Wine Advocate (97+)

Disgorged with 1.7 grams per liter dosage after 48 months sur lattes, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2016) 48 months bursts with aromas of green apple, blanched almonds, confit citrus and pastry cream. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and this site's telltale chiseled, incisive profile; it's long and penetrating, concluding with chalky grip. With this late-disgorged version, Les Pierrières takes another step.

Wine Advocate (100)

Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Roises (2015) 60 months is an arresting, thrilling wine that bursts with aromas of peach, confit lemon, mandarin oil, buttery pastry, almonds and white flowers. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with huge concentration and mid-palate amplitude, it's vibrant and precise, with a pillowy mousse and an immensely long and intensely saline finish. Despite my best intentions, as soon as I tasted this Les Roises, I knew that my self-imposed embargo on any further 100-point scores for Champagne in 2021 would have to be broken. And the frightening thing is that Collin shows no signs of relenting in his quest to expand the parameters of the possible in Champagne! While bottles of this tiny disgorgement won't be easy to find, anyone eager to taste one of the region's contemporary benchmarks should make every effort to seek one out.

Wine Advocate (99)

Disgorged this year after 60 months on the lees, the NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Roises (2016) is brilliant, offering up complex aromas of confit orange, peach, citrus blossom, nutmeg and freshly baked bread, followed by a full-bodied, satiny and layered palate that's broader and more textural than Les Enfers, its deep core of fruit underpinned by racy acids and chalky structure. As I remarked on the wine's palpable levels of dry extract, Collin observed that due to the smaller size of the grapes Les Roises produces (due to fan leaf virus, or court-noué), he's obliged to press harder to liberate the juice, delivering simultaneously more dry extract and a slightly higher pH than adjacent Les Enfers. In addition to the supplemental concentration those smaller berries provide, this surely helps to explain some of the wine's texture and body.

Hailing from the celebrated Oger terroir of Champagne, France, the Vauversin Rossignol Grand Cru 2016 is one to savour. Crafted from 100% Chardonnay grapes, this wonderfully balanced Chardonnay Grand Cru is delight for true connoisseurs. Its maker, the distinguished Vauversin family, employ meticulous traditional methods for an exquisite production. For three generations, the Vauversins have maintained an unwavering commitment to quality, manipulating lees with utmost care to infuse the wine with a remarkable maturity.

The Vauversin Rossignol Grand Cru 2016 embodies excellence with an enticing golden hue and sparkles of brilliant green. A nose replete with floral and citrus nuances gives way to an elegant palate, presenting crisp apple and lemon zest with a delicately creamy finish. This is a testament to the finer intricacies of winemaking, a vintage that decants the Vauversin pedigree into every glass. For an indelible journey into the world of fine wine, the Vauversin Rossignol Grand Cru 2016 marks the route.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

The 2008 La Grande Dame Rosé is a very pretty wine. Not surprisingly, the 2008 is starting to show signs of age, not in a negative way per se, but there is also little doubt that time seems to bring out the natural vinous intensity and gamey character of Pinot Noir. The 2008 is like a teenager going through adolescence. I had had the privilege of tasting La Grande Dame Rosé going back many decades. Those experiences left me with the strong impression that the Rosé is best enjoyed either relatively young or quite old, as the wine can be something of a moving target in between those two distinct phases.

Vinous (93)

(made from fruit grown in eight different grand crus, mostly Verzenay and Avize; lot 5122815): Vivid gold. Heady aromas of orange, white peach and smoky minerals, with a note of buttered toast adding depth. Densely packed citrus and pit fruit flavors show chewy texture and a bright mineral quality that adds vivacity. Rich but lively and precise, finishing very long, with notes of candied fig and toasty lees.

Decanter (97)

Now almost blanc de noirs, boasting 92% Pinot Noir and just 8% Chardonnay from 60%-70% estate vineyards. La Grande Dame is one of the most affordable of Champagne’s elite prestige set, and the stunning 2008 vintage was intricately engineered by the masterful Dominique Demarville for the long haul. It unites all of the enduring potential of its thundering grands crus with the tension and energy of this legendary season, colliding high-tensile acidity with deep, fine, powdery chalk minerality, bringing its finish into stark focus.

