White Wines

wines

A hidden gem of a wine that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, the 2022 Château Couhins Blanc is 93% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Sauvignon Gris brought up in 18% new barrels, with the balance in used oak and tank. Bright citrus, honeyed lime, mint, sappy flowers, and chalky minerality all define the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with gorgeously clean acidity and a great finish. Savvy readers should snatch up this ripe, voluptuous, sensationally layered, textured, complex white. It’s always hard to predict how these concentrated dry whites will age, yet this should benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it still drinking beautifully at age 20.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2022 Couhins Blanc is superb, especially in the way it balances its brisk, saline character with notable mid-palate depth. White flowers, citrus peel, white pepper, sage and mint are all beautifully delineated. Intensely saline, mineral undertones support the persistent finish. This is commendable.Vinous Media | 94 VMClear, pure and mineral with sour cream, white fruit and a touch of gooseberries. Medium-bodied on the palate, this has fresh medium acidity. Dissolved yet grainy in texture with a lengthy finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2022 Couhins Blanc, a blend of 93% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Sauvignon Gris, is showing well today, evoking aromas of white fruits, lemon, lemon peel, spring flowers and fennel. Medium to full-bodied, juicy and enrobing, it’s fresh and lively with a perfumed mid-palate that segues into a long, mouthwatering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPTense and vibrant on the palate, zingy and fresh, this is lively and delivers a straight line of acidity with lemon, lime and pineapple. Not the longest finish, a little restricted but this has a clean and crisp body. A lovely mineral, almost salty line from start to finish and a real feeling of cool freshness. I like this a lot. It delivers complexity and freshness. A great 2022.Decanter Magazine | 92 DEC

"The Chatin family purchased Château de Respide in 2021. Amelie Chatin is originally from the Champagne region and worked as an oenologist for Dom Ruinart for nine years prior to travelling and eventually settling here in Graves. Her regular bottling of Graves Blanc is made from a fifty-fifty blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon, with the vines generally planted on gravelly or sandy soils, though some plots are on chalk. The wine is fermented and raised in stainless steel tanks. The 2022 version offers up a deep and complex bouquet of fresh fig, gooseberry, a lovely base of soil, gentle notes of fresh-cut grass and a topnote of lime zest. On the palate the wine is vibrant, focused and full-bodied, with lovely depth at the core, fine soil signature and grip, bouncy acids and excellent balance on the long, complex and very serious finish. This is outstanding white Graves."John Gilman | 91 JG

A blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Nascetta and Riesling, the Luigi Baudana 2022 Langhe Bianco Dragon makes a very pretty appearance in the glass with brilliant luminosity. The wine plays its cards well with complexity, a tropical side with star fruit, minerality and sliced honeydew melon (the ripe side of the cut).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Aged for seven months in wood, this ripe wine has power as well as richness. Its spicy character chimes with the dense white fruits from old Sémillon. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2022 Rioja Blanco bottling from Sandra Bravo’s Bodega Sierra de Toloño is composed entirely from Viura (albeit, with a bit of Tempranillo Blanco co-planted in the vineyard). Ten percent of the cuvée is raised in oak, with the remainder in stainless steel and the wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a precise and complex mix of tart pear, lemon, salty soil tones, white flowers and just a whisper of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is bright, young and full-bodied, with lovely depth at the core, good soil signature, zesty acids and fine focus and balance on the long and nascently complex finish. This is quite tasty out of the blocks, but will gain in complexity with some time in the cellar. (Drink between 2023 - 2040)John Gilman | 91+ JG

