Champagne
Champagne, the epitome of elegance and celebration, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of sparkling wines. As one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, Champagne has captured the hearts of wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs with its exceptional quality, refined craftsmanship, and iconic vineyards.
Historically, Champagne has been dominated by some world-acclaimed Champagne House, which source grapes and harvest from Champagne growers. These famous Grandes Marques include Louis Roederer (Cristal), Dom Pérignon, Krug, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Bollinger, all of them are revered for their notable names that display unrivalled winemaking prestige and pedigree.
In the recent decade, the emerging Grower Champagne trend in Champagne is shaking up the industry by challenging the dominance of the big Champagne houses. These small-scale producers, also known as "Récoltant-Manipulant" or RM, grow their own grapes and produce their own Champagne, showcasing the unique terroir and character of their vineyards. Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, and Champagne Vilmart & Cie are among the most prominent names in this trend, producing some truly artisanal and terroir-driven Champagnes.
Champagne is primarily made from three main grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. These grapes are carefully selected and blended to create a harmonious and complex flavour profile. Chardonnay contributes elegance, freshness, and finesse, while Pinot Noir adds structure, depth, and fruitiness. Pinot Meunier brings a touch of roundness and vibrancy to the blend.
The region of Champagne is divided into several distinct sub-regions, including Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. Each sub-region has its unique terroir, characterized by variations in soil composition and microclimates, which influence the style and character of the wines produced.
Champagne offers various styles, from non-vintage blends to vintage cuvées and prestigious prestige cuvées. While Non-vintage Champagnes typically epitomise the house style, the vintage Champagnes are made from grapes harvested in one particular year (top vintages such as 1996, 2002, 2008 etc), in which these wines showcase the unique characteristics of the specific vintage.
The prestige cuvées, often the flagship wines of the renowned Champagne houses, are the pinnacle of excellence. These exceptional Champagnes are created using the finest grapes, the most meticulous winemaking techniques and often benefit from extended ageing to achieve unparalleled complexity and finesse.
Champagne is synonymous with celebration, elegance, and luxury. Its effervescent charm and timeless appeal have made it the drink of choice for countless special occasions and memorable moments. With its rich history, iconic vineyards, and unrivalled quality, Champagne continues to captivate wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
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Champagne
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Inc. GSTSG$5,362.80 -
Wine Advocate (95)
No tasting note.Inc. GSTSG$2,650.34 -
Vinous (96)
A wine of real power and intensity, the 1985 Dom Pérignon Rosé is exceptionally beautiful tonight. The flavors are rich, layered and expansive. Hints of caramel and hazelnut add nuance to a core of expressive red berry fruit, but it is the wine’s textural generosity that is most impressive considering the 1985 is now thirty years old. The 1985 is not an eternal wine, but it has reached a glorious plateau of maturity. Wow!Inc. GSTSG$1,834.74 -
Vinous (96)
The 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé was a knock out. It showed terrific clarity in its perfumed, sweet fruit, roses and spices, with notable balance and superb classiness.Inc. GSTSG$986.72 -
Jancis Robinson (20)
Magnum. Pungent and composed with massive energy. Lovely edge of freshness. Long and nuanced. So clean and pure. Long and lovely!Inc. GSTSG$2,223.33 -
Jancis Robinson (20)
Magnum. Pungent and composed with massive energy. Lovely edge of freshness. Long and nuanced. So clean and pure. Long and lovely!Inc. GSTSG$3,819.91 -
Vinous (96+)
A wine of pure and total pleasure, the 2004 Dom Pérignon Rosé is explosive and hedonistically rich, with tons of pure texture from the 28% still Pinot in the blend. In this tasting, the 2004 Rosé is especially fine. I imagine it will reward readers lucky enough to own it with several decades of exceptional drinking. In a word: sublime.Inc. GSTSG$3,522.34SG$3,024.21 -
James Suckling (99)
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows rose petal and cooked peaches. Medium to full body, with ultra-fine tannins that feel like fine silk. The finish goes on for mintutes. It floats across the palate. The winemaker says the closet vintage to this is the 1990, but I think this is better.Inc. GSTSG$2,021.68 -
