Vintage Champagne

wines

A bright beam of buoyant acidity supports flavors of ripe pineapple, nectarine, toasted hazelnut, lilac, lemon curd and oyster shell in this rich and harmonious blanc de blanc. Raw silk–like in texture and long on the palate, with an underlying vein of chalky minerality emerging to echo on the finish. Disgorged March 2023. Drink now through 2042. 516 cases made, 42 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSI have drunk so many bottles of the stunning 2010 vintage of Laurence Ployez’s vintage Blanc de Blancs in the last couple of years that I was not sure how I was going to react to the 2012 version, given my fondness for its predecessor. Happily, it is every bit as fine as the 2010 and probably will ultimately eclipse its older sibling, but for the moment, it is a notably younger and more structured wine and the 2010 is the vintage to be pulling out for current drinking. That said, 2012 is inherently the superior vintage and this wine shows enormous potential, offering up a precise and youthfully complex nose of apple, pear, fresh almond, brioche, a refined base of limestone minerality, spring flowers and just a whisper of oak. On the palate the wine is deep, crisp and complex, with a full-bodied and tightly-knit palate presence, a rock solid core of fruit, a fine girdle of acidity, elegant mousse and a very long, mineral-driven and impeccably balanced finish. This is going to be a stunning wine, but I would try to keep my hands off of bottles for at least another three or four years, as the wine is very clearly still in climbing mode and will be even better if given a bit of time to properly blossom! (Drink between 2029 - 2065)John Gilman | 93+ JG

Golden yellow-hued, the 2012 Champagne Millésime has notes of pineapple, brûléed citrus, honeyed ginger, and lemon curd. Round and full, it offers a pillowy mousse with a long finish. It has more ripeness than the 2013 but has fantastic underlying tension and acidity. It’s deceiving, as it is quite approachable now but also has the bones to age over the coming decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA Champagne of great intensity and concentration, pure citrus oil, candied lemon and toasty exotic fruit. It’s exceptionally soft and satin-like, creamy and comforting, then a stony, saline intensity draws out the finish. For the first time in the history of Rare Champagne, the house has released a vintage that is older than its previous release. This 2012 comes after the 2013 was released in 2023. Cellar master Émilien Boutillat says this is because when tasting the 2012, he and the team found a connection between this and the iconic 2002, so it desereved a little bit of extra time in the cellars before release.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECAn evolved and layered Champagne with aromas of ripe pineapple, stone fruit, caramelized nuts, white chocolate, apples and refreshing touches of white flowers and candied citrus. Full-bodied with a creamy mousse, a zesty and tight-knit structure, and toasted flavors well balanced by tension. Silky finish. Disgorged October 2024. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSWith Chardonnay dominant in the blend, this is a stylish, impressive Champagne. With its white flower aroma and poise between white fruits and maturity, it is ready to drink. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2012 Brut Millésime is a very pretty Champagne. Ripe pear, pastry, spice, tangerine oil and vanillin caress the palate. A Champagne of quiet understatement, this is very easy to like and drink today. Toasty notes reappear on the persistent finish. The 2012 is a very good Champagne. There’s ample room for it to be more than that.Vinous Media | 92 VM