Lemon zest and crushed green apples come together with a whiff of spring flowers as the 2023 Orvieto Classico Superiore San Giovanni della Sala blossoms in the glass. It opens with a pleasant inner sweetness matched by masses of citrus-tinged orchard fruits, all balanced by a core of saline minerals and juicy acidity. The 2023 cleans up beautifully, both long and potent yet remarkably fresh. Sour melon hints slowly fade.Vinous Media | 92 VMWell-cut acidity defines aromas and flavors of white peach, pomelo, spring herbs and white blossoms in this light-bodied, lithe white, with a salty finish. Grechetto, Procanico, Pinot Blanc and Viognier. Drink now. 840 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is flat-out great. A blend of 70% Clairette and 30% Roussanne brought up in a mix of foudre and smaller concrete vessels, its medium gold hue is followed by a sensational perfume of stone fruits, dried pineapple, white flowers, and crushed stone. This carries to a medium to full-bodied white with an elegant, layered mouthfeel, perfectly integrated acidity, and a great finish. It’s approachable today yet will benefit from a year or two of bottle age and keep for well over a decade. If you get a chance, don’t miss this! There are a tiny 250 cases made.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is a very powerful white Châteauneuf – textural and driving, with intensity and freshness. The oak is mostly present in texture and shape. It’s very ripe but not overdone; the alcohol is in balance and the driving acidity will propel it forward; it’s a savoury, saline style that will age well. Grown in lieu-dit Les Serres, mostly galets roulés with sand. Fermented in foudre, demi-muid and concrete eggs; aged in foudre and concrete egg for six months.Decanter | 96 DECThis youthful white Chateauneuf manages to be rich and creamy, but also lively with stacks of candied fruit aromas and a touch of waxiness on the full-bodied palate. Wonderful purity at the very silky finish that’s simultaneously expansive and precise. A cuvee based on clairette with a small amount of roussanne from organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSVinified in foudres, large barrels and concrete tanks and matured for six months in wooden tanks (50%) and egg-shaped concrete tanks (50%), Ferrando’s 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc evokes aromas of spring flowers, herbs, spices, ripe orchard fruits and jasmine. Medium to full-bodied, charming and delicate, it’s enveloping and crystalline with bright acids and an ethereal finish enhanced by vertical energy. This blend of 70% Clairette and 30% Roussanne is one of the finest classic white wines of the appellation. Vinified with no malolactic fermentation to preserve freshness and finesse.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPBottled in January 2024, the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is an expressive white. As usual, the malolactic fermentation was blocked to preserve the wine’s freshness. Vivid spring blossom, lime flesh, ripe pear, quince and flintstone nuances are front and center. Closing with good persistence on the sapid finale, the 2023 will provide plenty of pleasure soon after release.Vinous Media | 93 VMFragrant and bright, with notes of honeysuckle blossoms, lemon pulp and yellow apple driven by a succulent, mouthwatering acidity that cuts through. Salty, yeasty notes add savory richness to the supple palate, with well-integrated elements of acacia marking the firm, dry finish. There’s good precision, freshness, focus and length. Clairette and Roussanne. Drink now through 2028. 700 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

All Clairette Rose, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Chapelle Blanc is brilliant stuff, offering a clean, crisp, yet still concentrated style in its orange blossom, honeyed citrus, toasted spices, and chalky minerality. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a fresh, focused mouthfeel, beautifully integrated acidity, and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

The 2023 Langhe Bianco Dragon is mostly Chardonnay, with touches of Sauvignon Blanc, Nascetta and Riesling. Pear, white flowers and tangerine oil inflections grace this expressive, mid-weight Bianco. Creamy, silky contours wrap it all together. Baudana’s Dragon has come a long, long way in recent years.Vinous Media | 92 VM

