2012 Trouillard Champagne Cuvée du Fondateur, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$88.00USD

A new producer for me, this was very good.  Silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  A nice mousse with tiny bubbles.  On the palate, this is clean.  Lemons with a bit of toast and some minerality.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, lemons and red apples with underlying minerality.  Lively.  Long finish.  This is youthful and drinking well.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  Very food friendly.  It would be nice with popcorn while watching television. 

2016 Champagne Christophe Baron Champagne Le Dessus du Bois Marie Crouttes-sur-Marne Brut Nature, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$300.00USD

This is available only in Magnum.  The vines were planted in 1966.  Silvery/gold in color with a nice mousse of very tiny bubbles.  The nose is great with biscuits, pears, slight lemon peel and minerality.  Great backbone of acidity.  Full bodied but not blowsy.  On the palate, despite being Brut Nature there is a slight sweetness which is more ripeness than residual sugar.  The lemon peel comes thru along with a great minerality.  Long finish.  This is really delicious and still young.  It should improve but is great today.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years (more if you like older

2016 Roland Champion Champagne Grand Cru Special Club, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

Light golden in color with a nice mousse of medium small bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose has some pears but overall, quite tight.  Medium bodied with good acidity.  More open on the palate with lemon-lime notes and minerality.  Good finish.  Overall, it seems to be hiding something, but even with air, it never developed the depth it seems to promise.  To be sure, a very nice wine that will work with most foods.  It would go well with spicy Hunan food.  Drink over the next few years.  

NV Tarlant Champagne Zero Brut Nature, France, Wine Revieew

Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$48.00USD

This is a blend of 32% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 32% Meunier, and 4% Petit Meslier, Arbanne, and pinot Blanc according to the label.  Of course, Zero Brut nature is an indication that this is the driest level of Champagne and has no added sugar prior to bottling.  Light golden in color with a frothy mousse of tiny bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose is great with spice, ginger, slight golden delicious apples and a hint of  lemon peel.  Great acidity.  Dry.  On the palate, lemon peel with minerality and a touch of toast.  Long finish.  Very impressive.

2004 Dom Pérignon Champagne, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$260.00USD

Always a pleasure to drink Dom.  Amazing that they can make so many bottles at such a high quality level.  For me, this is not up to the 2002 or 2008 but still a fantastic wine.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of small bubbles.  The nose has toast, some citrus and a touch of chalk.  Full bodied.  Great acidity.  On the palate, some lemon peel with smoke and minerals.  Long, long finish.  This one is starting to show just a bit of age but if well stored, should easily go another ten years.  Very food friendly, this will go with just about any food although my favorite match is stil

NV Henri Giraud Champagne Esprit Nature, France, Wine Review

Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

This is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.  Golden in color, clear and bright with a nice mousse of tiny bubbles.  The nose has lots of peach with some strawberries and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, the peach comes thru along with a touch of pineapple.  Clean, long finish.  A tasty wine that is drinking very well.  Drink over the next few years.  This is very food friendly and will go well with many foods.  It worked nicely with Thai food.  

NV Brice Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, France, Wine Review

Score: 
91
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

100% Chardonnay from two parcels in Bouzy (Le Mont de Tours and Les Ramonnieres) and Grauves.  Pale gold in color with a nice mousse of small bubbles.  The nose is very clean with some red apples and a bit of yeasty dough.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp and leaner in style.  Granny smith apples with some minerality.  Long finish.  Very nice on its own, this is very food friendly.  It was a nice foil to baked tofu made in a "Buffalo Wings" style.  Drink over the next few years.  

2004 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Les Mesnil, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$1200.00USD

This is my favorite Champagne.  Sadly, it has gotten so expensive, I don't know how often, if at all, I will get to drink it.  One hundred percent Chardonnay.  Deeper gold in color with a great mousse of tiny bubbles.  The nose is slightly oxidized (a friend called it caramelized) with yeast, brioche, lemon/citrus, and green apple.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is so smooth.  Good acidity but this vintage is more "blowsy".  Complex and deep.  Flavors of preserved lemons, slight chalk and minerality.  Long, long finish.  This is probably a bit past peak, but still fantas

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2002
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$500.00USD

Wowza.  What a great bottle.  Golden in color with lots of tiny bubbles.  Persistent.  The  nose is great with Meyer lemon, smoke, spice, slight dried peach and a bit of a floral quality.  Deep and complex.  Full bodied.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is very structured but all the stuffing you could ask for.  A bit of lemon peel, toast, and spice.  Mature but years left.  This is great on its own but will work well with just about any food.  Delicious. Drink over the next ten to twenty years.  This would be great with Chinese food.

2014 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$287.00USD

This is from the good if not great, 2014 vintage.  It is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of tiny bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with lanolin, toast, slight ginger and a bit of chalk.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is showing young-ish with notes of oranges, toast and an interesting chalk note especially on the finish.  Ripe.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue if well stored for another ten years.  Very food friendly, it would be very nice with lobster.  

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