FRENCH WINE

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.

Rosé Majeur is the perfect embodiment of the originality and finesse of the House’s wines. Made predominantly from Chardonnay, it is crafted with the addition of a small proportion of still Pinot Noir from the best crus of the Montagne de Reims. A low dosage enables it to express the House style, both feminine and generous, with great elegance. The very high proportion of Chardonnay and the aging process result in a Champagne with remarkable finesse. Brut Rosé Majeur shines with freshness on the palate, offering immediate pleasure and well-balanced flavors.

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "Very elegant and refined in texture, with fresh, focused acidity finding fine integration with the layered notes of patisserie apple, black currant, smoky mineral and biscuit, complimented by hints of lemon zest and honey. Lingering finish. Drink now through 2020. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 5,000 cases imported.”

We are excited about this offering because we love nothing more than offering killer deals on great wines. While not as flashy or fashionable as some of its Grandes Marques brethren, Bollinger nevertheless possesses a legion of savvy devotees that is surpassed only by that of Krug’s. As with Krug’s Grand Cuvee, Bollinger’s reputation is anchored by their consistently splendid multi-vintage Brut Special. This is a particularly nice rendition and it is further notable because it is the first release of Special Cuvee packaged in a swanky new bottle patterned after one the company used in the 1840s. Disgorged this past summer, 45% of the blend is from 2008, while 50% is from 2007, with the rest being composed of older vintages aged in magnum.

Jacques Bollinger and Paul-Joseph Renaudin founded Bollinger in 1829. However, it was really the widow (yes, another dynamic Champagne widow) Lilly Bollinger, who guided the firm from 1941 to 1971, that is most responsible for the lofty reputation that the firm enjoys today. By all accounts this grande dame was an indefatigable and astute leader that left no stone unturned in the pursuit of bolstering the excellence of her Champagnes. Ghislain de Montgolfier, a great great grandson of Jacques Bollinger, took charge of the house from 1994 to 2008. Today, Jérôme Philipon is managing director, while Mathieu Kauffmann , who has been with the house since 2001, is Bollinger’s brilliant chef de cave. Bollinger’s 395 acres of vines provide for roughly two-thirds of the house’s needs, which permits greater control over style and quality.

Bruno Gobillard Brut Rose Sophie base is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier topped with 15% still red wine. Pale and very delicate, it shows fresh Queen Anne cherry character backed by wonderful acidity due to the absence of malolactice fermentation.

WINE SPECTATOR 90 POINTS - "A lively version, with bright, well-knit acidity and a lacy texture. This offers subtle notes of ripe cherry and strawberry fruit, gingersnap and red licorice. Citrusy finish."

Domaine Bruno Gobillard is in Pierry, near Epernay. The estate was created in 1994 when Bruno Gobillard, then a 28-year-old from a long-established Champagne producing family, decided to strike out on his own. Bruno Gobillard has 17 acres of vineyards located in the communes of Moussy, Pierry, Epernay, Cramant, Chatilllonsur-Marne and La Chapelle Montaudon. The vines are an average of 30 years old. The Gobillard family has been growing grapes and making Champagne in the region since the mid-19th century.

Fashioned from 45% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Meunier, this Brut Rose charms with an enticing nose of red currants, strawberries and lemon curd. The fresh red fruits spill over to the dry yet creammy palate. Here then is a well intergrated and balanced Rose that is a real pleasure to drink and a real bargain to boot.

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS-"This vibrant version shows a range of toasted brioche, baked cherry, crystalized honey, grated ginger and coconut flavors, remaining light-footed and lively throughout. Beautifully balanced, with a lasting, mouthwatering finish. Disgorged 2014. Drink now through 2020. 5,000 cases imported. (10/16)."

PETER LEIM 2 STARS-"Beginning with this release, chef de cave Thierry Roset has reduced the number of crus that are included in this wine, although the general composition remains the same: one-third of each variety, with about 40 percent of the blend composed of reserve wines that average about ten years of age. As usual, it's generous in aroma, showing a waxy, burnished richness and an unusual complexity and depth for a non-vintage brut. At the same time, it feels lively and vibrant thanks to its fresh acidity, along with a pervasive chalkiness that saturates the wine from start to finish. This is already one of the finest NVs on the market, and if anything, it's only getting better with each new release."

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "The NV Brut Classic is a very pretty, fresh wine with notes of flowers, pears, minerals and mint. Deutz has produced a lovely, focused Champagne loaded with class, personality and brilliance. The Brut Classic is approximately 38% Pinot Noir, 32% Pinot Meunier and 30% Chardonnay, with the addition of 20-40% reserve wines."

The Grande Sendrée Cuvée takes its name from a parcel of land covered by cinders after the fire which ravaged Urville in 1838. A spelling error having slipped through in a new version of the land register, it is with an “s” that this cuvée is designated today. A reproduction of an 18th century bottle found in the Urville cellars is used and the Grande Sendrée undergoes remuage entirely by hand.

