two flawed bottles in a row to start the night so had to pull something guaranteed to hit. Pop and pour, tight at first. 30 minutes or so and that Bouchard ripe green pear and red apple come rolling in, but with the early stages of some toasty notes and a little caramel. In transition into its secondary phase of life, but not awkward. Delicious
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Kicking off our Christmas celebrations with some fizz—although that is not a term that really applies to this wine. Although some nice bubbles to start, it quickly becomes a still wine in the glass. And it is so good it really doesn’t matter. So balanced and elegant. An impressive nose of delicate florals and bright fruits—red apples, pears and clementines. The same fruit on the palate with mineral, wet stones and chalk. Nice long finish. This is probably the wine I have enjoyed the most since my surgery at the end of Sept. Sadly, my last/only bottle of this vintage although I do have some NV with a 15 base so maybe will be similar?
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The nose is so balanced and succulent with layered tones of red apples, peaches, pears, vanilla beans, yellow flowers, warm biscuits, toast, red berries, and some nectarines. This nose is just gorgeous as it flows in the glass while showing off just the right mix of autolytics and fruit notes. The Medium bodied feel is textured and flowing with crisp, high acidity. This is just a flat out sexy Champagne. While this can certainly age for plenty of more years it is just a real joy right now.
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Lots of sweet red berries. Strawberries. Really open and aggressive on the attack bursting with fruit. That carries through to the mid palate and finish making it seem a bit simple and one note. Good depth of fruit, but sadly not much more. Quite uninteresting.
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The 2015 Cote de Val Vilaine is in a sweet spot to drink right now. It is an excellent spring sipper! And a perfect compliment to Hakka House’s superb Chinese Cuisine
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It was a great wine for the $65 I paid. I was hoping not to like it and send the rest off to auction given the recent price increase, but no luck. We liked it a lot. Nice weight and balance, with an evolving nose and palate showing clementine, apples, florals, lemons... more as it warmed. Drinking really well now.
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It's initially a little wound up showing more green apple, citrus and stones. And as it gets some air and warms up a little, it just gains more and more complexity: spices, a little roasted bread, tangerine. But even as the fruit expands on the palate, it keeps this incredible focus. Just lovely.
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Stunning champagne. Piercing citrus and mineral notes, with pear and candied lemon rind notes. Beautiful mousse, rich and yet light on its feet, with a very long, chalky finish.
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This bottle wields broader swaths of ginger, red apple, cherry water, almond skin, and bruised lemon notes, flaunting a bit of a big house blend loftiness. There is still the obligatory freshness and balance here, with no sense of steeliness or rigidity, however, the brighter yellow citrus and floral notes are in the shadows of the more nutty and ginger-laced red apple core. Finishes slightly round and almost lush, though luckily the effervescence keeps the frame from becoming too stooped. It's indeed delish and invitingly mouthwatering in this "crowd pleaser" stage.
The mastery here is really in the overall footing and even distribution of weighted flavor, even if this sample flashes its Noir underpinning with dominion this go-around. I may have to start drinking this vintage of Val Vilaine sooner than later given its current orientation and trajectory.
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I enjoyed this most the first time I had it, when it was all bright red apple fruit. This bottle seems to have lost its fruit - it's all mineral and yeast driven at this point. Still a good wine, but hopefully just in a phase.
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V15. Disgorged 4/2017 Golden color with very delicate bead. Nose slightly waxy, golden fruit, a floral note. Palate initially very chalky and mineral. Then broadened orchard fruit.
Very nice balance and still in need of either more time or a decant to fully show its stuff. Vinous champagne showing well for a riper year. 92 pts
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more mousse than usual for his wines. ample fine bead. nose showing rubber, cocoa, sweet pastry, apple skins, and cherry cream. light bodied with high yet integrated acidity. crystal mouth feel, soft foaminess with swishing. well balanced flavors of lemon peel, almond cake, and cherry. medium length finish.
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Pale slate with olive straw tinge, initially overflowing bubbles. Nose slight wax, some lemon, a floral vanilla tinge — lemon verbena? Palate sharp acidity, some yellow peach with time, a mineral tinge. Good with fried chicken.
Still seems young and needs more time, but nice potential here. 91 pts with upside
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Fabuleux ces bulles, on adore ce producteur et sa façon de faire. De la haute-couture à prix accessible compte-tenu de tout l`ouvrage et la discipline de ce Monsieur...chapeau encore une fois. Nez tout en élégance, biscuits, fleurs et fruits à chair blanche. En bouche, c`est un WOW. Du pain, des pommes, des citrons confits, des coquillages et un peu de Marzipan. Super long, vif et vineux. J`adores!
