Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

The 2017 Extra-Brut Hors Série is a very pretty wine in a very challenging year. Apricot, dried flowers and tangerine oil are some of the notes that grace this decidedly airy edition of the Hors Série. All this is lacking is a bit of mid-palate pliancy, but 2017 was a hard vintage in the field. There's a touch of oxidation in the aromatics and a bit less body than in the best years, both of which suggest the 2017 is a wine for near- and medium-term drinking. Dosage is 0.75 grams per liter, perhaps a bit low for this vintage given its relatively understated structure.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2018 Extra-Brut Hors Série is superb. This really bristles with tension and energy, while also offering more mid-palate presence than the 2017 tasted alongside it. White flowers, chalk, mint, slate and lemon oil stain the palate. This chiseled, beautifully sculpted Champagne has so much to offer. The eternal finish is impossible to miss. Dosage is 0.75 grams per liter.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (91)

The NV Brut Cuvée Ste.-Anne (base 2023) is laced with hints of dried flowers, chamomile and spice. Open-knit and airy, with lovely mid-palate presence, the Ste.-Anne is a delight. Citrus, marzipan and chamomile build into the refined finish. In this release, the Ste.-Anne is on the more delicate side. This release is based on 2023, with reserve wines from 2022, 2020, 2019 and 2018. Dosage is 3.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 2025.

Delve into the alluring complexity of the Chavost Blanc de Meunier Brut Nature NV, a true highlight in fine wines. Born in the prestigious French Champagne region and meticulously crafted by the acclaimed Chavost winemakers, this exceptional wine is an absolute tribute to Pinot Meunier grape varietal. Its production involves a meticulous fermentation process, making use of the traditional champagne method, invoking an exuberant, potent expression of the grape.

The Chavost Blanc de Meunier Brut Nature NV gracefully marries bright fruitiness and crisp acidity with a refined minerality, all wrapped gracefully in a fine effervescence. Exceptionally dry, 'Brut Nature', this sparkling wine truly showcases the uncompromising style and delicate precision of Chavost's winemaking artistry. This wine entices with its elegantly balanced profile and enduring finish, offering a veritable pleasure to the senses. Enjoy the brilliance of Chavost Blanc de Meunier Brut Nature NV, an unforgettable experience in the realm of fine wines.

Wine Advocate (92)

Originating from the 2021 vintage, when frost and mildew reduced yields to only 35% of the usual volume, the NV Brut Blanc de Noirs Largillier—disgorged in November 2024 with a dosage of six grams per liter—unfurls with scents of orange zest, red cherry, wild raspberry and white peach. The palate is medium- to full-bodied and incisive, combining generous fruit with mouthwatering acidity, culminating in a long, precise finish. The fruit for this wine is sourced from parcels dominated by marl and limestone soils.

Decanter (97)

Best In Show In contrast to our Best in Show Vintage Champagne, this non-vintage Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is clearly a youthful wine – but one with impressive potential. Pale and fine-beaded, its taut, mouth-watering scents of ivy leaf, plant sap, green apple and green grape contrive to suggest both exceptional vineyard origins but also a relatively low dosage. On the palate, the wine is pure, deep, vinous and driving, with fine-bladed intensity. Pristine, structural acidity carries it towards a high-focus, faintly saline finish, once again suggesting soil, stone and fruit rather than yeast and a concluding liqueur. Yes, it’s young, but you could age this pure, refined Blanc de Blancs for up to a decade (if you have cool cellaring conditions) to great benefit.

L'Aphrodisiaque 2016 is a marriage of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir vinified entirely in older oak barrels of at least 15 vintages.

L'Apotre Blanc de Blancs 2014 which is certainly the star of his cellar, is a single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) from old vines planted by his grandfather in 1946. The wine is vinified in oak barrel which lend this Champagne a powerful vinous character.

James Suckling (94)

Complex aromas of quince, dried mango, honey, toasted almond and gingerbread. It’s full-bodied and vinous with creamy, soft bubbles and bright acidity. Toasty and layered. Long, dense and flavorful. Delicious now.

Wine Advocate (96)

The assemblage of the 2006 Louis XV Brut Millésimé is about the same as the 1995 and 1996—composed of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from grand cru villages. The only difference is that the Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (10% of the assemblage) spent 12 months in oak barrels. Disgorged in January 2017 (dosage: six grams per liter), the 2006 has a golden color and opens with a deep, ripe, elegant and vinous bouquet with toasty and chalky lemon and fresh white fruit flavors. On the palate, this is an intense, round, fresh and complex Louis XV with great purity and finesse. The wine opens on the palate like a soufflé, coating the whole palate without any pressure or weight—gorgeous! This is a delicate and fresh yet well-structured and persistent Louis XV whose intense and long but weightless finish reveals lovely, almost juicy fruit concentration with perfectly integrated freshness and lasting minerality that seems to give additional structure. The 2006 shows a lot of Chardonnay features right now and drinks perfectly today; however, it can be kept under perfect conditions for decades. Just keep it in the box, because the bottle is white and nothing makes a Champagne age faster than exposure to daylight. (Tasted in November 2017 from Lot LL15067017BT.)

Regarded as one of the premium vintages of the decade, the De Venoge Champagne Louis XV Brut 2012 is a true testament to the winemaking finesse honed by the House of De Venoge. This Reims-established Champagne house, famed for its exceptional cellars, has indeed outdone itself with this distinct Brut, which finely balances delicacy and boldness. It's composed of grand Cru Chardonnays and Pinots Noirs, expertly aged for a minimum of six years before disgorgement, resulting in a golden champagne with an expressive, mineral nose and sublime floral notes.

The producer's tradition of responsible viticulture attitudes towards their terroir ensures top-grade grapes for every bottle. On tasting, the De Venoge Champagne Louis XV Brut 2012 unveils complex layers of stone fruit and honey, beautifully rounded by a harmonious yet crisp acidity. Its finish is filled with an enveloping creaminess and a cool mineral flourish. It's a lustrous Champagne that resonates luxury and elegance.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

A bright medium yellow hue, the NV Champagne Blanc de Blancs Princes Brut shows linear tension and drive, with more chalky austerity. A very pretty wine, this release is crafted from the 2019 vintage, with 10% from 2018 added. On opening, it reveals a floral bouquet of orange blossom and lemon confit, and it’s vertical and straight on the palate, with a refined mousse and a zesty core of energetic acidity. It was sourced predominantly from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, along with 20% from Trépail. Disgorged in 2024.