2007 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Louis Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne (94 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Chardonnay from 3 Grand Crus (Chouilly, Mesnil-sur-Oger, & Cramant) in the Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France. Half of the blend was vinified in oak without malolactic fermentation, while the other has was in stainless steel with malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged on the lees for 10 years. The dosage is 7 g/l.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of toast, brioche, custard, meyer lemon, lemon pith, yellow apple, seashell, salted butter, and acacia.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, fine precise bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium body. The palate is very creamy but at the same time delicate. A medium+ length finish of baked apple, lemon custard, and brioche.

🔔 2007 Cuvée Louis Salmon is in a fantastic spot at the moment. The nose shows the influence of the oak aging and adds a lot of complexity while staying in balance. The palate is singing on this wine with great tension of the acidity that is perfectly balanced with the 7 g/l dosage. This wine paired amazingly well with a mixture of seafood from oysters to grilled totoaba. Another fabulous Cuvée from Billecart-Salmon! 🥂👏🍾

 2007 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Louis Salmon Brut Blanc de

The age old question... to drink, or not to drink? 😂 The wine that got me into wine was an 80s vintage Mumm Champagne that’d been cellared for 20+ years. There was barely a bubble left but the texture and flavours were insane! Toffee, biscuits, oats, amazing. If there’s a wine that started it for you please let me know! -

 The age old question... to drink, or not to drink? 😂 The

So if this doesn’t sound like a Federer backhand winner (sound on) I don’t know what does! 😂 It got me thinking... have you ever tried this? And if so, has it ever gone wrong? 😬

 So if this doesn’t sound like a Federer backhand winner

Champagne Joseph Perrier Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting with Benjamin Fourmon

🎙 Join the Instagram Live with Benjamin Fourmon, Managing Director of Champagne Joseph Perrier, on December 16th at 9 am PST / 6 pm France. Champagne Joseph Perrier was founded in Châlons-en-Champagne in 1825 and remains an independent and family-run Champagne House. We will talk through the history of the Joseph Perrier, then walk through a few Cuvées.

🍾 We will discuss the house style as we taste through three wines of Champagne Joseph Perrier: Cuvée Royale Brut, Cuvée Royale Brut Rosé, and Cuvée Royale Brut Vintage 2008. Please join the Instagram Live session and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

 Champagne Joseph Perrier Instagram Live Interview and

JM Sélèque Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting with Jean-Marc Sélèque

🎙 Join the Instagram Live with Jean-Marc Sélèque, Vigneron at Champagne JM Sélèque, on November 16th at 9 am PST / 6 pm France. In 2008, Jean-Marc returned to his family's domaine in Pierry. He immediately started converting the domaine toward Organic Viticulture and adopting some Biodynamic Principals. He also stopped selling off the fruit to negociants. The domaine has 22 acres of vines across 45 parcels in 7 different villages. Most remarkable is the average vine age is 40 years old.

🍷 We will taste two wines from Jean-Marc: the Solessence (50% of total production) and Quintette (his only Blanc de Blancs). We will discuss what makes these wines unique. Please join the Instagram Live session and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

 JM Sélèque Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting

2007 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé (95 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir comes from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne, while the Chardonnay from the Côtes des Blancs. The Pinot Noir for the red wine that is added (less than 10%) come from the “Valofroy” vineyard of old vines, located on the slopes of Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ and which benefit from a south-facing exposure. The wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation and is aged on the lees for 10 years. Dosage of 6 g/l.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of dried strawberry, dried raspberry, dried apricot, blood orange, persimmon, chalk, brioche, marzipan, pomelo zest, and orange blossom.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, delicate creamy bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and full body. Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is very vinous on the palate with a chalky texture and some slight spice. A long length finish of dried fruit, citrus, marzipan, and chalk.

