Gilbert Van Hassel

9.5

Typical mesnil chard. Very crisp and clean. Pear, honey and toasted brioche. Great acidity and ample bubbles. — 15 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Served with Fisherman’s Pasta - sablefish, mussels, saffron gnocchetti pasta, fennel, fresh baguette toast. If there is one thing constant about every Lopez de Heredia Blanco that I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying, it’s that they are never boring. The 2006 delivers on that with notes of dates, dried apricot, German candied nuts, marshmallows, cumin, dill and toasted coconut. Dry with fantastic acid and the texture is waxy. One of my favorite white wines on earth. Will probably live for another 20 years easy. — 5 months ago

Vino Joe

9.5

The complexity has arrived! Lovely color on this one. Not all my 2007 looks this dark yet but this one had a rich depth and most toasted fruit notes. This is a very good but not great vintage. — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

It’s Miller time. Well…actually Billecart time. I like this more than I buy it. One of good cuvées easily found in 375ml.

The body creamy, layered, nice c02, bruised golden & green apple, ripe Bosc pear, pineapple flesh, tropical melons-mango driven, lime & lemon zest, cream soda, cream, white spice-ginger, bread, yeast, brioche, soft but grainy moist chalkiness, sea spray/fossils, slightly chard sourdough toast, wet/softened alluvial, limestone, wet river stone, notes of flintiness, yellow lilies, white orchids, fruit blossoms, jasmine, rainfall acidity, excellent balanced fruit & earth, tension, structure with a juicy two-minute polished finish that falls onto beautiful minerality.

BTW, home grown tomatoes with Companion Bakery wheat sourdough, lightly toasted w/ olive oil, burrata, Tondo balsamic (stunning), olive oil & fresh basil never gets old. — a year ago

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. — 15 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium light lemon colour . Touches of toasted nuts , brioche , lemon peel , honeysuckle , vanilla and then chalky , mineral hints , complex and still young . On the palate quite lean and focused , lemon peel , toasted nuts , mineral and chalky finish . Good length . Drinking well now and for the next 5-10 years — 8 months ago

Joe Christenson

9.1

Tasty and traditional. Toasted brioche, ginger, and toasted almonds. Well balanced, tight bubbles. Not quite finessed but delicate and approachable. — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.2

Cheers to top quality bubbles from the Anderson Valley of the North Coast of California!

This wine is made with a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

It’s beautifully balanced with layers of autolytic characteristics like toasted almond, pie crust, brioche, biscuit, marzipan, nougat, thanks to 5 YEARS on the lees…

It has a creamy mouthfeel maintaining freshness with notes of white peach, apple, raspberry, lemon zest, white blossom…

Mousse is fine and persistent. — 5 months ago

with Deked1

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Toasted honey and heather, so rich, but the sweetness seems to be dialing back a bit with age. Nice acids and great persistence. — 6 months ago

Vanessa

9.5

This wine is STUNNING.

Its nose offers notes of pear and apple tart with toasted almond, nougat, marzipan, brioche, lemon curd, raspberry coulis, pie crust, dried white rose, chalk, oyster shell …

On the palate this wine is creamy with vibrant acidity adding lift and balance; it has a fine-beaded and persistent mousse and a long, elegant finish. Flavors are consistent with the nose.

Special Birthday bubbles for the ultimate Champagne lover, @Deked1 🥂💕 — 9 months ago

with Deked1