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Aubry Premier Cru Brut Champagne NV
92 points Vinous (Galloni)
$39.99 (1)
$34.99 (6)
$32.99 (12)
My Take: Year in and year out this champagne always brings the goods and over delivers for the price, this might be the best ever for this wine with a lot of great vintage 2014 base wine (50%).
The NV Brut is a gorgeous entry-level offering. The flavors are brisk and finely cut in this chiseled, crystalline Champagne from the Aubry brothers. Pear, green apple, lemon oil and white flowers add to an overall impression of brightness and tension. Aubry's straight NV Brut is once again one of the very finest wines in its peer group. I rarely miss a chance to drink it. The current release is a blend of 50% 2014 and 50% reserve wines, with a bit more Meunier in the blend than is the norm. Disgorged: June 2017. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Vinous
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2008 'Aubry de Humbert' Premier Cru Champagne
94 points Vinous (Galloni)
$59.99 (1)
$54.99 (6)
My Take: Similar to the intro Aubry above, the price to quality here is incredible. Having tasted this last month as well, this was my favorite of the Aubry Champagnes. 2008 is the best year for Champagne since 2002 and the wines are BETTER, better built, more expressive and loads of pure power and drinking pleasure.
The 2008 Brut Nature Aubry de Humbert is one of the standouts in a range full of exciting wines. Dried lemon peel, chamomile, dried flowers, yellow orchard fruits and a kiss of French oak all inform this resonant, deeply expressive Champagne. The Aubrey de Humbert is one of the more extroverted and overly powerful wines in the Aubry range but it has plenty of the freshness, verve and detail that makes these Champagnes so compelling. The blend is 30% each Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with dollops of Arbanne and Petit Meslier that round out the blend. Disgorged in June 2016 with no dosage. Vinous
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Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne Brut Champagne NV
91 points Vinous /Wine Spectator
$42.99 (1)
$39.99 (6)
$37.99 (12)
My Take: Again with a lot of the great 2014 vintage base wine this may be a best-ever bottling, this Champagne is from one of the young master growers that has been churning out some of the best grower Champagnes in the last decade+. A personal favorite and super complex!
Alexandre Chartogne's NV Brut Sainte Anne (based on the 2014 vintage) is brilliant. Pear, apple, spice, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes all develop. Above all else, though, it is the wine's textural feel and total finesse that carry the day. The flavors are bright, precise and nuanced in this vivid, introductory level Champagne from Alexandre Chartogne. Don't miss it. Vinous
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Pierre Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs Cuis 1er Cru Brut Champagne NV
92 points Wine Spectator
$42.99 (1)
$38.99 (6)
$36.99 (12)
My Take: 100% Chardonnay, this champagne is a great aperitif and one of the best values in this price range from this top Grower Champagne producer. Everything Gimmonet make is very good to excellent so it's hard to go wrong here! A rounder, fleshier Blanc de Blancs with a bit of toast and biscuit and a fuller body from the full malo this wine sees.
"Lightly toasty, firm and focused, this minerally Champagne layers a chalky underpinning with crunchy notes of green pear, preserved lemon and spring blossom. Drink now through 2020. 600 cases imported. Wine Spectator
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Gaston Chiquet 'Tradition' Verte Brut Champagne NV
91 points Wine Spectator
$41.99 (1)
$38.95 (6)
$36.95 (12)
My Take: The name says it all for this wine, the "Tradition" green label is the entry level wine from Chiquet and it is everything you want in a Champagne at this level: orchard fruits like apples, pear and citrus mingle with a touch of creaminess in this fully expressive Champagne.
There's a crunchiness to the texture and acidic frame of this lively Champagne. Balanced overall, offering flavors of Anjou pear, star anise and lemon curd underscored by minerally chalk and smoke accents. Disgorged May 2016. Drink now through 2020. Wine Spectator
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Vilmart 'Grand Cellier' Premier Cru Brut Champagne NV
93 pts Wine Spectator / 92 pts Vinous
$64.99 (1)
$59.94 (6)
My Take: Like a sex-pot version of a champagne, this was incredible! Every year is one of the classiest and highest quality 'NV' 1er money can buy. 2014 strikes again, 50% of the base wine and the other 50% is equal parts 2012/2013! This champagne was so good, the only fault it had was it was too perfect - it literally had no faults. A favorite of a recent tasting, this is crush-worthy champagne of the highest degree and worth the extra-splurge! If you buy this, you will be very, very happy you did!
A mouthwatering, seamless Champagne that caresses the palate like raw silk, with vibrant acidity framing rich and finely meshed flavors. Wine Spectator
Vilmart’s NV Cuvée Grand Cellier bristles with all the energy that makes the Vilmart Champagnes so compelling. Crushed rocks, lemon peel, white flowers, mint and dried flowers are all crystalline and finely cut. Medium in body, fresh and pulsating in its feel, the Grand Cellier is another winner from Vilmart. This release is based on 2014, with 50% reserve wines from 2013 and 2012. Vinous
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Ditch the Flute!
First it was the coupe (no, it was not Marie Antoinette), then the flute. In reality, all we ever needed was a good wine glass. A good white wine glass to be specific. Champagne is a wine, you should swirl it, you should sniff it, you should have fun with it! Most importantly, you have one less set of glasses to get clean!
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