Kick-Starting Holiday Champagne Offerings 12-10-23

Our favorite time of year has arrived. The holiday season is in full swing which means the excuse required to pop open a bottle of bubbly has completey exited the building. From now until midnight on New Year’s Day we’re going to be celebrating with Champagnes from our favorite producers and offering them to you at our best pricing. Each week this month, starting today, you can expect to see a lists of personally curated Champagnes that the Vinopolis staff think deserve your attention and thirst.

Below are our first set of recomendations, from full on ultra premium down to amazing values. The only rule with all of these is that you want to serve them ice bucket cold and always with an extra bottle on-hand. Don’t be shy in your orders as we have the ability to bring in additional stock as requested across most of these favorites.

LOUIS ROEDERER
Not needing any introduction, this Champagne house is a legend in the wine-lover community and its Cristal bottlings are the day dreams of collectors and enthusiasts all over the world. Is there a more classic expression of what top quality vintage Champagne is supposed to taste like? I think not.

Louis Roederer Cristal Millesime Brut, Champagne 2002 750ml $599 special, 3 bottles available
Vinous 100 points “Roererer’s 2002 Cristal, from magnum, is just off the charts…….The texture, breadth, and overall pedigree here is just remarkable, with layers of apricot, spice, dried flowers, and citrus conft that continue to build over time. The 2002 is neither old nor young; it is quite simply eternal…..”

Louis Roederer Cristal Millesime Brut, Champagne 2014 750ml $349 special, 3 bottles available
#1 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2022 – Wine Enthusiast
Wine Spectator 98 points “This vivid Champagne shows up-front 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 midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2040”
Vinous 98 points “The 2014 Cristal is another in a long line of gorgeous wines from Roederer and long-time Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. A dazzling, vibrant Champagne, the 2014 impresses with a stunning combination of fruit density and linear energy that brings to mind a hypothetical blend of 2012 and 2008. At times, the bubbles feel totally wrapped up in waves of creamy, resonant fruit to the point the mousse is barely perceptible, especially with aeration. The flavors are bright and finely sculpted, leaning very much into the citrus, floral and mineral end of the spectrum.

Louis Roederer Cristal Millesime Brut, Champagne 2015 750ml $379 special, 6 bottles available
The Wine Independent 98 points “The 2015 Cristal is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. No malo-lactic was employed and 25% wine was aged in oak. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. An exquisitely delicate yet complex perfume of clover honey freshly shaved ginger marzipan and jasmine slowly emerges from the nose giving way to a core of pear tart persimmons and apple butter. The palate is an exercise in finesse featuring very fine bubbles and fantastic intensity with a myriad of spice and floral nuances finishing with impressive persistence and jaw-dropping poise. This is a style for those that embrace purity soft-spoken expression and impeccable crafting…”
Wine Spectator 96 points “This mouthwatering Champagne has an ethereal quality, with a frame of chiseled acidity and focused precision to the pointillisme-like, vibrant mousse. Yet this shows depth and generous expression, with the finely spun notes of patisserie apple and blackberry fruit opening beautifully on the palate and through the minerally finish, with notes of grated ginger, blood orange granita, salted Marcona almond and anise. Drink now through 2035.”

Louis Roederer Cristal Millesime Brut, 6-PACK Champagne (2006, 2008, 2012) 750ml $2799 special, 1 available
Pre-arrival ETA by end of December
2 Each: 2006 / 2008 / 2012
2012 Cristal – Vinous 98 points
2008 Crista l- Vinous 99 points
2006 Cristal – Vinous 97 points

DELAMOTTE
This house is the not so well-kept secret of the bubbly loyal. Owned by the same individuals that produce Salon (one of the rarest and most coveted Champagne on the planet), Delamotte produces bottles with declassified Salon fruit of the utmost quality for a mere fraction of the price. It is astounding how good these Champagnes are and how they remain readily attainable.

Delamotte Brut, Champagne NV 750ml $59 special, 33 bottles available
Delamotte Brut, Champagne NV Case-6 $349 special, 15 available
Wine Spectator 91 points “[Reviewed 2023] A delicate, mineral-driven Champagne, with an underpinning of chalk, smoke and oyster shell layered with notes of poached apricot, citronella and beeswax. Lively and persistent on the finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2026. 6,250 cases made.”
Importer note “Assemblage : 60% chardonnay – 35% pinot noir – 5% pinot meunier (MAJ Septembre 2021). Villages : Le Mesnil, Avize, Oger, Cramant, Ambonnay, Tours sur Marne, Vallée de la Marne. Vin de base : 2017. FML faite. Vieillissement sur lies : 36 mois. Dégorgement : Juin 2021. Dosage : 8g/l.”

Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne NV 750ml $79 special, 26 bottles available
James Suckling 93 points “Croissants, toasted sourdough, white pears, acacia and lemon meringue pie. Salty almond notes on the palate. Deliciously saline and creamy, with silky bubbles and a gently toasty finish. 100% chardonnay from Mesnil, Avize and Oger. Based on 2017 vintage with 20% reservewines. Drink now. – July 19, 2023”

BERECHE
One of the Vinopolis staff’s favorite producers, Bereche wines enchant us with magical tension and overwhelming complexity. They’ve truly mastered the art of dosage at this estate and the wines are incredibly balanced. This used to just be a label that professionals in the wine business knew about and adored, but now the cats outta of the bag and these bottlings are earning followers far and wide. This is a situation where we would advise getting a case of these wines before their price continues to escalate into the upper stratosphere.

Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ml $65 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinous 92 points “The NV Brut Réserve is bright and finely sculpted right out of the glass. There’s terrific purity and energy running through the Brut Réserve. Crushed red berry fruit, white pepper, crushed rocks and mint all race out of the glass. This release is based on 2020, with a good bit of reserve wine (35%) that serves to create terrific balance. The 5.5 grams of dosage is not at all felt.”

Bereche et Fils ‘Rilly-La-Montagne’ Premier Cru Extra Brut Millesime, Champagne 2019 750ml $119 special, 4 bottles available


R.H. COUTIER
Positioned in the heart of the Grand Cru vineyards of Ambonnay, Coutier is producing Champagnes of remarkable intensity from the pinot noir that made this village famous, with a masterful incoroporation of chardonnay to bring richness and balance. They keep only the best fruit of their holdings year to year to incorporate in their wines and represent the identity of a true Grower Champagne. The pricing on their vintage bottlings is attractively silly and we’re here for it.

R.H. Coutier Grand Cru Brut Millesime, Champagne 2015 750ml $69 special, 11 bottles available
Importer notes “75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay. Golden yellow color with a very “pinot” nose (read cherry). Rich and full in the mouth, with plenty of creaminess. Nice acidity and structure enhanced by the Chardonnay finishes very fresh and long. Wonderful balance with ripe fruit aromatics makes this a very seductive bubbly.” “This area consists of pure Belemnite chalk originating from Bouzy and continuing throughout most of Champagne. This unique soil allows the vines to root deeply, retaining the ideal amount of moisture while allowing the excess to drain away thoroughly. Produced only the best years. It is the reflection of the harvest from the vintage in our terroir. This wine show complexity and the best expression of the vintage it represents. The time on lees adds an extra dimension to the wine thus achieving what we think is a perfect balance.”
 

Don’t miss any of the other Champagnes from these producers that we have listed below!