Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
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. Drink from 2022.
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James Suckling
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.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that was disgorged with eight grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Millésimé is showing nicely today, unwinding in the glass with aromas of green apple, pear, orange oil, spices and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, bright and precise, with tangy acids and a pillowy mousse, it concludes with a penetrating finish. This is aging very gracefully.
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Wine Spectator
A finely knit Champagne, defined by well-cut acidity that frames notes of Asian pear, white cherry, slivered almond and fleur de sel. The mousse shows a lovely creamy viscosity. Hints of citrus and spice emerge on the finish. Drink now through 2028.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
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.’