...The complexity and richness of Special Cuvée is unparalleled among the entry non-vintage blends of every Champagne house, short of ascending to the mesosphere of Krug. Its grand recipe explains why, built on incredible depth of 50%-60% reserves. Triumphant complexity is a given at Bollinger, but it’s the dynamic freshness and vitality that really set it apart as one of the most affordable Champagne benchmarks.Decanter | 96 DECBollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific notes of lemon curd, crème brûlée, caramelized stone fruits, and hints of toasty nuttiness that develop with time in the glass. It’s a big, rich Champagne that stays balanced and pure. Beautiful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDBollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific notes of lemon curd, crème brûlée, caramelized stone fruits, and hints of toasty nuttiness that develop with time in the glass. It’s a big, rich Champagne that stays balanced and pure. Beautiful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRestrained and very pretty aromas include those of yeast, Meyer lemon, petrol and green apple where the latter element is picked up by the utterly delicious, vibrant and detailed flavors that possess fine complexity on the agreeably dry but not austere finish. The supporting mousse is dense but fine and overall, this is a wine that could be enjoyed now or held for up to a decade. Excellent. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 93 BHOne of Bollinger’s great assets is a massive stock of reserve wine, including 600,000 magnums held under cork. Gilles Descôtes tends those reserves, working with the blending team to subsume the variations of the current vintage into Bollinger’s Special Cuvée by using a majority of reserve wines in the blend. The result is a rich and harmonious Champagne with deep reserves of flavor. Its substantial, formal structure feels polished, its flavors balancing the cool earthiness of a limestone cave and the sunnier, bright floral notes of fresh cream. Built for food, whether emphasizing the freshness with lobster bisque, or the depth with beef Wellington and chanterelles.Terlato Wines Int’l., Lake Bluff, ILWine & Spirits | 93 W&S Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger’s NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it’s a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThere’s a pleasing, snappy quality to the acidity framing this elegant Champagne, enlivening accessible flavors of currant, Marcona almond and orchard blossom, with a minerally touch of saline-laced oyster shell that lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 11,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSLots of biscuit aromas and a wide spectrum of fresh-citrus, candied-citrus, red-apple and red-berry notes. Mouth-filling creaminess, plus quite an imposing presence and powerful structure for an NV Brut. Long, citrus and chalky finish that’s very clean and properly dry. 60% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay, 10% pinot meunier. Almost 20% barrel fermented and 62% reserve wines. Based on the 2017 vintage and disgorged July 2021. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSFine bubbles combine nicely with the cooked apples, pie crust and lemon rind. Some biscuit, too. Full body. Layered and creamy with a crisp finish. Always delicious. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSDominated, as always, by Pinot Noir and with wood fermentation and aging, this Champagne has a great poise between freshness and richness. It is intense and ripe, with apple and minerality coming together. The bottling is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE (60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage; L1403801): Pale yellow. Toasty aromas of apple and pear nectar are complemented by hints of toffee, honey and orange zest. Full and expansive on the palate, offering ripe orchard and pit fruit flavors and an undercurrent of smoky minerals and buttered toast. Smooth and gently spicy on the clinging, nicely focusd finish.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG(NV Bollinger “Special Cuvée” Brut NV (Aÿ)) The current release of Bollinger “Special Cuvée” is composed of its customary blend of sixty percent pinot noir, twenty-five percent chardonnay and fifteen percent pinot meunier. It was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter and offers up is classic pinot-shaded bouquet of white peach, apple, bread dough, a beautiful base of soil tones, a touch of hazelnut and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a fine core of fruit, a good spine of acidity, elegant mousse and a long, well-balanced and classy finish. This is still a young wine and I would tuck it away in the cellar for at least a few years and let its acids relax a bit and its secondary layers of complexity emerge. (Drink between 2020-2040).John Gilman | 91+ JGNotes of flowery beeswax, white fruit, and quince on the nose. The palate has a flinty austerity with Braeburn, white pepper and subtle spice followed by yeasty richness and brisk finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2025.Decanter | 90 DEC