James Suckling (99)
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows rose petal and cooked peaches. Medium to full body, with ultra-fine tannins that feel like fine silk. The finish goes on for mintutes. It floats across the palate. The winemaker says the closet vintage to this is the 1990, but I think this is better.Inc. GSTSG$3,847.16 -
Decanter (98)
The Dom Perignon Rosé 2006 is simply amazing. Notes of raspberry, spices and mint jump from the glass in a seductive combination. The texture in the mouth is of precise, crystalline, laser-like tannins in an opulent style. A very great success in a vintage that was not always easy in Champagne.Inc. GSTSG$1,552.98 -
Decanter (98)
The Dom Perignon Rosé 2006 is simply amazing. Notes of raspberry, spices and mint jump from the glass in a seductive combination. The texture in the mouth is of precise, crystalline, laser-like tannins in an opulent style. A very great success in a vintage that was not always easy in Champagne.Inc. GSTSG$2,746.26 -
Inc. GSTSG$1,738.28 -
Vinous (97+)
The 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is every bit as captivating as it was last year, maybe even more so. At times powerful, but in other moments finessed, the 2006 constantly changes in the glass, revealing a different shade of its personality with every taste. Perhaps most importantly, the 2006 seems to have gained a level of precision and pure sophistication it did not show last year, when it was quite a bit less put together. Back then, the 2006 was a wine of tremendous potential; today that potential is starting to be realized. Quite simply, the 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a magical Champagne. Don’t miss it.Inc. GSTSG$3,269.46 -
James Suckling (99)
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows rose petal and cooked peaches. Medium to full body, with ultra-fine tannins that feel like fine silk. The finish goes on for mintutes. It floats across the palate. The winemaker says the closet vintage to this is the 1990, but I think this is better.Inc. GSTSG$2,348.68 -
Inc. GSTSG$2,664.78 -
Wine Advocate (93+)
The 2009 Dom Pérignon is already drinking well, exhibiting expressive aromas of ripe apple, peach, Meyer lemon, marzipan and dried white flowers that are framed by the classic nutty, autolytic notes that so often define this cuvée. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a broad attack, a brisk and refined mousse, appreciable dry extract and a notably saline finish. While this is a comparatively ample, gourmand vintage of Dom Pérignon, there's sufficient concentration and structural tension—which has become more apparent with a bit of bottle age—to suggest that this may be surprisingly long lived.Inc. GSTSG$2,283.01 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Disgorged in May 2020 with two grams per liter dosage, the 2012 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is fabulous, bursting from the glass with notes of smoky pear, white flowers, walnuts and baking spices. Derived predominantly from holdings in Avize, it's full-bodied, layered and immensely concentrated, with a tightly wound, structured core and racy acid spine that mark it out as emphatically built for the long haul. Deep and vinous, I suspect that it will surpass the 2008 rendition at maturity.Inc. GSTSG$1,670.45 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
Disgorged in January 2021 with two grams per liter dosage, the 2015 Extra-Brut Premier Cru Clos de l'Abbaye has turned out brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, warm bread and honeycomb that are still a little reserved after its recent disgorgement, this is a full-bodied, layered and concentrated Champagne that's vinous and textural, displaying notable depth and mid-palate amplitude that's framed by lively acids and an enlivening pinpoint mousse, concluding with a long resonant finish. As I've written before, this cuvée derives from a walled 0.4-hectare plot of 60-year-old cordon-pruned vines just behind the winery in Vertus, and only the first and second "serres" of the press are used.Inc. GSTSG$1,447.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Disgorged over a year ago with 0.8 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Lumières is a striking Champagne, unwinding in the glass with scents of pear, citrus oil, freshly baked bread, mandarin orange, almonds and buttery pastry. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's layered and muscular, with an immensely concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. As I've written before, this cuvée is a blend of first-press juice: two-thirds Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger and one-third Pinot Noir from prime holdings in Aÿ.Inc. GSTSG$584.15 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Disgorged over a year ago with 0.8 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Lumières is a striking Champagne, unwinding in the glass with scents of pear, citrus oil, freshly baked bread, mandarin orange, almonds and buttery pastry. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's layered and muscular, with an immensely concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. As I've written before, this cuvée is a blend of first-press juice: two-thirds Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger and one-third Pinot Noir from prime holdings in Aÿ.Inc. GSTSG$3,398.10 -
