Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Tasted from 1/2 bottle. They come in handy for dinner for two in many cases, but especially at a restaurant that allows corkage. Most do in California. It is even harder to find vintage champagne in 375ml’s.

The 2018 vintage was good to very good. You need to taste and or read up for its best offerings.

A note, I tasted at the Billecart-Salmon property in later October 2022 with Mathieu Roland-Billecart. As insightful as that was, he was asked other than Billecart Salmon champagnes, what was one of his favorite champagnes? His reply was surprisingly an older vintage Paul Bara he had recently. That’s a producer question that gets asked often. Normally generates a pause with some minor angst to answer.

The nose shows; lemon chiffon/meringue, bruised apple to slightly cider, bruised pear, yellow & white stone fruits, just ripe pineapple, orange citrus blend, lime pulp, tropical melons, whipped, white cream, white spice-ginger, yeasty bread dough, saline, crushed limestone pulp, crumbled chalk, sea fossils, white spring flowers set in yellow lilies.

The palate is round & soft. The mousse is delicate w/ micro oxidation. Ripe; lemon chiffon/meringue, white & yellow stone fruit, slightly bruised apple & Bosc pear, lime pulp, orange citrus rind, some tropical melons, cream, ginger white spice, yeasty bread dough, sea spray, saline, sea fossils, dry crumbled chalkiness, caramel notes, heather honey, warm perfectly toasted toast, graham cracker, nougat w/ nuts, yellow flowers set in a field of white spring flowers, excellent acidity with a nicely; balanced, structured, tensioned, polished finish that lasts a minute and falls on limestone laced with soft, dry, powdery chalkiness.

Photos of; the house of Paul Bara, chalky caves w/ riddling racks, old wood basket press & a vineyard picking party. — a month ago

Severn Goodwin

9.1

Catching up on some delayed bottle posts...no notes.

Requested to drive up to my good buddies house to help him move his 8ft sheet metal brake to fashion some temporary gutters in advance of hurricane Henri, I was rewarded with wine, of course! — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

First time experience with this producer.

The nose reveals, bruised; red & golden apple, Bosc pear, overripe stone fruit & pineapple, lemon meringue, touch cider, nougat, almonds, cream to cream soda, hints of melted white butter, melted golden brown sugar, vanillin, sea fossil, crumbled, grey volcanics, chalky power, bread dough to yeast, limestone, understated limestone minerals, spring flowers, jasmine & withering white lilies.

The mouthfeel is rich, lively with excellent mousse. Quite beautiful. Bruised; red & golden apple, Bosc pear, overripe stone fruit & pineapple, lemon meringue, touch cider, nougat, almonds, cream to cream soda & ginger ale, hints of melted white butter, melted golden brown sugar, vanillin, sea fossil, crumbled, grey volcanics, chalky power, bread dough to yeast, hints of coconut with shell, white spice with just the right amount of heat, limestone, understated limestone minerals, spring flowers, jasmine & withering white lilies. The acidity is excellent. The finish is; well balanced & polished, elegant & simply near perfect finish. She is excellent wire to wire.

This is for you if you enjoy a Champagne that leans more oxidative.

@Paul T- Huntington Beach The mid picture to the right is what is seriously lacking in Ultramarine’s.

Photos of; The Champagne House of Pierre Paillard, Antoine Paillard, the beautiful Chalkiness from their Les Maillerettes Vineyard that only Champange can really deliver & one of their Grand Cru Vineyards. — 5 years ago

with James and Christina

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Happy holidays. 🎅🧑‍🎄 ☃️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️

This is delicious. When it first hits your palate, it’s like hey, woah. It is super soft, micro-micro oxygenation. Delicate mousse, some maltiness, red apple cider reduction, pear, lemon meringue, lime pulp, grapefruit, orange peel, tropical melon, ripe pineapple, saline, sea fossils, chalky powder with an edge as it sets, white spice-ginger, white pepper, love the perfect limestone powder, brioche, baguette, some dough & light yeast, orange blossoms, white, spring flowers, racy, crisp acidity, excellent tension, structure, balance with beautiful long finish that lingers 90-120 seconds. Certainly one of the best and different champagne I’ve had in some time.

This cuvée is 100% Chardonnay and comes from the villages of Cramant, Chouilly, and Cuis.

Special Club Champagne must be produced with grapes from outstanding vintages harvested from the estates own vineyards. The cuvée must also be estate bottled and aged. It is the tête de cuvée(the most premier bottle of a grower’s estate) selection for the Champagne house.

There were 12 founding members, three of which currently remain: Pierre Gimonnet, Gaston Chiquet and Paul Bara. New members come and go every year. As of 2021, there are 28 members.

