Champagne
Champagne, the epitome of elegance and celebration, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of sparkling wines. As one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, Champagne has captured the hearts of wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs with its exceptional quality, refined craftsmanship, and iconic vineyards.
Historically, Champagne has been dominated by some world-acclaimed Champagne House, which source grapes and harvest from Champagne growers. These famous Grandes Marques include Louis Roederer (Cristal), Dom Pérignon, Krug, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Bollinger, all of them are revered for their notable names that display unrivalled winemaking prestige and pedigree.
In the recent decade, the emerging Grower Champagne trend in Champagne is shaking up the industry by challenging the dominance of the big Champagne houses. These small-scale producers, also known as "Récoltant-Manipulant" or RM, grow their own grapes and produce their own Champagne, showcasing the unique terroir and character of their vineyards. Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, and Champagne Vilmart & Cie are among the most prominent names in this trend, producing some truly artisanal and terroir-driven Champagnes.
Champagne is primarily made from three main grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. These grapes are carefully selected and blended to create a harmonious and complex flavour profile. Chardonnay contributes elegance, freshness, and finesse, while Pinot Noir adds structure, depth, and fruitiness. Pinot Meunier brings a touch of roundness and vibrancy to the blend.
The region of Champagne is divided into several distinct sub-regions, including Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. Each sub-region has its unique terroir, characterized by variations in soil composition and microclimates, which influence the style and character of the wines produced.
Champagne offers various styles, from non-vintage blends to vintage cuvées and prestigious prestige cuvées. While Non-vintage Champagnes typically epitomise the house style, the vintage Champagnes are made from grapes harvested in one particular year (top vintages such as 1996, 2002, 2008 etc), in which these wines showcase the unique characteristics of the specific vintage.
The prestige cuvées, often the flagship wines of the renowned Champagne houses, are the pinnacle of excellence. These exceptional Champagnes are created using the finest grapes, the most meticulous winemaking techniques and often benefit from extended ageing to achieve unparalleled complexity and finesse.
Champagne is synonymous with celebration, elegance, and luxury. Its effervescent charm and timeless appeal have made it the drink of choice for countless special occasions and memorable moments. With its rich history, iconic vineyards, and unrivalled quality, Champagne continues to captivate wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
Champagne
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Champagne | 3 | 95 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£715.61 |
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Decanter (95)This is a three-way assemblage: three grape varieties – and equal percentage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with 20% of Pinot Meunier – and a blend of 3 vintages, 2009, 2010 and 2012. The nose is full of flavours and rich with notes of white flowers and crème patissière. However, the palate is crisp, fresh and delicate with a lovely creamy texture. It is elegant, refined and very stylish (unlike the bottle!). It’s a pleasant combination of power and concentration blended with finesse and elegance. While the dosage is 9g/l, it feels much drier, more like a 5g/l and this probably due to the spinal cord of acidity. |
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Champagne | 3 | 92 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£786.41 |
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Wine Spectator (92)Well-spiced and finely knit, this harmonious rosé is framed by firm acidity wrapped in a creamy mousse and flavors of dried apricot, wild strawberry and almond skin. Smoke, floral and orange peel notes linger on the finish. |
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Champagne | 69 | - |
Inc. VAT
£248.89 |
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The Barons Rothschild Extra Brut NV is an extraordinary sparkling wine, a result of meticulous advocacy for Qualität from major vineyards across the renowned Champagne region of France. This exceptional wine, crafted by the legendary Rothschild family, is both timeless and elegant. Produced with a higher proportion of Chardonnay grapes, boasting from minerality and citrus notes for a lean, yet captivating profile. The wine undergoes an extended three-year ageing period, a testament to the Rothschilds' unwavering dedication to quality. The Extra Brut style allows the pure and delicate character of the autochthonous yeasts to reveal a fine balance between freshness and complexity. On the palate, expect an abundance of ripe fruit and delicately toasted nuances that yield to a long, austere finish. Expanding your collection or seeking to toast an occasion with unrivalled class, the Barons Rothschild Extra Brut NV stands as a remarkable exemplar of French wine-making savoir-faire. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£516.41 |
