Wine Advocate (95+)

An extraordinary effort in this vintage, this 2008 was made from lower yields than the 2010 (the 2008's equaled 20 hectoliters per hectare) and is a blend of 90% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that came in at 14% natural alcohol. Michel Rolland has been the consultant for all the Perse estates since their acquisition, and the 2008's fruit was harvested very late, October 20. The result is a backward, dense purple-colored wine revealing a crushed rock-like liqueur along with highly extracted, massive flavors of black currants, sweet cherries, licorice and toast. This full-bodied effort requires 5-6 years of bottle age and should last for 25-30 years.

Vinous (98)

Bellevue Mondotte is magnificent in 2016. Stunningly rich and concentrated, with tremendous structure, the 2016 has so much to offer. Crème de cassis, raspberry jam, lavender, graphite, game, menthol and a whole rush of inky blue/purplish fruit emerge from this explosive, captivating Saint-Émilion. In 2016 Bellevue Mondotte balances sumptuousness with saline-infused energy and persistence. It is without question one of the truly great wines of the vintage.

Vinous (98)

Bellevue Mondotte is magnificent in 2016. Stunningly rich and concentrated, with tremendous structure, the 2016 has so much to offer. Crème de cassis, raspberry jam, lavender, graphite, game, menthol and a whole rush of inky blue/purplish fruit emerge from this explosive, captivating Saint-Émilion. In 2016 Bellevue Mondotte balances sumptuousness with saline-infused energy and persistence. It is without question one of the truly great wines of the vintage.

Vinous (92-94)

(one of the four barrels was new in 2016): Musky, noble reduction to the aromas of pear, minerals and flowers. At once thick and juicy, boasting lovely concentration and clarity to its soil-driven flavors of stone fruits and saline, rocky minerals. Tight in the middle at present but this fine-grained wine broadens out on the very long, glistening, palate-saturating back end. Leroux told me he made between 25 and 30 hectoliters per hectare from these very old vines, which he noted is the normal yield here.

Vinous (94)

The 2016 Rilly La Montagne, 100% Pinot Noir, possesses striking inner perfume and tons of sheer allure. Medium in body and gracious, the Rilly has much to offer. It is not especially vinous, as the Bérêche wines can be, but rather a Champagne that impresses with the understated finesse and persistence that come from this relatively high altitude site. Kirsch, Mirabelle plum, mint, spice and dried rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that emerge. The Rilly has so much to offer. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: January, 2020.

Wine Advocate (90-92)

The 2016 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly, which was taken from tank and fined, has quite a powerful, well-defined, lemon zest and walnut-scented bouquet that just springs from the glass. The palate is well defined with hints of blackcurrant complementing the malic fruit, with a touch of spiciness coming through on the finish. Very fine—one of the best from Alex Moreau this year.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

I was able to taste the 2016 Château Beychevelle on two occasions, and it showed beautifully both times. This is also the first vintage made in the new cellar. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly seamless and elegant on the palate, yet beautifully concentrated, it offers a heavenly perfume of spring flowers, violets, saddle leather, and blueberry and cassis fruit. A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc, brought up in 50% new oak, it’s still tight, taunt, and reserved on the palate, yet has the hallmark purity of fruit and balance of the vintage front and center. Hide bottles for 4-6 years, and it will keep for 25+ years or more.

James Suckling (98)

The aromas are always so complex with cherries, blackberries, rosemary, sage and spice. Full-bodied, very tight and polished with a dense and powerful palate, which opens and grows, yet remains agile and beautiful. A solid red. Wonderful segue from the 2015. 80 per cent sangiovese with colorino and canaiolo. Try after 2022.

James Suckling (98)

A very beautiful and thoughtful Testamatta with aromas of earth, terra cotta, black tea, and lavender. Full-bodied, very layered and extremely polished with superb, soft tannins. Racy and very long. Muscular and formed but very, very balanced. Gorgeous richness and depth. Shows balance and wonder. Try in 2020.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2016 Bibian has a tightly-wound bouquet that demands more coaxing than its peers, eventually revealing pure blackberries, raspberry, cedar and light mint aromas. The oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure and polished with some classy new oak assiduously blended. This is a classy offering and one of the best Cru Bourgeois that I have tasted this vintage. Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in London.