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This was singing after about an hour of air. This really benefits from a decant. It opened up wonderfully. This is a testament that the Val Vilaine isn’t the “base” wine or lowest level from Cedric Bouchard, it’s just priced this way. No better grower champagne under $100. Fantastic wine!
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Same as previous notes. Drinking fantastic now. V2015/disgorged2017. My favorite vintage of Val Vilaine thus far. Beautifully balanced delivery of tension and flavorful fruit. No decant this time.
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Really concentrated red fruits, strawberry and cream. You would never know this is a no dosage champagne. The acids are deep and interwoven, with a natural feel. I didn’t get much citrus or brioche, it’s all intense cranberry and white grape. This particular bottle had lots of pressure, which I understand is not the rule at this address.
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Many people have described this wine to me as having lots of tension. For me it seems more like it teeters. Constantly on the cusp of being more a still wine or a sparkling wine. Low pressure, more than average fruits, and toasty yeast notes. I feel like its lack of identity prevents it from really standing out.
This bottle can’t be two wines at once. No matter how much it wants to be.
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So freaking delicious right now. Deep apple and plum fruit, wheat and roasted corn accents and a long, rich finish. Stunningly good, with a long life ahead.
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Quality and focus every time with this wine. An obvious serious side to Bouchard’s Champagne, but also plenty giving in the yellow citrus, yellow pear skin, limestone, and black cherry water core. Overall, super balanced and delineated with its execution of flavor. Finishes with the same sophisticated drive with which it began. Not decanted this time around, but likely could have benefitted from more air. One of the best base model “grower” Champagne out there in my opinion. 94-95+ points.
Disgorged April 2017.
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This was like kaleidoscope of flavors and sensations. Pale, white gold color. Fine mousse. Aromas of lemon zest, pear, dough, melon and green apple. Demi-sweet. Dough, citrus, nut skin and honeydew. Long. This was fantastic. 94
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This wine remains a beauty - soft and elegant with just the right bit of crisp acidity. Excellent depth of flavor, lengthy finish. Warmed ten degrees from refrigerator temperature it was truly gorgeous. One of those wines I was sorry to be sharing because it was so good but glad to share because it was so good.
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Viner i Bodø-påske; 4/18/2019-4/21/2019 (Bodø): Complex fruit picture of red apple skin, physalis and stone bramble. Crisp malic acid (or at least it feels that way with no dosage) with a nice balanced though of oak and autolysis.
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In reference to my previous note from a year ago on this wine, I can certainly tell ya'll that decanting this Champagne does absolute wonders in enabling it to fan-out its full flavor profile and shed some of those pithy, more linear notes that pop up on the initial pull. This bottle was decanted and left in the refrigerator for a total of three hours. This was the PERFECT service, with much of the vinous complexities this wine has to offer showing up to the party in a deliberate but still fun and flavorful approach from front to back. The grip and acid stayed in perfect step with the core flavors throughout consumption.
Specific notes of yellow citrus, yellow pear skin, red apple pulp, black cherry and white raspberry water, limestone, concrete, toasted almond, and some tree bark. Beautifully balanced and weighted, with a surprising mid-palate expansion that offers both verve and flavor. Finishes focused and concise, as well as delectable and succulent.
Certainly a Champagne that can age, but drinking amazingly well now with the proper preparation and service. The best showing yet of this wine for me. 94-95+ points, with even more potential upside in 3-5+ years.
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Well, this was outrageously good. So good as to make me wonder: could this get any better? I wish I had more and would not be afraid to find out, but it's so fresh and vibrant now that I just love it as-is.
I love this wine's consistency - as far as I can tell, it drinks well at all points of its lifecycle, and there are no vintage duds. It's tough for me to spend ~$80 on a bottle of wine, but if it's super consistent and this good, then I'm in.
Also worth noting - this is the first time I've gotten the whole "champagne that drinks like red wine thing." For some reason, this time around even the nose comes across as having heavier elements of a red wine. It's certainly not tannic, but there's a grippy-ness that reminds me of red wine. I've heard these can benefit from a decant, and I'd love to try that next time.
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Fantastic as usual, and disappeared way too fast. Great nose with lemon, melon, citrus...nice aromatics. On the palate, the bubbles carry the flavors well..Excellent acidity and a touch of tart cranberry, with more citrus...even still, maybe slightly richer than my last btl. Yum!
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Yellow apple and grapefruit with notes of lemon citrus and yeast, with strong mineral acidity. Excellent as usual, but with the price rising over $80 it's becoming only an average value.
