CHAMPAGNE

The Avizoise is made from Les Robards and Voie d'Epernay, fermented in neutral 600-liter barrels and bottled with four grams of dosage.

PETER LEIM 3 STARS-"From chalky soils in the vineyard of La Fosse, which Agrapart works entirely by horse, this is sleek and pure, with a silky texture and a racy, elongated build. Like Agrapart

PETER LEIM 1+ STARS-"It

1 1/2 Stars ChampagneGuide.net-"Compared to Agrapart's 7 Crus, this is both finer in texture and larger in body-you see the influence of grand cru terroir not only in finesse but in puissance as well. It's intensely chalky under the silky notes of pear, green citrus and guava, anchored by vibrant acidity, and it feels fragrant and flowery on the long finish, demonstrating a superb balance and focus. Last tasted: 11/13."-Peter Leim

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS-"Unfortunately I was only able to taste one new release from Andre Clouet this year. The NV Brut Grande Reserve emerges from the glass with layers of hazelnut, pear, spice and dried flower aromas. This rich, creamy wine impresses for its balance and sheer richness. I loved it. This is Lot L06. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014."(11/11)

Fashioned from 100% Bouzy and Ambonnay Pinot Noir form the 2009 and 2008 vintages with 30% of the base wine fermented in used Sauterenes barrels. The bouquet is open airy with inviting sourdough, yellow plum, citrus and Macintosh apple notes. This is a concentrated, but not at all ponderous, Champagne with a palate that features appetizing summer and citrus fruits seamlessly wedded to oak derived notions of honey, toast and brown spices. The low (6g/l) dosage works well here to keep everything lively while also letting Champagnes chalk and soil character to come to the fore. This intricately crafted Brut beautifully marries power and poise in way that one seldom finds at this low price point.

The wine shows a complex range of aromas from white flower to fresh fruit. The wine is long and refreshing in the mouth, balanced with underlying minerality. A vintage with a great aging potential.

Champagne Andre Robert was born in 1960 with the purchase of the Robert estate but winemaking goes back several generations in the family. Henry Robert, an officer during WWI, came back to a devastated land. Most of Champagne's vineyards were either war torn or disease ridden. With not much more than a horse, he acquired a small plot of land and nursed the vines back to health. Persistence paid off and in the 1930's, Henry founded the first wine cooperative in Champagne.

During WWII, Andre Robert, who was just a teenager at the time, joined his father and the horse. Toward the end of the 1950's, a tractor replaced the horse and Champagne Andre Robert's first commercial wines were released in 1962.

Bertrand Robert took over the property in 1981 after studying enology in Reims. Over the last three plus decades, he has remained committed to the principles that were first forged by his grandfather ninety years ago. No insecticides or anti-decay products are used. As if reciting a mantra from the French Revolution he proclaims, "We practice 'viticulture durable.' Respect the water, respect the earth, respect the air."

A member of the Independent Wine Producers Federation, Robert does not purchase any fruit and all of the wines are made on the estate. This may not sound like a big deal but while there are a lot of small growers in Champagne, the vast majority of the wines are made by very large houses that buy fruit and often use a variety of production facilities.

WINERY NOTES - "Generous and plentiful foam, with numerous strings of tiny bubbles. The nose is very powerful, dominated by aromas of fruits in pastry, stewed apricot, with frank notes of sugared almond. Slight notes of pepper and aniseed. On the palate, the feeling is very ample and long, with remaining pastry feeling, ending on a spicy note."

A rich yet subtle blend ot 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay all sourced from the firm's plantings in the Grand Cru village of Ay. The blend is based on the 2013 vintage with 20% cask aged reserve wines. The wine as given a dosage of 9 grams per liter after aging on the yeast for 15 to 18 months.

WINERY NOTES-"The base wine for this Old Vines Champagne comes from our plots, Pierre Robert Haut, Tarclett, and Varmery. The vines are on average 45 years old, which is important for the selection of the plots, as each plant produces a third less than a younger plant. Hence a higher aromatic potential and an optimum maturity at harvest time. The primary aromas are typical of a Pinot Noir from Ay: blackcurrant, small red fruit, in the nose and on the palate, with a spicy note at the end of the tasting.These aromas have evolved with the second fermentation, dominated now by juicy fruit, such as white peach and stewed lemon. Despite a lively attack on the palate, this wine feels round, vinous, frank and well structured, long on the mouth without being heavy. This is a wine for lovers of varietal wines, the opposite of a blended Champagne."

