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.
Vinous, 97 points: The 2006 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine, but it needs time to be at its best. I am surprised by how tightly wound it is. But that only makes me think what it might develop into with...
jamessuckling.com, 95 points: A very fine-textured Champagne with lovely density and finesse. The bubbles roll off the palate. Full body. Extremely creamy and flavorful. Shows wonderful finesse and a lovely, chalky, lemon-curd and brioche aftertaste...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points: Tasted from magnum, the latest release of Palmer's NV Blanc de Blancs Brut is showing very well indeed, bursting from the glass with a ripe and expressive bouquet of grapefruit, orange zest, toasted bread, white flowers...
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...
Decanter, 92 points: One of the pioneers of the blanc de blancs style, Charles Heidsieck only relaunched its 100% Chardonnay NV Champagne in 2018. Round but incisive and fresh, this has lovely balance between its creamy, woody mouthfeel and...
jamessuckling.com, 93 points: The brioche and cooked-apple and cream character really comes through here. Full-bodied and round with fine bubbles. Flavorful and intense. Vivid, bread-dough finish. This is four years on lees. 55% chardonnay and the...
Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: Always a light, ethereal style of wine, this is also very fresh and still young. It will age with its taut minerality from the Chardonnay in the blend. A softer background will become toasty over the next few years. The...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 points: Based on the 2014 vintage with the addition of 55% reserve wines, the NV Extra Brut saw no dosage and an additional year sur lattes before disgorgement. Unwinding in the glass to reveal aromas of iodine, oyster shells...
jamessuckling.com, 92 points: A bright nose of strawberry and pink-grapefruit aromas with hints of blood oranges and berries, as well as almond biscuits. The palate has a super vibrant, fleshy ball of fresh red-fruit flavor and delivers a refreshing...
jamessuckling.com, 91 points: Quite impressive richness and gently toasty aromas on the nose here with almond, savory and sweet, bready autolysis notes. The palate has a fresh, succulent and smooth feel with soft, citrusy fruit flesh. Holds long...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Disgorged in November 2018, Ayala's 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs offers up an elegant bouquet of lemon oil, English walnuts, crisp yellow apples, linden blossom and hints of praline to come with bottle age. On the palate...
Wine & Spirits, 94 points: This is pinot noir from Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, part aged in stainless steel with some malolactic conversion, part in barrels without malolactic. This wine excited me personally, having just spent some time in the...
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