A driven and serious DP with aromas of chalk, biscuits, apricot stones and lemons. Some spice and dried flowers, too. So sleek and sophisticated. Elegant. Yet, it’s long and powerful, with a sharp minerality. Tight and precise. Reminds me of bottles from the 1980s, such as 1988. It really takes off. Disgorged October 2021. Drinkable on release in January 2023, but better in a couple of years. A DP for the cellar.James Suckling | 98 JSVivid acidity and a chalky underpinning make a crystalline frame for finely detailed notes of ripe melon, mandarin orange, toasted brioche and candied ginger in this harmonious Champagne, which is expressive and expansive on the palate, but with a sense of finesse and restraint. Long and creamy on the mineral-laced finish. Drink now through 2037.Wine Spectator | 96 WSDisgorged in October last year, the 2013 Dom Pérignon is a lovely wine, defined by the long, cool growing season. Offering up aromas of crisp stone fruit, tangerine oil, buttered toast, pear, almonds and clear honey, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless, with bright acids and a pillowy, enveloping profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. Vincent Chaperon recalls that shatter at fruit set moderated yields and that a drying east wind in the weeks before harvest helped to maintain the good sanitation necessary to wait to pick at full maturity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2013 Dom Pérignon is quite delicate and understated. It reminds me of the 2004, but with a bit more mid-palate richness and a bit less energy. Apricot, tangerine peel, white flowers, jasmine, mint and light honeyed notes all meld together. There’s lovely vinous intensity as well as a feeling of openness that make the 2013 a delight to taste today. The 2013 doesn’t look to be an epic DP, but it sure is delicious right now.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2013 Vintage is a wild, exotic beauty. Apricot, passion fruit, lemon confit, marzipan, baked apple tart and a kiss of French are all amplified in a dramatic, vivid Champagne that captures all the pedigree of this great vintage. The 2023 is wonderfully complex and dynamic from the very first taste. Time in the glass brings out layers of dimension and captivating nuance. This is a fabulous effort. Krug ID: 124011Vinous Media | 99 VMOriginating from an October harvest, Krug’s 2013 Brut has turned out very well, delivering—against the backdrop of the slow, late-ripening season and another high-acid test, qualities rendered all the more evident by the house’s methods—the requisite aromatic plenitude and textural properties. Disgorged in early 2024 with a dosage of five grams per liter, the wine emerges from the glass with a deep bouquet of lemon oil, fresh apricot and quince mingled with nashi pear and brioche crust, complemented by a top note of lightly burnt buttered toast. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, chiseled and racy-fresh, structured around a spine of incisive acidity and chalky extract, concluding with a long, citrus-driven, saline-tinged finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

Fantastic complexity here with aromas of toast, biscuit, lemon, almond, chalk and some fennel. It’s long, sleek and mineral, with tight, very fine bubbles and so much tension and precision. Very long and chalky finish. Disgorged end of 2023. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2013 Comtes de Champagne captures all the pedigree of this great vintage in its energy, depth and vibrancy. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. Passionfruit, ginger, marzipan and mint appear later, filling out the layers beautifully. Harvest took place in October in what has become the exception rather than the norm in Champagne.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne’s bouquet is compellingly fresh and minty, revealing aromas of white fruit—notably pear and apple—marzipan and sweet spices, as well as a light touch of citrus mingled with classy autolytic notes. On the palate, this is a structured, tensile and ethereal Champagne with high acidity—a sign of a classic vintage—animated by a mousse of striking finesse and delicacy. Although already enjoyable, it should develop well for several decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

Bollinger’s 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Denis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There’s real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023.Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media | 96 VMEnticing, fragrant aromas of toast, lemon zest and an earthy-smoky nuance lead to a palate of subtle Bosc-pear, mango, papaya, even pineapple flavors. Lifted by fresh acidity on the medium-bodied palate, the wine keeps unfolding in toasted walnuts, honey and a dash of bitter marmalade. It’s mouth-filling, alive with acidity and full of finesse. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSVelvety burnished gold in color with near imperceptible fine bubbles, the Grand Année 2015 is a 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay blend of 11 crus, 79% Grands Cru and 21% Premiers Crus, that is 100% barrel fermented, aged 7 years on lees and finished with an 8 grams per liter dosage. It opens toasty and rich with red forest fruit aromas accented by bruised apple, warm spice, Acacia honey, and a refreshing whiff of chalk. Plush and generous, the medium-bodied palate fills out with a seamless depth of orchard fruit concentration lifted by buoyant, finely spun acid energy and a satiny, pinpoint mousse. This 2015 lingers long on the palate and has an attractive kiss of bitterness. Disgorged October 2023.The Wine Independent | 96+ TWIA forward vintage for La Grande Année, with warmth evident in its roasted orange, Comice pear and Mirabelle plum, all polished with a sense of savoury maturity that is very Bollinger at heart. There’s a little more oxygen influence seemingly at play than in the 2014, with brine, nuts and a little dried leaf character already taking this far beyond fruit. The food-friendly chewiness of 2015 is there, but the mousse is supple and the Chardonnay brings the wine to a close with a fine, cooked lemon snap. This will start to show its best integration from 2025 onwards, although it is open for business now. 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from the Montagne de Reims, Grande Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs, all fermented in small oak barrels and disgorged in May 2023 after seven years on lees.Decanter | 94 DEC

