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

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 Guillaume Selosse - Largillier Extra Brut (93 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Pinot Noir from Aube grower, Jérôme Coessens. Largillier is a monopole vineyard in the village of Villes-sur-Arce. The vineyard has southern exposure with clay-limestone soil and subsoil of Kimmeridgian chalk. The average vine age is 45 years old. The wine is left on the lees for two years in barrel. Then it is combined with a perpetual reserve and left to age for the third year. Only at that point does the wine start the secondary fermentation. Production is around 300 cases.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of marzipan, toasted hazelnut, Rainer cherry, red apple skin, quince paste, apricot, chalk, ginger, dried honey, and earthy.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, subtle bubbles, medium alcohol (12%), and full body. More mineral notes of wet rock and charcoal on the palate. A long length finish of ginger beer, marzipan, and apple skin.

🔔 This Champagne is very provocative in that it is the vinous Champagne that I can have tried. The nose was oxidative but had this fascinating spice that took me a while to pinpoint as ginger, almost ginger beer. A lot of nuttiness and earthiness to the wine as well. The bubbles were not critical call-out being overall reasonably reserved. The palate was more expressive than the nose showing the fruit character more and the acid backbone that would carry this to a long finish. Texturally quite splendid on the palate as well. This was most enjoyable as it warmed up a bit from cellar temperature. This wine is very singular while at the same time thought-provoking. I felt like Spock and just kept saying "fascinating" each time I tasted the wine. 🖖🥂

 NV Guillaume Selosse - Largillier Extra Brut (93 pts)

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

🇫🇷 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

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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

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

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.

 Champagne Henriot Instagram Live Interview and Virtual

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)

2007 Thiénot - Cuvée Alain Thiénot Brut (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir.  The grapes come partially from their vineyards. The wine was aged on its lees for ten years and was disgorged in 2018.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of baked apple, quince paste, Mirabelle plum, dried apricot, orange zest, baked bread, cheese rind, custard, and caramel.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, fine bubbles (not overly pervasive), medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. The wine has a powdery texture on the palate. A medium+ length finish of baked apple, crème caramel (flan), and orange zest.

🔔 The 2007 Cuvée Alain Thiénot is a fully mature Champagne that is ready to drink now. This wine shows how a fruit-driven Champagne ages with so much time on the lees developing baked and caramel apple notes with rich custardy flavors. The Cuvées of Champagne Thiénot all have a unique personality. It was fun to try them side by side. In the grand scheme of things, this represents a substantial value in Vintage Champagne.

 2007 Thiénot - Cuvée Alain Thiénot Brut (92 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, and 5% Meunier. More than 25 crus from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims make up the blend. The majority of the blend comes from the 2015 vintage, with 30% of reserve wines. There is also a small amount of Cuve 38, a perpetual reserve of Grand Cru Chardonnay. Each bottle is aged more than three years on lees. The dosage is less than 8 g/l.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe golden apple, Asian pear, lemon zest, acacia, white flowers, and bread dough.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, vigorous moderate-size bubbles, medium alcohol (12%), and medium+ body. A creamy texture on the palate. A medium- length finish of golden apple, Asian pear, and marzipan.

🔔  Maison Henriot offers the right amount of complexity at a very fair price. The style is fruit-forward, with some floral notes showing nuance. The autolytic notes are less pronounced on the nose but are represented more on the supple palate. The Souverain bottling provides a lot of value for the money better than many of the bigger houses similarly priced wines.

 NV Henriot - But Souverain @champagnehenriot ℹ️ This

Henri Giraud - Espirit Nature Brut (90 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. The grapes are vinified and aged in oak barrels. Over 50% of the blend comes from the house's perpetual reserve. The wine is aged on the lees for 2 years.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of nectarine, white peach, quince paste, red apple, orange marmalade, marzipan, saltine cracker, and subtle white pepper.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, vigorous fine bubbles, medium alcohol (12%), and medium+ body. More expressive on the palate than the nose with a slight spice from the oak. The medium length finish shows notes of white peach, apple skin, and salted almonds.

🔔 A solid entry-level Champagne from Henri Giraud. A bit richer and riper than many Champagnes at this price point. Also, suitable for people wanting to taste Pinot Noir dominant blend. I want to add that it is nice to see the commitment and guarantee on the back label.

