FRENCH WINE

VINOUS 94-96 POINTS: "Bright yellow. Expansive, highly aromatic bouquet of orange, pear and flowers, with notes of talc and anise coming up with air. Pure and penetrating citrus and mineral flavors pack a serious punch and show a strong spicy quality on the back end. Finishes with resonating mineral and spice notes, an almost oily texture and outstanding persistence. I'd love to see this next to some high-end grand cru Burgundies. Emmanuel Reynaud told me that yields were off by over 70% in 2008 so this will be a rare bird."

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.

Founded in 1808, Champagne Henriot is one of the few remaining family-owned houses with over 200 years of history and legacy. Over the years, the house has been cultivating a distinct style of its own, guided by the pursuit of the purest expression of Chardonnay, as well as a conscious and sustainable approach to the environment. The new Cellar Master, Alice Tetienne, oversee 35ha of vineyards, growers, and a small-scale production. She was awarded the "Best Winemaker of the Year" in 2020 by Trophees Champenois for her dedicated work.

The Brut Millesime 2008 marks our 200th Anniversary of the house! It is an exceptional champagne capturing the quintessential character of the 2008 vintage.

Every Champagne Henriot Brut Vintage is unique because it is a story of the year, the climate, and style of the house. The 2008 is unlike any other vintage. When Apolline Henriot founded Maison Henriot, she first created the Brut Souverain NV to tell the story of her terroir; however, she had a deep respect for nature and the climate is part of that, so she decided to create another champagne that would be the story of one year—a Brut Millesime, the definition of the environment. Champagne Henriot owns and sources from predominantly Premier & Grand Crus vineyards and the quality of the Brut Millesime is defined in the grapes at harvest. Champagne Henriot practices a very natural winemaking to allow the terroir to shine through.

The 2008 vintage was a very classic year with perfect climate conditions. A little bit colder than average, but there was warm sun in the spring and summer; it rained, but just the right amount. This champagne is incredibly distinctive of the Henriot style, the elegance of the champagne region, the serious profile of Premier & Grand Crus, the structure of the Montagne de Reims, and the freshness of the Cote des Blancs. The style and profile are the DNA of the house.

The Brut Millesime 2008 is 59% Grand Cru and 41% Premier Cru. It's an interesting cuvee, dominated by chardonnay-53% Chardonnay, 47% Pinot Noir. The chardonnay villages in this champagne include the Chouilly and Avize from the Cote des Blancs as well as Trepail from the Montagne de Reims. The Pinot Noir is sourced from Avenay, Mailly, Verzy, and Verzenay from the Montagne de Reims. A beautiful representation of the vineyards from Champagne Henriot.

It's a tremendous symbol and tribute to Henriot's legacy and vision that the wine Apolline Henriot originally produced is still being created 200 years later!

DECANTER 96 POINTS - "An undramatic, cloud-filled season came right in a late harvest in October. A textbook cool vintage of great ageing potential. The perfect 50/50 balance of mineral-stamped Chardonnay and powerful, masculine Pinot makes this a champagne for patient drinkers, as it will take time to reach its peak. Vibrant acidity is joined by notes of white flowers and that magnificent mineral structure." Michael Edwards

ROBERT PARKER 98 POINTS: "A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of the production, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc offers aromas of high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt. Full, rich and stunningly concentrated, I doubt it is inferior to the 2010, just more classic as well as slightly more forward and a degree weaker in alcoholic potency (12.5% versus 13.5%). The 2008 should be relatively drinkable in 6-10 years as it is already showing remarkable complexity and breed, and will last for 30-35 years...at the minimum."

ROBERT PARKER 98 POINTS: "A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of the production, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc offers aromas of high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt. Full, rich and stunningly concentrated, I doubt it is inferior to the 2010, just more classic as well as slightly more forward and a degree weaker in alcoholic potency (12.5% versus 13.5%). The 2008 should be relatively drinkable in 6-10 years as it is already showing remarkable complexity and breed, and will last for 30-35 years...at the minimum."