🔔 2007 Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon exemplifies poise and composure in a vintage Rosé Champagne.  It says a lot without the need to be flashy or exuberant. The nose presents an ever-changing mix of aromas from glass to glass. The palate show structure and the pedigree to age. Everything comes together in an extraordinarily long and delineated finish. The 2007 vintage should continue to improve with additional cellar time. My only recommendation is to reserve a bottle for a maximum of two people. ❤️🌹🍾

 2007 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé

NV Françoise Martinot (par Charles Dufour) -  Bistrøtage (B.10) Extra Brut

ℹ️ This Champagne is a Blanc de Noirs, which is 💯Pinot Noir. Charles Dufour returned home to take over part of the estate for his retiring father. His mother, Françoise Martinot, also had vines, but she didn't want to retire yet. Charles decided to make a Cuvée for her because she usually sold off the fruit as a grower. Her vines were planted in the 70s and 80s in the Vallée de l’Arce (Côte des Bar), which were being farmed organically since 2006. The soils are Kimmeridgian limestone and clay infused with fossilized seashells like those in Chablis. B.10 is the first release based entirely on the 2010 vintage. Hand harvested, native yeast fermentation, and a year in neutral oak before tirage. The wine was aged on its lees for 7.5 years before being disgorged in the spring of 2019. This Champagne is zero dosage.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of baked apple, even caramel apple, quince paste, dried apricots, baked biscuit, marzipan, dried strawberry, and white chocolate.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (12%), and full body with subtle, yet fine bubbles on the palate. A medium length finish of caramel apple, dried fruit, and coffee grounds.

🔔 Let me start by saying, I am not sure if this bottle is sound.  I found it fascinating and peculiar at the same time. This wine truly comes across as a Natural Champagne. The color made me think it might have been slightly oxidized. There is almost no sulfur used except at the press for this wine. The year in the neutral barrel could also aid in the color. I have had this a few times at a social occasion, and while I recall it being similar, I don't remember it being this extreme. Given the production quantity, I won't be able to get a B.10 again for comparison, but I will try another release. The next evening I opened the rosé, and that was singing.

 NV Françoise Martinot (par Charles Dufour) -  Bistrøtage

Champagne Thiénot Interview and Virtual Tasting with Stan Thiénot·

🎙 Join my Instagram Live interview with Stan Thiénot, Managing Director and Brand Ambassador at Champagne Thiénot in Reims, on July 29th at 9:00 am PST / 6:00 pm France. In 1985, Alain Thiénot (Stan's father) launched his eponymous Champagne House. Although Champagne Thiénot is relatively new by other house standards in the region, Alain was able to use his well-established contacts with growers to guarantee an extraordinary supply of grapes. Stan and his sister Garance are now leading the house into the future·

🍷We will discuss the style of the house as we taste to non-vintage blends the Thiénot Brut and Thiénot Blanc de Blancs.  Then we will explore the vintage family cuvées the 2007 Thiénot Cuvée Alain and the 2010 Thiénot Cuvée Garance. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories·

 Champagne Thiénot Interview and Virtual Tasting with Stan

NV Bruno Paillard - Rosé Première Cuvée Extra Brut (91 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir makes up most of the blend in two different ways: First, as a white wine (wine quickly pressed off of the skins); and second as a red wine (Maceration of juice on the skins). A touch of Chardonnay is added to the blend for freshness. The base wine exclusively uses first press juice. The blend always has a high percentage of reserve wines from a perpetual reserve started in 1985. The wine is aged on the lees for three years and followed by an additional five months post disgorgement. The dosage is less than 6 g/l. It was disgorged in August 2019.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of barely ripe strawberry, white cherry, cranberry, orange blossom, orange zest, chalk, and bread dough.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, persistent fine bubbles, medium alcohol (12%), and medium body. A chalky texture on the palate. A medium+ length finish of strawberry, cranberry, and orange zest.

🔔  Bruno Paillard Rosé Première Cuvée is an elegant rosé Champagne that is exceptionally drinkable and affordable. It has bright acidity from the Chardonnay, added complexity due to reserve wines, and everything comes together in a delicate finish. Not a Champagne that slaps you in the face, but it will have a polite conversation with you. Good QPR Champagne.