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Discover the unparalleled elegance of Bereche Cran Ludes 2015, a pristine collector's item meticulously aged in the heart of France's Champagne region. Fondly crafted by the expert hands at Maison Bereche et Fils, a family-owned winery with a rich heritage spanning five generations, its distinctive character embodies the spirit of precision and passion. A blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, the Bereche Cran Ludes 2015 boasts an enticing balance of vitality and grace. This stunning vintage has been raised in old oak barrels, exalting a superb depth of flavour, delicately augmented by the terroir's chalky soils. An expression of refined complexity, Bereche Cran Ludes 2015 dances on the palate with cascading layers of crisp fruits, intermingled with subtle pastry notes. Inviting effervescence underscores a persistent finish, elevating the tasting experience to a sublime climax. Relish the prestige of this exemplary champagne, a testament to superb French viticulture. |
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Champagne | 1 | 91 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£186.49 |
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Wine Advocate (91)Disgorged in May 2017, the intensely yellow colored NV Cuvée des Moines Brut (green label) offers a rich and aromatic but fine and elegant nose with subtle mineral or chalky notes as well as citrus and tropical fruit (pineapples). Round, intense and slightly nutty, this is a full-bodied, charming, intense and elegant cuvée assembling Pinot Meunier with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This wine combines richness and hedonism with purity and precision. It has a long, sharp, well-defined finish. Excellent in quality and style. Tasted in October 2018 from lot L7S989003. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£3,504.49 |
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Champagne | 4 | 19+ (MJ) |
Inc. VAT
£719.21 |
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Matthew Jukes (19+)Created in 1988 as a tribute to Elisabeth Salmon, one of the House’s founders, this is the latest release and it has already benefitted from a remarkable ten years on its lees, because my sample was disgorged in October 2020. Made from 76% Grands Crus and 24% Premiers Crus, 55% Pinot Noir comes from Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Mareuil-sur-Äy and Äy and 45% Chardonnay comes from Chouilly, Cramant and Mesnil-sur-Oger. 9% red wine was added from Valofroy, a parcel of particularly old vines (60+ years old in 2008) situated high up on the hill above the winery in Mareuil. And 17% of the wine was vinified at low temperature in oak barrels which are, on average, 15 years old. The dosage is 7g/L. For the very first time, Elisabeth is available in magnums. I enjoyed an energetic tasting with Mathieu Roland-Billecart and he explained that this 2008 vintage seems like it has stolen the finest parts of each of the 1996 (tension), 2002 (layers of flavour) and the 2007 (refinement) and rolled them all into one wine! In a way, this is a fabulous analogy, but there is more to this vintage than meets the eye. The freshness and acidity here are both spectacular. These notes underpin the refined flavour with jolts of electricity which gather to form bolts of lightning. This is a young wine and yet the tenderness of the fruit is perfectly counterpointed by the shocking youthfulness on the finish. I cannot believe that 13 years have passed in the blink of an eye and so this means that 2008 Elisabeth might well be one of the slowest to age and longest-lived wines under this label to date. Having said this, the fruit is already magnificent. Mathieu asked me if I was familiar with the great French dessert clafoutis! At once a cherry clafoutis aroma arose from the glass, with faint notes of ginger blossom, saffron and white pepper. This is a crystalline and yet kaleidoscopic wine with fractals of flavour which splinter and shiver on the palate. It is high-tensile at the same time as being fragile and demure. It is everything Elisabeth would have wanted in her namesake wine. |
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Champagne | 4 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£3,304.01 |
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Wine Advocate (97)Interestingly, the highlight of this tasting was not the 1996 or 1995 but rather the 1998 Brut, perhaps because the wine is actually fully mature. Bursting with a complex bouquet that marries scents of mandarin, peach, vanilla pod and beeswax with nuances of English walnuts and fresh mushrooms, it's a full-bodied, rich and expansive Champagne that's concentrated and gourmand but impressively racy and precise despite its textural, muscular style, concluding with a long and sapid finish. I suspect the 1998 will be shorter lived than the 1996 and 1995—though of course it's certainly in no danger of decline any time soon—but it would be my pick for drinking today. |