A super-complex Champagne with chewy tension. Aromas of coffee beans, lemon peel, burnt sugar, chalky minerality, barley candy and tarte tatin. Fine pinprick bubbles with flavors of lemon leaves, aspirin and Mirabelle plums, plus a touch of grapefruit bitterness keeping the tension. Zesty yet integrated chewy acidity and a medium body with a toasted finish. Drink of hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2015 Dom Pérignon is terrific. Bright and poised, the 2015 shows terrific energy. Citrus peel, white flowers, mint, white pepper and slate all race across the palate. There’s gorgeous tension and backbone here, with bright saline notes that extend the mid-palate and finish. This is a fine showing in a vintage that has proven to be tricky. I am intrigued to see how the 2015 develops in the coming years.Vinous Media | 96 VMDisgorged in January 2023, the 2015 Dom Pérignon shows a singular, ethereal profile with aromas of white pepper, iodine, ripe orchard fruits, toast, smoke, herbs and spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered, and structured, it’s enveloping and round with a delicate phenolic mid-palate that underlines chalky dry extracts, concluding with a sapid, penetrating finish with gastronomic bitterness. This iteration of Dom Pérignon, though replete with the customary charm and vinous generosity that typify the label, distinguishes itself by its structural delicate austerity and a notably phenolic profile, giving rise to a remarkably linear and well-defined style that diverges markedly from the more familiar expressions of Dom Pérignon. This is a blend of 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Chardonnay with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter; it will age wonderfully and can be enjoyed now or over the next 20 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPBurnished gold color with a fine, effervescent bead, the Grand Vintage 2015 shows abundant ripeness on the nose with notes of white peach, quince, butter pastry, elderflower and nougat. A 44% Pinot Noir 32% Chardonnay and 24% Meunier, it was disgorged in May 2022 and finished with a five gram per liter dosage. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses a straightlaced acid-line that lifts the rich orchard fruit core through the honeyed finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

This is in a new bottle, like the stout ones used for the rosé and blanc de blancs. This is very structured with a density and richness with hints of strawberry to the apple character. Bubbles turn fine textured at the end. Delicious flavors of biscuits and dried apple in the finish. Special character to this because of the very ripe vintage. Disgorged in November 2021. This is half chardonnay and half pinot noir. This can age well due to the phenolics. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSAs usual, this latest release of the 2015 Brut Millésimé is a blend of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Offering up aromas of confit citrus, blanched almonds, spices and a delicate smoky reduction, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and enrobing, with good depth at the core and a slightly smoky, phenolic finish. Dosage: eight grams per liter.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2015 Brut Millésimé, a blend of half Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and half Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims, spent at least seven years on lees. Supple smokiness and a sense of rye bread with distant plum create a subtle nose. The palate continues with that lovely smokiness, wrapping it around aromatic plum and taut lemon, which are delicious counter poles in this elegant wine. The bubbles are a little frothy, but it acquits itself well for a 2015 vintage with all its freshness. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Lot LP33UK01624E) - Anne Krebiehl MWVinous Media | 93 VMThis is just the 30th vintage made at Laurent-Perrier since 1952, and it’s a slightly unusual one in manifesting plenty of the heat, dryness and structure of 2015. Drinkers accustomed to Laurent-Perrier’s usual delicacy and brightness will still find it in this 50:50 split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the year’s up-front firmness plays clearly through bittersweet citrus, yellow apple and pithy, peppery grip, the fruit headed towards golden and tropical nuances rather than classical citrus and gentle red fruits. The body remains fairly compact rather than heavy or viscous, though, as most 2015s do. It’s a punchy, food-friendly vintage for Laurent-Perrier that marks quite a contrast from both the more classical 2012 and 2008 that preceded it.Decanter Magazine | 92 DEC