Decanter (97)

A blend of 65% Pinot Noir consisting of Premier and Grand Crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallee de la Marne and 35% Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs. Significantly, this has nine years ageing on its lees (longer than some Prestige Cuvees), the 2008 was first released onto the global market back in March 2019. With an Extra Brut dosage of 4g/l, this is a highly expressive, confident and convincing interpretation of the vintage. Right now, it is youthfully sharp and focused with fine salinity, depth, acidity and balance, and as such is already extremely approachable. The flavour spectrum encompasses toast, oyster shell, citrus, cream and a flinty, mineral depth. There’s supreme balance and elegance here, combined with a hidden underlying power that will continue to emerge and broaden with time. The finish is dry and long.

Decanter (97)

A blend of 65% Pinot Noir consisting of Premier and Grand Crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallee de la Marne and 35% Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs. Significantly, this has nine years ageing on its lees (longer than some Prestige Cuvees), the 2008 was first released onto the global market back in March 2019. With an Extra Brut dosage of 4g/l, this is a highly expressive, confident and convincing interpretation of the vintage. Right now, it is youthfully sharp and focused with fine salinity, depth, acidity and balance, and as such is already extremely approachable. The flavour spectrum encompasses toast, oyster shell, citrus, cream and a flinty, mineral depth. There’s supreme balance and elegance here, combined with a hidden underlying power that will continue to emerge and broaden with time. The finish is dry and long.

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.

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.

Matthew Jukes (20++)

Made from 100% Chardonnay and coming from Chouilly (40%), Cramant (33%), Mesnil-sur-Oger (22%) and Avize (7%), with one-third fermented and aged in old oak barrels and a dosage of 7 g/L, this is becoming a relatively familiar recipe for this elite House and yet there is nothing familiar about the flavour of this epic new release. Billecart-Salmon’s elite Blanc de Blancs is named after Louis, the brother of Elisabeth Salmon, who co-founded this illustrious Champagne house over two centuries ago with her husband, Nicolas François Billecart. This is the third release of Louis, and it is, again, completely different in shape and size to the beautiful 2006 (19/20) and crystalline 2007 (19.5/20). The oak was enhanced from 5% in the 2006 vintage to 50% in the 2007 and now it has been knocked back a touch, and this certainly serves to enhance the splendour of the sensational 2008 vintage fruit. I didn’t note that Avize fruit was used in the 2007, but I think it was in the 2006. Either way, I am confident that this tinkering around the edges has heightened the attack of this incredible wine. The delivery here is something to behold. It is clear from the nose that this wine is made with a horologist’s precision, and while everything starts quietly, there is an uncommon determination here that keeps on coming, leaving you panting with pleasure. On the palate, 2008 Louis perfectly balances extreme tension and white-knuckle drama with the most enchanting and serene jasmine, white tea, and linden blossom notes. It seems mesmerisingly composed from one side of the glass and hellbent on rearranging your taste buds via a national grid-sized electric shock from the other. I am not suggesting that this wine is too young to approach now because, at fourteen years of age, you can drink it, just be aware that this might be one of the wines with the most potential I have ever tasted from this incredible estate. As always with Billecart, the bubbles are minuscule, and the colour is as pale as can be, so there are no particular visual clues as to the greatness in the glass, but once the perfume takes hold and it pulls you to the glass, you are entirely within its control. I venture that Blanc de Blancs fans will go gaga when they taste this wine. It further improves on the magnificence of the two preceding vintages, and whether or not this is to do with the oak regime or the exact percentage of fruit drawn from each of the Grands Crus villages, I don’t know. However, I am certain that 2008 is a jaw-droppingly serious vintage and eclipses both 2006 and 2007 in terms of sheer class. Therefore, even at this early age, I am convinced that this is the birth of another perfect wine from Billecart-Salmon, and it is certainly the finest value 20/20 from this magnificent House, too.

