Sparkling

Winemaker Description 

Old vines, steep slopes, organic viticulture and hand-harvested grapes all add to the quality and enjoyment of this top-notch Prosecco from Mongarda. Mineral, clean and fresh, the tiny bubbles keep the bright apple and pear fruit in perfect balance. Try with some prosciutto and hard cheeses.

Expert Review

Eric Guido writes:  Zests of lime give way to crushed rocks and minty herbs as the 2023 Extra Dry Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore opens in the glass. It splashes across the palate with a wave of silken bubbles offset by saline minerals and tart orchard fruits. A spike of acidity adds lovely balance. The 2023 leaves a tinge of sweet spice contrasted by sour citrus, tapering off with wonderful length and freshness.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Vinous 92

Our Expert Review 

"Lovely nose of orchard fruit: White peaches, Green Apples and pears. Medium-bodied with nice long-lasting bubbles. The Perfect Aperitif Prosecco to take to a Picnic or BBQ."
- Oscar Garcia, Wine buyer | 67 Wine

Expert Reviews

Winemaker Description

Champagne Palmer & Co concentrates its vineyard holdings in the Montagne de Reims: in the grand cru villages of Mailly and Verzenay and the premier cru villages of Trépail and Villers-Marmery. While they also have holdings in the Marne Valley, the Côte de Sézanne and the Côte des Bar, their prestige cuvée Grands Terroirs, channels those north- and north-east-facing slopes with power and precision.

The 2015 vintage is blended from 50% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Meunier, sourced from Mailly and Verzenay as well as Trépail, Villers-Marmery, Ludes, Chigny-les-Roses and Rilly-la-Montagne. Palmer & Co refers to the vintage as “exceptional” because it combined high temperatures and little rainfall – spelling little disease pressure and even ripening. Sunny days and cool nights in August, they say, allowed for “perfect” ripening.

The nose, subtle and charming, opens with notes of orange blossom and acacia, mixed with notes of yellow fruits, then it evolves towards lovely and delicately spiced aromas of fried pineapple and tonka bean. The palate is characterized by freshness, with citrus fruits sublimating the notes of brioche and dried fruits. Its creamy texture stretches deliciously into a persistent finish. 

Expert Reviews

92 Points Wine & Spirits | Markedly youthful in its smoky reduction, this wine sees its sulfur blow off quickly, leaving a flinty scent and an impression of clarity. It’s bright with pretty scents of black tea and herbs, firmed up by strong acidity.

92 Points James Suckling | A chalky and mineral Champagne with aromas of blanched almonds, chalk, seashells, biscuits, lemon pith and dried apples. Creamy mousse. Dry and bright, with a rounded finish. Drink now or hold.

Winemaker Description

Exceptionally fruity! Palmer & Co has created a rosé combining exceptional fruitiness and delicate notes of spice. At the heart of the blend lies a unique Solera of Pinot Noir, a perpetual reserve of several decades reflecting the House’s celebrated expertise. The intense nose is dominated by the energising aroma of wild strawberries with tantalising light notes of red and black currants in the background, overlaying very delicate notes of vanilla and cinnamon spice. Fresh and full-bodied on the palate, it is drawn out in finely tannic, succulent bubbles in the same register of fruity elegance. 

Expert Reviews

New York Times 

"This might have been a classic cava, if all cavas were farmed organically and made with as much care. Instead, it stands out. Parés Baltà uses only the traditional grapes, xarello, parellada and macabeu, with the emphasis on xarello. It’s fresh, lively and dry. Other good Spanish sparklers to seek out include Gramona, AT Roca, Recaredo and Raveentos Blanc" - Eric Asimov’s New York Times Article Dec. 21, 2023.

Our Professional Review

Oscar Garcia Moncada 67Wine.com | For those seeking a superb sparkling wine made the Traditional method and blending the flagship Cava Varietals, Xarel.lo, Parellada and Macabeu, Pares Balta Brut Nature NV should be on your wine  radar. 

Tasting Notes: Aromas to green apples, citrus fruit and brioche. Medium-bodied with superb fine bubbles. Crisp and enticing mouthfeel. Bone-dry with a refreshing finish.

Expert Review 

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | This wine's shy nose reveals only lemony hints of chalk. Touches of Mirabelle appear on the palate alongside more notions of chalk and lemon, presented against a textured backdrop on a taut body. The finish is dry, subtle and enticing.