Decanter (97)

Now almost blanc de noirs, boasting 92% Pinot Noir and just 8% Chardonnay from 60%-70% estate vineyards. La Grande Dame is one of the most affordable of Champagne’s elite prestige set, and the stunning 2008 vintage was intricately engineered by the masterful Dominique Demarville for the long haul. It unites all of the enduring potential of its thundering grands crus with the tension and energy of this legendary season, colliding high-tensile acidity with deep, fine, powdery chalk minerality, bringing its finish into stark focus.

Decanter (97)

Now almost blanc de noirs, boasting 92% Pinot Noir and just 8% Chardonnay from 60%-70% estate vineyards. La Grande Dame is one of the most affordable of Champagne’s elite prestige set, and the stunning 2008 vintage was intricately engineered by the masterful Dominique Demarville for the long haul. It unites all of the enduring potential of its thundering grands crus with the tension and energy of this legendary season, colliding high-tensile acidity with deep, fine, powdery chalk minerality, bringing its finish into stark focus.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

With a slight preponderance of Pinot Noir in the blend, this wine is rich and impressive. It is still young, with a crisp edge that makes the fruit shine. Apple and citrus flavors are integrated into a mineral vein. Drink from 2022.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2015 La Grande Dame, in magnum, is terrific. It offers a bit more mid-palate presence than the wine from bottle. Citrus confit, orchard fruit, white flowers and spice are beautifully amplified by the big bottle. Brisk acids pull it all together on the vibrant finish. In large format, the 2015 Grande Dame is seriously beautiful and vivid. Disgorged June 2024.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2015 La Grande Dame, in magnum, is terrific. It offers a bit more mid-palate presence than the wine from bottle. Citrus confit, orchard fruit, white flowers and spice are beautifully amplified by the big bottle. Brisk acids pull it all together on the vibrant finish. In large format, the 2015 Grande Dame is seriously beautiful and vivid. Disgorged June 2024.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

With a slight preponderance of Pinot Noir in the blend, this wine is rich and impressive. It is still young, with a crisp edge that makes the fruit shine. Apple and citrus flavors are integrated into a mineral vein. Drink from 2022.

Breathtakingly complex, the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame X Yayoi Kusama 2012 is an exquisite blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Born from the prestigious Veuve Clicquot vineyards in Reims, France, it boasts an impressive palette punctuated by hints of stone fruit, toasted nuts, and spice. The culmination of meticulous selection and assemblage of the Maison's eight historic Grands Crus is masterfully showcased in this edition.

Marking the partnership with renowned artist Yayoi Kusama, the bottle is adorned in her vibrant, polka dot artwork, marrying perfectly with the wine's energetic effervescence and luminous clarity. The collaboration pays homage to Madame Clicquot, the Grande Dame de la Champagne. Each bottle encapsulates the house's enduring commitment to push boundaries in wine-making. Revered among the world's top Champagne vintages, the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame X Yayoi Kusama 2012 offers unparalleled sophistication, making it a remarkable addition to any collection.

Wine Spectator (91)

The color of ballet shoes, this offers a floral nose partnered with a rich palate of flavor, subtly woven with brioche, toasted nut, black raspberry, apricot and graphite notes. This vibrant wine maintains a sense of elegance throughout.

Decanter (96)

It is quite something to be invited to the launch of Champagne Veuve Clicquot 2008 at Clos des Lambrays, one of the finest grands crus of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits and acquired by LVMH in April 2014. It was rumoured to have paid close to €100m. The Veuve Clicquot 2008 is VC Chef de Caves Dominique Demarville’s first solo vintage. What fascinated him at Lambrays was winemaker Thierry Brouin’s consummate talent in capturing from the red iron-rich soil a wonderfully bright character in the wine- so fresh, rich yet elegant, density and delicacy in magical harmony. The same can be said for my two coups de coeur in Clicquot 2008. --- Veuve Clicquot 2008 (Magnum) --- Shimmering green-gold. Easily up several notches from the bottle. Perfect balance of freshness, ripe acidity and complex vinosity to come. Near perfect wine, patina of seasoned spice of subtle oak. --- Elegant and complex Champagne with plenty of fine mousse and flavours of toast, smoke and roasted fruit notes to balance the fresh acidity. A refined and refreshing fullbodied wine in a gastronomic style with the potential to drink well for many years.