 NV Bruno Paillard - Rosé Première Cuvée Extra Brut (91 pts)

NV Françoise Martinot (par Charles Dufour) -  Bistrøtage Rosé (B.11) Extra Brut (91 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a Blanc de Noirs, which is 💯Pinot Noir. Charles Dufour returned home to take over part of the estate for his retiring father. His mother, Françoise Martinot, also had vines, but she didn't want to retire yet. Charles decided to make a Cuvée for her because she usually sold off the fruit as a grower. Her vines were planted in the 70s and 80s in the Vallée de l’Arce (Côte des Bar), which were being farmed organically since 2006. The soils are Kimmeridgian limestone and clay infused with fossilized seashells like those in Chablis. B.11 is the second release, but the first rosé is based on the 2011 vintage and 10% reserve wine Blanc de Noirs from 2010. This wine uses 25% whole cluster Pinot Noir with native yeast fermentation, 21 days of skin maceration, and one year in neutral oak. The remainder of the blend is Blanc de Noirs with native yeast fermentation and one year in neutral oak. Then the wines are blended and aged for another two years in a neutral barrel before tirage. The wine was aged on its lees for 44 months before being disgorged in December of 2018. This Champagne is zero dosage.

👁 Deep pink-orange color with slight cloudiness.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of blood orange, pink grapefruit, nectarine, apricot, yeast, brioche, chalk, orange blossom, and spearmint.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (12%), and full body with subtle, yet fine bubbles on the palate. A medium+ length finish of blood orange, spearmint, and chalk.

🔔 The "Cool Kids" Champagne and I so want to join the club. Bistrøtage is a natural wine that meets a grower Champagne with no dosage, low sulfur, family-owned vines, and 25% whole cluster Pinot Noir still wine. Right from the color, this wine comes across unique with a slight haziness and deep color. Oxidative in style, and it works exceptionally well on this wine. The wine is very vinous on the palate, and the moderate bubbles add to that impression. Altogether a great package, now the question is, can I find more?

 NV Françoise Martinot (par Charles Dufour) -  Bistrøtage

Champagne at annual wine group holiday dinner party. Tarlant and Voette & Sorbee were so different but both beautiful. The Doquet 2004 showing off maturity and power.

 Champagne at annual wine group holiday dinner party

NV Billecart-Salmon - Brut Rosé (92 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier. The wine is a blend of three vintages with 2016 as the base and up to 40% reserve wines. This wine is fermented in stainless steel. Around 7-8% of Pinot Noir red wine is added for color and flavor.  The wine is aged on the lees for 36 months. Dosage of 7-8 g/l.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of tart cherry, red currant, grapefruit pith, orange peel, bread dough, and Jasmine.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, fine pervasive bubbles, medium alcohol (12%), and medium+ body.  A medium+ length finish of crunchy red fruit and orange peel.

🔔 Hands down, the Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé is a benchmark for non-vintage Rosé Champagne. There is a strong core of bright red fruit, but the highlight is the citrus flavors from the large percentage of Chardonnay in the blend. Overall, this wine has the elegance, charm, and balance that I have come to expect from Champagne Billecart-Salmon. Check out my interview with Mathieu Roland-Billecart for more information. 🌹🍾

 NV Billecart-Salmon - Brut Rosé (92 pts) @champagne

2006 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Nicolas François Brut (95 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne cuvée was first created in 1964 as a tribute to the founder, but it is essentially the same as the historic Vintage Brut. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (Montagne de Reims and Grand Vallée de la Marne) and 40% Chardonnay (Côte de Blancs) from Premier and Grand Cru vineyard sites. Every vintage goes through blind tasting trials to see what the final composition will be with variables being the grape blend, vineyard sites, and percentage aged in oak. A small percentage (5%) of the base wine was aged in an oak barrel but without malolactic fermentation. Aging on lees for 10 years. The dosage is 6 g/l·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of peach skin, red apple, baked quince, nectarine, orange blossom, lemon pith, Greek yogurt, marzipan, chalk, and toast·

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, fine bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. Fine bubbles with a chalky texture on the tongue. A long length finish of red apple, baked quince, marzipan, and chalk·