Producer Description

Paul de Coste is located in Salon-de-Provence in the south of France. Made with 60% Chardonnay, and 40% Ugni Blanc.  A pale straw color with an abundance of citrus fruit.  It is bursting with freshness. Wonderful luscious finish.   

Winemaker Description

The wine making land at Maison Philipponnat spans 21 hectares, and the work carried out here leans increasingly towards a closer relationship with the terroir and the nature of its vines. This modest, vintage cuvée is made entirely from Chardonnay and is a blend of first-press premiers and grands crus. This cuvée was vinified in vats, with a partial malolactic fermentation followed by an oak-barrel stage. It has a low dosage of 4.25g/L. In the glass, it has a clear and golden appearance with delicate bubbles. On the nose, floral and citrus notes come through. Its palate is elegant with notes of Mirabelle plum. It should be served cool and will pair nicely with fruit sorbet, lemon tart or scallops. 

Expert Reviews 

Wine Advocate 92 Points |  The latest rendition of the NV Brut Rosé Royale Réserve is based on the 2019 vintage and was disgorged in March 2023 with nine grams per liter. Revealing a fresh, fruity bouquet with aromas of strawberries, rose petals, menthol and pastry, it’s medium to full-bodied, vinous and generous with a gourmand mid-palate and a long, saline finish. 

James Suckling 92 Points | Walnuts, apricot stones, honey, sourdough and orange fruit here. Creamy and balanced, with a medium body and fine bubbles. Excellent persistency. 67% pinot noir, 31% chardonnay and 2% meunier. 2019 base with 34% reserve wines. Disgorged January 2023. 

Decanter 93 Points |  Few producers do Pinot Noir-dominated NV as well as Philipponnat, the latest edition showcasing ripe apricot, orange citrus and pale raspberry fruit backed by precise lemon peel energy and subtle resonance from a 34% oak-aged perpetual reserve. Hugely expressive, yet without an inch of fat, this is another irresistible NV: 67% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay, 2% Meunier, largely from the Grande Vallée de la Marne and Vertus, based on 2019. 

Wine Spectator 93 Points | A poised Champagne that shows impeccable balance, integrating a delicate frame of acidity with flavors of black cherry, crushed almond, pickled ginger and candied lemon peel. Reveals a chalky note that lingers on the satiny finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged January 2023. Drink now through 2028. 

Audrey Frick writes: The current release of the NV Champagne Royale Reserve Brut is 69% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay, and the rest Meunier, mostly from the 2018 harvest and 26% reserve wine. It has a pale straw color and is fresh with white flowers, ripe peach, and rounded brioche. The palate is approachable and refreshing, with pithy citrus of lemon and orange, red fruits, and bread dough. Its ripe but fresh style casts a large net. Drink 2022-2030. Disgorged May 2022.  - Jeb Dunnuck 90

Expert Review - Vintage 2008

97 Points Wine Spectator:  Like a stallion out of the gate, this shows an initial explosion of power, in the form of mouthwatering flavors and fine texture, before quickly settling into an elegant gait. The racy acidity is seamlessly knit, buoying the lacy mousse and flavors of cassis, toasted brioche and tangerine, with accents of candied ginger, hazelnut and fleur de sel lingering on the long, creamy finish. Drink now through 2035.

96 Points Wine Enthusiast:  The new release of this producer's prestige cuvée comes in its usual beautifully sculpted bottle. The Champagne, from a great vintage in the region, is just approaching maturity still showing minerality from the high amount of Chardonnay in the blend. Nutty flavors are creeping in, keeping the great texture adding complexity. Drink this very fine wine now although it will also age further.

96 Points Decanter: Rare Champagne boasts an illustrious past, with its first vintage having been presented to Marie Antoinette in 1785. The wine is produced in very limited quantities and is restricted to exceptional years, with only 11 vintages being declared over the past four decades of production. 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir from selected grand cru vineyards. Simon Field MW: Gentle bead, lovely evolved notes of hazelnut, even a hint of praline, enrobed and ennobled by firm acidity and a persuasive finish. Alan Bednarski: Great, pure wine with still-fresh zesty flavours, delicate palate and sweet yeast notes, with a long flavourful finish of ripe melon. Tim Hall: A challenging, pressing start, wanting to overwhelm with shimmering and sharp attack, but shows intensity on the palate to match. Lovely lemon-apple notes and tempered texture.

96 Points Jeb Dunnuck: The 2008 Champagne Rare is luxurious with aromas of graham cracker, honeysuckle, quince, and orange zest. It is round and opulent, with a fine and pillowy mousse, and retains freshness throughout, with apricot and yellow flowers. It is impressive and long, and fully luxurious. Drinking well now, it is sure to hold its own for years to come. Drink 2022-2044.