Jancis Robinson (17)
A bit of apple peel. Very ‘natural’. Very pure and unadorned. All top Montagne de Reims villages. Extreme champagne. Very dry finish. Lots of potential.Inc. GSTSG$1,165.76 -
Vinous (94)
The NV Vieilles Vignes de Vrigny (Meunier) is one of the best vintages of this cuvée I can remember tasting. Bright and finely cut, the Vieilles Vignes sizzles with tension from start to finish. Dried pear, spice, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper all race out of the glass. Meunier has rarely been so refined, so nuanced. Give this a year or two to unwind. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: September, 2022.Inc. GSTSG$735.21 -
Proudly presenting the formidable Franck Pascal Harmonie Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2011, a pinnacle of elegance and technique from the renowned Champagne region of France. This sophisticated vintage was expertly crafted by vintner Franck Pascal himself, a fervent bio-dynamic practitioner. Being an extra brut, it's intensely dry, yet maintains a compelling energy and vibrancy.
Originating from a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the low-yielding vines on chalky soils impart intense fruit and mineral complexity. The careful handling of the grapes lends a purity and transparency to this wine. Pascal's exceptional skills, combined with meticulous attention to detail, result in richly nuanced flavours with a delicate, silky mousse.
With the Franck Pascal Harmonie Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2011, savour the perfect balance of depth and lightness, assured to captivate even the most discerning of palates. Truly a sip reflective of Franck Pascal's unwavering commitment to crafting exceptional biodynamic wines.
Inc. GSTSG$2,733.20 -
Vinous (94)
The 2007 Extra-Brut Vintage Celebris is a great example of the house style. Powerful and rich, the 2007 possesses tremendous vinous intensity, buffered by low dosage that gives the wine ts sense if classic austerity. Orchard fruit, apricot, tangerine oil and white flowers develop with a bit of coaxing. The Celebris is a big, broad-shouldered Champagne for the dinner table.Inc. GSTSG$1,305.30 -
Decanter (93)
Gosset is the oldest house in Champagne, and is a favourite among wine trade insiders. This non-vintage cuvée is redolent with the aromas of mellow red apple fruit. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, with creamy apple and plum flavours, and a great precision at the same time.Inc. GSTSG$400.60 -
Vinous (93)
The NV Blanc de Craie, 100% Chardonnay from vineyards in Aÿ and Louvois, is bright and finely sculpted, with terrific aromatic intensity, tons of nuance and all the vibrancy from the chalk-rich soils that give this cuvée its name. Citrus peel, white flowers, white pepper, mint and anise lead into the vivid, persistent finish. The Blanc is done entirely in oak, but it is neutral, so there is virtually no oak imprint at all in the flavors, only in the textural feel. One of the unique aspects of the Blanc de Craie is that the base vintage (2017 in this case) accounts for only 30% of the blend. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June 3, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)Inc. GSTSG$759.21 -
Vinous (93)
The NV Rosé Rose Dame-Jane is light and airy in the glass. Crushed flowers, sweet crushed berries, white pepper and mint are all beautifully lifted. Translucent and gracious, the Dame-Jane is quite a departure for a house that was previously known for rich, opulent Champagnes. The Dame-Jane is done with an "Oeil de Perdrix" base in which Pinot is given a short time on the skins for added color and structure. Right before bottling, touches of Chardonnay and still Pinot are added to fine-tune the blend. The Dame-Jane is aged entirely in sandstone terracotta, an approach that works beautifully. This release is based on 2017, with 40% reserve wines. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 21, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)Inc. GSTSG$843.14 -
Vinous (92)