The 2008 Gold Label Vintage Extra Brut is a 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Fresh, lean and intense, this is a very elegant, pure and refined classic with a lovely mineral expression; it has refreshing lemon flavors in the very good finish. This is made in a lean and complex style. Excellent, although it needs a few years of ageing. Disgorged in July 2015. Stephan Reinhardt - The Wine Advocate

Yipes! This is one of those classic, "Why is this killer wine still available?" situations. Perhap's it's the somber gray (yellow was already taken) label or the fact that Laurent-Perrier's uber popular brut rose steals all of the brand's thunder. Any who, if you are interested in adding to your stash (for very little cash) of top-rated Champagnes from the century's top Champagne vintage, this beauty is definitely for you. It's a 50/50 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir blend drawn exclusively from Grand Cru sites: Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Le Mensil-sur-Oger for the Chardonnay and Ay, Verzy, Tours-sur-Marne and Bouzy for the Pinot Noir. 2008 started out with a typically cold winter followed by a damp spring. However, it is the month of September that often makes or breaks a Champagne vintage and so it was with 2008. Harvest started mid-month in cool, but dry conditions which produced a bounty of healthy Chardonnay and Pinot Noir berries which from the outset revealed outstanding aromatic intensity with keen acidity that augured well for an exceptional year.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 96 POINTS - "While still young, this Champagne has all the makings of greatness. Produced from grand cru vineyards, it already balances ripe white fruits with a firm structure that will age well. It's relatively dry and has plenty of acidity, which will also aid in the longevity." *Top Cellar Selection of 2019*

JAMES SUCKLING 95 POINTS - "This is a solid and very dense Champagne with a phenolic and rich texture. Layers of cooked apples and light lemon rind. Brioche and light pie-crust in the aftertaste. Fresh and relatively dry aftertaste."(07/19)

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "The 2008 Brut Millésimé opens in the glass with lovely aromas of lemon oil, green apple, warm biscuits, iodine and mandarin. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with an elegantly layered core, a fine, pinpoint mousse and racy balancing acids, concluding with a long and incipiently biscuity finish. This is a classy vintage Champagne that will develop beautiful complexity in the cellar."

Winemaker Notes The 2008 Rare Rosé is Piper-Heidsieck's second ever prestige cuvée rosé. This extremely premium and rare offering has been 11 years in the making. The legendary eye of Régis Camus saw a rare opportunity in the 2008 champagne vintage, a beautifully complex and eccentric vintage. It is an audacious wine, born of intuition, vision and aspiration – the very definition of Rosé. Following an attack that is both elegant and generous the velvety texture unfurls to offer minerality and subtlety. Initially, the exuberant vitality of dark fruits and citrus is followed by vibrancy, smoky notes of star anise and violets. Critical Acclaim WS97Wine Spectator A vibrant Champagne, ballet-slipper pink in color, featuring intense flavors of nectarine, ripe raspberry, grilled nut, espresso and graphite, with a touch of dried sage, all riding the finely detailed mousse. Like a ballerina, this offers power in a graceful form. A beautiful skein of spice unravels on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2033.

Though situated in the Montagne de Reims village of Ludes this small artisan house has developed a variety of outstanding Chardonnay sources in the Cote des Blancs including the Grand Cru villages of Cramant, Oger, and Mesnil-sur-Oger. This 2008 could be their best rendition to date.
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS-"Lemon and grapefruit tightly cut into place with powerful acidity and lots of lemon citrus on the nose as well as grilled hazelnuts. The palate has impressively deep-set citrus flavors, and refreshing layers build with terrific depth, power and nutty warmth."

VINOUS 98 POINTS-"Taittinger’s 2008 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is simply breathtaking. I have tasted it many times over the years in various trial disgorgements and it has never been anything less than compelling. The final, finished wine captures all of that potential. Bright, focused and wonderfully deep, Comtes is a fabulous example of a vintage that expresses so much energy but with real fruit intensity, the signatures that distinguish it from other vintages (1996 comes to mind) that were similarly taut, but more austere in the early going. Although the 2008 impresses right out of the gate, it only really starts to open up with several hours of air. The 2008 Comtes represents the purest essence of the Côtes des Blancs in a great, historic vintage. Readers who can find the 2008 should not hesitate, as it is a truly brilliant epic Champagne that no one who loves the very best in Champagne will want to be without. (AG) 98+."(8/2020)

WINE ADVOCATE 98 POINTS-"Taittinger's 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is being released this year, and it will be worth a special effort to track down. I wrote in August 2019 that this is the finest Comtes de Champagne since the brilliant 2002, and this tasting confirmed that. Offering up a deep and complex bouquet of citrus oil, crisp orchard fruit, warm brioche, crushed chalk, blanched almonds and smoke, it's full-bodied and incisive, with excellent concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. While this is already immensely impressive out of the gates, this 2008 is clearly built for the long haul, and three decades' longevity won't be a challenge."(9/2020)