Produce of 100% Chardonnay from grand cru vineyards near Le Mesnil‑sur‑Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs — holy ground for lovers of the finest Champagne. This bottling represents some 2⁄3 of the production of the very well‑run cooperative that is Champagne Le Mesnil. Brilliant platinum/gold in color, this Brut Blanc de Blancs has a lovely harmony of elements, fresh and most enticing and inviting aromas suggestive of melon, cool of the morning grape plucked from the vine, buttered biscuit and flower pollen; nice medium‑full mousse, then expansive on the tongue and supremely flavorful, its crisp fresh chalky dry finish just begging another delicious pull.

One of the last remaining family-owned and operated champagne houses, Champagne Taittinger is today proprietor of approximately 280 hectares of vines in 34 different vineyards. The Taittinger estate is one of the three most extensive in the Champagne district, and the firm's major holdings in Chardonnay vineyards are the physical expression of the Taittinger philosophy and style. The firm's cool cellars are located in Reims, in the underground crayères that once belonged to the 13th century Abbaye de Saint-Nicaise. The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is the pinnacle of their estimable production, produce of 100% Chardonnay fruit from vines in the Côte des Blancs. Sparkling platinum/yellow/gold in color with an elegant steady bead of fine bubbles and ultra-fine aromas of top-quality Chardonnay fruit transformed, suggesting a melding of toasted baguette, lemon preserves and wine-moistened limestone; winsome, airy-light and creamy on the palate, indeed fully engaging, then fine and long with supreme freshness and a delicate persistence of flavor on the finish. Superb!

Taittinger utilize some 40% of Chardonnay fruit in crafting their maison Brut La Française, lending a certain refinement to the wine, characteristic of the house style. Subtle, pale gold in color with a fine steady bead of ultra fine bubbles; delicate lemon and limestone aromas, with nuance of stone fruits and pastry dough; a fine froth broadens out balanced and well-rounded, almost spherical on the tongue with delicate toast and citrus flavors; finishing deliciously crisp and dry. Très élégant, trés raffiné, très Taittinger! Regularly $57.50 the bottle, on sale now at:

Champagne Ayala was established in Aÿ in 1860 in the heart of the vineyards of Champagne. Independent and family‑owned, it is still today an archetype of a great and historic house, producing top quality sparkling wines which are enjoyed throughout the world for their freshness and elegance. Produce of 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, Champagne Ayala's calling card Brut Majeur offers aromas suggesting oven-fresh buttered biscuit with a dash of the best lemon curd, crisp green apple and le miel de fleurs blanches all on a backdrop of wine-moistened chalk; ample on entry, round, tactile, with presence and power in reserve but retaining a certain lightness of being, then crisp and chalky dry with flavors a delicate reprise of its alluring aromatic sweep.

In the year 1818, Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon were married, following which they decided to found Maison Billecart-Salmon in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, the family’s home town. Subsequently, Nicolas François joined forces with Louis Salmon, his wife’s brother. He oversaw all the commercial activity whilst his brother-in-law, who was passionate about oenology, dedicated himself to the creation of the wines. In the 1970s, Jean Roland-Billecart began to pursue the production of a Brut Rosé, his objective to create a Champagne pale in colour with flavour distinguished by its freshness and subtle notes of red berries. The gamble paid off and their Brut Rosé has since become the flagship cuvée of the house. And Champagne Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé is now long a favorite of our discerning clientèle. Attractive copper pink to silver at the rim in color with cool come hither aromas suggestive of fresh berries and cream, a hint of wintergreen and toasted baguette; an immediate presence on the tongue, ample in body and nicely rounded with a generous froth engaging, almost embracing the palate; chalky dry and intensely fresh and flavorful to the finish, an absolute joy of a sparkling wine.

Cristal is the flagship cuvée of Champagne Louis Roederer, originally created by Louis Roederer, II at the urging of the Tsar Alexander, II of Russia in 1876. It is composed of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay fruit sourced from 45 lieux‑dits in the 7 grands crus of Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont‑sur‑Vesle, Ay, Avize, Mesnil‑sur‑Oger and Cramant; aromas redolent of grape and chalky soils and raw breed; potent and impactful from the get‑go, tightly wound, chalky dry, spherical in shape, again, potent and impactful on the palate long on the finish.

