Ming L

9.5

Crafted by Philippe Melka, aromas of dried herbs, forest floor, and tobacco leaf frame a core of cassis and black plum. The palate is savory yet refined, with fine tannins, graphite nuance, and integrated oak. The finish is long with earthy depth.

I love Napa 2011 vintage, which is very underestimated in my opinion for its cool, extended season with resulting bottlings from top producers leaning towards restraint and classicism. — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Nice. Lots of micro, fine, precision bubbles. Leans just into a soft oxidative style.

Slightly bruised, apple & pear, touch of apple cider, lemon chiffon/meringue, understated pineapple juice, tropical melons, lime zest, white stone fruit, fluffy whipped cream, bread dough, white spice, some oyster, sea fossils, crumbled limestone, sharpe toned, chalk powder, white spice, dry top soil layered over the top, excellent acidity, nice, round, evenly tensioned, well balanced, elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and lands evenly on fruit & earth. — a year ago

Nikki Goddard, DWS

9.0

Super crisp and tart. Crunchy gooseberry, star fruit, jicama, lime, lemon zest, wet river rock, oyster shell, unripe green apple, basque cider. Super fine creamy mousse. Excellent for shellfish, sushi, and oysters. Extremely refreshing. — 5 years ago

Phoebe Lowe

9.1

Fine smooth long tannins, deep berries & currants — 6 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.0

Bouquet is reserved, holding back the normal notes, but I do sense a subtle honey perfume.

Primary notes of cider and pears. Great to drink, but missing some complexity. I like the slight fine bubbles. A bit boozy too, which is interesting. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I like to thank @Severn Goodwin for his kindness & generosity for sending this beautiful bottle of Champagne.

We shared this with friends and paired this with apple walnut vinaigrette salad last night. Complimented the salad nicely. It was a nice yin and yang balanced tug of war of food & wine.

The body is beautiful in the mouth with nice acidity. Bruised apple & pear, some apple cider, pineapple juice, lime zest & candy, white peach, easy, soft chalkiness, soft, fine, grey volcanic minerals, sea spray, brioche with spring flowers and yellow lilies. Finishes softly, elegant, nicely balanced and persists nicely.

Photos of; the house of Caillez Lemaire, bottles waiting to sold, Current 18th century family Owners - Virginie and Laurent Van Poperinghe and one of their vineyards. — 7 years ago

Dawn E.

9.0

Wonderful abundance of fine bubbles!! Pear..apple cider...apricot..yeast rolls...honey and nutmeg! A little age on this bubbly enhanced these flavors amazingly! I have had this
Wedding Cuvee frequently over the years..75% Pinot Noir & 25% Chardonnay..always delicious!
BUT....I will never forget the bottle I LOST!! I kept a bottle of this...Special...for after running a Marathon...excited..worn out...forgot it in the freezer! My son 14 at the time actually feel on the floor laughing!! Yep....that bottle exploded all over the kitchen and dining room ceiling when I pulled the cork!! 😢 I did not even get half of a glass.... — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Eric Bordelet is the acknowledged Cider Master from the Loire valley in Normandy (Mayenne). The colour of amber beer. This cider is made from a blend of 19 apple varieties including bitter, sweet and acidic varieties. Aromas of mouldy apple (unsurprisingly) Palate is intense yet refreshing with stewed apple and low acid. Fine bubbles. Only 6% ABV and very enjoyable. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

This 2000 spent an incredible 15 years on lees. Bottled in 2017. This cuvée is roughly 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay. Pinot Noir is from the Montagne de Reims - Mailly, Cumières and Vertus. 35% Chardonnay in from the Côte des Blancs (the best region for Chardonnay)- Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize, Vertus. 10% oak.

The body is thick, heavy and creamy with that much time on lees. The fruit has settled and the complexity has arrived. Bruised apple & pear, a touch of apple cider, pineapple if it were an oil, an array of soft citrus- lemon, lime, orange peel, tangerine, ripe, juicy, yellow peach, some blackberries, marmalade, meringue, cream, malt, some caramel notes, brioche, baguette crust, sea fossils & spray, limestone marl, fine powdery chalkiness w/ speckles of grain, white spice-ginger, withering yellow flowers, excellent acidity, well knitted, perfect tension, balance and a long finish that lasts minutes. — 3 years ago

Willie Carter

9.1

Consistent excellence. Pure gold in the glass with a creamy mousse and a ton of tiny, fine bubbles. On the intoxicating nose you’ll find some smoke, apple cider, and orange peel. Tasty honey and apricots make their presence known here. Just hints of the yeast and toasted nuts for now but will be more present as time goes on. Oak, dark fruit, and some really lively violets top this off.

So much richer and more voluptuous than most similar offerings, Bollinger always stands out from the pack. Quite the vivacious champagne, this is full of life and full of power. Muscular in nature but still has more than enough finesse with a velvety mouthfeel. The complexity and depth is definitely a step above, due to the amount of reserve wines used in the blend.

