NV Minière F & R Champagne Brut Zéro - France, Champagne (2/7/2026)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hrs. on Day 1; revisited on Days 3 and 5 –
– 1/3 ea. of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir –
– dosage: {none} –
– bottled: June 2021 –
– disgorged: June 2024 –
– 75% 2020, 25% 2019 –
BODY: moderately active medium-bubbled bead; light bodied.
TASTE: very dry, on the austere side; “green”/austere underripe apple and a hint of spiced gum drops; faint red berry note with time in the glass and a slightly warmer serving temp. (62 F); this did unfurl somewhat on Day 1 with air and warmer-than-cellar-temp. serving temperature, so that’s recommended if drinking now. Still doing great on Day 3, about 60 hrs. after uncorking. And then a final check-in on Day 5 saw this still with bubbles, no oxidation, and a significantly more open presentation than on Day 1, now with some juicy fruit flavors that weren’t so obvious previously. Day 5 was the best showing, and I walk away from this with a very positive impression and an intention to re-buy. Drink or Hold, but perhaps best to Hold for a couple years.
This evening a very decent GC BdB from 2014. But this was best after a load of air, so probably would benefit from a bit more age (or a decant).
2014 J.L. Vergnon Champagne Grand Cru MSNL "Chetillons & Mussettes" Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (12/03/2026)
100% chardonnay from the Chetillons and Mussettes parcels within Mesnil GC (obviously). Vinification in stainless steel tanks surs lies. Bottled in July 2015. Disgorged 19 June 2024, dosage 1g/l.
This needed a little air when first opened to lose a slightly bitter aggressive edge, but after maybe 15 minutes it has settled down and opened up a bit.
Then minerality leads on the nose, along with lemon and some bready notes that increase with more air/as the wine warms a little. The palate is crisp citrus, clean, saline, just a little "jaw-clapping", but not austere. The finish is long, minerally and very more-ish.
Overall, this is an excellent crisp BdB wine working well as an aperitif with some smoked salmon this evening. The dosage is well-judged, and everything is in good balance. It continues to improve and develop a nice softer vinosity with more air (say 90 minutes). If I get another bottle I may consider decanting it.
It's OK-ish QPR, but perhaps missing anything distinctive to justify the ~US$94 that I paid. (91 points)
2012 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon
Opened by a friend. I last had this wine back in 2006 and that was the 1996 vintage. 45% Pinot Noir and 55% Chardonnay. 3.8g/l dosage. Orange pink color. Fine bead. More of a feminine style with notes of raspberry, mamay and tangerine. A fuller bodied Champagne with a long finish. Excellent. 97 points.
This evening kicking off with a nice wine from Thienot, demonstrating that different disgorgements can end up quite dissimilar. Still an excellent wine though.
2008 Thienot Champagne Cuvée Alain Thiénot - France, Champagne (13/03/2026)
A third bottle for me, but from a different disgorgement than the previous two. This one was disgorged in September 2022 with a dosage of 6g/l.
As usually the case, this benefits from a few minutes air to lose some aggressive gassiness and smooth an initially somewhat tart palate.
The nose is mushroom, some yeast, some forest floor (the caramel I noted on the earlier disgorgement is completely absent).
The palate follows the nose: quite complex, elegant, a little drying.
The finish is clean, long, mushroomy and rather drying.
Overall, I feel this disgorgement is quite different from that of April 2021: despite being the same 6g/l dosage it feels much less rounded on the palate. It's still an excellent wine and OK QPR at the ~US$89 that I paid, but I marginally preferred the earlier disgorgement. (91 points)
Another Thienot wine for me where it’s a more recent disgorgement of one I have had before. This from 2011, so with no great expectations, but it’s still a very decent bottle of fizz.
Confusingly, Thienot decided to rename this wine from “Blanc de Rouges” to “Blanc de Noirs” between the earlier disgorgement and this one.
2011 Thienot Champagne Cuvée Garance Blanc de Rouges - France, Champagne (14/03/2026)
A new disgorgement for me (and also now labelled as Blanc de Noirs rather than Blanc de Rouges). Bottled 09/2012. Disgorged 06/2022, dosage 2g/l.
The nose is quite complex: some sharp red fruit, some yeast, some mushrooms, a little forest floor, but somehow fresh as well. With air a distinct rich creamy note appears.
The palate is much like the earlier disgorgement (see below): crisp, but also mouth-filling at the same time. A little creaminess, some just slightly tart red fruit, more of those mushrooms, and a cleansing finish. With more air the finish becomes a little drying.
Overall this is an excellent, crisp, balanced and moderately complex wine. Still very young and fresh feeling. I guess it may have the potential to develop further with a little more age. For the ~US$89 that I paid it's OK QPR. (91 points)
Our one break from Lent for my wife’s birthday. Plenty of apple, peach, meyer lemon, excellent acidity and all in fine tuned balance. Really delightful.
And now, whilst waiting for the rugby to begin, a really very nice rosé, albeit undoubtedly too young for many of those here present.
2018 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Rosé - France, Champagne (14/03/2026)
(With thanks to the excellently detailed Pol Roger website) 50/35 C/PN from PC and GC vineyards. 15% PN rouge. Full malo prior to blending. Secondary fermentation at 9 degrees with hand riddling. Disgorged 03/2024, dosage unknown.
The nose is initially very much red fruit and cream, but with some air it settles down a bit and becomes somewhat more complex: tart red berries, yes, but also some floral notes, some minerality, and the cream fading into the background.
The palate is a lovely balance of ripe (but not overly sweet) fruit (redcurrants, a hint of raspberry, blackberries maybe), crisp and slightly slate-y acidity. The finish is long: redcurrants, crisp, but then pleasantly drying tannins.
I don't feel my description does this wine justice - it is very nice indeed, and definitely a rebuy for me at the ~US$84 that I paid. (92 points)
NV FALLET-DART les HAUT des CLOS du MONT EXTRA BRUT- blind; although stated to be non vintage on the label, it is 100% from 2006 comprised of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, bottled in 2007, aged 15+ years on the lees and disgorged 4/23; following its yellow gold color came aromas of toasty citrus and apple fruit that continued on to be topped with a coat of honey and a more distinct lemon flavor; it was full bodied, very rich and possessed nice acidity, but there was a surprising dryness that prevailed throughout; my first impression was it was very similar to Taittinger Comtes, but that got quickly dispelled by the dryness; I called it a 2006 BdB with a dosage of around 5 gpl. I never did find the actual dosage.
Lethargic in the glass. Bruised apple, marshmallow and oak, 3 g/l, July 2022 disgorgement. Very concentrated and dense but that’s not really a positive in this case. Poor value.
Picked up a few of Drappier’s entry offering for $40/ea. I’m really impressed by these, not just for the price, but I’d be pleased at double the price, so it’s very much a win in my book. Beautifully balanced, even if the dosage is on the higher side of the trend these days (5g/l, which really isn’t all that high). The wine has wonderful depth, texture, and tons of red fruited Pinot character. Expressive, lively, and a value champion.
I like Hébrart too. I’ve only had their BdN, including Noces de Craie, and their Rosé, but not their BdB. They’re based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, which is planted predominantly to Pinot, something like 80 percent or more.
Billecart-Salmon is also based in the village, but even they source the Chardonnay for their Cuvée Louis Salmon from the Côte des Blancs. I’d guess Hébrart is growing at least some of their own Chardonnay locally in the Vallée de la Marne.
