Willie Carter

8.8

Pale gold with tiny bubbles that don’t stick around for too long. Creaminess abounds. The nose is magnificent with notes of honeydew, pears, and nectarines. As it matures in the glass, those familiar yeast and floral aromas really come to life to mingle with the citrus.

A very pure expression of Chardonnay mostly from Premier Cru vineyards in Cuis with the rest coming Chouilly, Épernay, and Cramant. Disgorged on January 3, 2020 after spending seven years on lees. And that fact shows. As with most of the 2012 champagnes, this is ready right now. Showing complexity and brightness. Plenty of tension and character.

Bright acidity and creaminess throughout. The palate is just starting to fully express itself and will only get better. Apricot, nectarine, and biscuits primarily in the mouth. Medium length finish. As terrific as it is now, it’s going to be a star down the line. — 14 hours ago

Willie Carter

8.8

A deep shimmering gold color in the glass. Pleasant perlage with fine tiny bubbles. This grips you from the very start and never let’s go. The nose here is quite fun with stony minerality and mango. A veritable cacophony of citrus and orchard fruits come exploding out. Plenty of green apples and streaks of honey throughout.

Composed of half Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this is a silky smooth champagne that you can say over delivers. Single vintage, single vineyard and that quality and terroir shows. Broad but refined, the acid here is robust but pleasant. Beautiful fruit from Rouvres les Vignes in the Côte des Bar, this spent five years on lees and while it’s fully mature today it’s certainly set up for the long haul.

Lovely on entry, this is subtle yet vigorous in the mouth. Limes and grapefruit start things off with plenty of chalk and limestone following. Peaches everywhere along with apples and honey. Wonderful tension and balance. Really stunning stuff. — 11 days ago

Willie Carter

8.4

Seriously, who doesn’t love Stags Leap fruit? A deep dark inky purple with a wide brim. You get alcohol immediately on the nose. And it never leaves. The fruit here is shy but there’s a bit of strawberry and muted plums. A little earth, a good bit of spice but that’s pretty much it to be honest.

14.8. That’s how you know a wine is good, when you can only taste petrol. Not nearly as full bodied and messy as other wines like this but it’s not too far off. Jammy and flabby with oh so much oak. Ripe fruit and herbs on the palate. There’s not much to see here. Just your standard, run of the mill big bold Napa Cab. — 15 days ago

Willie Carter

8.7

I went in expecting high quality and got more than I bargained for. A light golden robe with shy, small bubbles. Fragrant red cherries and toasted bread start things off with a little hint of earth peeking out. Delicate little white flowers and butter. All in all, a really nice nose going on here.

100% Pinot Noir from Catalunya. Mild but pleasant acidity and above average structure. This is a sturdy and almost hearty Cava but still with lively effervescence. More earthy notes on the palate to mingle with the citrus and brioche. Outstanding Cava. — 2 days ago

Willie Carter

8.9

Medium purple with lighter, more lavender undertones and a thin rim. Beautifully perfumed nose featuring tons of floral notes. White flowers, violets, and earth are dominate here. Stewed plums and black cherries contribute, along with herbs and black pepper. A little mushroom just for good measure.

50/50 Niellucciu and Sciaccarellu from Corsica. Certified biodynamic. Very reminiscent of good Beaujolais but lighter and thinner. This is a pretty wine that maintains its rustic qualities in equilibrium. Juicy and fresh, with a ton of character. More red and blue fruits along with earthy deliciousness. One of the most fun wines I’ve tasted in a while. — 7 days ago

Willie Carter

8.8

Deep gold with an impressive amount of minuscule, persistent bubbles. Stunning intense aromatics from this immediately upon opening. So much fruit here. Green apples are dominant and throughout the entire experience. Plenty of citrus notes such as baked pears, apricots, and oranges. All of these notes are evident on the palate, as well.

The only single vineyard in Taittinger’s profile, made from juice of the first pressing in the Folies vineyard. No information on disgorgement dates or dosage but it spends approximately five years on lees. 55/45 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay. This is a muscular and vinous champagne. Tasted blind, there’s no mistaking that it’s from a Grande Marque.

This benefits from decanting as initially there’s a bit of tiredness in the glass. After some time, the champagne is fully rejuvenated and approachable. The palate closely follows the nose. Salinity and subtle vanilla notes join the fun, as well. Yeast notes begin to show, as well. Elegant and classy, all day long. — 12 days ago

Willie Carter

8.7

A Blanc de blancs from the venerated Grand Cru village of Aÿ mostly known for terrific Pinot Noir. Shimmery pale straw with more than enough bubbles. Creamy and effusive. The aromas on the nose take a little time to fully express themselves. Pears, apricots, hot buttered toast. A nice bit of smoky goodness and a hint of mushrooms.

Three years on lees and disgorged June 2018. 100% Chardonnay with a dosage of 6 g/l which gives it a pleasant evocation of sweetness. A member of the Special Club which tells you all you need to know about the level of quality here.

Exquisite balance and structure. Lively acidity with a pretty mouthfeel. Brioche, citrus, and cinnamon. Long and elegant and still relatively a baby. Miles to go. Very nice stuff. — 18 days ago

Willie Carter

8.6

A seriously pretty pale pink with strawberry undertones. I’ve never really loved rosés made from Cabernet Franc grapes but there are exceptions occasionally. Standard summery nose of wild strawberries, precious flowers, and tart cherries. Fragrant herbs are really nice here.

Crisp and lively, this does rise above the usual glut of similarly priced rosés that you come across in the grocery store. There’s a bit of Mediterranean flair here. The fruit from the nose carries over to the palate. Mineral notes are very nice here. Skip the rest of the mass produced, mass marketed stuff we’ve all had a thousand times and try this.
— 4 days ago

Willie Carter

8.9

Just take a look at this color. So striking. So sexy. Nice perlage and cream. The nose is so crisp and fresh. Pears and lively red cherries alongside mangoes. Freshly baked bread aromas are very nice here, as well are the grapefruit and strawberry.

Yet another young hotshot champagne maker, Aurelien Gerbais from the Aube. A friend and neighbor of Cédric Bouchard and that’s all you need to know. 50/25/25 PN/CH/Pinot Blanc with an extra brut dosage of 3 g/l. The low dosage avoids the trap of being austere, but rather it’s an inviting and gracious Rosé. The addition of 10% Coteaux Champenois Pinot Noir gives it that beautifully sexy color and viscosity.

Dry with breathtaking acidity, the terroir really speaks here. The palate follows the nose with more summer berries and light yeast. So lovely, so sleek. Good sex in a bottle. If you see these, get them. — 8 days ago

Willie Carter

8.7

Light lemon with a fine mousse. Nice bubbles on the smallish side. Toastiness abounds. Really present on the nose throughout the tasting. Big, bright citrus fruit aromas that more fully express themselves after decanting. Pie crust, flowers, and mushrooms. 70% Xarel. lo 25% Macebeo and 5% Parelleda from Barcelona.

Brut Nature dryness but there’s an inherent mellowness throughout. It never allows itself to get too far out of wack. The mouthfeel is lively and the palate open and generous. Pineapple and peaches with mellow acidity. Not too complex or deep but a nice change up. — 13 days ago