Headquartered in Epernay, Aubert Et Fils Brut is a classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier that represent one of the best buys we have encountered from Champagne in a very long time. Pleasantly crisp with fragrant notes fruit and toasty aromas backed with hints of chalk dust and truffles. The generous palate proffers tangy orchard and citrus fruits that reveal a subtle minerality in the long-play finish. Balanced to work with or without food, this is simply a wonderfully crafted Champagne a fabulous price.

30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier, 5% Petit Meslier, and 5% Arbanne. 100% 2008 harvest with malolactic fermentation. Chardonnay is aged in used barrique, the remainder in stainless steel.

JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS-"A smooth, gently round and nicely balanced Champagne dominant in pinot meunier, pinot noir and chardonnay to boot. It has attractive lemon citrus flavors and is really punchy, refined and gently nutty. A smooth, pastry-like texture comes to the fore on the finish. Drink now."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "The NV Brut Premier Cru is a gorgeous wine, and a great introduction to the house style. Lemon, white flowers, mint, crushed rocks are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass as this refined Champagne shows off its impeccable class and total pedigree. The Premier Cru is 45% Pinot Meunier, 25% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 5% Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromenteau. The high percentage of red grapes is felt in the wine’s breadth, while the aromas and flavors remain fresh, vibrant and beautifully nuanced throughout. This is a fabulous entry-level offering."

JAMES SUCKLING 95 POINTS-"A superb vintage rosé dedicated to the 2008 harvest, this has an impressively composed style. It's really smooth and supple building excellently and delivering a seamlessly composed impression. The aromas are of fragrant red cherries but in bright, fresh and gently spicy mode. The palate's precisely cut and has supple, tangy acidity underpinning some very pliable fruit flesh, a silky texture and a velvety finish. Impressive length and carefully delivered power here! Drink now and through to 2020+."

Crafted exclusively from the Grand and Premier Cru vineyards of the Montage de Reims, picked during the exceptional harvest of 2008. The blend is 51% Chardonnay (commune of Rilly-la-Montage) and 49% Pinot Noir (Verzy, Ay, Verzenay). The number 8 is very auspicious in China because Eight "Ba" in Chinese has a similar pronunciation with "Fa" meaning wealth or fortune.

WINERY NOTES - "A light shade of powder pink, clear and bright, with abundant bubbles. Subtle, it is fresh and refined, revealing delicate aromas of strawberries, raspberries, blood orange and blackcurrant. The attack is precise and sharp, leading to a subtle, tightly knit palate, featuring a lot of freshness and finesse. Notes of red berries and Bartlett pear, showing remarkable minerality through chalk and graphite notes. Delicate and fine, it is elegant with a sophisticated finish, like a finely crafted, mineral lace."

Every once in a while a champagne comes along that you can judge like you would a a great wine. Paul Bara's Comtesse Marie de France, their finest, is such a Champagne. The nose is expansive, deep, and ravishingly complex. The palate is rich and winey and incredibly long. Stock up. These don't happen very often. —Kermit Lynch

This exquisitely crafted champagne is derived from a mix of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, perfectly balanced to create a Rose champagne that is one to be consumed when celebrating a special occasion. Light crisp taste, which is fresh and fruity, with the color of delicate rose petals.
The copper casing of both the Brut and the Rose were inspired by the suit of armor worn by the knights of the palace. They are crafted from 100% second generation scrap copper and each bottle is recycled after consumption. So why the copper in the first place? Believe it or not, it’s not just bling it actually helps save energy and keeps the temperature of the wine stabilized while it’s being consumed without the use of an ice bucket.

Champagne Bertrand Senecourt is an Epernay Champagne house that sometimes makes special cuvees, such as Beau Joie Special Cuvee Brut. The Champagne is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay and it is bottled in a distinctive 100% copper wrapper that Bertrand Senecourt says is inspired by the suits of armor worn by medieval knights. The copper “suit of armor” keeps the Champagne colder for longer periods, according to Bertrand Senecourt, and the copper wrapper is made from recycled copper. In 2012 Beau Joie Special Cuvee Brut was the official Champagne for the party held after the Grammys at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. Other Beau Joie cuvees have earned compliments in Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar. Bertrand Senecourt is also the maker of the prestigious Charles Ellner Champagnes.

ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "The 1996 Brut Mill

Benoit and Val

Only the most dedicated and courageous growers would dare to practice biodynamic viticulture in a climate that is as cool and damp as Champagne

JOHN GILMAN 92+ POINTS-The Rive Gauche bottling is from the family’s own vineyards, made entirely from fortyfive year-old Pinot Meunier vines grown in the village of Mareuil le Port. The vins clairs are barrel-fermented entirely for this bottling, with the wine aging for three years sur latte prior to disgorgement and a finishing dosage of three grams per liter. The 2014 Rive Gauche was disgorged in November of 2017 and offers up a refined and very promising bouquet of apple, fresh almond, just a hint of passion fruit, meunier floral tones and a superbly complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, focused and shows lovely mid-palate depth, with refined mousse and a long, elegant and zesty finish. This is really a beautiful and very refined wine in the making. It is approachable already, but I would give it at least a few years in the cellar to more fully blossom. 2018-2045."

JOHN GILMAN 92-93 POINTS-"The Beaux Regards bottling is made entirely from estate-grown Chardonnay from the Bérêche family’s vineyards in their home village of Ludes. This had only been disgorged in January of 2018 and was still a bit unsettled in mid-March, but the underlying quality here was still quite apparent. The complex bouquet offers up scents of pear, lemon, chalky soil tones, a hint of buttery oak, fresh almond and white flowers in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, long and elegant in profile, with pinpoint bubbles, a good core and fine length and grip on the very well-balanced finish. The precision that this wine will eventually display was not in evidence after the fairly recent disgorgement, and for that reason I scored the wine in a range, but I would fully expect it to snap into exact focus with a bit more bottle age (it probably has already done so) and rate at the top of my range. It seems likely that the 2014 Beaux Regards will blossom completely a bit ahead of the 2013 Rilly bottling, but this again, could just be an impression caused by its more recent disgorgement. 2018-2035+.

JOHN GILMAN 92 POINTS-"2009 was the first vintage of Rosé that bore the new name of “Campania Remensis” on the label. The cuvée now takes its name from the Latin term for the countryside outside of Reims 40 that was used during Roman times here. The wine all hails from fruit grown in the village of Orme on the Petite Montagne, with the cépages sixty-five percent Pinot Noir, thirty percent Chardonnay and five percent red still wine (again Pinot Noir). The 2013 Campania Remensis was disgorged in March of 2017 and was showing beautifully a year out from its disgorgement, offering up a very refined and pure nose of strawberries, white cherries, a touch of orange zest, chalk and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, elegant and marvelously balanced, with a good core, fine focus and grip, lovely, delicate mousse and a very long, complex and vibrant finish. First class Rosé! 2018-2035."

JOHN GILMAN 92 POINTS-"The soon to be released version of Bérêche et Fils non-vintage “Brut Réserve” is going to be excellent. The wine is its customary blend of one-third each of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, with the wine having been disgorged in January of 2017. As is typical of this bottling, one-third of the blend is reserve wines and the finishing dosage was 6.5 grams per liter. This is really a lovely wine in the making, offering up a youthful and classy bouquet of apple, pear, chalky soil tones, brioche and just a whisper of buttery oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and focused, with lovely mousse, excellent balance and grip and a long, zesty and nascently complex finish. A superb non-vintage bottling. 2018-2035. (07/18)

PETER LEIM 1 1/2 STARS-"It's ample in body, its creammy notes of stone fruits, orange citrus and green apple underlind by stony minerality, and it finishes with excellent length and depth." This is made of roughly equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, and 70 percent of it was vinified in barrel. The base wine is a blend of the 2013 and 2014 vintages. It was disgorged in January of 2017 with a dosage of 7 grams per liter.

375ml

WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS-"Fermented in oak barrels and aged under natural corks for almost 13 years, Bollinger's 2004 R. D. Extra Brut blends 66% Pinot Noir with 34% Chardonnay from 16 crus, 88% of which are classified as Grand Cru. The wine opens with a very clear, deep, rich and aromatic but also pure and mineral-fresh nose of crushed rocks, cherries, brioche, pain aux raisin, white nougat, chalk and ripe, yellow-fleshed fruits. Highly elegant and complex on the weightless yet persistent and salty palate, this is an intense, densely woven, firmly structured yet elegant, beautifully refined and refreshing "recent disgorgement" (February 2018) that reveals just a kiss of oxidative flavors that adds even more complexity. A great Champagne on its way to improve over many years in the bottle. Tasted June 2018."-(06/2018)