An enticing version, with richly toasted brioche and roasted hazelnut on the nose transitioning to underscore flavors of ripe black cherry, crème de cassis, gingerbread, lime blossoms and crystallized honey. This is long, creamy and harmonious, integrating the expressive profile with vibrant acidity and a fine, satin-like texture. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged 2022. Drink now through 2029.Wine Spectator | 93 WS | 93 DECA creamy and silky champagne that has notes of lemons, pastries and apple compote on the nose. It’s medium-bodied and layered with fine bubbles and tasty pastry notes on the fresh, balanced finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JS(NV Charles Heidsieck “Brut Réserve” NV (Reims)) The new release of Charles Heidsieck noon-vintage “Brut Réserve” is a blend of one-third each chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier- for the base year wines, which hail from 2008. However, forty percent of the cuvée is made up of reserve wines, with these being an equal blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, as the maison does not hold back meunier for its reserves. The wine spent eight years aging sur latte and was finished with a dosage of eleven grams per liter after its disgorgement in 2017. The wine is absolutely superb and clearly one of the best bargains out there in the world of non-vintage Brut from the Grandes Marques, as it offers up a pure and complex nose of pear, white peach, brioche, a touch of fresh almond, complex, chalky soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and refined, with excellent mid-palate depth, frothy mousse, lovely acidity and grip and a very long, complex and classy finish. This is terrific bubbly. (Drink between 2018-2045)John Gilman | 93 JGEven the nonvintage cuvée from this top producer has bottle age, so the yeasty edge and touches of almonds balance with the Champagne’s acidity and fruitiness of white fruits and citrus flavors. This fine poised wine is ready to drink. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe NV Brut Réserve, a combination of more than 60 different crus and 150 wines, evokes aromas of brioche, pastry, ripe orchard fruits, beeswax and spices. Medium to full-bodied, enrobing and charming, it has a fleshy core of fruit, a pinpoint mousse and delicate acids, making it a charming, delicate Champagne. This blend consists of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, with 50% vins de réserve, and was disgorged with a dosage of nine grams per liter.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe NV Champagne Reserve Brut is sunny with aromas of golden orchard fruits, pineapple, yellow apple, and fresh pastry dough. The palate is matched with ripe peach, buttered orange citrus, and yellow flowers and is rounded, with a silky mouthfeel, although it is fully dry. Classic in style, it is charming and leans towards opulence. Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

