Jason Gelman

9.0

heavy pencil shavings and cigar smoke on the nose. black olive and green bell pepper too. color is definitely what you’d expect in a 20 year old wine. palate is consistent with nose, very bordeaux-lite. heavy cigar box. a lot of olive and herb tapenade character. some black pepper on the finish too. very savory overall. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Well...this was one hell of a week. There is only one way to wind it down. Reach for an excellent bottle of vintage Champagne.

My first thoughts are how delicate this is on the palate. Further, how unbelievable it will be with another 8-10 years in bottle.

The nose shows; slightly sour lemon, the good parts of lemon Pledge, lemon meringue, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, brioche, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanilla, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies.

The body is light on its feet and dances on the palate. Delicacy abounds. Its soft, gorgeous mousse right there with the best money can buy. Slightly sour lemon, lemon meringue, green & with more bruised golden apple, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, touch of apple cider, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, ginger ale into cream soda, brioche, nougat, toffee notes, lighter nuts without skin, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanillin, marzipan, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies. The acidity is mellow yet lively, gorgeous and as good as it gets. The finish is all luxury. So well knitted & balanced, elegant, rich but not overpowering and gently persisting several minutes.

Photos of; The House of Taittinger, their caves so chalky white and built on the famous Crayères Cellars of Reims: 2.5 miles of tunnels (they own 1/4 to 1/3 of it) cut out of chalk by the Romans, the portrait of Thibaud IV who was a king, lord, manager, singer, conqueror, explorer & 11th century Crusader all rolled into one from which, this Cuvée was the catalyst creation and part of the 600 plus hectares they own in Champange.

Some producer notes; Taittinger's history can be traced back to 1734, when it was originally known as Forest-Fourneaux, founded by Jacques Fourneaux who worked closely with local Benedictine monks to learn how to produce wine. They were just the 3rd Champange house.

The estate was bought by the Taittingers – a family of wine merchants – in 1932, and thanks to the great depression and subsequent low land prices, the family also picked up huge swathes of vineyard. From 1945-1960, Francois Taittinger established the cellars in the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, and after his death in 1960 his brother Claude took over, pushing the estate into a Champagne house of world renown. Such was the status of the label that the Taittinger family soon expanded its business into other luxury goods. However, this eventually led to financial difficulties, and in 2005 the Taittinger brand – including the Champagne house – was sold to the American owned Starwood Hotel Group. The sale was badly received by the Champagne industry, with many fearing the new owners – unfamiliar with the culture of Champagne – would put profit ahead of quality.

Just one year later, Claude’s nephew, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who had always been opposed to the sale, negotiated a €660m deal with the Starwood Group, and the Taittinger family resumed ownership of the company.

In 2017, Taittinger planted its first vines in England, near a village in Kent, for its venture into English sparkling wine. The first bottle will be ready in 2023.

1/8/21 — 4 years ago

Kim Brater

9.4

Really delicious Pinot. Burgundian style. Elegant. Cassis and muted earth. Amazing for the original price. This 2011 is long gone. Paid under $40 several years ago. Wish I had another. Hear my Dad saying in my head "Always buy two..." 😀 🍷 — 7 years ago

Scott Stewart

9.2

As good as his Pinot and Gamy is, the Chardonnay's coming off of Doug's vineyard in Ribbon Ridge are even better. — 8 years ago

Olga Litvinova

9.5

Чернослив и гуава — 8 years ago

Jessie

9.1

Super smooth and mellow, great mouthfeel and a nice finish. Juicy. — 9 years ago

Richard Lewis

9.4

Sometimes you don't want to analyze, and just enjoy. This was one of those moments. — 9 years ago

with Lynne

Mvon Higgins

9.1

Crisp. Passion Fruit. Honeydew. Grapefruit. White peach. Vanilla. Rose/floral. Green grass. Acidic freshness. Great sipper and super value. Fish tacos best friend. — 10 years ago