The NV Esprit Nature is a fabulous introduction to this range. Creamy, open-knit and so expressive, the Esprit Nature captures all of the textural intensity that is such a Giraud signature, but in an approachable style. The Esprit Nature is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay done mostly in oak, with a bit of sandstone amphora. This release is based on 2017, 50% reserve wines. Readers should note that the "Nature" is used here as part of the wine name, rather than an indication of dosage, which is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 21, 2020.Inc. GSTSG$525.95 -
Vinous (91)
The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is a beautifully balanced, harmonious wine. There is just enough roundness and generosity to balance the focus of the Chardonnay in this accessible, harmonious Champagne. Hints of butter, smoke and spices wrap around the generous finish. This is Lot L1107221010. Disgorged October 2010.Inc. GSTSG$896.55 -
Decanter (96)
An undramatic, cloud-filled season came right in a late harvest in October. A textbook cool vintage of great ageing potential. The perfect 50/50 balance of mineral-stamped Chardonnay and powerful, masculine Pinot makes this a champagne for patient drinkers, as it will take time to reach its peak. Vibrant acidity is joined by notes of white flowers and that magnificent mineral structure.Inc. GSTSG$971.76
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Inc. GSTSG$5,362.80
-
Wine Advocate (95)
No tasting note.In BondSG$2,415.00 -
Vinous (96)
A wine of real power and intensity, the 1985 Dom Pérignon Rosé is exceptionally beautiful tonight. The flavors are rich, layered and expansive. Hints of caramel and hazelnut add nuance to a core of expressive red berry fruit, but it is the wine’s textural generosity that is most impressive considering the 1985 is now thirty years old. The 1985 is not an eternal wine, but it has reached a glorious plateau of maturity. Wow!In BondSG$1,675.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé was a knock out. It showed terrific clarity in its perfumed, sweet fruit, roses and spices, with notable balance and superb classiness.In BondSG$897.00 -
Jancis Robinson (20)
Magnum. Pungent and composed with massive energy. Lovely edge of freshness. Long and nuanced. So clean and pure. Long and lovely!In BondSG$2,015.00 -
Jancis Robinson (20)
Magnum. Pungent and composed with massive energy. Lovely edge of freshness. Long and nuanced. So clean and pure. Long and lovely!In BondSG$3,455.00 -
Vinous (96+)
A wine of pure and total pleasure, the 2004 Dom Pérignon Rosé is explosive and hedonistically rich, with tons of pure texture from the 28% still Pinot in the blend. In this tasting, the 2004 Rosé is especially fine. I imagine it will reward readers lucky enough to own it with several decades of exceptional drinking. In a word: sublime.In BondSG$3,182.00SG$2,725.00 -
James Suckling (99)
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows rose petal and cooked peaches. Medium to full body, with ultra-fine tannins that feel like fine silk. The finish goes on for mintutes. It floats across the palate. The winemaker says the closet vintage to this is the 1990, but I think this is better.In BondSG$1,830.00 -
James Suckling (99)
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows rose petal and cooked peaches. Medium to full body, with ultra-fine tannins that feel like fine silk. The finish goes on for mintutes. It floats across the palate. The winemaker says the closet vintage to this is the 1990, but I think this is better.In BondSG$3,480.00 -
Decanter (98)
The Dom Perignon Rosé 2006 is simply amazing. Notes of raspberry, spices and mint jump from the glass in a seductive combination. The texture in the mouth is of precise, crystalline, laser-like tannins in an opulent style. A very great success in a vintage that was not always easy in Champagne.In BondSG$1,400.00 -
Decanter (98)
The Dom Perignon Rosé 2006 is simply amazing. Notes of raspberry, spices and mint jump from the glass in a seductive combination. The texture in the mouth is of precise, crystalline, laser-like tannins in an opulent style. A very great success in a vintage that was not always easy in Champagne.In BondSG$2,470.00 -
In BondSG$1,570.00
-
Vinous (97+)
The 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is every bit as captivating as it was last year, maybe even more so. At times powerful, but in other moments finessed, the 2006 constantly changes in the glass, revealing a different shade of its personality with every taste. Perhaps most importantly, the 2006 seems to have gained a level of precision and pure sophistication it did not show last year, when it was quite a bit less put together. Back then, the 2006 was a wine of tremendous potential; today that potential is starting to be realized. Quite simply, the 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a magical Champagne. Don’t miss it.In BondSG$2,950.00 -
