Ok, so I do have a bit of a penchant for hyperbole, but in this case, I really do think we’ve got a fair claim here! We’ve spent the last few months building up an extensive, well-rounded, eclectic sparkling wine set that has something for (literally) just about every taste and price-point. If you’re looking for a bottle (or bottles) of bubbly to help celebrate the arrival of the new year, come on down and see us between now and Saturday, we’d love to help you pick something out. We have all your favorites (La Marca Prosecco, Decoy Brut, Mumm Napa, etc) but we also have dozens of lesser-known, high-quality bottlings (at all price-points), some of which more boutique-y wine shops would love to have. It’s just a matter of picking the right bottle for you. Today, we’re beginning with a few notable prestige cuvées!
2017 Marguet Pere & Fils “Le Parc” Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru–This 100% Chardonnay comes from biodynamically-farmed estate vines that were planted in 1982. The location of the plot is truly impressive (it borders Krug’s legendary “Clos d’Ambonnay”), the vines planted in ‘tuffe’ limestone. The wine spent four years aging on the lees, and the dosage was 0 g/L; it was also bottled without additional sulfur. Only 1667 bottles were produced (that’s fewer than 200 cases!!) and we were only allocated a couple of bottles! $99.99 on sale
94pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. “Disgorged without dosage in March 2019, the 2014 Ambonnay Grand Cru Le Parc bursts from the glass with an expressive bouquet of yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, fresh peach and marzipan. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, it’s racy and energetic, its lively spine of acidity cloaked in an inviting core of fruit. Like Les Bermonts, this was vinified entirely without added sulfites.”
2014 Roederer Cristal-The legendary, instantly-recognizable prestige cuvée from Louis Roederer, this really is one of the best “big name” Champagnes in the world. This also just scored the #1-rated “Cellar Selection” of 2022 from Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator awarded it the #10 out of their Top 100 Wines of 2022! Sourced from 45 “lieux-dits,” this wine is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, with 32% of the wines aging in oak, and a dosage of 7 g/L. $299.99 on sale
98pts Wine Spectator. “This vivid Champagne has upfront and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the mid palate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.”
2014 Bollinger La Grande Année Brut-This wine is 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Pinot Noir, sourced from 19 different crus. This wine is unusual in that it’s vinified 100% in small, neutral barriques (note: Bollinger is the only major Champagne house to still keep a cooper on hand to tend to all of the barrels!). This spent a remarkable 8 years sur-lie in the bottle, with all riddling and disgorging done by hand. Dosage is 8 g/L. We only received a couple bottles on allocation! $159.99 on sale
98pts Vinous. “The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Anee built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Not and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots of Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Cotes des Blancs (predominately Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry, and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April 2021. Dosage: 8 gams per liter.”
2012 Dom Perignon Brut-Perhaps the best-known of all the prestige cuvées, christened after the man whose name is synonymous with Champagne. From 51% Chardonnay and 49% Pinot Noir, with 4 g/L dosage. $229 on sale
98pts Decanter. “What a magnificent bouquet for this Dom Pérignon 2012! Pastry, a hint of smoke and autolytic notes provide a compelling counterpart to eager yet elegant aromas of citrus (lime, tangerine and kumquat) joined by those of fresh fruit, herbs, liquorice, and menthol. There is even a refreshing note of ivy. The palate is tense, vibrant, and very fresh despite its impressive density, which meets its match with an unending finish. This 2012 incarnates the very essence of Dom Pérignon with such a concentrated degree of intensity, along with a capacity for ageing, that it is surely destined for a second life in a P2 edition. “
These prestigue cuvées may represent the creme de la creme of our selection, but we have much more to show you over the next few days, ranging from $11 on up into the $60+ range. Let us help you pick your perfect bubbly for this weekend!
Cheers,
Dan
Rock Bridge Wine and Spirits 