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Camille Savès Champagne Brut Millesimé Grand Cru 2004

Camille Savès Champagne Brut Millesimé Grand Cru 2004

This has to be the the best Bouzy Champagne I’ve tasted thus far—Camille Savès Brut Millesimé Grand Cru 2004 is a lush blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Aromatics of toffee, crystalline honey, white flowers and orange peel portend flavors on the palate. Full and expansive, with nice energy and verve, there is […]

Moët & Chandon Champagne Dom Pérignon 1996

Moët & Chandon Champagne Dom Pérignon 1996

1996 was notably one of the best vintages in the past 50 years, according to, CIVC, Champagne’s regulatory board, the only other vintage it compares to is 1928, years noted for both full ripeness and high acidity. The Dom Pérignon 1996 is simply stunning, a kaleidoscope of layered aromas: shortbread, golden apple, hazelnuts, lemon zest, […]

Laherte Frères Brut Nature Blanc De Blancs Champagne NV

Laherte Frères Brut Nature Blanc De Blancs Champagne NV

The Laherte Frères Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature is intense and precise, with bracing acidity and striking mineral overtones. Straw-colored, with a fine mousse, this zero dosage sparkler opens with notes of lemon zest, dried honey, pastry and white flowers. The palate is terroir-driven, chalky, calcareous, fossil-laden soils from the Mesozoic era come to […]

Françoise Bedel Champagne Dis ‘Vin Secret’ Brut NV

Françoise Bedel Champagne Dis 'Vin Secret' Brut NV

Fruit for the Cuvée Dis Vin Secret is mostly from the 2005 vintage, and is a blend of 80% Pinot Meunier, 15% Chardonnay, and 5% Pinot Noir. Biodynamic farming has bestowed discreet minerality to this elegant Cuvée, along with voluptuous notes apple galette, freshly-baked croissant, quince and buttercream frosting. Pale gold in the glass, with […]

Jean Milan Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Grand Réserve 1864 NV

Jean Milan Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Grand Réserve 1864 NV

From the highly acclaimed Oger region, the Jean Milan Grand Cru Grand Réserve 1864 is a blend of 100% Chardonnay from the 2003 and 2004 vintages. Add to the equation eight years of aging on the lees, and you’ve got a wine with both dimension and power. Lofty aromas of honey, cinnamon raisin bread, white […]

André Clouet Champagne Grande Réserve Brut NV

Andre Clouet Champagne Grande Réserve Brut NV

Excellent for its modest price tag, the Clouet family has been farming their vineyards in Bouzy and Ambonnay since 1751. The Grande Réserve Brut Grand Cru is their entry-level label and it offers a classic profile of apple skins, red berries and a faint whiff of toast. The profile is clean, and nicely balanced with […]

Michel Gonet Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Grand Cru NV

Michel Gonet Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Grand Cru NV

My favorite Champagne of the night at #PBFW, the Michel Gonet Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV offers layered complexity on the nose and palate. Heady aromas of brioche, graham cracker, poached pear, and apple pie. The bead is quite fine, like seed pearls embroidered on golden-threaded brocade. It’s sappy and intense, with a singular […]

Billecart-Salmon Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV

Billecart-Salmon Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV

The NV Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs is a blend of Chardonnay from five Grand Cru sites: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger. While not as expansive as their vintage Champagnes, the non-vintage Grand Cru is delicate and precise. Translucent goldenrod yellow in the glass with a fine, persistent bead and overtly pretty notes of golden […]

Henri Giraud Solera Ratafia de Champagne NV

Henri Giraud Solera Ratafia de Champagne NV

The name Ratafia refers to an ancient method of preserving fruit that dates back to the 1300s, usually a liqueur or a fortified wine flavored with peach, apricot, or cherry pits, or bitter almonds. In the case of the Giraud Solera Ratafia de Champagne, it’s an golden-glinted blend of 30% Chardonnay and 70% Pinot from the […]

Jean Lallement Champagne Cuvée Réserve NV

Jean Lallement Champagne Cuvée Réserve NV

From 60-year-old vines, the oldest on Lallement’s tiny, four hectare estate, the Brut Cuvée Reserve is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. This lovely Cuvée shows the winemakers touch, with a fine mousse and creamy texture. Aromas of brioche, red berries, toasted nuts and spring flowers. Subtle and pleasing, with minerality and […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com