🔔 This wine is stunning right now. Give this a little air, and it is singing to you from the glass. The 2006 vintage is the current release, and this speaks loads to the Billecart-Salmon style to release the Cuvées slowly. The time on lees has built up a ton of complexity on the nose and layers of flavors on the palate. The bubbles are fine, but not super pervasive. The finish is delicate but long. This Champagne blows away most prestige cuvées at this price point. This may improve with age, but honestly, why wait? Cheers 🥂·

 2006 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Nicolas François Brut (95

Champagne Pommery Virtual Tasting and Interview with Clément Pierlot

🎙 Join my Instagram Live interview with Clément Pierlot, the Chef de Cave at Champagne Pommery, on Monday, May 3rd, at 9:00 am PST / 6:00 pm CET. Clément and I will discuss the history of Champagne. Champagne Pommery introduced the world to Brut  Champagne in 1874. We will be discussing the range of sparkling wines from POP to Cuvée Louise.  We will also be covering their expansion to making sparkling wine in England and California.

🍷 We will taste 2004 Champagne Pommery Cuvée Louise, Champagne Pommery Brut Rosé, Louise Pommery Brut Rosé (California), and a bottle of Champagne POP. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

 Champagne Pommery Virtual Tasting and Interview with

2006 Louis Roederer - Philippe Starck Brut Nature Champagne (91 pts)

- Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of baked bread, butterscotch, flint, floral, and white flowers. The wine is dry, high acidity that is bitey in the right way, medium- alcohol, and medium body. The bubbles were extremely fine, but not that persistent. This is bottled at 4.5 atmospheres of pressure vs typical 6 and this did impact the way I scored it a bit. The palate matched the nose with a slight creaminess to the texture. Finish was medium+ length. I ❤️ age and a touch of oxidation on my Vintage champagne 🍾. Again this was tasted blind with 8 other traditional method sparklers, this ranked

for me throughout the night, but the overall group ranking was lower than mine. Possible due to pressure level of the 🍾. In blind we trust.

 2006 Louis Roederer - Philippe Starck Brut Nature Champagne

🎙 Instagram Live interview with Clément Pierlot, the Chef de Cave at

Champagne Pommery. Clément and I discussed the history of Champagne Pommery. In 1874, Champagne Pommery introduced the world to Brut  Champagne. We discussed the range of champagnes from POP to Cuvée Louise.  We also be covered their expansion to making sparkling wine in England and California.

🍷 We tasted 2004 Champagne Pommery Cuvée Louise, Champagne Pommery Brut Rosé, and Louise Pommery Brut Rosé (California). Special thank you to Clément for taking the time to answer all of my questions at the entire team at Champagne Pommery.

 🎙 Instagram Live interview with Clément Pierlot, the Chef

2007 Aubry Fils - Le Nombre d'Or Sable Blanc des Blancs Brut Champagne (91 pts)

- One of the geekiest Champagnes that I have ever tasted! It is made with an almost equal percentage of 4 out the 5 white grape varietals permitted in Champagne. Which is 🥜 because these varietals (besides Chardonnay) are less than 0.3% of all plantings in Champagne. This wine was tasted and scored blind. In blind we trust! Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of brioche, biscuit, yeast, tangerine, underripe raspberry and strawberry. The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium- alcohol, and full body. Bubbles were fine, but not very consistent. This wine was very vinous on the palate. The finish was long and mineral laden. I was guessing that this was Pinot Noir based and was surprised that it was Blanc des Blancs, then dumbfounded when I found out it was an obscure blend. 30%

only missing Fromenteau (aka Pinot Gris). I believe this bottled at only 4 atmospheres of pressure as well. This ranked 3rd overall for the group and was my 4th place wine. Super interesting to taste.

 2007 Aubry Fils - Le Nombre d'Or Sable Blanc des Blancs

2013 JM Sélèque - Partition Extra Brut Champagne (94 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of 72% Chardonnay, 14% Meunier, and 14% Pinot Noir from seven different vineyards sites. Each year the same seven vineyards are used for Partition from these villages: Epernay, Dizy, Vertus, Mardeuil, and Pierry. There are seven barrels of vins claire, one for each site. After the wines are blended, they are aged under a cork on the lees for five years. This bottle was disgorged in March 2019 and bottled without fining or filtration. The dosage is 2 g/l. The score on the label changes each year, and 2013 is "Son of a Preacher Man." Only 150 cases were produced.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of baked apple, poached pear, nectarine, acacia, chrysanthemum, croissant, custard, toasted hazelnut, and salted butter.

