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$38.95
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France
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Alsace
In stock, 12+ available
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Wine Enthusiast: "A soft, almond-flavored wine packed with sweet strawberries. There is good acidity balanced by some caramel and softness, which make this a good bet as an apéritif wine." From 100% Pinot Noir.
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$99.95
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JG 92
IWC 91
WS 91
France
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Champagne
In stock,
4
available
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92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "(served from magnum). This magnum is the same cuvée as the regular-sized bottle above (2008 base wine with thirty percent of the blend comprised of wines from 2006 and 2007), but for some reason, it was showing even a bit more youthful generosity in the mid-palate out of the larger format. This is a quite as dry styled Brut bottling, with a dosage of 7 grams per liter of residual sugar, and will age extremely well. The classy nose wafts from the glass in a blend of apple, a touch of tangerine, complex minerality, bread dough and a nice dollop of smokiness up high. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and complex, with a bit more early stuffing showing at the core, the same brisk acids, frothy mousse and a very long finish of excellent focus and grip. I love the Billecart non-vintage Brut and am very pleased to see it more readily available here in New York that used to be the case. As the slight difference in score might indicate, Champagne always tastes better out of magnum! Fine juice. 2013-2030. (Jan/Feb 2013)"
91 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Light yellow-gold. Orange and pear aromas are complemented by notes of vanilla bean and honeysuckle. Silky in texture and nicely precise, with juicy orchard fruit flavors and a tangy note of Meyer lemon. Dry but in no way austere. Blends depth and energy smoothly and finishes with excellent clarity and nervy cut. (Dec 2010)"
91 points Wine Spectator: "Aromatic and spicy, with cedar, honey and ginger notes matching a firm structure and lean, intense character. Fine length."
91 points Wine News: "Lots of honey scents frame aromas of pineapple, apricot, chalk, yeast and brioche. Crisp, focused flavors of apple, orange marmalade, caramel and bread dough. Flint emerges in the dry finish. (Dec 2006/Jan 2007)"
Wall Street Journal: "Very good. Best of tasting. Pretty much all the aromas and flavors we want in Champagne--toasted nuts, yeast, minerals, a hint of zingy lemon and even some honeysuckle--all in a balanced, elegant package that gives it a relaxed sophistication. (12/13/08)"
Richard Juhlin: "(35% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay) This is the creation of the son, Antoine Billecart. I claim this to be the best nonvintage Champagne of the extremely fruity school. The nose is lively and as fresh as a spring morning, the flavor is light and citrus-fresh with a long, balanced aftertaste of Granny Smith apples. Softer, sweeter, and more creamy recently. (Feb 2010)"
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$159.95
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WN 94
JG 93
TP 93
France
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Champagne
In stock,
3
available
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List $200.00
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94 points Wine News: "Light copper-orange hue; active stream of small bubbles. Enticing scents of bread dough, caramel and buttery fragrances. Soft entry with creamy vanilla, a nice balance of grains and light, malty nuances. A cleansing, racy grapefruit-inspired finish with pleasant, sweet overtones. (Dec 2008/Jan 2009)"
93 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "(served from magnum). I very much like the elegance of this bottling, which probably owes a debt to the fifty percent chardonnay in the blend. Out of magnum, the wine is drinking splendidly, offering up a complex and vibrant bouquet of melon, tangerine, wheat toast, lovely minerality, rose petals and a gentle topnote of smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very refined, with a lovely core, elegant mousse, crisp acids and a very long, focused and complex finish. I really wish Billecart would join several other serious Grandes Marques in putting dates of disgorgement on the back label, so that one could better gauge when to start popping corks on their lovely non-vintage bottlings. 2013-2025. (Jan/Feb 2013)"
93 points Anthony Dias Blue (The Tasting Panel): "Pale pink, juicy, smooth, ripe, and tangy with raspberry; lush and tangy with great depth; racy acidity and seamlessly balanced; lovely. (Dec 2012)"
92 points Wine Spectator: "Bright and elegant, this offers appealing flavors of ripe black cherry, raspberry and orange peel that show hints of toasted raisin bread, anise and sweet smoke. Offers a beautiful texture, with a long, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2015. (11/15/11)"
92 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "(disgorged June 30, 2010): Light orange. Tangerine, pear and flowers on the nose, which is complicated by a note of fennel. Broad and sappy but dry, with lively orange and strawberry flavors and a subtle note of spice cake. Weightier on the finish, which features an exotic note of spicy herbs. This Champagne’s delicate touch will make it work well with simple seafood dishes or even sashimi. (Dec 2010)"
Wall Street Journal: "Unlike many Champagne houses that may turn out a token bottling, rosé is the main focus of Billecart-Salmon. It's a dry, delicate rosé with a lively acidity that makes it a good companion to food -- as well as a great wine for a celebratory toast. (8/6/11)"