This Pinot Meunier dominated blend (with 30 Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay) posses a glossy, pale gold hue with lively bubbles, a silky mid-palate and a long pleasing finish. The nose offers up fragrant hints of fresh fruit before expanding to release riper fruit aromas of red apples and assorted stone fruits.

Champagne Dumenil is an independent Champagne House which continues to utilise the expertise that has been handed down through the family for 5 generations. Today Frederique and Hugues Poret-Dumenil run things with a steady hand, they are artisans of wine who are passionate about both the vineyard and the wine, craft Champagnes of style in the highest respect for their land situated in Chigny-les-Roses, Rilly la Montagne, Ludes and Sacy. Their Jany Portet bottling is sourced from the family's vines in the Montagne de RemisPremier Cru village of Saucy. Here the triple influence of chalk, sand and clay produces superbly balanced blends with the dominant sandy soil bringing extra lightness to enhance the full, ripe fruit aromas (citrus fruit, stewed fruit and honeyed floral notes.

The newest in the Egly-Ouriet range, this is one third of each - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier - from Trigny, on the Massif St Thierry northwest of Reims. The inaugural release is 100% 2016, vinified in tank without malo, and then aged 3 years on lees, before disgorgment and finishing with 2g/L dosage. While still offering up that trademark Egly vinosity and complexity, there is a distinctly fresh quality to this wine that is a pleasant surprise after seeing the lovely golden color when it is poured in your glass. Flavors of ripe golden delicious apple are rounded out with citrus and floral notes, and a rich, well-balanced weight.

The Forest-Marie Vintage 2008 is made up of a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This comes entirely from two south facing parcels Chaillots & Mont des Chrétiens of calcareous soils that have an average vine age of 67-80 years. The grapes were hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel for 20-30 days with spontaneous and cultured yeasts, malolactic was allowed to happen. After fermentation was finished, the wine was aged for 8 months with 29 mg/L of sulfur before being bottled under crown cap on March 23, 2009. This bottle was disgorged to order on August 1, 2019 and finished with a dosage of 6.85 grams per liter.

WINE SPECTATOR 91 POINTS - "Chalky on the nose, this clean-cut Champagne is creamy in texture and elegant, offering a subtle mesh of biscuit, green pear, ground ginger and lemon zest notes. A fine aperitif, with a racy finish."

Breaking with convention Grand Cordon has no front label : The G.H. Mumm signature and eagle emblem are printed in gold directly on the glass. Another striking feature of the design is its shape, which necessitated a whole series of innovations to the traditional champagne production process.

The most eye-catching feature of the Mumm Grand Cordon bottle is its reinterpretation of the famous Cordon Rouge red sash, transformed into a genuine red ribbon, which – in a feat of technology – is actually indented in the glass.

Disgorged in July 2019, the latest release of Gaston Chiquet's NV Brut Rosé Premier Cru is showing very well, bursting with aromas of fresh peach, red berries, mint, green apples, rhubarb and pastry cream. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, crisp and fleshy, with a charming core of fruit, racy acids and a lingering, flavorful finish.

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "The latest rendition of the NV Brut Tradition is excellent, unfurling in the glass with aromas of mandarin, apple, freshly baked bread and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with tangy acids, a fine mousse and a generous but vibrant core of fruit. It’s an expressive, giving Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window—and it’s also a great value.”

JOHN GILMAN 93+ POINTS-I really love the Pinot Meunier component in Gosset’s Grande Réserve bottling, which is once again fifteen percent in the current release. This wine was aged for five years on the lees and is a blend of 2008, 2007 and 2006 vintages and was disgorged in July of 2012. The nose is absolutely superb on this iconic bottling, offering up scents of apple, fresh-baked bread, orange zest, a beautifully complex base of soil tones and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and complex, with lovely focus and balance, excellent mousse, zesty acids and outstanding length and grip on the pure and toasty finish. A fine, fine bottle of bubbly."

VINOUS WINE MEDIA 90 POINTS>-"The NV Brut Cuve´e de Re´serve is a terrific introduction to the range. Creamy and ample, the Cuve´e de Re´serve offers lovely depth. Pinot drives the blend with its natural texture and resonance. Orchard fruit, dried almond, chamomile and spice are some of the nuances that build in the glass. Silky and beautifully resonant, the Cuve´e de Re´serve is so inviting right now. This release is based on 2017, with reserve wines back to 2014. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 15, 2019."

VINOUS WINE MEDIA 92 POINTS-"The NV Brut Rosé is flat-out delicious. The word 'balance' is so overused in wine, but I really can't think of a better way to describe the Brut Rosé. It is not nervy nor overly rich, but just impeccable in its poise and overall harmony. A healthy amount of Pinot lends volume and intensity to this Chardonnay-based Rosé. This is the sort of wine that is opened and disappears within a few minutes. This release is a blend of vintages 2017 and 2016. Disgorged: August, 2019."