93 Points Wine Advocate:  The newly released 2008 Brut Cuvée Rare is very promising, unwinding in the glass with a youthfully reserved nose of citrus oil, crisp green apple, freshly baked bread, iodine and oyster shell, as well as some rather herbaceous characteristics that depress my score a little, even if I suspect that they will resolve with a bit more bottle age. Medium to full-bodied, incisive and tightly wound, if the 2006 vintage was gourmand and demonstrative, the 2008 is slower to show all its cards. Built around racy acids and complemented by a pillowy mousse, this rendition of Cuvée Rare will reward a few years more on cork.

Winemaker Description

The 2008 Rare Rosé is Piper-Heidsieck's second ever prestige cuvée rosé. This extremely premium and rare offering has been 11 years in the making. The legendary eye of Régis Camus saw a rare opportunity in the 2008 champagne vintage, a beautifully complex and eccentric vintage. It is an audacious wine, born of intuition, vision and aspiration – the very definition of Rosé.

Following an attack that is both elegant and generous the velvety texture unfurls to offer minerality and subtlety. Initially, the exuberant vitality of dark fruits and citrus is followed by vibrancy, smoky notes of star anise and violets. 

Expert Reviews 

Wine Spectator 97 Points | A vibrant Champagne, ballet-slipper pink in color, featuring intense flavors of nectarine, ripe raspberry, grilled nut, espresso and graphite, with a touch of dried sage, all riding the finely detailed mousse. Like a ballerina, this offers power in a graceful form. A beautiful skein of spice unravels on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2033.

Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points | The 2008 Champagne Rare Rosé is straight-up sensational. Only the second time they’ve produced this cuvée, it offers a deep, full-bodied, powerful yet chiseled and laser-focused style carrying loads of wild strawberry fruit as well as notes of orange blossom, spice, and crushed rocks. Backward, austere, yet simply loaded with potential, it needs a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly for two decades or more. 

Expert Reviews 

96 Points Wine Advocate | The salmon colored 2007 Rosé Millesimé Rare has a clear, fresh, slightly oaky-nougat and pretty vinous bouquet. It is a rich and slightly sweetish yet pure, refined, elegant and well-structured Rosé Champagne with good grip and tension as well as a long, intensely aromatic and powerful finish. This is great and enormously complex Champagne with an extraordinary, complex finish. The 2007 is based on 56% Chardonnay and 44% Pinot Noir.

96 Points Jeb Dunnuck | Another sensational Champagne, as well as the first vintage for the cuvee, the 2007 Rare Rosé (56% Chardonnay and 44% Pinot Noir) offers that beautiful complexity and nuance you only get from top rosé Champagnes. Orange blossom, strawberries, spice, dried flowers, toasted bread, and orange peel notes all emerge from this richly concentrated, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured 2007. With a fine, yet layered mousse, incredible complexity, and a great finish, this blockbuster effort will be better with 2-3 years of bottle age and shine for 10-15 years or more. Rating: 96+

95 Points Wine Spectator | Toasted brioche and ripe blackberry notes leap from the glass in this lovely rosé Champagne. Glides like raw silk on the palate, with a deftly woven mix of dried white cherry, spun honey, baking spice and blood orange zest flavors. Long and persistent on the vibrant finish, showing more fruit and a rich pastry character. Drink now through 2027.

Expert Reviews 

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | Pol Roger's nonvintage cuvée is perfectly in the house style with its great balance and poise between crisp dryness and a softer character. That makes for a very drinkable wine, rich, stylish and ready to drink now.

Wine Advocate 92 Points | Straw yellow and with a golden hue in color, the Pol Roger NV Réserve Brut displays a brilliant, perfectly ripe but also fresh, highly elegant and refined fruit aroma on the nose; think of cooked pip fruits like pears and apples, but also quince-confiture and yellow stone fruits, such as apricots and peaches intermixed with vanilla, brioche (pain aux raisins), some nutty flavors and also some white floral notes. On the palate, this medium-bodied Brut is as round (if not pretty sweet) and fruit-driven as it is delicate, pure and very elegant. The mousse is deliciously fine and leads this charming and perfectly balanced fizz to a long, aromatic, stunningly dry and slightly mineral, impressively long finish. This is extremely well done Champagne from equal parts of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay sourced in 30 different crus. This Réserve includes 25% of reserve wines and was dosed with nine grams per liter.

