Showing 37–47 of 47 results
£ 110.00“The 2016 Extra Brut Blanc de Blanc Les Chétillons Grand Cru picked in the eponymous site in Le Mesnil sur Oger, spent 60 months on lees after the base wines fermented spontaneously in oak. Despite being labeled extra brut, it has zero dosage. The nose opens with wonderfully enticing smoky reduction that blends into creamy dried corn husk. The palate offers salty, buttery shortcrust pastry, smooth and melting yet somehow taut, bright and fresh. The oaky creaminess shines through but does not detract from the serene, elongating lemon brightness, all supported by the finest mousse. A gorgeous, smooth and stunning Blanc de Blancs. Zero dosage. Disgorged: February 2023. Drinking window; 2024-2050. 96 points”
Anne Krebiehl, Vinous (12/24)
£ 77.95“Champagne Vauversin is a very small family producer with only three hectares in Oger (and one plot in Avize, all Côte des Blancs) and four different cuvées. Since 2011 winemaker Laurent Vauversin – together with his father working in the vineyards – continues a long tradition because the family were grape growers since 1640 and it was Laurent’s grandfather who started bottling Champagnes in 1930. The family grows vines on pure chalk soils and of course 100% Chardonnay. The musts are fermented in old barrels and emaille and one foudre of 2500 liter. Laurent aims for Champagnes whose aromas do not explode in the glass but reflect the village of Oger. Based on a firm acidity they can age extremely well. The domaine is ecocert-certified since 2014.”
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (10/15)
£ 84.95“Champagne Vauversin is a very small family producer with only three hectares in Oger (and one plot in Avize, all Côte des Blancs) and four different cuvées. Since 2011 winemaker Laurent Vauversin – together with his father working in the vineyards – continues a long tradition because the family were grape growers since 1640 and it was Laurent’s grandfather who started bottling Champagnes in 1930. The family grows vines on pure chalk soils and of course 100% Chardonnay. The musts are fermented in old barrels and emaille and one foudre of 2500 liter. Laurent aims for Champagnes whose aromas do not explode in the glass but reflect the village of Oger. Based on a firm acidity they can age extremely well. The domaine is ecocert-certified since 2014.”
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (10/15)
£ 47.95“The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Oger Grand Cru, mostly based on the 2021 vintage with 40% reserve wines, comes from 17 plots across the slopes of Oger. A touch of Mirabelle plum plays with lemon and chalk on the bright, fresh nose. The slender body gains smoothness from its fine backdrop of creamy maize and chalk, always with lemon verve and freshness. Fine mousse fizzes with beautiful insistence, driving home the wine’s depth and freshness, which is elegant and earthy at the same time. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 2023. Drinking window: 2024-2034. 92 points”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (12/24)
£ 59.95“Champagne Vauversin is a very small family producer with only three hectares in Oger (and one plot in Avize, all Côte des Blancs) and four different cuvées. Since 2011 winemaker Laurent Vauversin – together with his father working in the vineyards – continues a long tradition because the family were grape growers since 1640 and it was Laurent’s grandfather who started bottling Champagnes in 1930. The family grows vines on pure chalk soils and of course 100% Chardonnay. The musts are fermented in old barrels and emaille and one foudre of 2500 liter. Laurent aims for Champagnes whose aromas do not explode in the glass but reflect the village of Oger. Based on a firm acidity they can age extremely well. The domaine is ecocert-certified since 2014.”
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (10/15)
£ 76.95“Champagne Vauversin is a very small family producer with only three hectares in Oger (and one plot in Avize, all Côte des Blancs) and four different cuvées. Since 2011 winemaker Laurent Vauversin – together with his father working in the vineyards – continues a long tradition because the family were grape growers since 1640 and it was Laurent’s grandfather who started bottling Champagnes in 1930. The family grows vines on pure chalk soils and of course 100% Chardonnay. The musts are fermented in old barrels and emaille and one foudre of 2500 liter. Laurent aims for Champagnes whose aromas do not explode in the glass but reflect the village of Oger. Based on a firm acidity they can age extremely well. The domaine is ecocert-certified since 2014.”
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (10/15)
£ 69.95“The NV (2018) Initiation is a terrific entry-level Champagne from Benoit Déhu that blends Pinot Noir into a core of Meunier. Soft and creamy, with terrific persistence, the Initiation is wonderfully expressive today. Apricot, ripe pear, dried flowers and lightly honeyed nuances all build into the resonant finish. No dosage. Disgorged: February, 2021.Drinking window: 2021-2028. 90 points
This is a gorgeous set of wines from Benoît Déhu. There are three single-variety/single-parcel Champagnes, and the Initiation, which is a Meunier/Pinot Noir blend. Biodynamic viticulture and a minimalist approach in the cellar are the rule. Some wines are vinified and aged in oak (Rue des Noyers, Cuvée de L’Orme), which seems to add depth and texture. Malolactic fermentation is blocked and wines are bottled with no dosage. Déhu achieves fabulous balance with his wines. The 100% Pinot Noir Cuvée L’Orme is especially brilliant this year.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (11/21)
£ 94.95“David Léclapart crafts Champagnes of personality and distinction from his tiny cellar in Trépail. Then again, virtually all of the attention is in the vineyards, where meticulous farming and a strict adherence to biodynamics are the guiding principles. In the past, I have found these wines both eccentric and inconsistent, but when they are on, they are captivating. These are rich, vinous Champagnes that benefit from considerable aeration and enough time to follow their gradual evolution in the glass.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (07/15)
£ 63.75“Hugues Godmé is a new domaine that was created when the Godmé siblings separated their family’s Godmé Père et Fils estate. The Champagnes are layered and yet also have a lightness to them that is quite appealing, Vinification is done in tank and barrel, while dosage is on the lower side. These three Champagnes all merit serious attention.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (12/17)
£ 84.95“The 2019 Extra Brut Rosé Indulgence is 100% Pinot Noir, done maceration-style, with no added sulfur and bottled with no dosage. Here, I find the approach a bit penalizing. The 2019 comes across as quite rustic, with dried out flavors and limited finish. The wilder, gamier side of Pinot is very much in evidence. Hints of cedar, tobacco, dried cherry, spice and leather emerge, but there’s just not much elegance here, especially compared to the other wines in the range. I would prefer to drink this sooner rather than later. No dosage. Disgorged: April, 2022. Drinking window: 2022-2024. 88 points
Dominique Moreau’s Champagnes have been compelling for a number of years now. A fervent minimalist, Moreau meticulously farms her old-vine parcels following biodynamic practices. She employs a similar low-intervention approach in the cellar. Fermentations are spontaneous, the wines see little to no sulfur and bottling is done with no dosage. It’s a high-risk approach in the cellar, as so much can go astray. In the past, some wines felt too austere because of the low dosage, or a bit unfocused because of the low/no sulfur. That’s not all the case with these new releases, however. These are among the most thrilling, deeply satisfying Champagnes I tasted for this report.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (11/22)
