Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 93

33RD A NNUA L B U YING G U ID E
the farming here and in the domaine's other
vineyards to organic, a move he says he's
found to increase the energy in the wines.
The performance of the wines we tasted for
this issue gives credence to his impression,
with this wine a standout example. The vintage was a difficult one, replete with heat
waves, hail storms and drought, and yet the
wine feels radiant. Fermented with ambient yeasts, it opens gradually, the initial
wood tones fading as the wine grows golden
and opulent in flavor. Honeysuckle scents
and lemony acidity play around the juicy
Cavaillon melon flavors, adding delicacy to
the wine, while bitter-almond and mineral
notes add a deep savor. It's glorious now, but
deserving of another decade in the cellar to
harmonize. (W&S 2/19) § Maisons Marques &
Domaines USA, Oakland, CA -T.Q.T.

B E S T C H A M PA G N E
EXTRA BRUT
232821

98 | Bollinger

$300

2004 Champagne RD Extra Brut ^ Time
has graced this wine, proving the value of
Bollinger's policy of long aging on the lees
followed by prompt release after disgorge-

ment. This RD (Recently Disgorged) 2004 is
a joyous wine, staunch, cold and powerful at
first, transforming to fresh fruit shadowed
by darker tones of barrel fermentation. As
it opens in the glass, revealing racy energy, a
range of floral pear and apple flavors emerge,
resonant with a sense of limestone capturing
the sun and reflecting it back in pale power.
Enjoy this over the course of an evening as
its presence shifts, providing varied perspectives on a great Champagne. (W&S 12/18) §
Imported by Vintus, Pleasantville, NY -J.G.

B E S T C H A M PA G N E
BLANC DE BLANCS
232883

97 | Robert Moncuit

$113

2010 Champagne Grand Cru Le Mesnilsur-Oger Vozémieux Extra Brut Blanc de
Blancs ^ Pierre Amillet tends a 1.63-acre parcel in the Oger climat of Vozémieux, the vines
planted in 1955. This is the first time he has
bottled the wine separately: He fermented it
in barrel, where it remained through malolactic and into the summer after harvest,
then bottled it with minimal dosage. His 2010
is chardonnay at peak expression, a nourishing wine that's compellingly drinkable for

Wine & Spirits

all its flavor detail. The texture is silky and
grand, encompassing layers of herb, pear and
yellow fruits that last, unfettered, for minutes. There's little reason to cellar this wine
when it's so satiating to drink right now.
(Disgorged 3/17.) (W&S 12/18) § Imported by
Grand Cru Selections, NY -J.G.
233296

97 | Salon

$672

2007 Champagne Le Mesnil Brut Blanc
de Blancs ^ This vintage of Salon announces
itself with energy and leaves with freshness.
The season was marked by a cool, cloudy
August that delayed ripening; after the vines
recovered in September, they yielded this
delicate chardonnay, completely saturated
with flavor. It comes from 20 parcels in Le
Mesnil-sur-Oger, a selection established by
the founder, Aimé Salon, in the early 1900s,
including one estate parcel of 2.5 acres.
Other than exclaiming on the wine's delicious flavors, our panel was seduced by its
texture, describing it in variations of silk,
satin or velvet whiteness. It has a presence-
a remarkable infusion of chalk soil-that sets
it apart. (W&S 12/18) § Imported by Vineyard
Brands, Birmingham, AL -J.G.

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Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019

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