James Suckling 92 Points | A complex, reliable Champagne that would show well in all occasions thanks to its freshness and class. Drawing on all three grapes (chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier), this has a complex grilled-nut and autolysis character overlayed across red berries and citrus fruits. Definitely a lot of reserve wine character here. The palate delivers lemons, grapefruit, peaches and mangoes in a refreshingly pure, fleshy style. The bright acidity, handy balance and tannins smoothly frame the finish. 

Winemaker Description 

Pale gold in color with delicately toasty aromas alongside fruit and complexity. This wine is creamy and beautifully balanced with a dry, harmonious finish.

Expert Reviews 

93 Points Decanter | Richly biscuity on the nose, with steamed rice, fresh pear and citrus blossom complexity. Creamy mousse dissolves into red apple peel, lemon and stone fruits, with a depth of honeyed biscuits. The Reserve NV from Pol Roger is a blend of base wines from at least three vintages. With 6 months of post-disgorgement ageing, the wine is ready to enjoy now.

James Suckling 92 Points | Fresh Amalfi lemons, pear skins, apples, rhubarb and hints of anise on the nose. Excellent depth and flavor concentration here, with a medium body and creamy bubbles. Fruit and spice deliciously integrated.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92 Points | The current release of Pol Roger's NV Brut Réserve is quite dramatic, bursting with aromas of mandarin oil, honeycomb, elderflower, fresh bread and musky peach. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's generous and textural, with a rich core of fruit, lively acids and a pillowy mousse.

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | The nonvintage Champagne from this producer always has richness from the Pinot Noir in the blend. This bottling also has a touch of toast, showing some bottle aging. Put the two elements together and this satisfyingly ripe wine is ready to drink.

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points | Equal parts Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier make up the NV Champagne Reserve Brut, with 8 grams per liter dosage. The nose is bright and fresh with green apple and lively lemon lime citrus as well as fresh pastry. The palate is dry though generous, with fruit upfront of ripe red berries and grapefruit. Well-suited as an aperitif, it is ready to drink now or over the next 10 years.

Expert Reviews

Michaela Morris writes:  First overall in the sparkling category. Louis Roederer's outpost in California's cool Anderson Valley is a stylistic chip off the old block. The blend includes a considerable portion of reserve wine that's been oak-aged, making for a rich, weighty mouthful of creamy bubbles. Malolactic fermentation is suppressed in order to preserve acidity but a healthy dosage of 12g/l adds to its girth. What this sparkler lacks in zip, it makes up in texture and concentration. Lots of baked apple and toasted cashews here.  - Decanter 92

Eric Asimov writes:  Roederer Estate, the Mendocino County outpost of the excellent Champagne house Louis Roederer, has long been not only one of California’s biggest sparkling wine producers, but one of the best. This is, not surprisingly, made with Champagne grapes, pinot noir and chardonnay, but grown in Anderson Valley terroir. It doesn’t taste like Champagne. It’s more herbal, less mineral, but it’s got a good Champagne’s freshness and elegance. - Eric Asimov’s New York Times Article Dec. 21, 2023

Producer Description 

Clean, invigorating notes of silex on the nose showcase the limestone soils of the Rouanne vineyard. The aromas and flavors develop as the wines opens to reveal wild strawberry and fresh thyme – a complex and flavorful sparkling rosé.

Tasting notes : Clean, invigorating notes of silex on the nose showcase the limestone soils of the Rouanne vineyard. The aromas and flavors develop as the wine opens to reveal wild strawberry and fresh thyme – a complex and flavorful sparkling rosé.

Pairs well with : The tension of the acidity and bubbles lifts the rounds of the red fruit flavors, making this a fresh and elegant sparkling wine. It is an ideal aperitif and can be served with hors d'oeuvres, oysters, or a variety of charcuterie and light salads.

Winemaker Description 

A very extroverted wine, perfect as an aperitif and during your most convivial moments. Excellent with light dishes, such as soups, white meat and delicate fish dishes. Perfect with desserts.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Vinous 92 Points Eric Guido | More savory than sweet and wonderfully complex, the 2019 Brut Rosé North Coast bursts from the glass with toasty notes of fresh baguette and almonds, giving way to crushed apples and gingery spice. This rushes the palate with an elegant bead of silken bubbles. It is creamy yet energetic, and mineral-tinged orchard fruits add further tension. The 2019 leaves the senses wonderfully refreshed through the long, crunchy finale, as white strawberry and spice cookie notes fade. The Brut Rosé is a pleasure bomb, yet it’s wonderfully balanced throughout.  Drinking 2023 to 2027.    