(8 g/l dosage): Light yellow. Mineral-tinged peach, melon and pear aromas display excellent clarity, picking up a subtle floral quality with aeration. Supple and seamless on the palate, offering vivid honeydew and pit fruit flavors accented by a vibrant lemon zest quality. Finishes very long, silky and precise, with an echo of juicy melon and strong mineral lift.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe NV Brut Blanc De Blancs Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger is also terrific. Made from 100% Chardonnay, it has a more chiseled, tight, backward style in its sautéed apple and ripe citrus aromas and flavors. It too has terrific minerality, as well as medium body, a fine, elegant mousse, and a great finish. Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDAn expressive nose combines a variety of citrus elements along with lovely brioche and yeast scents. There is excellent punch to the delicious, complex and nicely voluminous flavors that are underpinned by a moderately firm mousse before terminating in a balanced and attractively dry finale. This is really quite good for a basic house brut and worth a look.Burghound | 91 BHQuite impressive richness and gently toasty aromas on the nose here with almond, savory and sweet, bready autolysis notes. The palate has a fresh, succulent and smooth feel with soft, citrusy fruit flesh. Holds long. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JSClean and fragrant with red fruit, this wine’s tart cherry and strawberry flavors integrate with the soil character, which acts as a scrim over the fruit. It feels lush within the tight confines of its structure. Built for food, this will accompany roast game birds.Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, ALWine & Spirits Magazine | 91 W&SPillowy and charming, the latest rendition of Delamotte’s NV Brut offers up attractive aromas of orchard fruit, fresh bread and citrus oil. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with a pretty pinpoint mousse and lively balancing acids, it’s drinking well out of the gates but will also develop gracefully for a few years in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPBeautifully balanced, this rich wine has elegance and great poise. Ripe white fruit comes through the mineral texture and hints of toastiness to fill the palate. It is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Based on the 2019 vintage and disgorged this year with three grams per liter dosage, the NV Brut Premier Cru Les Vignes de Vrigny wafts from the glass with aromas of green apple, white flowers, freshly baked bread and crushed mint. Medium to full-bodied, pure and fleshy, it’s vinous and precise, with racy acids and a sapid finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A tightly knit Champagne, backed by racy acidity, this is fresh and harmonious, with a finely detailed mousse and a delicate range of black raspberry, pickled ginger and chalk flavors, offering a touch of salted almond that echoes on the finish. Drink now through 2024.Wine Spectator | 93 WSGosset is the oldest house in Champagne, and is a favourite among wine trade insiders. This non-vintage cuvée is redolent with the aromas of mellow red apple fruit. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, with creamy apple and plum flavours, and a great precision at the same time. Drinking Window 2022 - 2026.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of crips orchard fruit, pear and apricot, mingled with hints of fresh bread and pastry, introduce the latest release of Gosset’s NV Brut Grande Réserve, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy but incisive wine that’s deceptively generous but also structured to reward some bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis is very fresh and has attractively flavorful, punchy fruit presence, in a very pure mode. Strawberries and grapefruit and some pastry and spiced-biscuit to close. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JS(NV Gosset “Grande Réserve” Brut NV (Épernay)) The current release of Gosset “Grande Réserve” is from the base year of 2015, with ten to twenty percent of the cuvée made up of reserve wines. This iteration has ended up with a cépages of forty-five percent each of chardonnay and pinot noir, coupled with ten percent of pinot meunier. It was disgorged in 2019 and finished with a dosage of 8.7 grams per liter. The wine delivers lovely aromatic complexity in its refined blend of apple, fresh-baked bread, chalky soil tones, caraway seed, a touch of hazelnut and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied and beautifully focused, with a lovely core, elegant, tiny mousse, zesty acids and a long, complex and very precise and classy finish. This is excellent. (Drink between 2020-2045)John Gilman | 92 JG(43% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage; L318 9123): Pale gold. Expansive, mineral-driven citrus and orchard fruit scents are complemented by anise, honey and buttered toast, along with a hint of peach pit. Packs a solid punch but comes off lithe and precise, with mineral-laced blood orange and quince flavors and a deeper suggestion of fresh fig. Closes on a spicy note, with repeating minerality and very good persistence.Vinous Media | 91 VMHints of yeast and toast add interest to the pretty aromas of lemon, green apple and poached pear nuances. There is again solid volume and mid-palate density to the delicious flavors that pick up some of the toasty character displayed by the nose while culminating in a nicely complex and lingering finish. The supporting mousse is firm without being aggressive and overall, this solidly complex effort is drinking very well now. (Drink starting 2022)0)Burghound | 91 BHGosset’s nonvintage cuvée is a fine example of the richness of this producer’s Champagnes. It is full, laden with Pinot texture and a touch of toast from bottle aging. Drink now.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Creamy in texture, yet lithe and lively, thanks to bright, citrusy acidity, buoying finely meshed notes of poached quince, ripe melon, blood orange sorbet and Marcona almond. Clean-cut and lightly spiced on the lingering finish. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2026. 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe les Parcelles bottling from Joël Falmet is composed from a cépages of seventy percent pinot noir, twenty percent pinot meunier and ten percent chardonnay. Monsieur Falmet uses a solera of reserve wines for this cuvée, which is now twelve years of age and comprises thirty percent of the blend. The wine is aged fully three and a half years on its fine lees prior to disgorgement and was finished with a dosage of nine grams per liter. It offers up a bright and complex bouquet of apple, pear, a touch of almond, a beautiful base of Kimmeridgian limestone soil, white lilies, pâtissière and a gentle topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, focused and deep at the core, with excellent mineral drive, frothy mousse, fine balance and grip and a long, complex and vibrant finish. This is lovely Aube bubbly! (Drink between 2023 - 2040)John Gilman | 91 JG

The floral bouquet is very fine and elegant but also quite delicate, suffused with touches of slightly candied citrus, but the telltale autolytic note of hazelnuts is less pronounced than usual. There is, however, some almond nuttiness on the palate, as well as racy rectitude and vivacity that give thrust to a long, surprisingly breezy finish. Will benefit from five to 10 years of cellaring. Disgorged January 2020. Dosage: 4.5g/L. Elaborated from 146 wines and 11 different vintages, the oldest of which dates back to 2000. 40% reserve wines. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DEC

