Champagne is a sparkling wine made from grapes coming from the Champagne region in north-central France. Producers must follow rules requiring the secondary fermentation of the wine in bottle to create the bubbly carbonation. Champagne is a blending of base wines which, ideally, create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. These “base” wines come from an assortment of wines—the Chardonnay white grape and Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier for red—from various villages and vineyards.
Two areas in the Champagne region are thought to be best for their superior grapes: the Montagne de Reims, which is perfectly located for producing the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier red grapes, and the Côte des Blancs, whose soils of limestone and chalk are excellent for Chardonnay. The Vallee de la Marne, which lies in a thin band along most of the region and is home to both red and white grapes, is the biggest area other than the Aube district, which lies further to the south.
Each decade, there are only four out of five harvests in the tough climate northeast of Paris that generate the needed ingredients to produce complete and balanced Champagne, vintage-designated, wines. They are, by definition, wines made entirely during the year indicated on the label. Because of this, most Champagnes also blend juice from two and more vintages.
This act of blending vintages is the means Champagnes producers employ to maintain their “house style” and provide their customers with a dependable, and consistent, product. With non-vintage wine accounting for about four out of five bottles of all Champagne produced, it makes sense that the status of most major houses depends on the quality and uniformity of their non-vintage offerings. Lucky for the Champagne-enthusiast, non-vintage bottles are often just as good as their vintage counterparts—and considerably less expensive.
jebdunnuck.com, 93 points: Bollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style...
Wine Spectator, 91 points: A well-cut and lacy Champagne in an elegant, aperitif style, with hints of chalk and graphite underscoring the lively Honeycrisp apple, cherry and lemon curd flavors. Offers a sleek, minerally finish. Drink now through...
Wine Spectator, 92 points: An elegant rose, with flavors of dried cherry, oyster shell, candied ginger and orange peel riding the delicate mousse. Shows fine integration. Drink now through 2021. - A.N.
Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: With fruit from the Côte des Blancs, this is a classic, textured, mineral-driven Chardonnay Champagne. Its bottle age gives a toasty edge to the crisp, lively grapefruit and bitter orange flavors. Well balanced, this...
Decanter, 97 points: An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling...
jamessuckling.com, 98 points: This is a step up from the linear and fresh 2006. It shows subtle depth and power with a dense block of vivid fruit that's highlighted with lemon zest, green apples and hints of white peaches. Just the right amount of...
Decanter, 97 points: This long awaited new prestige cuvée, Hemera - named after the ancient Greek goddess of daytime - is a perfectionist creation of Henriot’s villages, all grands crus. It's a brilliant medley of top Chardonnay from cooler...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: 96+ Compared to Krug's 160th edition, the bright golden-yellow colored NV Grande Cuvée 166ème Édition (ID117010) is still a baby that shows the chalky and fruity features of a young white Burgundy intermixed with notes...
Wine Spectator, 97 points: Impeccably balanced and silky, with finely honed acidity shaping the expansive flavors of toasted brioche, crushed blackberry, lemon preserves and honey, revealing hints of Frangelico liqueur and smoked nut. Rich and...
Wine Spectator, 90 points: A firm, well-knit Champagne, in an aperitif style, this offers a lightly toasty mix of ripe apricot, black currant, anise and candied lemon zest flavors, set on a crisp, lively mousse. Drink now through 2020. 20,000 cases...
jamessuckling.com, 97 points: (97 points) A very rich and full-bodied Cristal that harks back to 2006 or 1989 in style. It's round and rich, which underlies the ripeness of the vintage. Lots of dried-apple and pineapple character with bread dough and...
jamessuckling.com, 96 points: Just over two-thirds pinot noir (Verzenay) and the balance southeast-facing chardonnay from Chouilly. This has 30% of oak fermentation which has compressed the wine, lending it an air of extreme concentration. The nose is...
Wine Spectator, 91 points: A harmonious and mouthwatering Champagne, with a lovely mix of white cherry, pastry, grated ginger and smoky mineral riding the elegant mousse. Racy finish. Drink now through 2021. 3,000 cases imported. –AN
Decanter, 94 points: The nose opens with the fresh ripeness of yellow apple and highlights of Granny Smith. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, deepening into notes of creamy apple crumble, Golden Delicious and Mirabelle plum...
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