👄 The wine is dry, high zippy acidity, subtle delicate bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. The palate is exceptionally vinous and layered. A long length finish of baked orchard fruit, custard, and salted nuts.

🔔 2013 Partition from Jean-Marc Sélèque is everything I look for in a grower Champagne. First and foremost, this is a beautiful wine, before it is a lovely Champagne. The bubbles are not super pervasive, but that gives the wine a bit more transparency. Really impressed by all of his wines, but this is my favorite so far. Seek this out if you can find it.

 2013 JM Sélèque - Partition Extra Brut Champagne (94 pts)

🇫🇷 NV Champagne Philipponnat - Royale Réserve

🇫🇷 NV Champagne Bollinger - Special Cuvée

🧠💭Let me know your thoughts or feedback on this

🗳 Add suggestions for future wine battles in the comments below👇

 🇫🇷 NV Champagne Philipponnat - Royale Réserve @champagne

2010 Agrapart & Fils - Minéral Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs (93 pts)·

🍾 Golden color. Aromas of ripe and baked apples and pears. Buttered toast, brioche, marzipan, chalk, and chrysanthemum on the nose. Laser-like acidity on the palate and powdery, chalky texture. Wonderfully long finish.

🔔 This Champagne is 💯 Chardonnay from two lieux-dits in Avize and Cramant on hard white chalk soils. This bottle is appropriately named Minéral because it screams chalkiness on the palate and has a beautiful tension with the bracing acidity.  So far, this is my favorite wine of the Agrapart lineup, but you can't go wrong with any of them. In an excellent drinking window at the moment, but I wouldn't necessarily cellar longer·

 2010 Agrapart & Fils - Minéral Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc

_ldf by donating and earn raffle tickets to fabulous wines donated by the

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NV Liebart-Regnier - Brut Blanc de Blanc (86 pts)

- Nice mousse, pale lemon color. Strong citrus aromas especially lime and lemon custard. Great high acidity that was laser like on the palate. Very clean and linear. Medium length finish.

 NV Liebart-Regnier - Brut Blanc de Blanc (86 pts)

Billecart-Salmon Virtual Tasting and Interview with Mathieu Roland-Billecart

🎙 Join my Instagram Live interview with Mathieu Roland-Billecart, CEO of Champagne Billecart-Salmon

_billecart_salmon on Thursday, February 4th, at 10:00 am PST / 7:00 pm CET. Mathieu and I will focus the discussion exclusively on Rosé Champagnes. Billecart-Salmon's Brut Rosé is one of their flagship cuvées and is considered a benchmark for the category. We will also discuss the creation of Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon.

🍾We will taste the Brut Rosé and the 2007 Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Brut. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

 Billecart-Salmon Virtual Tasting and Interview with Mathieu

Bringing up the bottom of traditional method 🍾 sparkling wine

7th - NV Andre Clouet - Un jour de 1911 Brut Champagne (86 pts) - Medium+ intensity, aromas of brioche, strawberry, marzipan, yeast, and oxidation. Dry, medium acidity, and decent bubbles. This was clearly pinot noir based and had a medium length finish that had some floral notes. This is 💯 Grand Cru fruit from Bouzy and 50% of the blend is from a solera started in 1998. The group ranked this 2nd overall.

8th - NV Nyetimber - Classic Cuvee (85 pts) - Oh my dear English sparkler how I wanted to ❤️ you just to stick it to the 🇫🇷. Pleasant nose of lemon zest and green apple. Dry, subtle bubbles that were a bit coarse, but with medium+ acidity. Overall a bit simple, but not too shabby. The group ranked it 4th.