The palate pleases with chalk, apple pie, and lemon rind. More orange and the thought of warm biscuits to go with baking spices and pears. Long finish featuring spice and cream. How many other entry level bottles from the other big champagne houses can compare? Excellent champagne, a beautiful journey. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

At the Emirates Business Lounge in Dubai. Not quite the lounge services they advertise in their Business Class Service video in Dubai on their website. Overall, still ok. I was looking forward to the world’s only Moet & Chandon Champagne Bar and some 09 vintage Moet & Chandon but, I guess that is really only in the First Class Lounge. I’ll have to settle for this Imperial. Any good lawyers out there want to sue them for deceptive advertising? 🤣 Also, the shoe shine was not included. It was the most expensive shoe shine I’ve had. And, never actually included black polish! Hmmm? 🤔

As for the Imperial, not bad but, not the 09 vintage I had hoped for! Oh well! 🤷‍♂️

The nose reveals, nice light citrus blend, green apple, bruised red apple to cider, pineapple, a little lime candy, tropical melons, some white peach, cream soda, brioche, soft chalkiness, understated minerality, spring & yellow flowers with greens.

The body full and pleasant. Soft understated mousse and delicate on the palate. Light citrus blend, green apple, red apple with a slight lean into cider, pineapple, a little lime candy, tropical melons, some white peach, cream soda, brioche, soft, fine powdery chalkiness, subtle minerality, sea spray, spring & yellow flowers with greens. The acidity not as lively as I would prefer. The finish is rich, elegant but, lacks a certain wow factor. — 7 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.1

Aged for 12 years. Luscious cider/cognac on the nose, fine bourbon on the palate. — 8 years ago

Vanessa

9.2

Here we have the Benoit Lahaye ‘Blanc de Noirs’ – a non-vintage white bubbly made with 100% Pinot Noir, representing a blend of two parcels in Bouzy (Vaux-Bétins & Raies Tortues), each contributing a unique personality to the cuvée.

Harking back to more traditional winemaking methods, it was barrel-fermented naturally & bottled without filtration.

It has a pale gold hue w/ expressive aromas & flavors of baked red apple, cider, raspberry, fruit cake, lemon curd, cherry blossom, toast, clove, cinnamon, pastry, almond paste, and nougat next to chiseled mineral & wet stone notes.

With an ‘extra brut’ dosage (5g of sugar/L), this wine is bone dry, with a fine-beaded, creamy mousse, that is nicely balanced by a racy acidity. It has a kinetic energy & persistent finish. It’s absolutely delicious.

Who ever said you can’t sip bubbles on a Monday night?

I believe every day is worth celebrating in one form or another. Plus, this counts as studying for our WSG Champagne Masters class. Also, it’s Eiffel Tower Day!!

Cheers. — a year ago

with Deked1

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy birthday Honey. 🥳🎂🎉 🌹

This is absolutely as exquisite as when we had it for Christina’s birthday March 1, 2023. The benefit tonight is time & attention to focus on it. Delicious.

Green apple, lime, lemon pineapple, stone fruits, slightly bruised golden apple and pear, leans into apple cider, cream, ginger ale, nuts w/ skin, very fine powdery chalkiness, limestone, saline, biscuit dough, sea fossils. Amazing body and acidity, fruit blossoms, jasmine, yellow florals and well; structured knitted, balanced, extremely well polished finish that lasts two-minutes. Drinking beautiful now & with time & life for 10 yrs or more. Love you Sofia.

#MaxwellThisWomansWork — 3 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.0

100% Muscat, 3 weeks skin contact Orange Wine, Natural Wine, Biodynamic. 12% ABV.

Almost Neutral nose some floral and apple cider type notes.

Dry apple cider, earthy notes, dried apricot, hint of bitter candied orange, fine tannin texture. Food wine.

Slightest of cloudiness with some sediment noticeable in bottle. Med+ acidity.,

Not as exciting as L'Original which is an orange wine by same producer, featuring one of my favorite varietals, Macabeu. Wine quality and style are still fantastic, in ‘Le Trouble Fait’. Happy with my purchase decision, and will continue to keep an eye out for and recommend wines by Marc Barriot.

Was expecting more floral and fruit, as experienced with ‘ZBO’ by Brash Higgins, and ‘Small Batch Series Viognier’ by King Family.
— 5 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.1

Bone dry and very elegant with super fine bubbles. Champagne-esque. Nice lingering toastiness and mineral tone on the finish. — 6 years ago

Carter White

9.0

Some of the best bubbles I’ve had, so fine and lively. The flavor is good, but a little one note, apple cider. I’ve had comparable bottles at half the price. — 6 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.8

Amazing! Funky awesomeness. — 7 years ago

Jennifer Lynch

9.1

GW says no longer labeled as vouvray, though it comes from within the appellation. Lovely, dry, very fine. My thoughts—almost cider tones. Terrific. — 8 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

A lovely yeast to the nose, almost creamy, if you can imagine the smell of that..
Fine, tight bubbles, crisp Granny Smith, cider apples, tangerine acidity.

Yet another fantastic sparkler from England!
— 8 years ago