 bottles were quietly ushered into America, making this one of the year’s greatest, rarest, and most clandestine Champagnes." - Mark Osburn, Sommelier & Champagne Specialist ---- "What made me want to make Champagne was wines from '29, '45, '55, '59, '61, '64 - I want to make wines like that", says Xavier. You need have no fear of cellaring these wines to see how they evolve, however delicious they are now. ---- Louvière is very crispy, intense, crystalline and pure, definitively a great Champagne for aperitif while Champ d'Alouette is much more powerful, complex and gastronomic. Dosage: 2g/l Time on lees: 11 years (disgorged in 2019)

2016  Frizante

Frizante - Called the "Château Lafite of Languedoc" by the French magazine Gault et Millau, Mas de Daumas Gassac is the region's benchmark estate. Their flagship sparkling rosé is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Manseng. Bled Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the younger Daumas Gassac vineyards. The "free-run" grape juice is fermented in a closed tank so as to retain all the fermenting gas. Aged 3 to 4 months in closed stainless steel tank.

2013  Crémant d'Alsace Rosé Poussière d'Étoiles

Crémant d'Alsace Rosé Poussière d'Étoiles -- Vignobles des 2 Lunes is a fourteen hectare Demeter-certified estate in the heart of the Alsatian wine country. Owned and operated by the Buecher family for seven generations, sisters Amelie and Cecile Buecher have brought their own unique vision to the domaine; walking a fine line between a drive for modernization and respect for antiquity. Amelie and Cecile have moved to protect the environment of their vines. In 1997 they stopped spraying with pesticides and achieved biodynamic certification in 2007. All vineyard work is done by hand and grapes are brought to the winery in small ¼ ton bins where they undergo a gentle overnight pressing, feed by gravity directly into concrete fermentation tanks below the crush pad. In cellar, the vision of the domaine is to preserve the work that has been done in the vineyard; native yeasts for all fermentations with no additions or manipulations of any kind, only a small amount of sulfur is added at bottling. Alcohol Content 13% Residual Sugar 0.70 g/L Acidity 3.70 g/L