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 Champagne Christophe Baron Champagne Les Alouettes Charly-sur-Marne, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$300.00USD

This is 100% Pinot Meunier.  Light copper/gold in color with lots of tiny bubbles making a nice mousse.  The nose has caramel, ginger, peach and some toast.  Medium to full bodied.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this has some peach along with a Vernor's Soda quality with some underlying char.  Deep and complex.  Very structured.  Long finish.  This is open and drinking well but not yet at peak.  It drinks great on its own and will work with almost any food.  It went well with assorted cheeses and veggies.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  This was from Magnum which I believe is t

Argyle 2018 Vintage Brut Sparkling Wine

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

Founded in 1987, Argyle has always considered sparkling wine to be one of their mainstays. With a mild carbonation and light fresh flavors, not to mention a good price tag, this is an easy decision for your sparkling needs. Light notes of lemon, quince, green apple, just-baked sourdough, a touch of lime zest and tangerine peel make this a delightful wine. Comprised of 52% Chardonnay and 43% Pinot Noir, a little Pinot Meunier rounds it out. Aged in stainless steel with just 20% in neutral oak allows the bright expressive flavors to come through while allowing for a nice bit of mouth feel.

Banshee Ten of Cups NV Sparkler

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

Though Banshee is probably better known for their still wines, they also produce a non vintage sparkler. Comprised of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier this delightful sparkling wine offers light notes of lemon lime, citrus zest, Asian pear, white peach, red delicious apple, and honeysuckle. It has a solid acidity and mild carbonation to make this fun and interesting. It was aged on the less for 24 months, and consistent to Banshee’s original mission statement, this wine definitely over delivers for the price.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$75.00USD

Tasted from Magnum.  Great showing.  In the world of semi-affordable Champagne, this is one of the top Rose's.  Ruby/copper in color, clear and bright.  A steady steam of tiny bubbles form a pretty mousse.  The nose has strawberries, slight orange peel and just a hint of currants.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  Fresh and clean.  On the palate, the red currants really come out along with a bit of red raspberries.  Nice finish.  This drinks easily and served as a wonderful prelude to a long dinner, both stimulating the palate and working well with Potato Pave.  Drink over the next few years

NV Salmon Champagne Montgolfière Sélection Brut, France, Wine Review

Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

First time trying  the producer.  A very nice reasonably priced Champagne.  It is a blend of 50% Pinot Meunier, 25% Pinot Noir, and 25% Chardonnay.  Apparently the last few generations of the family were all Hot Air Balloon enthusiasts so the label features a hot air balloon.  Light golden in color, clear and bright with a fair amount of smallish bubbles.  The nose is nice; toasty with some green apples and a bit of ginger.  On the palate, the toastiness comes thru along a nice minerality and some lemons.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This makes for a very pleasant start to an evening.  It

2015 Champagne Christophe Baron Champagne Les Hautes Blanches Vignes Charly-sur-Marne, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$250.00USD

This is from the people who bring you Cayuse and other wines from Washington State.  It is Champagne from France made from the Pinot Meunier grape planted in 1969.  Only made in Magnum and sold thru the Cayuse mailing list.  Golden in color with a slight ruby tint to it.  A nice mousse with a lot of effervescence.  The nose has Vernor's soda notes (sort of ginger and caramel).   With air some cherries and lemons come out.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, the cherries and lemons are more pronounced but there is still that underlying ginger.  Nice minerality.  Very concentrated, it slo

NV G. H. Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Champagne , France, Wine Review

Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

Dosage is 8 grams per liter.  Silvery light gold in color.  A nice amount of smaller bubbles.  The nose has seltzer and gun powder.  On the palate, this is lively. Plenty of a (red) apples with a tart sourness that is very nice.  A reasonably long finish.  This is an affordable Champagne that is very user friendly.  It will work well on its own and with just about any foods but especially salty foods.  This should be consumed within the first few years of release.  There was no disgorgement date on this bottle so purchase from stores with good turnover.  

NV Moët & Chandon Champagne 150th Anniversary Impérial Brut, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

This ubiquitous Champagne seems to be everywhere and sometimes, that means it can be easy to look past it (for wine geeks anyway).  It is quite good.  This is actually a special bottling to celebrate their 150th anniversary of their founding in 1869.  It is a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (30% to 40%) and the rest Chardonnay.  Golden in color with a bit of copper.  The nose is nice with toast, apple and slight ginger.  On the palate, this has nice full carbonation.  Good acidity.  Slight tannins.  Pears and apples.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should cont

MV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 167eme, France, Wine Review

Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$168.00USD

This wine (or at least this bottle) seems to be a bit better than a prior bottle which is saying a lot.  It mostly the difficult 2011 vintage but includes almost two hundred different wines going back to the 1995 vintage.   Forty-two percent of the cuvée is made up of Reserve wines.  The final blend is 47 % Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier.

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