30 Jul, 2019 – This is only in magnums and jeroboams and is stunning, with the sensibility of a red Burgundy, yet fresh and bright, due to the Chardonnay. Wild aromas of brioche, white pepper and rosemary. Maybe even some lavender. Full-bodied, yet always agile and vivid in the mouth. Stunning finish. Minerally and vivid. Only few bottles made. A blend of 1995, 1993, and 1990. Drink now. | 99 JSThis is a blend of wines from 1995, 1993 and 1990. That has given it a golden glow of toastiness, maturity and wisdom. Even now, there is some freshness and plenty of acidity to give the wine a lift. It is a great Champagne, produced in tiny quantities and only in magnum. Drink now. ROGER VOSS | 99 WEOne of my favorite renditions of this cuvée is the striking NV Brut Grand Siècle #17, a blend of the 1995, 1993 and 1990 vintages. Tasted from magnum, the wine offers up a complex bouquet of candied peel, pear and peach complemented by suggestions of wheat toast, iodine and beeswax. Full-bodied, textural and concentrated, the wine is deep and serious, built around racy acids and structuring dry extract—it exemplifies this cuvée’s elegant, seamless style. Readers lucky enough to find a bottle are in for a treat. | 96 RPThe NV Brut Grand Siècle Les Réserves Cuvée No. 17 (Magnum) is in a beautiful place where it offers a good deal of flavor complexity and yet remains light on its feet. An exotic mélange of orange confit, petrol, dried flowers, baked apple tart and hazelnut give the No. 17 striking aromatic nuance. Bright floral and citrus notes, along with a hint of reduction, add freshness. It’s a terrific choice for readers who enjoy Champagne with a good deal of mature nuances. The No. 17 is a blend of vintages 1995 (60%), 1993 (20%) and 1990 (20%). Disgorged May 27, 2019. | 95 VM

This is really something. Electric on the palate. The aromas are so complex with sliced fresh and dried ginger, subtle pie crust, tarte tatin and hints of nutmeg with some salted caramel. Toasted bread, too. Always subtle. The palate is full- to medium-bodied yet hemmed-in with a freshness and balance that draws you back. Savory and vibrant. It’s full of energy. Spectacular. Fascinating. Symphonic blend of 2012, 2008 and 2007. 65% of the 2012, 25% of the 2008 and 10% of the 2007. Eight grand cru. Chardonnay 58% and 42% pinot noir. Disgorged February 2023. 10 years on the lees. 7g/L dosage. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 100 JSA blend of the 2012, 2008 and 2007 vintages, the NV Brut Grand Siècle #26 won’t be released for another four or five years, but there is a great deal to anticipate, as it’s a stunning young wine in the making. Unfurling in the glass with scents of crisp nectarine, pear and honeyed citrus fruit that mingle with notions of fresh mint, blanched almonds and iodine, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated and tightly wound, with broad structural shoulders, tangy acids and a long, intense finish. It’s a great Grand Siècle in the making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe NV Grande Cuvée Grand Siècle No. 26, a blend of 2012, 2008 and 2007, is absolutely gorgeous. Dried pear, smoke, crushed rocks and mint infuse a super-expressive, creamy Grand Siècle built on textural richness and resonance, with Chardonnay brightness very much front and center. I tasted the no. 26 from a trial disgorgement. Even in the early going, it is extremely promising.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMThis iteration of Grand Siècle is almost entirely composed of two of Champagne’s greatest recent vintages, so expectations are high. The wine more than meets them, tempering the generosity of 2012’s fruit – ripe apricots, white peach, clementines and sunny, zesty citrus – with a pitch-perfect streak of 2008 tautness and structure. There are some fleshy, creamy notes of papaya and toasted white sourdough, but everything is as delicately rendered as expected and impeccably shaped, with a sleek, silky mousse. A little more approachable than Itération No. 25, it will welcome extended bottle age rather than demand it. The blend is 58% Chardonnay and 42% Pinot Noir from eight grand cru vineyards. 65% is from the 2012 vintage, 35% from 2008 and 10% from 2007.Decanter | 96 DECA graceful Champagne, with flavors of boysenberry and black cherry fruit, toast, blanched almond and grapefruit pith, graphite and fleur de sel gliding across the satiny mousse. Reveals racy acidity that sculpts fine definition, allowing the detailed profile to expand on the palate, while minerally hints of chalk and oyster shell linger on the finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