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Champagne | 3 | 95+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,992.01 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)Most of the 2002 Brut from Boërl & Kroff was bottled in 750-milliliter bottles, so only 800 magnums were produced—a surprising decision, given the vintage, and one Sabaté now laments. Offering up a rich but youthful bouquet of waxy lemon rind, mandarin, warm biscuits, candied peel and honeycomb, this is a full-bodied, vinous Champagne with considerable structure and concentration, with its creamy and muscular profile exemplifying the house style. Long and powerful, it's a terrific wine that will delight admirers of old fashioned Champagne. |
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Champagne | 2 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,496.41 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The 2006 Brut wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe citrus fruit, warm bread, smoke and honeycomb that mingle with nuances of bitter orange, fresh field mushrooms and walnuts. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, satiny textured, rich and muscular, with impressive amplitude and concentration, a lively spine of acidity and chewy structuring extract, concluding with a long and nicely defined finish. Sabaté wonders aloud whether it was disgorged too soon, but there's no denying it's showing very well today, capturing the richness of the vintage without any of its potential heaviness. |
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Champagne | 2 | - |
Inc. VAT
£2,850.41 |
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Indulge in the luxury of Boerl & Kroff Brut NV NV, a highly revered champagne celebrated by expert fine wine enthusiasts world over. This distinguished beverage hails from the renowned champagne house of Boerl & Kroff, located in the premier wine-growing region of Champagne, France. Exquisite attention to detail defines the crafting process; only the first press 'cuvee' juice is kept and the ageing process occurs for a minimum of 10 years. This remarkable commitment imparts an exquisite complexity to the champagne’s profile. The Boerl & Kroff Brut NV NV delivers supreme elegance, highlighting vibrant citrus and delicate floral notes, married flawlessly with a bakery-fresh brioche nuance and an intrinsically satisfying creaminess. Its precise acidity and continuum of tiny bubbles signify the meticulous craftsmanship of its creation. A limited release wine, it is held in high esteem for its rarity and unparalleled finesse. Immerse in the Boerl & Kroff Brut NV NV experience and savour the opulence in every sip. |
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Champagne | 1 | 90 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£811.61 |
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Vinous (90)Light bronze color. Mature Champagne notes of brown butter, walnut, apple cider and maple syrup on the nose, along with fresher pear and mineral nuances. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated; a rather powerfully structured Champagne with noteworthy density and firm acidity. Considering the mature flavors, this wine is fresh and focused in the middle palate. Seems longer and more gripping than a bottle I tasted a year ago, perhaps the strengthening effect of another year on the lees prior to disgorgement. |
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Champagne | 12 | 19+ (MJ) |
Inc. VAT
£556.01 |
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Matthew Jukes (19+)The latest release of R.D. – Bollinger’s iconic ‘Recently Disgorged or Récemment Dégorgé’ wine is something completely out of the ordinary. My one-word description for this sensational wine is ‘controlled’. I say this because what I adore about every single vintage of R.D. which I have tasted (and there have been many – see below) is the seeming lack of control in every sip. R.D. should be and usually is an absurdly decadent and unpredictable wine, firing off ostentatious flavour and extraordinary detail in every direction. This is why I love it so much and also why I only open it on very special occasions! What is remarkable about this particular vintage is its restraint and levity coupled with the extraordinary length of finish. After 14 years on lees, this wine is as power-packed and energised as it could possibly be and with the extra edge and vivacity coming from a fulsome percentage of Verzenay Pinot fruit (29%) added to the usual heartbeat coming from the Aÿ Pinot core (26%) this is a dynamic red fruit-dominant cocktail. The overall blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay coming from 14 Crus with 91% Grands Crus in this vintage. The dosage is a keen 3 grams per litre and all disgorgement is done by hand, as usual. But in 2007 the result is atypical, enchanting, surprisingly refreshing and amazingly delicious. I opened this bottle at 11.00 am and did not stopper it for a full 12 hours. I even sneaked half a glass with a chicken curry at supper time and it worked like a dream. This is not a massive firework of a wine that explodes gloriously and then is gone. Instead, it is a blazing torch of flavour with phenomenal persistence and balance and this makes it unmissable in every serious Champagne lover’s cellar. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£935.29 |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,030.01 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The 2017 Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules is superb, mingling aromas of pear, mandarin and stone fruit with hints of fresh bread, pastry cream and iodine in an inviting mélange. Full-bodied, layered and fleshy, it's a concentrated, chiseled Ursules that's built for the cellar, with racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. While the reputation of the 2017 vintage in Champagne isn't great, you wouldn't know that from tasting this brilliant cuvée. As readers will remember, Les Ursules was the vineyard with which Cédric Bouchard began Roses de Jeanne, and he notes that of all the wines in his range, it's always the highest in acidity, the slowest to ferment and the slowest to conclude its malolactic fermentation. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£1,836.41 |