 Henri Giraud - Espirit Nature Brut (90 pts)

Interview with Stan Thiénot of Champagne Thiénot

 . We had some technical difficulties in the beginning so please ⏩fast forward to 3m 10s.

Stan discussed the original of the house that only started in 1985. His father, Alain Thiénot was a grape broker between large brands and vinegrowers which allowed him to purchase and source top grapes in order to start his own house.

We discussed the house style of Thiénot and tasted through the NV Brut and Blanc de Blancs. Stan explained their Winemaking process and how they use a lot of reserve wines to deliver the style of the house. He also explained jetting as wines are disgorged and the impact it has on maintaining freshness in the wines.

Then we tasted two of the family Cuvées which are named for his father and sister. We talked about what it means to still be alive and have a Cuvée with your name on it.

These wines are very good and are imported by

 Interview with Stan Thiénot of Champagne Thiénot

Interview with Benjamin Fourmon, Managing Director

Champagne Joseph Perrier was founded in Chalons-en-Champagne in 1825 and remains an independent and family-run Champagne House. We talked through the history of the Joseph Perrier, then tasted through several Cuvées: Cuvée Royale Brut, Cuvée Royale Brut Rosé, and Cuvée Royale Brut Vintage 2008.

 and Champagne Joseph Perrier for making this interview and tasting possible.

 Interview with Benjamin Fourmon, Managing Director

Instagram Live interview with Mathieu Roland-Billecart, CEO of Champagne Billecart-Salmon.

Mathieu and I focused the discussion exclusively on Rosé Champagne of the house. 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 tasted the Brut Rosé and the 2007 Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Brut.

 Instagram Live interview with Mathieu Roland-Billecart, CEO

Billecart-Salmon - Les Rendez-Vous N°1 Meunier Extra Brut

👨‍🔬 Les Rendez-Vous is a new experimental series from Champagne Billecart-Salmon. These releases are one and done. The goal of N°1 was to see how Meunier ages as a single varietal Champagne.

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Pinot Meunier (the cool kids just call it Meunier these days) from historic vineyards of Leuvrigny, Festigny, and Venteuil in the heart of Vallée de la Marne. The base wine is from the 2014 vintage with 33% reserve wines. Vinified in stainless steel tank and aged on the lees for 52 months. Dosage is 4.5 g/l.

🍾 Initially, a tad closed and blossomed with air. The nose was quite fruit-forward with pear, Mirabelle plum, kumquat, and quince paste on the nose. Great acidity, fine bubbles, and broad on the palate. Quite vinous and almost waxy on the finish.

🔔Overall I am excited by this line of wines. Les Rendez-Vous is a great way to share some of the house's experiments without needing to create a permanent fixture in the wider Billecart-Salmon range. A unique and fun wine, but if I tasted this blind, I don't think it would necessarily resonate as a Billecart-Salmon wine. Maybe that is precisely the point. The label mentions ”See you soon for N°2”, so I wonder what that could be..... Suspense building!

 Billecart-Salmon - Les Rendez-Vous N°1 Meunier Extra Brut

2013 Champagne Gremillet - Clos Rocher (91 points)

ℹ️ This Champagne is 💯 Pinot Noir from an enclosed estate vineyard in the village of Riceys, France. Clos Rocher is the top Cuvée of the house. The wine comes exclusively from first press juice, undergoes full malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, and is aged for 7 years on the lees before release. The dosage is 7 g/l.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of yellow apple, white peach, underripe raspberry, marzipan, almonds, toasted bread, bread dough, and white flowers.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, fine pervasive bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. A medium length finish of yellow apple, marzipan, and citrus pith.

🔔 While they say, "It's not what's on the outside, it's what's inside that counts," is utterly true in wine, but I gotta say I do ❤️ the sleek packaging. 2013 Clos Rocher shows a good balance of primary fruit and complexity developed from 7 years on the lees. Champagne Gremillet is a new house for me, and this was my favorite of the Cuvées.

 2013 Champagne Gremillet - Clos Rocher (91 points)

ℹ️ This wine is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Meunier. The grapes are primarily sourced from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. The blend has 30% reserve wines (2010, 2012, and 2013). The dosage is 5 g/l.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of red apple, pear, nectarine, lemon zest, pie crust, bread dough, toast, and cherry blossom.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, persistent fine bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium body. A medium length finish of baked orchard fruit and flaky pie crust.

