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$249.95
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JG 92
IWC 91
WS 91
France
-
Champagne
In stock,
1
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
-
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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$138.95
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WE 94
W&S 92
Portugal
-
Port
In stock,
2
available
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94 points Wine Enthusiast: "An old, mature wine, but one that has kept its ripeness and richness. The concentration is so intense that one glass is almost enough (except it tastes so good). There are walnuts, bitter chocolate and a delicious clean aftertaste. (Aug 2006)"
92 points Wine & Spirits.
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$149.95
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WS 95
W&S 95
RJ 94–95
France
-
Champagne
In stock, 12+ available
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List $190.00
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95 points Wine Spectator: "Very fine on the palate, with a lovely texture, carrying layered flavors of patisserie pear, dried apricot, smoked almond, crystallized honey and a hint of kumquat. Vibrant and mouthwatering, featuring a long finish of ground cumin and ginger. Drink now through 2022. (11/15/12)"
95 points Wine & Spirits: "This is the best release of Grande Cuvée we’ve tasted in the last several years, a wine that lives up to its historical greatness with Burgundian richness and Champenoise complexity. It’s layered, intense, almost tannic in its grip, bringing high notes of chamomile and allspice to leaven the resinous butterscotch and chalk cave depths. A heady and immense multivintage blend. (Dec 2012)"
94 points (95 potential) Richard Juhlin: "(50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier). Strangely enough, this exceptional wine is one of the Champagnes I've drunk on the greatest number of occasions--more than ninety times, in fact. Almost every time, some new element is revealed. Because it's been blended from ten different vintages and forty-seven different wines from twenty-five crus, variation is understandable. However, I have only missed spotting it on one occasion at a blind tasting, proving that its basic character is unique. The extremely tough acidity, together with the heavy, rich Krug aromas, are the foremost clues. Always check how straight the cork is in order to decipher when it was disgorged. When young, the acidity can be too hard. When middle aged and older, the Grand Cuvée has a fabulously complex nose and palate, dominated by nuts and honey. The aftertaste is always long and majestic, like a great symphony. The best bottles deserve even higher points than I've given here. (Apr 2009)"
94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "...It was disgorged in the fall of 2011, is primarily based on the 2004 vintage, contains fully a dozen different years in the blend- with the oldest wines included in this particular rendition of Grande Cuvée dating back to the 1990 vintage. The bouquet of this young and very promising Krug Grande Cuvée wafts from the glass in a blend of apple, tangerine, a touch of nutmeg, complex minerality, rye toast, orange peel and incipient notes of smokiness and nutskin. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and exquisitely balanced, with great midpalate depth, ripe and snappy acids, laser-like focus, elegant mousse and outstanding length and grip on the very refined and still quite youthful finish. While this release of the Krug Grande Cuvée is already quite enjoyable, I have a strong preference for aging my bottles of this wine and would be inclined to not touch this bottle until at least four or five years have passed, as it is likely to last another thirty-five to forty years! 2013-2050. (Jan/Feb 2013)"
94 points Wine Enthusiast: "With its minimum of six years' bottle aging, this is a beautifully integrated, mature wine. It has a wonderful toast character, layered over sliced pears and ripe acidity. With its complex poise between lightness and richness, this remains an intensely impressive wine. (Dec 2010)"
93 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "Krug’s MV Grande Cuvée is weightless and totally graceful from start to finish. The current release is a distinctly fresh, floral version of the Grand Cuvée, with tons of brightness in its aromas and flavors, but less in the way of the oxidative notes that are sometimes present in Grand Cuvée. Still, there is a lot to like here. This is one of the most beautiful Grand Cuvées I have tasted over the last few years. This release is based on the 2005 vintage, and includes wines back to 1990. This is Lot 411046. Disgorged: 2011. (May 2013)"
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$124.95
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JG 93
IWC 93
WS 92
France
-
Champagne
In stock, 12+ available
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93+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The newest addition to the Extra Age lineup is this superb Blanc de Blancs, which is a blend of the 2002, 2003 and 2005 vintages. The wine is deep, pure and superb, offering up a complex bouquet of pears, lemon, brioche, white flowers and a lovely base of chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and zesty, with excellent focus and balance, lovely mid-palate depth, refined, frothy mousse and beautiful length and grip on the very elegant finish. This is a very fine bottle of Blanc de Blancs that will drink well from the outset, but like all Lanson wines, will have no difficulties aging long and gracefully. 2012-2035. (Jul/Aug 2012)"
93 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Light gold. Heady aromas of buttered toast, tangerine, poached pear and chalky minerals, with floral and honey notes adding complexity. Palate-staining orchard fruit and brioche flavors are underscored by suggestions of iodine and anise, with a smoky nuance gaining power with air. Clings tenaciously on the finish, strongly echoing the pear and floral notes. As rich and powerful as this Champagne may be, it possesses noteworthy finesse and clarity. (Dec 2012)"
92 points Wine Spectator: "Soft and creamy in texture, with a floral overtone and a minerally base note accenting the flavors of orchard fruit, pastry, kumquat and pickled ginger. Fresh, with a clean finish that echoes the mineral note. Drink now through 2020. 200 cases imported. (12/31/12)"
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$199.95
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JG 93
WE 93
France
-
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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$119.95
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JG 93
WE 92
France
-
Champagne
In stock, 12+ available
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93 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "I did not note when this wine was disgorged (I know, sloppy of me!), but I did at least observe that is made from a blend of sixty-five percent pinot noir, thirty-five percent chardonnay, with the vintages that the base wines hailing from being the 2002, 2004 and 2005. The wine is outstanding, jumping from the glass in a nascently complex aromatic blend of melon, tart orange, bread dough and lovely smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very classy, with a rock solid core of fruit, excellent soil signature, crisp acids, pinpoint bubbles and fine focus on the very long and elegant finish. Fine, fine juice here. 2012-2030. (Jul/Aug 2012)"
92 points Wine Enthusiast: "This rosé is the partner of the brut nonvintage launched in 2009. It is dry, with intense acidity balanced by an elegant, textured red fruit character. Aged for five years, it shows a fine combination of fruit and maturity. (Dec 2011)"
Producer notes: "35% Chardonnay, 65% Pinot Noir. A cuvée of vintages 2002, 2004 and 2005. Lanson Extra Age Rosé has a salmony, coppery color enlivened by a myriad of fine bubbles. Aromas of red fruit and confectionary are dominated by a scent of strawberry jam. Tart flavors recall wild strawberry, redcurrant and vine peach."
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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$179.95
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W&S 92
Portugal
-
Port
In stock,
7
available
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List $200.00
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92 points Wine & Spirits: "[$200 list] This wine's delicate apple and pear flavors finish on honeyed sweetness and wood spice, from nutmeg to cinnamon. Hints of butter brickle show off its long years in cask. An elegant after-dinner pour. (Dec 2008)"
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