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Champagne | 10 | 91 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£430.01 |
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Vinous (91)The 2011 Brut Amour de Deutz is a gorgeous Champagne, especially for the year. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, brioche and tropical accents give the 2011 its extroverted personality. I would prefer to drink the 2011 sooner rather than later, just in case the vegetal notes typical of the year emerge, but today it is quite expressive. All the elements are nicely balanced in this rather slender vintage Champagne. |
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Champagne | 10 | - |
Inc. VAT
£487.61 |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£421.61 |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£3,749.29 |
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Champagne | 1 | 20 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£3,516.49 |
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Jancis Robinson (20)Magnum disgorged 1981 for the royal wedding. Pale amber. Amazingly it smells like Dom Pérignon. Notes of putty! Excellent mousse – hugely lively. You would really think this was decades younger than it is. Extraordinary. Lemony. Dry on the finish, but wonderfully vital, well-balanced fruit and autolysis on the mid palate. |
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Champagne | 1 | 90 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,715.21 |
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Wine Spectator (90)A steely, full-bodied and complete Champagne, showing a touch of honey, cedar, butter and spice. Has fruit and lime flavors, with a long finish. |
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Champagne | 1 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£984.41 |
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Vinous (94)The 2000 Dom Pérignon is a gorgeous wine to drink now, as it is already showing quite a bit of aromatic and flavor complexity. Although the 2000 doesn’t have the multi-dimensional personality or structure of the very best DPs, it does offer tremendous drinking pleasure today. Hints of pastry, baked apple and mint add nuance, with a touch of reduction that lends an added kick of freshness. Ultimately, the 2000 is a very drinkable and delicious Dom Pérignon. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. VAT
£528.41 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)The 2006 Dom Pérignon is a beautifully balanced, harmonious Dom Pérignon that strikes an incredibly appealing stylistic middle ground. Rich, voluptuous and creamy, the 2006 shows off fabulous intensity in a style that brings together the ripeness of 2002 with the greater sense of verve and overall freshness that is such a signature of the 2004. Bass notes and a feeling of phenolic grip on the finish recall the 2003, as the Pinot Noir is particularly expressive today. After an irregular summer that saw elevated temperatures in July followed by cooler, damp conditions in August, more favorable weather returned in September, pushing maturation ahead and leading to a long, protracted harvest. The 2006 falls into the family of riper, more voluptuous Dom Pérignons, but without veering into the level of opulence seen in vintages such as 2002. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£717.60 |
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Vinous (98)The 2008 Dom Pérignon is once again stunning. More than anything else, I am surprised by how well the 2008 drinks given all the tension and energy it holds. Then again, that is precisely what makes 2008 such a unique vintage namely that the best wines are so chiseled and yet not at all austere. Lemon peel, almond, mint, smoke and crushed rocks are all finely sculpted, but it is the wine’s textural feel, drive and persistence that elevate it into the realm of the sublime. The 2008 will be even better with time in the cellar, but it is absolutely phenomenal even today, in the early going. Three recent bottles have all been nothing short of magnificent. |
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Champagne | 2 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£520.01 |
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James Suckling (98)A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light pineapple, peach, praline, cooked-apple and stone aromas and flavors. It’s very subtle and focused at the end. Integrated with richness and high acidity. Good depth. Reminds me of the 1995. Very clean. Solid. Lovely to drink already, but will age nicely. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,053.61 |