James Suckling (99)
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows rose petal and cooked peaches. Medium to full body, with ultra-fine tannins that feel like fine silk. The finish goes on for mintutes. It floats across the palate. The winemaker says the closet vintage to this is the 1990, but I think this is better.In BondSG$2,130.00 -
In BondSG$2,420.00
-
Wine Advocate (93+)
The 2009 Dom Pérignon is already drinking well, exhibiting expressive aromas of ripe apple, peach, Meyer lemon, marzipan and dried white flowers that are framed by the classic nutty, autolytic notes that so often define this cuvée. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a broad attack, a brisk and refined mousse, appreciable dry extract and a notably saline finish. While this is a comparatively ample, gourmand vintage of Dom Pérignon, there's sufficient concentration and structural tension—which has become more apparent with a bit of bottle age—to suggest that this may be surprisingly long lived.In BondSG$2,045.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Disgorged in May 2020 with two grams per liter dosage, the 2012 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is fabulous, bursting from the glass with notes of smoky pear, white flowers, walnuts and baking spices. Derived predominantly from holdings in Avize, it's full-bodied, layered and immensely concentrated, with a tightly wound, structured core and racy acid spine that mark it out as emphatically built for the long haul. Deep and vinous, I suspect that it will surpass the 2008 rendition at maturity.In BondSG$1,485.00 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
Disgorged in January 2021 with two grams per liter dosage, the 2015 Extra-Brut Premier Cru Clos de l'Abbaye has turned out brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, warm bread and honeycomb that are still a little reserved after its recent disgorgement, this is a full-bodied, layered and concentrated Champagne that's vinous and textural, displaying notable depth and mid-palate amplitude that's framed by lively acids and an enlivening pinpoint mousse, concluding with a long resonant finish. As I've written before, this cuvée derives from a walled 0.4-hectare plot of 60-year-old cordon-pruned vines just behind the winery in Vertus, and only the first and second "serres" of the press are used.In BondSG$1,280.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Disgorged over a year ago with 0.8 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Lumières is a striking Champagne, unwinding in the glass with scents of pear, citrus oil, freshly baked bread, mandarin orange, almonds and buttery pastry. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's layered and muscular, with an immensely concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. As I've written before, this cuvée is a blend of first-press juice: two-thirds Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger and one-third Pinot Noir from prime holdings in Aÿ.In BondSG$528.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Disgorged over a year ago with 0.8 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Lumières is a striking Champagne, unwinding in the glass with scents of pear, citrus oil, freshly baked bread, mandarin orange, almonds and buttery pastry. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's layered and muscular, with an immensely concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. As I've written before, this cuvée is a blend of first-press juice: two-thirds Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger and one-third Pinot Noir from prime holdings in Aÿ.In BondSG$3,070.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17)
A bit of apple peel. Very ‘natural’. Very pure and unadorned. All top Montagne de Reims villages. Extreme champagne. Very dry finish. Lots of potential.In BondSG$1,020.00 -
Vinous (94)
The NV Vieilles Vignes de Vrigny (Meunier) is one of the best vintages of this cuvée I can remember tasting. Bright and finely cut, the Vieilles Vignes sizzles with tension from start to finish. Dried pear, spice, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper all race out of the glass. Meunier has rarely been so refined, so nuanced. Give this a year or two to unwind. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: September, 2022.In BondSG$625.00 -
Proudly presenting the formidable Franck Pascal Harmonie Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2011, a pinnacle of elegance and technique from the renowned Champagne region of France. This sophisticated vintage was expertly crafted by vintner Franck Pascal himself, a fervent bio-dynamic practitioner. Being an extra brut, it's intensely dry, yet maintains a compelling energy and vibrancy.
