Blanc de Blancs

A trophy-winner at this year’s International Wine Challenge® awards, unrivalled provenance and over two years’ bottle-ageing, our own-label Blanc de Blancs is – in our eyes – an absolute winner every time. The perfect apéritif for festivities, it has a generous floral nose, a deliciously refreshing, yet rich palate and a clean, satisfying finish.

Under the gifted management of Gilles Marguet, Le Mesnil is making stunning Grand Cru Champagnes from Chardonnay. Located in one of Côte des Blancs’s greatest villages, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, it produces Champagnes that are smooth and rich with fine acidity at the basic level; while the vintage wines offer a significant step up, with crisper, richer and fuller fruit that will develop a toasty finesse.

Le Mesnil is a cooperative located in one of Côte des Blancs’s greatest villages, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It produces Champagnes that are smooth and rich with fine acidity at the basic level; while the vintage wines offer a significant step up, with crisper, richer and fuller fruit that will develop a toasty finesse.

The nose is of brioche, butter, hazelnut and orange zest, whilst the palate is pleasantly mellow and balanced, the mousse is delicate and a lovely creaminess is beginning to shine through from the autolytic character.

The Cuvée de Réserve goes from strength to strength and is now one of the most sought-after of our non-vintage Champagnes, no mean achievement for a Grower Champagne and indicative, perhaps, of the long overdue re-appraisal of the hierarchy in this region, where the hegemony of the Grandes Marques has held sway for so long.

This perhaps explains the inherent complexity on the palate, with its notes of hazelnut, acacia and apricot garlanding the more usual descriptors of citron pressé, sweet spice and crushed rock. The dosage is seven grams per litre and the finish is powerful, with a twist of salinity to confirm the fact that the majority of the fruit is sourced from the great village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the balancing 30 percent coming from equally prestigious Grand Cru sites in Oger, Chouilly and Cramant

Mealy, light, quite faint fruit on the nose at the moment, but there is a purity to it which is very attractive. On the finish, the yeasty character is excellent, and there is a lovely sea-salt note to finish. The nose is bound to open up in due course. 
Richard Hemming, MW - jancisrobinson.com

Gosset are near neighbours to Bollinger in the Grand Cru Champagne village of Ay. Stylistically, one associates their wines with power, informed as they are by oak fermentation and a large proportion of Pinot Noir in the blends. The news of a release of a Blanc de Blancs was something of a surprise (even though there is already a Celebris BDB), a surprise compounded by the extraordinary elegance and freshness of the wine.

On closer inspection, this should perhaps have been expected, all the more so because the majority of the fruit is sourced from the great Grand Cru villages of the Côtes de Blancs: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant and Le Mesnil sur Oger. The wine has an attractive nose of spring flowers and Mirabelle plums, then a harmonious mid-palate, with gentle honey and hints of quince and apricot evidenced.

The silky notes are juxtaposed with distinct chalky acidity on the finish, the hallmark of Mesnil fruit, here beautifully married within the ensemble.

Fruits of a one hectare plot in the southern Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Salon is the most famous statement of Chardonnay Champagne that one is likely to encounter; aged for a decade and to be kept, if one has the patience, for another decade at least. Green gold colour then intense aromas of honeydew melon, nectarine and recently  cooked brioche. The palate has a linear shard of acidity, a Keatsean composure and yet real energy and dazzling potential. From the best vintage so far this century, surely a contender for the best wine of the century...so far!
Simon Field MW, Champagne Buyer

Taittinger is one of the few family-owned, independent Champagne houses in Reims. Its top Champagne is Comtes de Champagne. First produced in 1952, it is made from 100 percent Chardonnay grapes from six Grand Cru sites in the Côte de Blancs. This is finely aromatic, rich, creamy blanc de blancs at its best.

The 2006 epitomises Taittinger’s famed purity and elegance. This is a wine of the very highest calibre. The nose is beautifully poised, clean and pure with waxy lemon notes and the merest hint of biscuit. The palate is effortless, so fine, yet has no shortage of complexity or length. Citrus-laden, a tiny hint of white chocolate comes with the creamy texture. Tasted alongside the 2004 it is clear that the 2006 is going to develop in a similar, fine, fashion and I suspect, given the precision it displays now, the 2006 is likely to surpass that fine vintage in time.

Pol Roger is perhaps best known as Winston Churchill's favourite Champagne. The House remains family-owned and has a reputation for producing Champagnes of finesse and elegance which age very well.

This has all the hallmarks of a great blanc de blancs; white flowers, citrus, a touch of stone fruit and the merest hint of honey. A sure sign that Pol Roger has delivered yet again when nature presented ideal conditions for vintage Champagne. Citrus dominates the palate at the moment, with buttery brioche and almonds in the background. Very fresh and beautifully balanced, this will certainly provide immediate gratification but an extra couple of years will add a layer of honeyed complexity to this excellent wine. A real treat.

Krug released the 2003 vintage of the incredibly rare Clos du Mesnil, with a real appeal to avid collectors. Clos du Mesnil comes from a single walled vineyard of Chardonnay vines in Mesnil-Sur-Oger. Krug produces one of the purest expressions of a 100% Chardonnay Champagne that you will ever have the pleasure of tasting. Only available through a strict allocation process due to the tiny quantities (only 8671 individually numbered bottles of 2003 available in the world), this is an incredibly rare Champagne.

2003 is a year that offered abundant warmth and produced generously styled Champagne. This has played perfectly in to the hands of the Krug house style and as such their wine is among the best of the vintage, with wonderful richness and depth. These are presented in a wooden case.
Few wine lovers would disagree with the sentiment that Krug sits firmly atop the Champagne tree. In 1843, Joseph Krug set out with a singular aim; to craft the finest expression of Champagne every year, irrespective of conditions. A cuvee he simply named, Numéro 1.
Chris Pollington, Fine Wine Account Manager

For me, Krug is more than a Champagne. It is a word that stands for artistry, tradition, craftsmanship, and moments of pure pleasure… All Krug's wines are small masterworks, and although Grande Cuvée may be lighter and fresher than its predecessor, Private Cuvée, after a few extra years in the cellar it outshines the competitors' vintage Champagnes… If the opportunity arises, never miss the chance to drink a Krug!
Richard Juhlin

The Pol Roger Chardonnay is a fitting celebration of a great vintage from a superlative House. The high natural sugar levels of this near perfect vintage gave the base wine an average alcohol level of 10.5 degrees, but this was matched by fine natural acidity. Ideal in other words. The resulting Champagne, after a suitable slumber on its yeast, marries the youthful Chardonnay exuberance that one has come to associate with this cuvée with the gravitas of the vintage. Stone fruit notes, allied to brioche, iodine and honey all underwrite latent excellence.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

This is one of the finest Blanc de Blancs Champagne on the market, luminous of hue, rounded of form and lengthy in the memory. The distinctive clear bottle for Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs is based on an 18th century original; its Chardonnay persona is harmonious and elegant, capturing the House style.

The nose is subtle and enticing; notes of white peach, dried flowers and ginger are woven with roasted spices. The palate is full and structured with seamless, foaming effervescence. This Pinot Noir dominant blend is opulent but wonderfully fresh with a signature Pol Roger polished richness. The finish is fruity, framed by a toasted character gained from seven years’ maturation.

This elegant Champagne features ripe, up-front aromas and flavors of dried apricot, crystallized honey and candied kumquat, giving way on the creamy palate to more subtle notes of raw almond, fleur de sel and star anise. Mouthwatering, with a chalky underpinning and a lovely, satiny finish. Drink now through 2026. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
Alison Napjus - Wine Spectator, 30 Sep 2016