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Champagne Collector Wines

Champagne Collector Wines

Champagne Collector Wines

Champagne Collector Wines

Even if you’re completely ignorant when it comes to wine, you have most certainly heard of Champagne. This shimmering, sparkling wine is one of the most visually pleasing drinks to look at, reflecting a starry cosmos on a canvas of pure gold. The wine simply itches to get out of the bottle, and its desire manifests as soon as the seal breaks, often unleashing an aggressive jet into the air. Collecting Champagne is a noble pursuit, as each bottle tells a long story of the terroir the grapes grew in, the unique identity of the soil and the hard-working hands that created the wine. The spirit of winemaking is felt in every note of flavor, every sip where you get to fully admire the precise, delicate texture of the drink.

If you somehow manage to acquire a bottle of Veuve Clicquot from 1952, treasure it for as long as you can. Collectible Champagne bottles are one of the most gorgeous displays in any wine geek’s collection, and there are many to choose from. However, it can take a very keen eye (and palate) to discern the truly elite blends from the simply “good” ones. You have to know your wine history and be able to tell which new vintage has the most potential. Alternatively, you could trust us to introduce you to the best Champagne anyone could encounter in a lifetime or two, as we are dedicated to identifying and supplying only the finest wines from around the world. If you’re a fan of sparkling wines, these collectibles are a treasure, calling to you from beyond. If you aren’t, you will be after trying some of these masterpieces. Without further ado, let’s look at the best Champagne you can wrap your lips around.
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2005 louis roederer cristal Champagne

(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut) The 2005 Cristal is a legend in the making, but this wine is still very young and closed and some extended bottle age will be necessary to really allow all of the multi-faceted elements here to blossom and come to the fore. The cépages is the same as for the 2006, fifty-five percent pinot noir and forty-five percent chardonnay, but this does not mean that Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon selected vins clairs from the same crus for the two vintages! The 2005 vintage was considered strongest for chardonnay, so careful selection of pinot noir vins clairs for the Cristal in this vintage was of paramount importance, though the domaine’s superb holdings in Verzenay and Verzy certainly made the selection process a bit easier. The 2005 Cristal offers up a deep, extremely primary and very promising bouquet of apple, pear, a gorgeously complex base of chalky soil tones, incipient nuttiness, citrus peel, smoke, a touch of lavender and a topnote of peach blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and absolutely rock solid at the core, with great focus and finesse, very refined mousse, a crisp girdle of acidity and great length and laser-like focus on the poised, primary and utterly refined finish. The 2005 is an utterly brilliant Cristal in the making, but give it time to blossom in the cellar! (Drink between 2019-2060)John Gilman | 97 JGThe iconic Roederer Champagne, Cristal’s latest release, brings a perfect balance of richness and age worthiness. It is full of apple flavor, and the mousse is very fine and almost imperceptible. As so often with a beautifully blended wine like this, a few minutes breathing brings out extra complex flavors. It certainly should age over five years and more.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe complexity and youthful freshness here makes a striking Champagne that offers immense pleasure and a certain richness and depth that reflects the style of the vintage with some warmth reflected in the wine. The nose has rich citrus and stone fruits, some white flowers, light creamy honey notes and fresh sweet pastry, it has a toasty thread that has built quickly in the wine. Plenty of body on the palate, it has a wealth of assertive citrus and more exotic fruits too, the power and concentration undeniable, the length impressive and the balance impeccable. Already great drinking here. Slightly higher chardonnay component at around 45%. -NSJames Suckling | 96 JSEvery vintage can’t be 2002, or even 2004. Even so, this is pretty great, an open, airy, whip-smart delivery of Cristal’s spark, a wine of formidable delicacy. The undertow is there, drawing down a wave of spicy oak notes and heady crème caramel to reveal glints of limestone, the bright shimmer of acidity sustained by the cool rootedness in the soil. In 45 words of my notes on this wine, there’s not a single mention of fruit. Instead, they focus on brightness, subtlety, lusty juiciness, balance and mouthwatering complexity.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&S(L036332A109909): Bright yellow-gold. Heady floral-accented citrus and orchard fruits on the nose, with smoky mineral and floral overtones adding complexity. Velvety and chewy in texture, offering deep, juicy orange and poached pear flavors and suave honey and chamomile nuances. Blends precision with power, finishing with a distinct mineral quality and excellent persistence.Vinous Media | 94 VMVibrant and mouthwatering, this offers a range of patisserie pear and apple fruit, candied lemon zest, pastry dough and marzipan notes set on a finely detailed texture, which imparts a great deal of finesse. The lasting finish echoes a smoky mineral note. Drink now through 2025. 20,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Louis Roederer Brut - Cristal Champagne/Sparkling) Like the 2006 this is notably ripe with plenty of yeast, brioche and orchard fruit characters but in this case there is no tropicality. There is fine mid-palate density to the relatively powerful and very rich flavors that possess excellent complexity on the lingering finish that really fans out as it sits in the mouth. Like many 2005s this is not an especially refined vintage for Cristal nor does it possess the effervescent punch it usually does. Those aspects duly noted, this certainly cannot be faulted in terms of richness and complexity and for my taste, this is probably drinking about as well as it’s going to though I underscore that it should drink well for many years to come. (Drink starting 2015)Burghound | 93 BHThe 2005 Cristal stands out for its exceptional inner perfume and elegance. Soft, delicate and pretty, the 2005 is a relatively immediate Cristal with all of the signatures very much in the right place. The 2005 doesn’t have the opulence of the 2002 nor the focus of the 2004, but it is a very pretty, if somewhat small-scaled version of this iconic Champagne. I would drink the 2005 while the 2002 and 2004 age. Although Cristal has an impeccable track record when it comes to aging, personally I would not push it with the 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

94
WS
As low as $400.00
2013 Perrier Jouet La Cuvee Belle Epoque Rose

Very pretty aromas with peach and crabapple character, as well as cotton candy and light nutmeg. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine bubbles that run the length of the wine and persist. Really fine and beautiful. Ultra-complex and refined. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSFresh and elegant, the pure salmon-colored 2013 Champagne Belle Epoque Rosé Brut has a lively and large bubbly appearance on opening and is very pretty with aromas of fresh redcurrants, orange zest, and fresh flowers. Made from 50% Pinot Noir (15% of that red wine from Ambonnay), 45% Chardonnay, and 5% Meunier, it has 8 grams per liter dosage. Medium-bodied, it’s elegant and long on the palate, with notes of sherbet and a light spice, while its pillowy mousse balances out its more linear drive. It has a fresh and refined pithy texture with chalk as well as a long, clean finish. Drink 2024-2044.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis famed Champagne in its Belle Epoque flower label remains a very fine wine. This latest release is still in its vibrant fruit stage, showing no signs of aging. The hints of strawberries are balanced against the fine texture. The wine is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis rich rosé Champagne is aromatic and minerally on the nose, with smoke and oyster shell notes that transition to accent the palate’s baked white peach, grilled plum, toasted brioche and lemon curd flavors. Bright, with well-honed acidity and a crisp, lacy texture. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2033.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWine is in the early stage of showing Vinous characteristics with fresh girottes, leaves and a touch of smoke. Focused and streamlined, buoyed by racy acidity. Perfect aperitif Champagne.Decanter | 92 DEC

96
JS
As low as $399.00

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