Matthew Jukes (20+)

08NF was made from 83% Grands Crus and 17% de Premiers Crus: 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzenay et Verzy); 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant, Vertus); 17% of the wines were vinified in oak barrels, and it was aged on its lees for 150 months; The dosage is 2.9 g/l, and it was disgorged in January 2022. This super-deep wine dwells low in the glass with weight and depth of delivery that is completely unhurried. Vinous, powerful and with a full spectrum of fruit and patisserie, it is remarkable just how little citrus and herb there is on the front end of this staggeringly impressive wine. It is more layered and exotic than any current release Champagne I can think of, and then when it seems as though the scene is set, everything changes instantly. The palate drops about three gears revealing arresting zestiness and tanginess that completely engulfs the senses. I learned that this cuvée’s release was delayed by nearly two years because the back end was so twitchy, nervy and excitable. As it turns out, the Billecart gurus made the right call here – this is an electrifying wine, and the finish shows that the potential here is incredible. I am lucky enough to have tasted the 1959 and the 1961 Billecart-Salmon vintage wines, among others, and the DNA and detail in this 2008 are near-identical. While the top half of this wine is showy, flamboyant and seductive, the lower half is firm, chiselled, rigid and breath-taking.

Matthew Jukes (20+)

08NF was made from 83% Grands Crus and 17% de Premiers Crus: 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzenay et Verzy); 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant, Vertus); 17% of the wines were vinified in oak barrels, and it was aged on its lees for 150 months; The dosage is 2.9 g/l, and it was disgorged in January 2022. This super-deep wine dwells low in the glass with weight and depth of delivery that is completely unhurried. Vinous, powerful and with a full spectrum of fruit and patisserie, it is remarkable just how little citrus and herb there is on the front end of this staggeringly impressive wine. It is more layered and exotic than any current release Champagne I can think of, and then when it seems as though the scene is set, everything changes instantly. The palate drops about three gears revealing arresting zestiness and tanginess that completely engulfs the senses. I learned that this cuvée’s release was delayed by nearly two years because the back end was so twitchy, nervy and excitable. As it turns out, the Billecart gurus made the right call here – this is an electrifying wine, and the finish shows that the potential here is incredible. I am lucky enough to have tasted the 1959 and the 1961 Billecart-Salmon vintage wines, among others, and the DNA and detail in this 2008 are near-identical. While the top half of this wine is showy, flamboyant and seductive, the lower half is firm, chiselled, rigid and breath-taking.

Wine Enthusiast (98)

Aromas of rose petal, dark spice, woodland berries and camphor form the nose on this fragrant, elegant wine. Loaded with finesse, the linear, savory palate features red cherry, orange zest, star anise and black tea alongside tightly wound, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced. It's still youthfully austere, with fantastic aging potential.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

The 2016 L'Evangile Blason de l'Evangile is another brilliant second wine that delivers the goods. Showing a more upfront, fruit-loaded, opulent style, it gives up tons of cassis fruits, tobacco, incense, dried herbs, and graphite. With no hard edges, a full-bodied, rounded, sexy texture, and a great finish, it's a sexy, sexy Pomerol to drink over the coming 10-15 years, if not longer.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Built around a core of Tempranillo from vineyards near Haro, with a splash of Graciano from the Rioja Oriental, this is a superb Roda I from a vintage that is often under-rated in Rioja. Balanced, perfumed and precise, with adroitly handled 50% new wood, a hint of good reduction, some vanilla spice, wild herbs and layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit. Delicious.

Vinous (93)

Claudio Boggione's 2016 Barolo Brunate is all class. Beautifully perfumed and sensual, the 2016 captures all of the beguiling aromatic intensity that makes Nebbiolo and Barolo so captivating. Rose petal, mint, cedar, bright red cherry, dried flowers and star anise are some of the many notes that lift from the glass. Although Boggione's 2016 doesn't have the gravitas and power usually associated with Brunate, it is an archetype of traditionally-made Barolo that will delight readers with classically leaning palates. I loved it.

Vinous (93)

Claudio Boggione's 2016 Barolo Brunate is all class. Beautifully perfumed and sensual, the 2016 captures all of the beguiling aromatic intensity that makes Nebbiolo and Barolo so captivating. Rose petal, mint, cedar, bright red cherry, dried flowers and star anise are some of the many notes that lift from the glass. Although Boggione's 2016 doesn't have the gravitas and power usually associated with Brunate, it is an archetype of traditionally-made Barolo that will delight readers with classically leaning palates. I loved it.