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Wine Spectator (98)Offers precision and finely detailed form, powered by an expansive palate of flavor. The layers of ripe crushed blackberry and glazed apricot fruit complement the saline-tinged minerality and oyster shell notes, graced by hints of pastry, honeycomb and exotic spice. Mouthwatering and persistent on the zesty finish. |
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Champagne | 2 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,053.61 |
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James Suckling (97)A Champagne that has turned to a very fine texture with dried pineapple and lemon character. Medium to full body, complex and flavorful palate. Shows length and beauty. Pie crust, cooked apple and lemon rind continue on the finish. A truly great 2000 with a combination of finesse and strength. It’s very, very minerally to a point of sea salt. It was disgorged in first half of 2016. Drink or hold. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£1,685.21 |
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Decanter (99)And so from P1 methuselah to P2, which for Geoffroy ‘goes beyond Champagne’. P2, he continues, must be ‘deeper, richer, longer…better than P1' - otherwise why release it? Well, they haven't yet, although it's pencilled in for later in 2019. Here we have drive, vinosity and incredible length. The sweet and savoury balance indulges with a seductive embrace. Gustav Klimt in a glass maybe. Outstanding. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,684.01 |
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Wine Advocate (95)No tasting note. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Champagne | 3 | 95 (DC) |
In Bond
£591.00 |
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Decanter (95)This is a three-way assemblage: three grape varieties – and equal percentage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with 20% of Pinot Meunier – and a blend of 3 vintages, 2009, 2010 and 2012. The nose is full of flavours and rich with notes of white flowers and crème patissière. However, the palate is crisp, fresh and delicate with a lovely creamy texture. It is elegant, refined and very stylish (unlike the bottle!). It’s a pleasant combination of power and concentration blended with finesse and elegance. While the dosage is 9g/l, it feels much drier, more like a 5g/l and this probably due to the spinal cord of acidity. |
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Champagne | 3 | 92 (WS) |
In Bond
£650.00 |
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Wine Spectator (92)Well-spiced and finely knit, this harmonious rosé is framed by firm acidity wrapped in a creamy mousse and flavors of dried apricot, wild strawberry and almond skin. Smoke, floral and orange peel notes linger on the finish. |
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Champagne | 69 | - |
In Bond
£201.00 |
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The Barons Rothschild Extra Brut NV is an extraordinary sparkling wine, a result of meticulous advocacy for Qualität from major vineyards across the renowned Champagne region of France. This exceptional wine, crafted by the legendary Rothschild family, is both timeless and elegant. Produced with a higher proportion of Chardonnay grapes, boasting from minerality and citrus notes for a lean, yet captivating profile. The wine undergoes an extended three-year ageing period, a testament to the Rothschilds' unwavering dedication to quality. The Extra Brut style allows the pure and delicate character of the autochthonous yeasts to reveal a fine balance between freshness and complexity. On the palate, expect an abundance of ripe fruit and delicately toasted nuances that yield to a long, austere finish. Expanding your collection or seeking to toast an occasion with unrivalled class, the Barons Rothschild Extra Brut NV stands as a remarkable exemplar of French wine-making savoir-faire. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£425.00 |
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Discover the unparalleled elegance of Bereche Cran Ludes 2015, a pristine collector's item meticulously aged in the heart of France's Champagne region. Fondly crafted by the expert hands at Maison Bereche et Fils, a family-owned winery with a rich heritage spanning five generations, its distinctive character embodies the spirit of precision and passion. A blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, the Bereche Cran Ludes 2015 boasts an enticing balance of vitality and grace. This stunning vintage has been raised in old oak barrels, exalting a superb depth of flavour, delicately augmented by the terroir's chalky soils. An expression of refined complexity, Bereche Cran Ludes 2015 dances on the palate with cascading layers of crisp fruits, intermingled with subtle pastry notes. Inviting effervescence underscores a persistent finish, elevating the tasting experience to a sublime climax. Relish the prestige of this exemplary champagne, a testament to superb French viticulture. |
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Champagne | 1 | 91 (WA) |
In Bond
£149.00 |