The 2016 Champagne Cristal is chalky and pristine, with a crystalline nature and notes of white peach, fresh citrus blossoms, and bright salinity. Tasted for the first time last year, it captures a precise and focused energy that’s unmatched. It boasts the energy and tension of 2002 and the precision of 2008. The wet-stone minerality of fresh chalk texture is profound, opening with medium body, showing pinpoint mousse, and sustaining a weightless energy through the long finish. This is not an obvious wine on opening, but it is by far one of my favorite wines of the year. It is going to require some patience, but it is worth stashing away and should have fantastic longevity. Drink 2027-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis has wonderfully pure fruit aromas, such as peaches, Asian pears and golden apples, alongside lemon curd, gingerbread, chalk and jasmine. Rock salt and oyster shells follow on the palate, which is so seamless that you scarcely notice the super-fine bubbles. It’s concentrated yet gentle at the same time, with impressive resolution and integration of all components. Salty and creamy at the very-long finish. Fantastic! 58% pinot noir and 42% chardonnay. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThis iconic Champagne, first made in the 19th century for the Tsar of Russia, shows its typical stunning balance and poise between richness and concentration. It has a pure white fruit and honeysuckle aroma and tight, tangy fresh fruit flavors. Just ready to drink, the wine will age well, for at least 20 years. Organic.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WECristal 2016 represents a return to purity and classicism for this cuvée, even seen through the lens of 2016’s ripe, generous nature. It is discreet in youth, cloaking its ripeness in long, chalky, stony energy. Gentle mandarin, pale apricot and raspberry fruit sit under slowly maturing notions of floral honey and tight, smoky charm. An airy, flowing delicacy and persistence lifts this above some other expressions of this year. It’s a hugely promising Cristal, likely to stand as tall as the sought-after 2012 and 2013 releases.Decanter | 97 DECThe finest rendition since 2013, the 2016 Cristal has turned out beautifully. A vintage that Lecaillon describes as “difficult in the vineyards but beautiful in the cellar,” it had suffered slightly in reputation due to the gloomy mood during the challenging growing season, but the results are indeed impressive. The fifth edition produced entirely from organically farmed and certified fruit, and heavily based on Pinot Noir, the 2016 represents the contemporary quality of Cristal, combining the concentration of 2002 with the precision and cut of 2013. Disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it opens in the glass to reveal a bouquet of lemon zest, white flowers and peeled almond, framed by youthful reduction. On the palate, it is bright and electric, with a pure core of fruit, pinpoint mousse and a textural attack, concluding with a long, saline finish. Drink it alongside the 2015, and it will illuminate its clarity and integration.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2016 Cristal is bright, aromatic and nicely lifted. Citrus peel white flowers, mint and a touch of chamomile all grace this understated, wonderfully refined edition of Cristal. Light on its feet and super-refined, the 2016 is exquisite in its understated beauty. I can’t wait to see how the 2016 ages and won’t be surprised it gains a bit of weight in bottle, as Cristal so often does. The blend is 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay, so a touch more Chardonnay than the norm. Of the 45 parcels that make up the Cristal domaine, just 32 were used for the blend. Verzy and Verzenay dominate the Pinots, then Aÿ. Avize takes the lead in the Chardonnays, followed by Mesnil and Cramant. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis leads with pronounced minerality on the nose, but then a bright burst of tangerine, blood orange and Meyer lemon flavors on the palate hold sway, joined by rich hints of crème de cassis, toast point, pastry cream and crystallized honey. Showing beautiful integration and a refined, lacy mousse, this is compact and statuesque, with a sense of restraint and the hint of more to come, while at the same time offering lovely expression in the glass today. Fresh and focused on the persistent finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2044. 