Decanter (97)

Toasted hazelnuts and pecans on the nose, charry, buttery almonds, green apple so much aromatic complexity. Caramel, bitter lemon, orange, brioche/patisserie elements, like a buttery hot cross bun, some truffle too. Racy, piercing acidity hits the palate straight away along with such tiny, frothy bubbles that fill the mouth. The spine and tension is there, driving the wine forward with a clear vein of citrus acidity - a shot of lemon and lime, while still having the undercurrent of toasted, salty nuts. Nuanced and characterful with a hint of sweetness, sharpness and raciness all giving nuance and interest and building to an impressive whole. Well controlled with balance, construction and a gourmet feel. Made with Premier and Grand Cru grapes: Pinot Noir grapes from Mailly, Cumières, and Chigny-les-Roses, and Chardonnay grapes from Avize, Chouilly, and Vertus. Grapes are aged 12 years on their lees. Dosage 3g/L. Recently disgorged January 2023.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The 2008 La Grande Année is another brilliant 2008 that delivers the goods. Straight-up awesome notes of stone fruits, white flowers, honeysuckle, and an incredible, liquid rock-like minerality all emerge from the glass, and it develops more nuance, spice, toasted bread, and an almost Alsatian Riesling-like petrol character over the course of the evening. It’s a full-bodied, rich, powerful Champagne, yet like the top 2008s, it has brilliant precision, purity, and focus. It’s unquestionably one of the finest versions of this cuvée ever produced, although it needs another 4-5 years of bottle age to hit prime time. It should keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo!

James Suckling (99)

Amazing aromas of sweet uncooked pie crust with almonds. Then you smell dried apples, apricots and pineapple. Grilled fruits, too. Full-bodied. So tangy and energetic with sizzling acidity and creamy tannins. Flavorful and lightly oxidized at the finish. Smacking my lips. Agile. Ginger and spices. A touch of bitter complexity with some salinity. Extreme character that grabs your attention. 13 years and six months aging on the lees with cork. 3 grams dosage. 71% pinot noir and 29% chardonnay. Don’t serve too cold. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (99)

Amazing aromas of sweet uncooked pie crust with almonds. Then you smell dried apples, apricots and pineapple. Grilled fruits, too. Full-bodied. So tangy and energetic with sizzling acidity and creamy tannins. Flavorful and lightly oxidized at the finish. Smacking my lips. Agile. Ginger and spices. A touch of bitter complexity with some salinity. Extreme character that grabs your attention. 13 years and six months aging on the lees with cork. 3 grams dosage. 71% pinot noir and 29% chardonnay. Don’t serve too cold. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (100)

Disgorged in September 2020 with four grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2008 Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Françaises is one of the monumental wines of this great vintage. Soaring from the glass with a generous, honeyed bouquet of pear, orange rind, dried fruits, mocha and toasted bread, it's full-bodied, textural and enveloping, with huge concentration, racy acids and a pillowy mousse. Vinous, rich and sumptuous, it concludes with an immensely long, resonant finish. Bollinger waited until the grapes of these ungrafted vines attained 11% potential alcohol before harvesting, and they have produced the most powerful wine of the vintage—as well as one of the most profound.

Vinous (95)

(production was half of normal in 2016; aged in 30% new oak and bottled at the beginning of April of this year): Pale yellow-green. High-pitched aromas of citrus peel, menthol, lavender and white pepper. Extremely tight without coming across as austere, conveying striking purity to its bracing flavors of grapefruit pith, lemon and crushed stone. Adamant minerality gives this very dense wine terrific inner-mouth tension and yet there's an element of leavening sweetness here as well, not to mention compelling floral perfume throughout. This wonderfully smooth, rich yet weightless wine really dances on the palate, spreading out on the unflagging back end to saturate every square millimeter of the mouth. Cellarmaster Emmanuel Hautus compared this wine to the 2009 in its combination of richness, early appeal and potential longevity.