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Wine Advocate (91)Disgorged in May 2017, the intensely yellow colored NV Cuvée des Moines Brut (green label) offers a rich and aromatic but fine and elegant nose with subtle mineral or chalky notes as well as citrus and tropical fruit (pineapples). Round, intense and slightly nutty, this is a full-bodied, charming, intense and elegant cuvée assembling Pinot Meunier with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This wine combines richness and hedonism with purity and precision. It has a long, sharp, well-defined finish. Excellent in quality and style. Tasted in October 2018 from lot L7S989003. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£2,914.00 |
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Champagne | 4 | 19+ (MJ) |
In Bond
£594.00 |
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Matthew Jukes (19+)Created in 1988 as a tribute to Elisabeth Salmon, one of the House’s founders, this is the latest release and it has already benefitted from a remarkable ten years on its lees, because my sample was disgorged in October 2020. Made from 76% Grands Crus and 24% Premiers Crus, 55% Pinot Noir comes from Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Mareuil-sur-Äy and Äy and 45% Chardonnay comes from Chouilly, Cramant and Mesnil-sur-Oger. 9% red wine was added from Valofroy, a parcel of particularly old vines (60+ years old in 2008) situated high up on the hill above the winery in Mareuil. And 17% of the wine was vinified at low temperature in oak barrels which are, on average, 15 years old. The dosage is 7g/L. For the very first time, Elisabeth is available in magnums. I enjoyed an energetic tasting with Mathieu Roland-Billecart and he explained that this 2008 vintage seems like it has stolen the finest parts of each of the 1996 (tension), 2002 (layers of flavour) and the 2007 (refinement) and rolled them all into one wine! In a way, this is a fabulous analogy, but there is more to this vintage than meets the eye. The freshness and acidity here are both spectacular. These notes underpin the refined flavour with jolts of electricity which gather to form bolts of lightning. This is a young wine and yet the tenderness of the fruit is perfectly counterpointed by the shocking youthfulness on the finish. I cannot believe that 13 years have passed in the blink of an eye and so this means that 2008 Elisabeth might well be one of the slowest to age and longest-lived wines under this label to date. Having said this, the fruit is already magnificent. Mathieu asked me if I was familiar with the great French dessert clafoutis! At once a cherry clafoutis aroma arose from the glass, with faint notes of ginger blossom, saffron and white pepper. This is a crystalline and yet kaleidoscopic wine with fractals of flavour which splinter and shiver on the palate. It is high-tensile at the same time as being fragile and demure. It is everything Elisabeth would have wanted in her namesake wine. |
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Champagne | 4 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,748.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)Interestingly, the highlight of this tasting was not the 1996 or 1995 but rather the 1998 Brut, perhaps because the wine is actually fully mature. Bursting with a complex bouquet that marries scents of mandarin, peach, vanilla pod and beeswax with nuances of English walnuts and fresh mushrooms, it's a full-bodied, rich and expansive Champagne that's concentrated and gourmand but impressively racy and precise despite its textural, muscular style, concluding with a long and sapid finish. I suspect the 1998 will be shorter lived than the 1996 and 1995—though of course it's certainly in no danger of decline any time soon—but it would be my pick for drinking today. |
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Champagne | 3 | 95+ (WA) |
In Bond
£2,488.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)Most of the 2002 Brut from Boërl & Kroff was bottled in 750-milliliter bottles, so only 800 magnums were produced—a surprising decision, given the vintage, and one Sabaté now laments. Offering up a rich but youthful bouquet of waxy lemon rind, mandarin, warm biscuits, candied peel and honeycomb, this is a full-bodied, vinous Champagne with considerable structure and concentration, with its creamy and muscular profile exemplifying the house style. Long and powerful, it's a terrific wine that will delight admirers of old fashioned Champagne. |
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Champagne | 2 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,075.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The 2006 Brut wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe citrus fruit, warm bread, smoke and honeycomb that mingle with nuances of bitter orange, fresh field mushrooms and walnuts. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, satiny textured, rich and muscular, with impressive amplitude and concentration, a lively spine of acidity and chewy structuring extract, concluding with a long and nicely defined finish. Sabaté wonders aloud whether it was disgorged too soon, but there's no denying it's showing very well today, capturing the richness of the vintage without any of its potential heaviness. |
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Champagne | 2 | - |
In Bond
£2,370.00 |