KD

9.3

Light straw colour with notes of bread, lemon, pear, apricot and white flower on the nose. Lively and ample mousse with a bright acidity. On the palate, lemon, tart green apple, unripe pear, white peach with some chalk and wet stone minerality. Long finish with a lemon zing and brioche. Very enjoyable but still very young and will be awesome in another 5 years! — 3 years ago

Pooneet K

8.9

Excellent value and nearly everything you want in an entry level Oregon Pinot noir. A bit darker and more robust than I expected, and at 13.7% labeled abv. But quite balanced with darker red berries, some spice / chocolate notes, and slightly noticeable tannins. Lacking just a bit of acid on the finish for the freshness I’d love. — 5 years ago

Tom Wildenhaus

9.1

Really enjoyed this medium plus acid Pinot noir with mossy under tones and a bit of spice box kinda thing. It is young but enjoyable after about 30 mins. I should buy more. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A full-body Pinot! Deep Ruby with berry aromas, floral and garden spice. On the palate ripe strawberry and dried cherry fruit with vanilla spice and cedar notes. The wine is well structured, silky smooth tannins, balanced acidity carry the wine to a lingering spicy finish. Very Nice! — 6 years ago

Bryan Hopkins

9.0

Honey, yeast, tart green apple and barely ripe pear. Very nice, although lower end sparklers are getting good enough that it’s getting harder and harder to justify to myself paying the price for these big names. — 6 years ago

John J

9.0

Good stuff. - ripe fruit nose with green olive. Dense and smoky on the palate, less fruit than smoke but really tasty. Aerated first glass. Will reserve for tomorrow and see how Day 2-3 turn out. — 8 years ago

Murat Rakhimzhan

9.0

Very fresh wine with aromas of green pepper, passion fruit, lychee, and grass.
In taste fresh, limes, passion fruit, grass green pepper — 8 years ago

Rick Riddle

9.5

With Hibiscus floral notes on the nose, hints of strawberry, tart green apple upfront with a sweet mango, pineapple on the finish, this is my "go to" Champagne. — 9 years ago

with Meagan

Shannon Saylor

8.9

Really liked. I'm learning I like red blends of wine. — 9 years ago

Rob Guimaraes

9.2

About as close to Condrieu as I've seen Cali get. Lots of gardenias and tropicals mixed with a classic peachiness and solid structure. — 9 years ago

with melissa

Adam DeFiglio

9.0

Straw yellow
Med - body
Candied lime, green apple skin, plastic aromas
Meyer lemon, green apple skin, slightly grassy flavors
Med + acid
Crisp finish — 10 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.8

I love trying and exploring wines, but then I open this and wonder why I just don’t drink this forever. So fresh, so pretty, good acidity, tannin, and fruit, all of it balanced. Year after year this is my favorite broc wine. — 4 years ago

Devin Bostick

9.0

Tarragon, cherry smell, magenta, acid, sorrel, grass, cranberry, cherry — 4 years ago

Bret Anderson

9.9

Dry, complex, dynamic food pairing — 5 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

8.9

Vintage 2017 cherries, full bodied — 5 years ago

Avery Plank

9.4

Bought this in 2014 from Lsat Bottle. Should have bought more, it was a steal at the time and it has gotten even better in the last 5 years. Not too acidic, good amount of yeast, and overall excellent sparkling wine. 69% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay — 6 years ago

Megan

9.0

I usually tend toward Pinot Noir, but when I want something just a bit bolder, Gamay hits the spot. I have really been enjoying this 2015 vintage. — 7 years ago

Peter Coulthard

9.2

A surprisingly great red - as others have said. A very drinkable wine, but of smokiness to it, bold and quite red fruity. — 8 years ago

Jason Brater

9.2

A touch of lemon w Green apple and crisp — 8 years ago

with Heather and Randall

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.2

Very good wine from CB. Nice balance to it, lots of flavor. Had it with a nice steak. Great pairing. — 9 years ago

Nate Redner

9.5

Crushable. Great summertime wine. — 9 years ago

with Michael

Ben Lehman

9.2

I have a confession to make...I don't always love broc's wines, but I love this! — 10 years ago