Winemaker Notes
This code is easy to decipher, the letter 'R', the first letter of 'Recolte', the French word for 'harvest', is followed by a three digit number denoting a specific year, e.g. R.012 means that this new champagne is mostly based on the 2012 vintage. Each Series R Champagne is therefore the reflection of the LALLIER style, expressed through a predominant vintage.
The Series R range will therefore logically expand each year: R.013 and R.014 will succeed R.012, etc., taking champagne-lovers on a fabulous voyage through the vintages, after these have spent a few years maturing in the cellars.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Although this is a nonvintage wine, it is a blend around 2012, hence the number in the name. Dominated by Pinot Noir, this ripe, full-bodied wine has a tangy texture boosted by acidity that contrasts with rich red apple and crisp pear flavors that give richness. Drink now.
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Wine Spectator
Chopped almond and spice notes underscore the flavors of raspberry pate de fruit, oyster shell, lemon zest and biscuit in this fresh sparkler, with a lacy texture. Disgorged February 2015
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’