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Indulge in the luxury of Boerl & Kroff Brut NV NV, a highly revered champagne celebrated by expert fine wine enthusiasts world over. This distinguished beverage hails from the renowned champagne house of Boerl & Kroff, located in the premier wine-growing region of Champagne, France. Exquisite attention to detail defines the crafting process; only the first press 'cuvee' juice is kept and the ageing process occurs for a minimum of 10 years. This remarkable commitment imparts an exquisite complexity to the champagne’s profile. The Boerl & Kroff Brut NV NV delivers supreme elegance, highlighting vibrant citrus and delicate floral notes, married flawlessly with a bakery-fresh brioche nuance and an intrinsically satisfying creaminess. Its precise acidity and continuum of tiny bubbles signify the meticulous craftsmanship of its creation. A limited release wine, it is held in high esteem for its rarity and unparalleled finesse. Immerse in the Boerl & Kroff Brut NV NV experience and savour the opulence in every sip. |
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Champagne | 1 | 90 (VN) |
In Bond
£671.00 |
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Vinous (90)Light bronze color. Mature Champagne notes of brown butter, walnut, apple cider and maple syrup on the nose, along with fresher pear and mineral nuances. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated; a rather powerfully structured Champagne with noteworthy density and firm acidity. Considering the mature flavors, this wine is fresh and focused in the middle palate. Seems longer and more gripping than a bottle I tasted a year ago, perhaps the strengthening effect of another year on the lees prior to disgorgement. |
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Champagne | 12 | 19+ (MJ) |
In Bond
£458.00 |
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Matthew Jukes (19+)The latest release of R.D. – Bollinger’s iconic ‘Recently Disgorged or Récemment Dégorgé’ wine is something completely out of the ordinary. My one-word description for this sensational wine is ‘controlled’. I say this because what I adore about every single vintage of R.D. which I have tasted (and there have been many – see below) is the seeming lack of control in every sip. R.D. should be and usually is an absurdly decadent and unpredictable wine, firing off ostentatious flavour and extraordinary detail in every direction. This is why I love it so much and also why I only open it on very special occasions! What is remarkable about this particular vintage is its restraint and levity coupled with the extraordinary length of finish. After 14 years on lees, this wine is as power-packed and energised as it could possibly be and with the extra edge and vivacity coming from a fulsome percentage of Verzenay Pinot fruit (29%) added to the usual heartbeat coming from the Aÿ Pinot core (26%) this is a dynamic red fruit-dominant cocktail. The overall blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay coming from 14 Crus with 91% Grands Crus in this vintage. The dosage is a keen 3 grams per litre and all disgorgement is done by hand, as usual. But in 2007 the result is atypical, enchanting, surprisingly refreshing and amazingly delicious. I opened this bottle at 11.00 am and did not stopper it for a full 12 hours. I even sneaked half a glass with a chicken curry at supper time and it worked like a dream. This is not a massive firework of a wine that explodes gloriously and then is gone. Instead, it is a blazing torch of flavour with phenomenal persistence and balance and this makes it unmissable in every serious Champagne lover’s cellar. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£773.00 |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£853.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The 2017 Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules is superb, mingling aromas of pear, mandarin and stone fruit with hints of fresh bread, pastry cream and iodine in an inviting mélange. Full-bodied, layered and fleshy, it's a concentrated, chiseled Ursules that's built for the cellar, with racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. While the reputation of the 2017 vintage in Champagne isn't great, you wouldn't know that from tasting this brilliant cuvée. As readers will remember, Les Ursules was the vineyard with which Cédric Bouchard began Roses de Jeanne, and he notes that of all the wines in his range, it's always the highest in acidity, the slowest to ferment and the slowest to conclude its malolactic fermentation. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£1,525.00 |
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Champagne | 10 | 91 (VN) |
In Bond
£353.00 |
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Vinous (91)The 2011 Brut Amour de Deutz is a gorgeous Champagne, especially for the year. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, brioche and tropical accents give the 2011 its extroverted personality. I would prefer to drink the 2011 sooner rather than later, just in case the vegetal notes typical of the year emerge, but today it is quite expressive. All the elements are nicely balanced in this rather slender vintage Champagne. |
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Champagne | 10 | - |
In Bond
£401.00 |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£346.00 |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£3,118.00 |
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Champagne | 1 | 20 (JR) |
In Bond