Wine Spectator 92 Points | A delicate, graceful rosé, with refined strawberry, fresh ginger and yeast roll tones that glide on the supple finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now.  

Expert Reviews

Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW, Andy Howard MW, Susan Hulme MW of Decanter writes 91 Points | This is a fantastically complex Prosecco: tart Granny Smith apples and ripe and creamy Meyer lemons move into tropical fruits like lychee and pineapple. The palate is rich but dry, with just a tease of toastiness that draws favourable comparisons with Champagne. 

Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate writes | The Sommariva NV Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut is a simple and stripped-down Italian sparkler with a cheerful playlist of grapefruit, honeydew melon, white rose aromas and salty minerality. The fine beading and fresh acidity of this wine promises to refresh your palate just in time for your next appetizer dish. 

Expert Review

Decanter 89 Points | Very lively, pleasant, and bubbly sparkling wine with a very fine and persistent perlage. Perfect aperitif and the sparkling wine that awaits you at home after a long day.

Winemaker Description 

Appearance : Straw yellow with greenish highlights, a persistent mousse and fine perlage. Fragrance : This wine has a very lively and complex composition of aromas with hints of white fruit, acacia flower and wisteria. Flavour : The well-balanced acidity and sugar level gives the wine good harmony and depth which highlights the aromatic complexity of the fragrance.

Winemaker Description

Traditional blend of the 3 Champagne grape varieties from several harvests.  Made up of approximately 60% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay for the white wine. A Pinot Meunier-based red wine is added.
 
The salmon-colored rose enhances the sparkling foam.  The generous bouquet evolves towards notes of raspberry and redcurrant. The mouth develops into a taste of fleshy cherry.

Winemaker Description

Dermot Surgue has been behind some of the best English wines over the last two decades. He is the man "who put English sparkling wine on the map"(Independent Newspaper) and was even called the "best winemaker in England" by the late, great Steven Spurrier. 

Made in tribute to his late brother, the Sugrue Cuvée Boz Blanc de Blancs 2015 is a magical release from the Jenkyn Place single-vineyard in Hampshire. When Vinous's Neal Martin, the "most famous and influential wine reviewer in the world" (Greg Sherwood MW), calls the 2015 Cuvée Boz an "outstanding English sparkling wine" and 'one of the best' he has tasted, then one takes notice. 

Expert Review

Scoring 18/20 from JancisRobinson.com's Tamlyn Currin, her joint-highest ever scoring English sparkling, and 94 points from Vinous, this chiselled Blanc de Blancs is "charged with the purest canon of English fruit" (TC). A 2015 that is "very well balanced and poised, quite weighty" (VN) on the palate, this new edition of Cuvée Boz has a wonderful minerality that cuts through the gorgeous notes of ripe pear and elderflower honey "like a flashing blade of Valyrian steel" (TC). With an advised drinking window up to 2036, this will have the cellar life of a top quality Champagne. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2015

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Vibrant and harmonious, with a pleasing range of ripe pear and nectarine, toast point and salted almond, candied lemon peel and spun honey riding the finely detailed bead. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Decanter 90 Points | A classic style with honeyed creamy, quince and spices aromas. Lovely palate with hazelnuts and toasty notes. Attractive long finish. Blend : 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir.

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | The 2015 Champagne Millésime Brut is equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The nose is fragrant with ripe peach and rose petal, and it has a rich texture, with a more viscous feel, and note of yellow flowers and Anjou pear. It speaks to the ripeness of the vintage, but it is long on the palate and has a light phenolic finish. I think this is ready to drink now.

James Suckling 93 Points | This is a vivid Taittinger with notes of chalk, almond croissants, lemon curd and biscuits. Bright and linear, with a tight bead of bubbles. Focused with persistent pastry notes. 50% pinot noir and 50% chardonnay; 70% Grands Crus and 30% Premiers Crus. Drink or hold.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 96 Points:  A gorgeous blond bombshell of a Champagne, fragrant with roasted hazelnut, vanilla and smoke notes that waft through layers of poached pear and quince, pastry cream, pain d'épices and candied ginger. This is sculpted by a vibrant acidity that's seamlessly knit to the plush, silky mousse and chalky underpinning.