9th - 2012 Arcari + Danesi - Dosaggio Zero Franciacorta (83 pts) - In general I find Franciacorta to be fairy expensive for what you actually get in the glass. My blind palate agrees with me. Medium- intensity on the nose. Aromas of lemon, lime, and tonic water. Coarse and clunky bubbles, bone dry, medium body, alcohol and acidity. Overall super simple on the palate. Sadly I have had many gin and tonics that would be more compelling than this wine.

 Bringing up the bottom of traditional method 🍾 sparkling

2017 Roses de Jeanne - Côte de Val Vilaine Blanc de Noirs Champagne (93 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Pinot Noir from the 1.4 ha lieu-dit of Val Vilaine in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Côte des Bar, Champagne. Cédric Bouchard is making some of the most singular and compelling sparkling wines in the world. Always single vineyard, single variety, and single vintage. No dosage. Only 300-500 cases annually.

🥂 Pale lemon color with very subtle bubbles. This is a wine that you need to open up in the glass. Fresh and expressive with crisp orchard fruit, lemon oil, florals, and a flinty note. The palate has zippy acidity but still carries a lot of fleshy texture that is quite impressive for a zero dosage wine. Excellent medium+ length finish. Definitely a wine you could sit down and ponder all by yourself. Easily one of my favorite Producers and if you see them snap them up quickly.

 2017 Roses de Jeanne - Côte de Val Vilaine Blanc de Noirs

NV Charles Heidsieck - Brut Reserve Champagne (92 pts)

- Persistent and fine bubbles. Pale gold color. Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of toast, brioche, poached pear, baked apple, and lemom meringue. The wine is dry, medium+ body it's quite full and actually quite surprising, medium+ acidity, and medium- alcohol. Well integrated oak on the palate, not over the top yeast notes either. Ripe orchard fruit baked yellow apple and poached pear. Nice citrus notes on the finish as well. Really well made wine it's a huge value. Honestly this is something I am going to stock up on. Definitely on the fuller side but has the tension and verve to keep the balance so you can keep drinking.

 NV Charles Heidsieck - Brut Reserve Champagne (92 pts)

2008 Jacquesson - Dizy Terres Rouges Extra Brut Rosé (94 pts)

🙋‍♂️ What was the last wine that changed your image of a category of wine❓·

ℹ️ Let me start off by saying that I do not love rosé Champagne. This wine is 💯 Pinot Noir and 💯 from the 2008 vintage. Most importantly that this is from a single parcel in Montagne de Reims. It is name Les Terres Rouges due the redish brown topsoil on top of limestone. This wine is made in an interesting way with 50% of the fruit macerating for 25 hours (Saignée), while the other 50% is slowly pressed over 4 hours. Then left on its lees for 5 years. Disgorged in Feb 2014 with a dosage of 3.5 g/l ·

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of dried strawberry, rose, red currant, rhubarb, Greek yogurt, toast, and saltine crackers ·

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, low chalky tannins (there if you swish), medium alcohol, and medium body. Bubbles are fine and persistent. Palate is a bit more vibrant than the nose. Strawberry, cranberry, red currant, chalk, and cream. The long finish highlights rhubarb, rose, and blood orange ·

🔔 Consumed over 3 days this got better with air and was best at cellar temp. This is so different than most rosé Champagne that I have tasted, when it often feels like color was tacked on, as opposed to owning it and truly being a rosé. This is like a good red Burgundy with bubbles and that is probably the highest compliment I can pay it, outside of admitting than this is redefining a category of wines that had previously been lackluster to me ·

 2008 Jacquesson - Dizy Terres Rouges Extra Brut Rosé (94

2004 Pommery - Cuvée Louise Extra Brut Champagne (93 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from only three Grand Crus: Aÿ, Cramant, and Avize. The wine has aged a minimum of 11 years on the lees with an additional 9 months post disgorgement. The dosage is 5 g/l.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of baked apple, baked pear, quince paste, lemon custard, crème brûlée, lemon zest, honeycomb, freshly baked bread, and white chocolate.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, fine-grained fresh bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. The palate is textured and creamy. A long length finish is showcasing baked orchard fruit, fresh-baked bread, and honey.

