Karl Seidman

9.2

9.2 Good Pinot with depth and smooth finish. Nice match for Thanksgiving dinner. 2021 vintage — 5 months ago

Graham

9.3

Smoking’ good!! — 7 months ago

Jeremy.Buss

9.2

Excellent on a stand alone basis or in mimosas!! Slight brioche, caramel, butter, and a hint of apricot. Just as good at bottle opening as it was a couple hours later! — a year 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

Randall Brater

9.0

Coffee, vanilla, plums, raisins on the nose. Light to medium fruit with hints of coffee, caramel, toasted oak, and a hint of tannins. This has a nice balance of fruit, spice and tannins, but is a little light for my taste. This bottle is quite enjoyable, but Hartford has others that are better. — 4 years ago

Andrea Watt

9.0

Lightly sweet with green apple and honeysuckle, lime and tropical fruit. — 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

Jess

9.1

Pale-medium straw color.
Aromas of fresh baked buttery pastry, cheese.
Dry. Flavors of lemon, buttery pastry, Parmigiano, green apple finish.

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 3/5
Balance: 4/5
Finish: 4/5 — 7 months ago

S

9.3

Wow. Smooth. Paris Louvre — 8 months ago

Graham

9.3

Really drinking well now. — 2 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

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

Willie Carter

9.2

Another beautiful champagne from the Launois family. A pale old gold color with nice perlage and intensity. Freshly baked bread and green apple aromas for days. Melons and white peaches with herbs for good measure. There’s an innate sense of lemon zest in the air that’s just magnificent.

Pure Grand Cru Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger. Four years of aging on lees gives this a resplendent and stately nature. Nice acidity and a superb mouthfeel, especially on the second day. Apples and chalk on the palate alongside vibrant citrus fruits. I struggle to think of a better value in Champagne than this. Stock up. — 7 months ago

Donald Williams

9.3

Maybe a wee bit past prime, but truly wonderful. — 10 months ago

with Bonnie

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

Devin Bostick

9.0

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

Ben LaBolt

9.0

Beautiful winery that also produces bubbly. Medium bodied pinots that are well balanced w nice fruit. — 4 years ago

with Leo

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