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$302.95
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WA 94
France
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Champagne
In stock,
2
available
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94 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "The 2007 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules reveals gorgeous richness in its red fruits, spices and flowers. Today the 2007 comes across as a bit two-dimensional, but much of that has to do with its youth and the inevitable comparisons with some of the vintages that preceded it in this tasting. In time, this too should develop into splendid wine, today it is merely outstanding. Bouchard likens 2007 to 2001 -- another cold, damp vintage -- then adds he relishes the challenge of making wines in difficult years as it is precisely these harvests that provide the ultimate test of a grower’s skill. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. (Jul 2010)"
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$319.95
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WA 91–94
France
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Champagne
In stock,
3
available
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91-94 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "Bouchard’s 2008 Roses de Jeanne Coteaux Champenois Les Ursules (Pinot Noir), (Blanc) possesses an additional dimension of clarity, precision and delineation over the 2009. There is a crystalline purity to this wine that is simply hard to believe. Both the 2008 and 2009 were aged in 100% new oak. (Jul 2010)"
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$92.95
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WE 94
JG 91
France
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Champagne
In stock,
6
available
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94 points Wine Enthusiast: "A beautifully fine mousse indicates the class of this finely crafted wine. It has some weight, flavors of green apples, with hints of fresh apricots. There is extreme freshness here, the style dry but rich. This bottling tastes young and would be worth aging six months. (Dec 2009)"
92 points Wine Spectator: "Well-structured and powered by firm acidity, this offers notes of glazed apple, black cherry, candied lemon zest and toasted brioche, with a lingering hint of mineral. Clean finish. Drink now through 2015. (12/15/12)"
91+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Henriot’s Brut Souverain bottling is the only cuvée here that customarily now includes a small percentage of pinot meunier in the blend, as the ostensibly half and half blend of pinot noir and chardonnay is augmented with three to five percent of pinot meunier, as the house now has a contract for pinot meunier fruit from a vineyard that they are extremely fond of at the very top of the Montagne de Reims. This is a bottling that I have become more and more impressed with each year that I taste it, as I have the feeling that it is seeing just a bit more bottle age in the cellar these days than was the case perhaps back when the Henriot family had just purchased Bouchard. The other possibility of course is that the relatively new inclusion of pinot meunier in this cuvée has made it more immediately impressive out of the blocks. In any case, the new release is
excellent, offering up a deep and youthfully complex nose of apple, tart orange, gentle notes of bread dough, fine minerality and a gentle touch of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and complex, with a fine core of fruit, elegant mousse, and a long, crisp and focused finish. A lovely wine that will age very well indeed. 2012-2030. (Jul/Aug 2012)"
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$199.95
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JG 93
WE 93
France
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Champagne
In stock, 12+ available
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93 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "This is a relatively new cuvée from Lanson that has been aged fully for five years in the cellar prior to release and hails exclusively from grand cru vineyards. The wine is a blend of sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay. Extra Age is always a blend of at least three different vintages, with this current release based on wines from the 2000, 2002 and 2004 vintages. Given the house style which eschews malolactic fermentation, this new bottling is a very logical extension of the Lanson line and the wine is outstanding, jumping from the glass in a complex and very beautiful blend of green apple, tart orange, wheat toast, smoky overtones and a beautifully complex base of stony minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and broad-shouldered, with superb mid-palate depth, crisp acids, very refined mousse and outstanding length and grip on the wide open and zesty finish. Fine, fine juice. 2012-2030. (Jul/Aug 2012)"
93 points Wine Enthusiast: "Creamy, textured wine, with a lively mousse and a balance of fine toasty age and fresh citrus fruits. It shows a dry character, firm and mineral, very textured with the weight to make it a food Champagne. Alcohol 12.5%. (Dec 2011)"
Producer notes: "40% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir. A cuvée of vintages 2000, 2002 and 2004. Lanson Extra Age X.A. Brut presents an attractive straw-yellow color with fine bubbles. On the nose, yellow fruit and dried fruit notes blend with scents of honey, biscuit and mild spices, developing a powerful and complex aromatic palette. The attack is fleshy, the body full and rich, and the finish crisp and fresh."