£2,924.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (20)Magnum disgorged 1981 for the royal wedding. Pale amber. Amazingly it smells like Dom Pérignon. Notes of putty! Excellent mousse – hugely lively. You would really think this was decades younger than it is. Extraordinary. Lemony. Dry on the finish, but wonderfully vital, well-balanced fruit and autolysis on the mid palate. |
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Champagne | 1 | 90 (WS) |
In Bond
£1,424.00 |
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Wine Spectator (90)A steely, full-bodied and complete Champagne, showing a touch of honey, cedar, butter and spice. Has fruit and lime flavors, with a long finish. |
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Champagne | 1 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£815.00 |
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Vinous (94)The 2000 Dom Pérignon is a gorgeous wine to drink now, as it is already showing quite a bit of aromatic and flavor complexity. Although the 2000 doesn’t have the multi-dimensional personality or structure of the very best DPs, it does offer tremendous drinking pleasure today. Hints of pastry, baked apple and mint add nuance, with a touch of reduction that lends an added kick of freshness. Ultimately, the 2000 is a very drinkable and delicious Dom Pérignon. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
£435.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)The 2006 Dom Pérignon is a beautifully balanced, harmonious Dom Pérignon that strikes an incredibly appealing stylistic middle ground. Rich, voluptuous and creamy, the 2006 shows off fabulous intensity in a style that brings together the ripeness of 2002 with the greater sense of verve and overall freshness that is such a signature of the 2004. Bass notes and a feeling of phenolic grip on the finish recall the 2003, as the Pinot Noir is particularly expressive today. After an irregular summer that saw elevated temperatures in July followed by cooler, damp conditions in August, more favorable weather returned in September, pushing maturation ahead and leading to a long, protracted harvest. The 2006 falls into the family of riper, more voluptuous Dom Pérignons, but without veering into the level of opulence seen in vintages such as 2002. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£717.60 |
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Vinous (98)The 2008 Dom Pérignon is once again stunning. More than anything else, I am surprised by how well the 2008 drinks given all the tension and energy it holds. Then again, that is precisely what makes 2008 such a unique vintage namely that the best wines are so chiseled and yet not at all austere. Lemon peel, almond, mint, smoke and crushed rocks are all finely sculpted, but it is the wine’s textural feel, drive and persistence that elevate it into the realm of the sublime. The 2008 will be even better with time in the cellar, but it is absolutely phenomenal even today, in the early going. Three recent bottles have all been nothing short of magnificent. |
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Champagne | 2 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£428.00 |
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James Suckling (98)A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light pineapple, peach, praline, cooked-apple and stone aromas and flavors. It’s very subtle and focused at the end. Integrated with richness and high acidity. Good depth. Reminds me of the 1995. Very clean. Solid. Lovely to drink already, but will age nicely. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (WS) |
In Bond
£1,706.00 |
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Wine Spectator (98)Offers precision and finely detailed form, powered by an expansive palate of flavor. The layers of ripe crushed blackberry and glazed apricot fruit complement the saline-tinged minerality and oyster shell notes, graced by hints of pastry, honeycomb and exotic spice. Mouthwatering and persistent on the zesty finish. |
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Champagne | 2 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,706.00 |
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James Suckling (97)A Champagne that has turned to a very fine texture with dried pineapple and lemon character. Medium to full body, complex and flavorful palate. Shows length and beauty. Pie crust, cooked apple and lemon rind continue on the finish. A truly great 2000 with a combination of finesse and strength. It’s very, very minerally to a point of sea salt. It was disgorged in first half of 2016. Drink or hold. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (DC) |
In Bond
£1,399.00 |
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Decanter (99)And so from P1 methuselah to P2, which for Geoffroy ‘goes beyond Champagne’. P2, he continues, must be ‘deeper, richer, longer…better than P1' - otherwise why release it? Well, they haven't yet, although it's pencilled in for later in 2019. Here we have drive, vinosity and incredible length. The sweet and savoury balance indulges with a seductive embrace. Gustav Klimt in a glass maybe. Outstanding. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,398.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95)No tasting note. |
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