Originating from a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the low-yielding vines on chalky soils impart intense fruit and mineral complexity. The careful handling of the grapes lends a purity and transparency to this wine. Pascal's exceptional skills, combined with meticulous attention to detail, result in richly nuanced flavours with a delicate, silky mousse.
With the Franck Pascal Harmonie Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2011, savour the perfect balance of depth and lightness, assured to captivate even the most discerning of palates. Truly a sip reflective of Franck Pascal's unwavering commitment to crafting exceptional biodynamic wines.
In BondSG$2,460.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2007 Extra-Brut Vintage Celebris is a great example of the house style. Powerful and rich, the 2007 possesses tremendous vinous intensity, buffered by low dosage that gives the wine ts sense if classic austerity. Orchard fruit, apricot, tangerine oil and white flowers develop with a bit of coaxing. The Celebris is a big, broad-shouldered Champagne for the dinner table.In BondSG$1,150.00 -
Decanter (93)
Gosset is the oldest house in Champagne, and is a favourite among wine trade insiders. This non-vintage cuvée is redolent with the aromas of mellow red apple fruit. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, with creamy apple and plum flavours, and a great precision at the same time.In BondSG$320.00 -
Vinous (93)
The NV Blanc de Craie, 100% Chardonnay from vineyards in Aÿ and Louvois, is bright and finely sculpted, with terrific aromatic intensity, tons of nuance and all the vibrancy from the chalk-rich soils that give this cuvée its name. Citrus peel, white flowers, white pepper, mint and anise lead into the vivid, persistent finish. The Blanc is done entirely in oak, but it is neutral, so there is virtually no oak imprint at all in the flavors, only in the textural feel. One of the unique aspects of the Blanc de Craie is that the base vintage (2017 in this case) accounts for only 30% of the blend. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June 3, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)In BondSG$649.00 -
Vinous (93)
The NV Rosé Rose Dame-Jane is light and airy in the glass. Crushed flowers, sweet crushed berries, white pepper and mint are all beautifully lifted. Translucent and gracious, the Dame-Jane is quite a departure for a house that was previously known for rich, opulent Champagnes. The Dame-Jane is done with an "Oeil de Perdrix" base in which Pinot is given a short time on the skins for added color and structure. Right before bottling, touches of Chardonnay and still Pinot are added to fine-tune the blend. The Dame-Jane is aged entirely in sandstone terracotta, an approach that works beautifully. This release is based on 2017, with 40% reserve wines. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 21, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)In BondSG$726.00 -
Vinous (92)
The NV Esprit Nature is a fabulous introduction to this range. Creamy, open-knit and so expressive, the Esprit Nature captures all of the textural intensity that is such a Giraud signature, but in an approachable style. The Esprit Nature is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay done mostly in oak, with a bit of sandstone amphora. This release is based on 2017, 50% reserve wines. Readers should note that the "Nature" is used here as part of the wine name, rather than an indication of dosage, which is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 21, 2020.In BondSG$435.00 -
Vinous (91)
The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is a beautifully balanced, harmonious wine. There is just enough roundness and generosity to balance the focus of the Chardonnay in this accessible, harmonious Champagne. Hints of butter, smoke and spices wrap around the generous finish. This is Lot L1107221010. Disgorged October 2010.In BondSG$775.00 -
Decanter (96)
An undramatic, cloud-filled season came right in a late harvest in October. A textbook cool vintage of great ageing potential. The perfect 50/50 balance of mineral-stamped Chardonnay and powerful, masculine Pinot makes this a champagne for patient drinkers, as it will take time to reach its peak. Vibrant acidity is joined by notes of white flowers and that magnificent mineral structure.In BondSG$844.00