The NV Collection 242 is a new wine from Roederer that replaces the Brut Premier in the range. The Collection (which now will be numbered by harvest) is a blend of three components: a perpetual reserve done in the classic non-malo Roederer style, reserve wines in oak with a touch of malo, and a base vintage, in this case 2017. That blend results in a NV Champagne that offers lovely richness and resonance, with plenty of yellow orchard fruit and floral character. Whereas Brut Premier was typically a focused, nervy wine that, while consistently excellent, also was not always in line with the Roederer house style, the 242 tastes more like a Roederer Champagne in terms of its complexity. Incidentally, there is no Vintage, Cristal or Cristal Rosé in 2017, so all the best lots went into this bottling. Dosage is 8 grams per liter, so lower than the 9 or so that was typical for recent Brut Premier and much lower than the 12-13 that was once customary. The 242 was also bottled with a bit less sugar than the norm, which results in lower atmospheres of pressure in the bottle and silkier texture. Drink 2021‑2031. Rated 92. - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com November, 2021

Jules Lassalle established this family-owned Champagne house in 1942 in the village of Chigny-les-Roses in the Montagne de Reims. A master of his craft, he established a signature style of elegant, tightly knit wines with a certain ampleur. When he passed away in 1982 his wife, Olga, and their daughter, Chantal Decelle-Lassalle, stepped in and took over the estate, upholding Jules’ high standards and progressively pushing the domaine to the next level. In 2006 Chantal’s daughter, Angéline Templier, joined the estate as winemaker. Their tradition of "une femme, un esprit, un style" remains. The intrepid wine explorer, Kermit Lynch, was the first to begin importing such artisanal, grower Champagne some 50(ish) years ago in the 1970s. Produce of approximately 60% Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from 16 hectares of vines on average 50 years of age near Chigny‑lès‑Roses in the Montagne de Reims. Shimmering platinum/gold (Andrea's keen sight picked up rose/gold) in color with a wealth of steady, exuberant tiny bubbles that form a halo at the surface in our favorite Champagne glass; ultra-fresh aromas suggestive of orchard fruits in the cool of a late summer's morning at 45°‑plus North (Glenn also noted suggestion of peach cobbler just in the oven); pristine, laser-like focus on the tongue, supremely balanced with both nerve and grace and flavors that discreetly reprise those fresh orchard fruit aromas and maybe add a little citrus, reflecting the magic of grapes grown on those hallowed chalky soils; all said, this is a stimulating, wholly refreshing and mouthwateringly delicious bubbly.

Laurent-Perrier are one of only a few houses with such a high reputation for their sparkling rosé production. Tasting this for the first time in too, too long, we now understand the pourquoi of it more completely. Produce of 100% Pinot Noir fruit from 10 different crus mainly in the Montagne de Reims, the wine demonstrates a brilliant array of pinks in color like some of those available in the finest 'city of the violet crown' sunsets; alluringly fresh and decidedly red berry fruits on the nose; Henry noted crunchy red fruits on the palate, too, and a blood orange like citrus quality; Ian noted a saline and citrus quality; and there is an overarching sense of equilibrium with this wine that makes it a most affable and quaffable affair, finishing with a flourish of freshness and flavor. Strange as it may seem for us to say, pink Champagne is no sure thing. Champagne Laurent‑Perrier, on the other hand, make it look like une promenade dans le parc. Laissez couler le Champagne rosé!

Characterized by a high proportion of Chardonnay which provides a natural purity, freshness and elegance, Laurent-Perrier Brut La Cuvée is produce of about 55% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier from somewhere near 50 individual crus, with an average échelle des crus rating of 94% and with up to 30% of reserve wines, ensuring a balance and certain consistency of style. Notably, 750ml bottles are aged for a minimum of 4 years, magnums for 5 years prior to release. Pale golden in colour with a steady flow of fine and persistent bubbles; delicate yet complex aromas hint at a fine brioche just in the oven, moist kimmeridgian limestone (imagine summer rainfall on crushed oyster shells), candied citrus peel and white orchard fruits (Laurent-Perrier themselves note peche de vigne); ample and keenly balanced on the tongue with mouthwatering stone-infused toast and white fruit flavors that emerge through the refreshing froth on the tongue, finishing hyper-fresh, open, expressive and just deliciously.

Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve is produce of about 1⁄3 each Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from a selection of approximately 60 different crus individually vinified in stainless steel. The blend contains a high proportion of about 40% reserve wines an equal mix of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and between 5 and 15 years of age. Luminous yellow/gold in color with a wealth of fine bubbles; full, toasty, doughy aromas; rich and round on the palate, sumptuous even, with a freshening zest of citrus on the finish. Brut Réserve is the splendid calling card of Champagne Charles Heidsieck.