(roughly 55% chardonnay and 45% pinot noir, from three different vintages that the producer won’t disclose; L13PZ109360): Bright yellow-gold. A heady, mineral-tinged bouquet evokes dried pear, buttery brioche, lemon curd and anise, plus a smoky topnote. Chewy and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated orchard and pit fruit flavors and a touch of bitter quinine. The smoky note repeats on the finish, which shows impressive clarity and mineral-driven persistence.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe brioche and cooked-apple and cream character really comes through here. Full-bodied and round with fine bubbles. Flavorful and intense. Vivid, bread-dough finish. This is four years on lees. 55% chardonnay and the rest pinot.James Suckling | 93 JSThe latest rendition of Laurent-Perrier’s NV Brut is showing nicely, wafting from the glass with scents of almond paste, iodine, white peach, warm biscuits and mandarin. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, with an elegant, lively profile, displaying a youthfully frothy mousse, good tension at the core and an attractively chalky finish. This is an excellent non-vintage wine that seems to reflect the maison’s efforts to improve their grape sourcing over the last few years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPA delicate Champagne, with a refined mousse and finely honed acidity, this offers a subtle range of black currant, lemon zest, toast and chalk flavors that linger on the lightly spiced finish. Drink now through 2020.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis is smooth and softly textured wine. With its relatively high dosage and creamy texture, this standard nonvintage cuvée is immediately accessible and delicious. Great fruit makes it a great aperitif style of Champagne.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WEThis wine’s fresh fruit and firm structure match bright lemon zest flavors with limestone severity. The fine bubbles add to the clean sensation of the finish. It’s spicy, tight and formidable, a wine to kick-start a dinner party. Best Buy.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S

Slightly smoky reductive nose with notes of chalk dust, quince, and wild strawberry. Bright apple freshness on a yeasty, mellow palate and lovely balance with a gentle resonance. Drinking Window 2020 - 2025.Decanter | 91 DEC(roughly 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier and 15% Chardonnay; 9 g/l dosage; LAIBG): Light, bright yellow. Musky pear and toasty lees on the nose and in the mouth. Fleshy and open-knit, with a hint of bitter lemon pith adding back-end cut. Finishes on a gently smoky note, with very good cling and focus and a hint of bitter quinine. This must be the best example of this bottling that I’ve had in years, if not decades. In the past the Imperial Brut received a dosage of 12 g/l, but no more; in fact, there’s talk that in the near future it may be dropped down as far as 7 g/l.Vinous Media | 90 VMA lively, balanced Champagne, offering a round and accessible mix of juicy tangerine and ripe blackberry fruit flavors underscored by toasted brioche, grated ginger, graphite and spice. A fresh crowd-pleaser. Drink now through 2023.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThis is a complex, composed and fresh style with an array of citrus and stone fruit and some tropical notes, as well as bready nuances. The palate has fleshy, supple and fine texture with impressively fresh, peachy flavors. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JSAttractively poised between softness and crispness, this best-selling Champagne is packed with ripe white fruits that are given a lift by the tight acidity. Its reliability and the increasing dryness and freshness of the wine are exemplary. This bottling is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WETart red-fruit scents give this a vinous profile, fragrant with cranberry, root vegetables and ginger. It finishes clean, with cool limestone minerality. Cellar this for a year to let the flavors develop further.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S