Wine Advocate 95 Points:  The 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is showing beautifully out of the gates, offering up demonstrative aromas of sweet golden orchard fruit, buttery croissants, peach and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and enveloping, it's a rich, textural, vinous Comtes somewhat reminiscent of the brilliant 2002. If it gains in tension and cut (as the 2002 did and as I suspect the 2012 will) with more time on cork, it will make this initial rating seem conservative.

James Suckling 99 Points:  This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful.

Winemaker Description

Mevushal. Grapes are harvested by hand, gently crushed, and soft pressed. A second fermentation at low temperature lasts over two months, and the wine is finished with maturation on yeast lees for three months before bottling.

Appealing aromas of apple and stone fruit. The palate has citrus notes and fresh acidity. Finish soft and fruity on the finish.

Vera Wang Party is perfect for any occasion, big or small, enjoyed well-chilled as an aperitif, paired with charcuterie, Parmesan cheese, salty snacks, fresh seafood dishes—especially sushi, fried chicken, pasta dishes with robust sauces or spicy Chinese takeout. Brunch more your style? Mix Vera Wang Prosecco with peach juice for the perfect Bellini that’s sure to keep the party going!

Kosher for Passover.

Winemaker Description

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is the signature champagne of the House. Dominated by Pinot Noir, it offers the perfect balance of structure and finesse. Golden-yellow in color, with a foaming necklace of tiny bubbles. It is pleasing to the nose; initially reminiscent of yellow and white fruits, then of vanilla and later brioche. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty notes, the result of the three years of bottle aging. The first sip delivers all the freshness and strength so typical of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label with a symphony of fruit following (pear, lemon). It is a true member of the Brut family, well-structured, admirably vinous.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 92 Points | This has aromas of grapefruit, citrus peel, quince, toast and almonds. It’s medium-bodied with creamy, fine tannins. Silky texture. Nutty complexity at the end.

Decanter 91 Points | Noticeable fruit intensity and fresh notes of red fruits, fresh blueberries and a small amount of quince. Interesting and quite demanding. Blend : 55% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay.

Wine Spectator 90 Points | A crisp and lacy Champagne, with a hint of smoke underscoring flavors of poached apricot, pastry cream and pickled ginger. An overtone of Mandarin orange peel ties it all together.

Winemaker Description

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is the signature champagne of the House. Dominated by Pinot Noir, it offers the perfect balance of structure and finesse. Golden-yellow in color, with a foaming necklace of tiny bubbles. It is pleasing to the nose; initially reminiscent of yellow and white fruits, then of vanilla and later brioche. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty notes, the result of the three years of bottle aging. The first sip delivers all the freshness and strength so typical of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label with a symphony of fruit following (pear, lemon). It is a true member of the Brut family, well-structured, admirably vinous. 

Expert Reviews 

James Suckling writes:  This has aromas of grapefruit, pomegranates, and biscuits. It’s honeyed and sleek with a medium body and supple bubbles. Soft and creamy finish. Majority pinot noir, with chardonnay and meunier. Around 40% reserve wines.  - James Suckling 91

Julia Sheppard writes:  Tasted in magnum, the nose offers yeasty bready aromas topped with fresh citrus, hints of stone fruit and strawberry tart. A palate of fresh croissants, red berries, green apple and lively lemon citrus, with the larger format lending lovely creaminess to the bright finish. Veuve Clicquot's iconic Yellow Label is a blend of 30% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier and 50% Pinot Noir, which provides the cuvée's signature structure. Up to 45% reserve wines in the blend ensure consistency.  Drinking 2024 to 2030.  - Decanter 91

Alison Napjus writes:  This harmonious Champagne boasts a bright streak of tangerine peel–infused acidity, with flavors of ripe green apple, pastry cream and biscuit, plus accents of crystallized honey and candied ginger, all set on the lacy mousse. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Drink now.  - Wine Spectator 90

Jeb Dunnuck writes:  Comprising 85% of production, the NV Champagne Yellow Label Brut is 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and the rest Meunier, with 35-40% reserve wine. Entirely fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, it spends three years on the lees, and the wine sees 9 grams per liter of dosage, but the house does not disclose the disgorgement date. A golden straw hue, it’s ripe with aromas of yeasty bread dough, peaches, and fresh flowers. Medium-bodied on the palate, it’s ripe and juicy with rounded red berried fruit, a supple texture, a pillowy mousse, and a warming finish. Fresh and inviting, this is a solid and consistent aperitif to enjoy over the coming several years.  Drinking 2023 to 2026.  - Jeb Dunnuck 89