8,300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2017 Dom Pérignon is just as stunning as it was last year, if not more so. What a wine! Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers and chalk soar out of the glass. The 2017 is like a slightly more refined version of the 2002, another year in which the Chardonnays were quite opulent. In 2017, Chardonnay accounts for 61% of the blend, very high for Dom Pérignon. Over the last year, the 2017 has gained mid-palate creaminess and has just come together beautifully. Sadly, production is tiny, so much so that the 2017 is expected to be in the market for just a few months before the maison transitions to the 2018.Vinous Media | 98 VMDense and layered with dried apples and pears as well as candied lemons, grilled lemons and lemon meringue. It’s full-bodied, rich, tangy and flavorful. March 2026 release. Tiny production. Smallest ever for Dom Pérignon. A blend of 61% chardonnay and 39% pinot noir. Dosage 4.5 g/L. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSOf the two releases—the 2017 and the 2018—the 2017 Dom Pérignon is the deeper and more structurally endowed wine, unfurling from the glass with a complex bouquet of orange peel, dried apricot and burnt buttered toast, mingling with nuances of dried flowers, toasted hazelnut and cacao bean, all strongly singed with the house’s signature smoky reduction. On the palate, it is full-bodied and concentrated, with a rich core of fruit. Its darker, open-knit profile is animated by a pillowy mousse, vibrant acidity and attractively bitter, structuring phenolics that assert themselves on a long, resonant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPA vivid Champagne, offering a finely detailed mousse, with a toasty overtone to the flavors of crushed white raspberry and white cherry fruit, grapefruit pith, toast point and oyster shell, all defined by chiseled, lemony acidity. A fine example from a challenging vintage. Drink now through 2037.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2018 Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée, 100% Meunier, is tremendous. A deep core of red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon and dried rose petal sweeps across the palate. Still very young, the 2018 is impressive in every way. There is just a touch of reduction that needs time to blow off. There’s a lot of wine here. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2018 vintage of Delphine Boulard’s Rosé de Saignée is an excellent wine. It is made entirely of pinot meunier, with the juice given a half day of skin contact to provide the wine with its lovely, deep salmon color. The vins clairs are barrel-fermented and aged in cask until the June following the harvest and then bottled up for secondary fermentation and aged sur latte for just under five years prior to its disgorgement in March of 2024. Finishing dosage this year was three grams per liter. The wine is beautifully expressive on the nose, offering up scents of rhubarb, cherries, rye bread, chalky soil tones, dried roses, a touch of clove and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, zesty and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, elegant mousse and a long, beautifully balanced and gently vinous finish. This is excellent juice! (Drink between 2025 - 2055)John Gilman | 93 JG

A new wine in this range, the 2022 Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs Fusion is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Meunier. Rich, ample and layered in the glass, the 2022 is so impressive. Dried pear, crushed flowers, spice, ginger and dried herbs all build as the 2022 gradually unfurls in the glass. Readers will find a Champagne of real breadth and texture. I loved it. Bottled with no dosage. Disgorged: March 2025; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2022 Brut Nature Chemin de Rois is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, vinified and aged in barrel. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, the 2022 is seriously impressive right out of the gate. All the elements are so well balanced. The purity of the fruit, the definition, the balance—everything is so profoundly beautiful. This sensational Champagne puts Vincent Cuillier on the map. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Bottled with no dosage. Disgorged: March 2025; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.Vinous Media | 97 VM