The process to become a Special Club is as follows. The wines must pass two rigorous stages of selection. Before that happens, members gather each February to taste each other’s still wines from the previous vintage. The members vote on whether to declare a vintage year, which would mean that the vintage was outstanding, and worthy enough of a vintage-dated Champagne. The vote must be unanimous. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Congratulations to TB12 on going to his 14th Conference Championship.

The nose shows; more macerated green & golden apple, pineapple than usual. Touch of apple cider, bruised pear, some dried apricots, nougat, melted, salted caramel, alluvial limestone minerals, chalk, sea spray, roasted white spice, dry yeast, rising bread dough, baguette crust, ginger ale with withering lilies and some spring flowers.

The palate has softer mousse & less lively acidity than previous bottles. Still nice but, it’s giving cause to wonder when this bottle was disgorged. Macerated green & golden apple, yellow peach, pineapple juice. Touch of apple cider, bruised pear, some dried apricots, nougat, melted, salted caramel, alluvial limestone minerals, grey volcanics, gritty chalkiness, sea fossils, saline, roasted white spice, nuts, dry yeast, rising bread dough, baguette crust, ginger ale that has the high notes of root beer, vanillin with withering lilies and some spring flowers. The acidity is ok but, seems off a bit. Change in base wine for this bottling? The finish still rich, elegant, well balanced persisting minutes.

Bottle is off slightly from the many others we’ve enjoyed.

Photos of; the House of Bollinger, branded cave with resting bottles, their Cooper making barrels and one of their Grand Cru vineyards.

1/17/21 — 4 years ago

Phil Kessling

9.0

Tart, crisp and so refreshing. Farm house cider at it’s absolute best. — 5 years ago

James Rogers

9.4

The best can’t wait to get back to the finger lakes to pick up more — 5 years ago

with Lindsay

Severn Goodwin

9.1

Catching up on some delayed bottle posts...no notes. (No tannins... delicious!)

Requested to drive up to my good buddies house to help him move his 8ft sheet metal brake to fashion some temporary gutters in advance of hurricane Henri, I was rewarded with wine, of course! — 4 years ago

Severn Goodwin

8.9

Catching up on some delayed bottle posts...no notes.

Requested to drive up to my good buddies house to help him move his 8ft sheet metal brake to fashion some temporary gutters in advance of hurricane Henri, I was rewarded with wine, of course! — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Well...this was one hell of a week. There is only one way to wind it down. Reach for an excellent bottle of vintage Champagne.

My first thoughts are how delicate this is on the palate. Further, how unbelievable it will be with another 8-10 years in bottle.

The nose shows; slightly sour lemon, the good parts of lemon Pledge, lemon meringue, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, brioche, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanilla, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies.

The body is light on its feet and dances on the palate. Delicacy abounds. Its soft, gorgeous mousse right there with the best money can buy. Slightly sour lemon, lemon meringue, green & with more bruised golden apple, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, touch of apple cider, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, ginger ale into cream soda, brioche, nougat, toffee notes, lighter nuts without skin, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanillin, marzipan, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies. The acidity is mellow yet lively, gorgeous and as good as it gets. The finish is all luxury. So well knitted & balanced, elegant, rich but not overpowering and gently persisting several minutes.

Photos of; The House of Taittinger, their caves so chalky white and built on the famous Crayères Cellars of Reims: 2.5 miles of tunnels (they own 1/4 to 1/3 of it) cut out of chalk by the Romans, the portrait of Thibaud IV who was a king, lord, manager, singer, conqueror, explorer & 11th century Crusader all rolled into one from which, this Cuvée was the catalyst creation and part of the 600 plus hectares they own in Champange.

Some producer notes; Taittinger's history can be traced back to 1734, when it was originally known as Forest-Fourneaux, founded by Jacques Fourneaux who worked closely with local Benedictine monks to learn how to produce wine. They were just the 3rd Champange house.

The estate was bought by the Taittingers – a family of wine merchants – in 1932, and thanks to the great depression and subsequent low land prices, the family also picked up huge swathes of vineyard. From 1945-1960, Francois Taittinger established the cellars in the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, and after his death in 1960 his brother Claude took over, pushing the estate into a Champagne house of world renown. Such was the status of the label that the Taittinger family soon expanded its business into other luxury goods. However, this eventually led to financial difficulties, and in 2005 the Taittinger brand – including the Champagne house – was sold to the American owned Starwood Hotel Group. The sale was badly received by the Champagne industry, with many fearing the new owners – unfamiliar with the culture of Champagne – would put profit ahead of quality.

Just one year later, Claude’s nephew, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who had always been opposed to the sale, negotiated a €660m deal with the Starwood Group, and the Taittinger family resumed ownership of the company.

In 2017, Taittinger planted its first vines in England, near a village in Kent, for its venture into English sparkling wine. The first bottle will be ready in 2023.

1/8/21 — 4 years ago