David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Haven’t sipped this in quite awhile. 375ml to refresh my palate memory.

40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier. Varietals fermented separately in stainless steel vats. 5 to 10% of wine is vinified in old Burgundy oak barrels.

Texture is round and elegant. The fruits are; both peach, mango, apricots, slightly oxidative white citrus-lime hovers the edges & pineapple juice. Nougat, marzipan, toasted nuts, brioche, saline, crushed chalk, white spice that presses into the palate, notes of cheese cloth, limestone marl, moist, pulpy, grey volcanic minerals, yellow lilies with spring white flowers, jasmine blooms, round, soft acidy and a well; balanced, structured & tensioned finish that lands squarely on mid minerality and lasts 90 seconds.

Photos; Charles Heidsieck signage, Charles Heidsieck, chalky tasting area in their cellar and Cote de Blanc vineyard. — 2 months ago

Daniel Bloom

8.9

Gritty black fruit. Thin on opening. Fleshes out and blooms with air and protein. A cool weather Cab Franc to be sure. Patience in the glass brings rewards. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Big weekend holidays call for big wines. Happy Memorial Day weekend.

Time to make the new Riedel Vintage Sommelier flutes really prove their worth.

The nose reveals; golden & green apples, sour lemons, lime juice to almost candy, touch of apple cider, overripe pineapple, lime, tangerine notes, stone fruit-apricot & peach, caramel, sweet, cream butter, vanillin, very beautiful & powdery chalkiness, saline, sea fossils, delicate, grey volcanics (almost ash), bread dough, light yeastiness, chunks of just fruit in marmalade, jam, hints of candle wax, honeysuckle & comb, gentle white spice with yellow lilies, jasmine, spring flowers, fruit blooms with some mixed in cut greens.

The body/mousse is gentle & delicate...super micro oxygenation/bubbles. She shows her beauty as she glides over the palate. More golden apple than the nose, green apple, sour lemons, lime zest to almost candy, touch of apple cider, overripe pineapple, lime, tangerine notes, stone fruit-apricot & peach, caramel, vanillin, sweet, cream butter, very beautiful & extremely, powdery chalkiness, saline, sea fossils, delicate, grey volcanics (almost ash), bread dough, light yeastiness, sesame oil, silvered almonds, chunks of just fruit in marmalade, jam, hints of candle wax, honeysuckle & comb, gentle white spice with the perfect light heat & palate penetration with yellow lilies, jasmine, spring flowers, fruit blooms with some mixed in cut greens. The acidy is perfect and gentle. The finish isn’t quite as good as the 02 Krug we had on my birthday in March but, it’s a close relative. It’s super; refined, delicate, unbelievable knitting, well balanced, elegantly polished like 75 degree sunshine on your face and persists softly like baby skin for minutes.

An amazing cuvée!

Photos of; the Champagne house of Egly-Ouriet, A-frame bottles in their cave, Owner/ Francis Egly (since taking it over from his father in 1982) in one of his Ambonnay Grand Cru Vineyards and vines around the estate.

Producer notes, Elgy-Ouriet was planted in 1946 to Pinot Noir in pure-chalk soil of ‘Crayères.’ Unquestionably one of the finest, south-facing terroirs in Ambonnay. Les Crayères is the top single vineyard of the estate, containing the oldest vines. 100% Pinot Noir from the renowned Les Crayères known for its extremely shallow topsoil and chalky bedrock. Completely barrel fermented, and aged 70 months on the lees. It's a blend of the 2010 and 2011 vintages and was disgorged in July 2018 after 72 months sur lattes. — 4 years ago

John Baybay

9.1

A delightful surprise. Fragrant bouquet, medium bodied, deepening complexity as it blooms. Almost floral. — 3 months ago

Ely Cohn

9.2

Unusually pretty pour - the way Cab Franc and Syrah tend to do. Deep purple satin ribbons with an oily finish. I love it. La Croix Boissée is about power, structure, restrained elegance. Today, that is. I think this wine opens and blooms with a few more years to get affiliated with itself.

In 2022 she's relatively shy and very structured with notes of graphite and pencil shavings enveloped in red and blackberries, sweet prune. You can sense that more fruit is hiding, waiting to explode. Lots of scaffolding to break down. Tannin, chalk, silk lining underneath.

This is a wine with lots of potential. I have two, see you again in 2033. — 2 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Ruinart last night, Billecart tonight. Gotta start the night with a 375ml of Rosé Champagne.

The nose shows; dreamsicle ice cream bar, blood orange, tangerine, very ripe yellow stone fruits, pink grapefruit w/ a touch of sugar, hints of baked rhubarb, notes of black cherries, lean watermelon & not ripened strawberry reduction. White spice, sea spray & fossils, grey volcanics, darker shade of chalkiness, limestone minerals, bread dough, baguette crust, cream, spring flowers, pink roses w/ orange blooms/lilies.

The palate has nicely polished mouthfeel, rich and very good ripeness. A little more mineral and sharp chalkiness than other bottles I’ve had. Great micro-oxygenation. Dreamsicle ice cream bar, blood orange, tangerine, very ripe yellow stone fruits, pink grapefruit w/ a touch of sugar, notes of black cherries, lean watermelon, cooked rhubarb juice, & not ripened strawberry reduction. White spice w/ typical heat, faint white pepper popping up here & there, sea spray & fossils, grey volcanics, darker shade of chalkiness, limestone minerals, bread dough, baguette crust, cream, spring flowers, pink roses w/ orange blooms/lilies. The acidity is fantastic as always. The long, rich, lush finish is a touch gluey , well balanced & knitted, polished and persists endlessly with a long set of spice. Always consistent & delicious.

Photos of, House of Billecart, their caves and glorious sunset over one of their Grand Cru vineyards. — 4 years ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Light, light pink. Practically translucent. More like the faded memory of pink chiffon. It’s such a visually lovely wine. Lovely effervescence as well, with plenty of tiny bubbles that go on and on. The nose is lithe and fresh with cherries and lavender. Raspberry crème and pomegranates come together with some mild spice. Sultry rose petals remind you that this whole show is really about romance.

A brilliant Oeil de Perdrix rosé from Vesselle that has breadth and depth. 100# Pinot Noir from Bouzy with Brut dosage. Very nice structure throughout plus most importantly, this champagne has a soul. Personality and character. Robust yet refined, this is nice and long with deep. The palate blooms with more luscious red fruits and buoyant citrus. A real treat, one I’ll be having again soon. — 2 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

8.9

Pop and pour, the wine is slightly flinty and golden fruited. Day 2 the wine blooms w tropical notes, mainly guava. Seemed sweetwer w air, though a small loss of CO2 may have also contributed. — 3 years ago

Dale Garrison

9.1

Very interesting. Opens pretty earthy but after airing blooms into multi layered vey nice. Mark at cellar rat recommended as replacement for a Rhône wine they were out of. — 4 years ago

Michael Hawkinson

9.2

Very nice, mild berry and leather, cloves on nose, taste blooms, starts subtle then some berry with leather and earthy finish. Very smooth — 4 years ago