One more thing I forgot to mention - the still Sillery’s could be either Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
Also, a bit more research turned up that a lot of wine sold under the guise of being from Sillery was actually from what is Verzenay or was blended with a lot of Verzenay (the two villages border each other with Verzenay having better exposition and soil in general). This started to change in the 1900s and a lot of the really good wine that was formerly labeled as Sillery was no longer labeled as such.
I’m with Hardy on this one. I found the 2009 interesting but perhaps not worth the price (although it might just be too young), but the 2006 and 2008 were both mindblowing wines that I’d buy again if I could. Grabbed a couple of 2010s to try but haven’t had the chance to try one yet.
I’ve found C. Bouchard to be a little variable, as others have said, but the highs are worth both the inconsistency and the price, to me. I have also found his wines benefit greatly from decanting. Yes, you will lose some of the bubbles, but if you choose a decanter that doesn’t have a wide bottom, you don’t lose them all and it really helps the wines open up.
I agree, Jay, but when they’re on, they’re really damned good, particularly the entry level Inflorescence which has been one of the greatest Champagne values out there in the most recent couple of releases.
I’d be interested to see if the Boloree sometimes lives up to the price tag for me, but with that one, I think I’m still out. He makes so little that I don’t think I’ll find many opportunities to try it without buying a bottle.
I’ve had over 30 different producers’ Champagnes that include significant amounts of “other” (as in not Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) varieties over the last 8 years. In my opinion personally & professionally, no house comes close to the quality level that Aubry achieves. Your experience and palate may vary.
Disclaimer: I have sold some Aubry wines in the past (among over 200 different Champagne houses and growers).