The Finest Wines of Champagne: "Lanson is one of the oldest Champagne houses. Founded in 1730, this proud family firm had a deserved reputation until the early 1990s for its distinctive, uncompromising, but unquestionably fine style of Champagne--full-bodied, bracingly dry, and with enough richness and vinosity in its Vintage wines to match fine cuising... the house has been lucky to retain the Lanson family's chef de cave, Jean-Paul Gandon, who has been with them since the 1970s... At Lanson, he has done a remarkable job since 1991, and there has been a real renaissance in the wines..."
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$379.95
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CG 96
WE 94
RJ 89–93
France
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Champagne
In stock,
2
available
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96 points Connoisseurs' Guide: "And then there is this remarkable wine, whose depth, richness, vitality and precise character move it to the head of the class. A few privileged tasters will point out offerings at twice its price as proof that there is more yet to be had in Champagnes, but those wines, while spectacular, are no more drinkable or polished. For here, in a dramatic yet balanced presentation, is a serious wine that layers complex yeast, brioche and wheat toast notes on top of deep, lemony, chalky, creamy, lightly vanillin bits. Its finish is extraordinarily long, and it conveys an impression of impeccable crafting from beginning to end. (Dec 2012)"
94 points Wine Enthusiast: "This shimmers with its flavors of apple and lime, its hint of toast and its soft finish. It's finely balanced, a great selection that is ready to drink now. Alcohol 12.5%. (Dec 2012)"
92 points Wine Spectator: "Elegant, with lovely texture and focused, lively acidity. Flavors of currant, candied lemon zest, honey and white peach lead to the creamy, biscuit-tinged finish. Drink now through 2019. (11/30/11)"
89 points (93 potential) Richard Juhlin: "(50% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinot Meunier). (Sep 2011)"
Producer notes: "'The Cuvée Belle Epoque 2004 is like a freshly-cut diamond' says Hervé Deschamps. It is the perfect expression of the richness of Perrier-Jouët's exceptional vineyard. All the lightness of white floral notes: hawthorn blossom, linden blossom and white clover. A fresh, stylish wine with good structure, silky and elegant, based on teh mineral notes of the best Chardonnay Grand Crus. The floral, fruity notes give way to subtle spicy hints for a pleasant finish on the palate. The best moment: pre-dinner drinks. During a meal, this wine pairs well with seafood, fish and white meat. After seven years' ageing at Perrier-Jouët, this vintage can be stored for over ten more in your cellar."
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$299.95
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WA 95
WS 93
W&S 93
France
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Champagne
In stock,
4
available
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95 points Wine Advocate: "Wow - really opulent nose with exotic spice and ginger notes supporting a core of decadently creamy, kaya jam, butterscotch, praline and marzipan aromas. The palate is very rich, silky, full and viscous yet beautifully balanced by crisp acidity and seamless dosage. Touch of creamy / spicy oak. Very long, multilayered finish. Tasted April 2009." -Lisa Perrotti-Brown
93 points Wine Spectator: "Simply seductive, this silky Champagne features expressive coconut, candied berry, grapefruit and spice flavors. Harmonious and fresh, with a lingering aftertaste. Drink now through 2020. (11/30/09)"
93 points Wine & Spirits: "From two parcels of 40-year-old vines, this selection is made in older barrels. It's muscular but not overtly oaked. Like a number of wines from the 1998 vintage, this is going through an awkward phase, in this case, showing its acidity before it shows the fullness of its flavors. Yet it's clearly a great wine, with complexities that range from bitter melon to red apple skin and earthy chalk. The integration it develops with air predicts a long life ahead. (Dec 2008)"
92 points Josh Raynolds International Wine Cellar: "Medium yellow. Intensely smoky, energetic bouquet evokes ripe peach, honeyed pear, buttered toast and a wild cherry skin quality. Round and fleshy, offering deep but precise apple and pear flavors and bracing citrus zest bite. Really expands across the palate while maintaining energy and focus. (Nov/Dec 2007)"
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$139.95
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WS 91
France
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Champagne
In stock, 12+ available
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List $182.00
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91 points Wine Spectator: "[$91/750ml list] A mouthwatering bubbly, with hints of ginger and clove accenting flavors of green pear and peach, with hints of pastry and mineral. Very refined and vibrant through to the lingering, spice-tinged finish. Drink now through 2020. 25 cases imported. (11/30/11)"
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