|
Just looking to make a little room... some pretty incredible bubbles on hand... two at cost and one nearly at cost... plus two that are so outstanding I am not slashing them... want some? Dhondt-Grellet Les Terres Fines 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV - Sale $59.99 net - 94 pts Wine Advocate - Downright delicious 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne for under $50, sign me up! Adrien Dhondt uses nine different plots all from the rich limestone soils of Cuis. His 45+ year old vines produce lower yields of richly flavoured Chardonnay. The base for his non-vintage “Terres Fines” is 2013 (approximately 70%), with reserve wines included as far back as 1986. Dhondt’s Terres Fines is an Extra Brut style of Champagne (low dosage), only 2 grams per liter. I typically find Extra Brut styles of Champagne to be quite austere in their youth, but this is different. Dhondt’s fruit is so rich and flavourful that it offsets the leanness perfectly. It’s both dry and abundantly fruited, pretty amazing stuff for under $60. Classic brioche notes on the nose, with fresh peach, pear, apple and lemon in the mix. The palate is expansive, with more stone fruits, and a rich round creamy mouthfeel enhanced with notes of vanilla and spiced minerals. The finish lasts for almost a minute. A beautiful bottle, fantastic now and I bet it’ll age very well too. “Disgorged in July 2020 with 1.5 grams per liter dosage, the NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Les Terres Fines (2017) bursts with aromas of fresh pear, crisp yellow apple, citrus oil, toasted almonds and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and textural, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and a saline finish, it's an elegantly enveloping, gastronomic Champagne.” Wine Advocate
At Cost - Taittinger Brut Champagne 2014 - Sale $69.99 - 94 pts James Suckling / 92 pts Wine Advocate - "Lots of apple and lemon with biscuit and pie-crust character. Rich nose. Full-bodied with a big palate, showing lots of apple and vanilla. Round and layered texture. Flamboyant. " JS "The newly released 2014 Brut Millésimé from Taittinger is showing very well, offering up aromas of white peach, green apple, nougat and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, bright and incisive, with a charming core of fruit and a delicate mousse, this is a pretty, expressive vintage for Taittinger. Sufficiently open and fruit-driven to be enjoyed, toasty complexity with come with a few years on cork." WA
At Cost - Taittinger Prestige Brut Rose NV - Sale $59.99 - 92 pts James Suckling - "Darker color. Lots of fruit and a creamy texture with cooked apples and cherries and strawberry undertones. Medium to full body. Delicious finish that is dry and fruity. Spicy. White pepper. Young strawberry at the end. Drink now." JS
Almost at Cost - Gaston Chiquet "Millesime Carte d'Or" Brut 2009 - Sale $49.99 / Was on Sale $ $57.99 – 93 pts Vinous / 92 pts Wine Advocate - “The 2009 Brut Carte d’Or is 60% Chardonnay from Dizy (Cerisieres lieu-dit) and 40% Pinot Noir from Mareuil-sur-Ay 1er (Mutry and Bourdeleuse lieux-dits) is just beginning to show signs of aromatic nuance in its bouquet, the 2009 is a terrific choice for readers who want to drink a Champagne with a bit of age. Dried flowers, chamomile, lemon confit, almond, pear and spice all develop with a bit of coaxing. The 2009 is not an overt or big wine as its vintage might suggest, but is rather a Champagne of total class and sublime beauty. I loved it.” Vinous
“Gaston Chiquet's 2009 Brut Premier Cru Or is showing very well, revealing aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, honeycomb, white flowers and fresh brioche. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and nicely defined, with an enveloping core of fruit, ripe but racy acids, and a delicate pinpoint mousse.” WA
Laherte Freres Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Grandes Crayères 2016 - Sale $67.89 – Beats the Best US Price online - 96 pts Vinous - North Carolina Exclusive!
Ok, let’s start with what a ridiculous buy this is…hmm… check out some other options: - Jacques Selosse Les Carelles Le Mesnil-sur-Oger NV (4/2013 disgorge) - $500 – 94 pts
- Philipponnat Les Cintres 2010 - $799 – 94 pts
- Jacquesson Corne Bautray 2009 - $310 – 95 pts
- Egly-Ouriet 2008 - $310 – 96 pts
From the village of Chavot located in the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay, a sub-region sandwiched between the Côte des Blancs and the Vallee du Marne. Aurelien Laherte is a very talented young vigneron, one to watch for sure. His vineyards are biodynamically farmed and his wines are strikingly vibrant and pure. This wine comes from two plots that are dominated by chalky soil. It’s softer and more crumbly than the hard chalk of the Côte des Blancs, making for a slightly rounder and fruitier profile. It’s still 100% Chardonnay, and the low dosage of 4 g/l is all that is needed to add balance. Overall, it is a steal…
“A stunning wine… Bright and finely sculpted, the 2016 possess dazzling energy to match its mid-weight personality. I very much admire the wine's drive and precision. The Grandes Crayères emerges from two parcels in Chavot that confer so much tension. It is a stunning Champagne in every way. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.” VM
Reply to order. Supplies are limited. |