🔔 2004 Cuvée Louise packs a lot of flavor into the bottle. The aromatics are pretty intense, and that carries through in the palate. The acidity and texture keep those bold flavors in balance. Given the cellaring of this wine, as a current release, it is surprisingly fresh with very vibrant bubbles. Stylistically this vintage of Cuvée Louise is quite exuberant and almost hedonistic. It should maintain at peak for several years.

 2004 Pommery - Cuvée Louise Extra Brut Champagne (93 pts)

Champagne Vilmart & Cie Interview and Virtual Tasting with Laurent Champs

🎙 Join my Instagram Live interview with Laurent Champs owner at Vilmart & Cie in Champagne, on July 22nd at 9:00 am PST / 6:00 pm France. Since 1890, Vilmart & Cie has always been a récoltant-manipulant, making champagne exclusively from estate-owned vines. Laurent has been in charge of the house since 1989. The majority of Vilmart’s 11 hectares of vines lie in Rilly-la-Montagne, although there are a few plots just over the border in the neighboring village of Villers-Allerand.·

🍷 All of his wines are aged in oak in a wide variety of forms, while at the same time, he makes some of the most elegant wines in the region. We will be tasting two wines: Cuvée Grand Cellier and Cuvée Rubis. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories·

 Champagne Vilmart & Cie Interview and Virtual Tasting with

Champagne Henriot Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting with Alice Tétienne

🎙 Join the Instagram Live with Alice Tétienne, Cellar Master of Champagne Henriot, on December 15th at 9 am PST / 6 pm France. Champagne Henriot was founded in 1808 and remains an independent and family-run Champagne House. Alice has recently joined Henriot after being a Winemaker at Krug, where she was responsible for vineyard relations and a tasting committee member. We will discuss Henriot's approach to Viticulture for their vineyards and that of their growers. They have recently launched Alliance Terroir, which seeks to provide an in-depth study of the soils.

🍾 We will discuss the house style as we taste through four wines of Champagne Henriot: Brut Souverain, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Millésime 2008, and Cuvée Hemera 2005. Please join the Instagram Live session and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

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NV Vilmart & Cie - Cuvée Grand Cellier Brut (92 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. All of the vines are classified as Premier Cru in the village of Rilly-la-Montagne. The vineyards are all farmed by the Vilmart House, which is either owned or in a long term contract with neighboring properties. The vineyards are sustainably farmed and hand-harvested. The base wine is 2015 with reserve wines from 2013 and 2014. The wine is aged for 10 months in large oak casks. The wines do not go through malolactic fermentation. The dosage is 8 g/l.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of lemon zest, yellow apple, Asian pear, Mirabelle plum, flint, toasted bread, marzipan, and grilled nuts.

👄 The wine is dry, high racy acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium body with fine bubbles on the palate. A medium+ length finish of lemon zest, flint, and grilled nuts.

🔔 Cuvée Grand Cellier is my most referred non-vintage Champagne for people who want to start exploring Grower Champagne. This wine has stellar acidity, fine bubbles, good weight, and best in class finish at this price. Yes, the dosage is higher than many growers, but with the acidity level in this wine, you don't feel it. It gives you an impression of being broad while at the same time very fresh. There you have it, my Grower "Gateway" Champagne recommendation that won't break the bank. 🚫🏦🍾

 NV Vilmart & Cie - Cuvée Grand Cellier Brut (92 pts)

Jacquesson - Cuvee 739 Extra Brut (92 pts)

- Pale lemon color with persistent fine bubbles. Medium+ intensity on the nose. Notes of yeast, biscuit, baked bread, green apple, lemon peel, acacia, wet stone, and underripe raspberry. Also, a slight herbal note that is very faint. The wine is bone dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol, and medium+ body for a sparkling wine. The palate takes it up a notch with a lot of citrus and mineral notes. Meyer lemon, lemon peel, lime, and green apple. Then a chalky note takes over the palate then transitions to notes of brioche, baked bread, yoghurt, acacia, and wet stone. Finish is medium+ length. The chalky texture is mouth coating and almost drying making you want to drink more. This wine exceeds all expectations for a grower nonvintage (predominantly 2011) champagne.