🔔 Champagne Thiénot's Brut offers a balanced and crowd-pleasing bottle of bubbles at a very fair price. Coming in around $40, this is the perfect brunch offering where you won't feel guilty killing a bottle or two. It is more elegant than many "big" houses that can be a tad heavy-handed with dosage. I don't know about you, but I would instead pay for reserve wines in the blend than a marketing campaign.

 NV Thiénot - Brut @champagnethienot ℹ️ This wine is a blend

Champagne Bruno Paillard Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting with Alice Paillard

🎙 Join the Instagram Live with Alice Paillard on September 10th at 9 am PST / 6 pm Paris. Alice is the daughter of Bruno Paillard and co-manages the Champagne house with her father. We will discuss the house style and what makes it unique. We will cover the topics of first press only, separate vinifications for Crus, use of reserve wines, and aging duration. The house was founded in 1981 and has acquired vineyards along the way, now owning enough land to cover 50% of their total production. Champagne Bruno Paillard was the first Producer to put a disgorgement date on every single bottle, related disgorgement to the second birth of each wine.

🍾 We will taste the Première Cuvée, Rosé Première Cuvée, and Millésimé 2009 Assemblage. Please join the Instagram Live session and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

 Champagne Bruno Paillard Instagram Live Interview and

2010 Thiénot - Cuvée Garance Brut (92 pts)

ℹ️ Cuvée Garance is 💯 Pinot Noir, and House Thiénot refers to as Blanc de Rouges (not an official designation). The grapes primarily come from Montagne de Reims: Aÿ, Cumières, and Rilly-a-Montagne. The base wine is fermented in stainless steel and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged on its lees for eight years.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of red apple skin, Mandarin orange, yellow plum, orange blossom, dried leaves, caramel apple, dried apricot, pie crust, and high-end honey.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, fine fading bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. The palate is showing more development of baked and dried fruit. A medium+ length finish of dried apricot, honey, and oolong tea.

🔔 The 2010 Cuvée Garance is a fully mature Champagne that is ready to drink now. There is a lot of dried and baked fruit on the palate combined with pie crust autolytic notes. The honey and caramel notes show development from the extended time on lees. This is definitely a wine that would work better paired with more decadent foods. Solid Champagne 🍾.

 2010 Thiénot - Cuvée Garance Brut (92 pts)

2002 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Nicolas François Brut (94 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne cuvée was first created in 1964. 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. 20% of the base wine vinified in oak barrels but without malolactic fermentation. Aging on lees for 14 years. The dosage is 4 g/l·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of toast, brioche, Marcona almond, roasted plantain, salted toffee, grilled peach, nectarine, cheese rind, quince paste, dried apple, and dried strawberry·

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, fine bubbles, medium alcohol (12.5%), and full body. The bubbles are fine with a powdery texture on the tongue. A long length finish of chalk, dried apple, caramel, and bitter almond·

🔔 The 2002 vintage is a lot tighter than the 2006 vintage. 2006 is open and inviting, while the 2002 is still tightly wound. I decanted this bottle, and it opened up a bit more, but this just needs more time in the cellar. I love the bitter almond finish combined with that salted caramel note from long lees aging. My score above is for the present day, this has a ton of potential, and I hate to predict the future. I will note that this is a vintage that I am personally cellaring for future consumption, maybe around 2025? Hard to go wrong with anything from Billecart-Salmon, especially Cuvée Nicolas Francois·

 2002 Billecart-Salmon - Cuvée Nicolas François Brut (94

Louis Roederer - Brut Premier Champagne (91 pts)

ℹ️ This Champagne is roughly a blend of  40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier. A small percentage of the wines are matured in oak casks. Reserve wines constitute 25% of the blend.  The wines are matured for three years on the lees then rested for six months after disgorgement  Dosage is ~10 g/l.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of pear, yellow apple, lemon zest, quince paste, pie crust, and white flowers.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, delicate bubbles, medium alcohol (12%), and medium+ body. The palate has a creaminess due to the bubbles with a powdery, chalky texture on your tongue. A medium length finish of fresh orchard fruit and floral notes.

🔔 Louis Roederer's Brut Premier offers a lot of composure and value for an entry-level Champagne. On the nose, it is tightly wound but uncoils on the palate with a generous dosage, great texture, and super clean finish. It is hard to go wrong with this pedigree of Winemaking.