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Shared this bottle on Christmas day while we prepped dinner. Couldn't believe how delicious this bottle was. So delicious in its youth that I don't think I see a whole lot of upside in holding this for the long term. It will likely improve, but it is just so good that I will probably have a hard time resisting drinking them all within the next 5 years.
Notes from day 2 open, and very yummy. Gorgeous nose with strawberry, cranberry, lime, a touch of creamy vanilla. On the palate, glorious acidity and more pure lime and strawberry. Very primary, but so refreshing. I love these wines.
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Lemon, apple tart, yeasty brioche and a nice toast. Has a nice freshness on the palate, and delivers nice orchard fruit and spice. Another very fine Cedric Bouchard Champagne.
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A very delicious wine, color light golden, nose all kinds of berries, taste velvet, fantastic with a long aftermath, yummy, Pinot Noir is king in AUBE.
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My preference runs to blanc de blancs but this pinot noir champagne is gorgeous. So elegant, with a yeasty nose and tremendous depth. Some citrus but mostly tree fruit. Good minerality. Quite the wine.
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Champagne qui s’ouvre sur des notes de pommes et très minéral. Il possède une bonne acidité et une bonne structure. Les bulles sont fines et c’est très bon!Plus ample et plus rond que la dernière fois bu. 91 pts
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Downtown Offline (Water Grill): 2015 vintage. No dosage. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Golden hue reminiscent of an older wine. Sort of a hybrid between champagne and a still wine. Nose is fairly open and floral. Palate is very fresh and marked by rich apple and lemon flavors, nice depth, and a bit of toast. Long finish. A unique wine worth trying.
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decanted in advance. Rich golden color. Nose slightly waxy, some apple skin. Palate high acidity, nice texture -- rich body, notes of lemon and stone fruits, great clarity to the flavors. Very nice, great with food. 92 pts
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Delicious and pretty good value; the nose has lovely stone fruit, lees, and lime. The palate has great tension and yet good richness and volume. Really tasty.
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Always a pleasure tasting Bouchard champagnes. This example is very fairly fresh and punchy - very nice but leaves me missing the finesse of his Ursules.
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Dinner with Dave (Mathilde, San Francisco): Moderately aromatic, some yeast and richness but mostly steely and fresh; palate is light, fresh, lime, steely, just a hint of the richness, apples and pears; medium finish. Lovely champagne. 90
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PnP was high-pitched and a bit steely, with lemon seed, slate, chalk, and limestone notes. Ultra, ultra pure, with a unique, exacting focus that I have only found in a handful of Champagnes.
Although Cédric Bouchard would’ve likely recommended I decant and wait 24 hours before consumption, I thought I’d meet him halfway and just decant this Champagne for about an hour or two before truly diving into this (as strange as that might sound to some). And voila! The fruit showed beautifully after some air. Tiny, tiny bubbles were interwoven throughout the core, just enough to provide lift. More defined lemon and quince notes, with some white peach, unripe yellow pear, and graphite emerged.
A cerebral and memorable wine to be sure. Not for those looking to chase down those buttery brioche and ripe banana peel flavors. This is NOT that wine. This is all about fine purity of fruit, precise delineation of flavors, and perfect balance and acidity. A wine made for a mathematician who still knows how to party!
94+ points, with upside in the coming years. Drink now with a decant, or hold a few more years. Treat it like a young Cabernet Sauvignon and you will be handsomely rewarded. QPR is pretty good considering how sophisticated this wine is. Some might find it a little linear, but I loved geeking-out on it. If you love rich, heady Champagnes, then best to move on from here. If you long for super pure, unadulterated precision in your bubbly, then check this bad boy out!
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Hmm, maybe a step down from the 2014, at least at this stage. Very nice nose with strawberry mousse, citrus and a hint of chalk/slate, mixed with a slightly suggestion of lees. On the palate, the bubbles are a little overwhelming (even after 2 hrs open), but the acidity is spot on, and this is a juicy lemon cranberry composition, with a very long finish. Yum!
An absolutely beautiful, fascinating champagne. The goldish hue is approaching salmon, hinting at a whiff of strawberry that appears on the palate (brought out by any slightly sweet food) and indicates that perhaps there was some brief skin contact. Tart apple and pear, and a little citrus zest round out the fruit. The nose is full of dough and pastry, which turns into a luscious crème brûlée note on the palate. Crisply, refreshingly acidic, thickly moussed when poured, which leaves a pleasant tingle of bubbles long after the mousse fades. Outstanding already, and with only the barest hints of bottle age starting to form (with a little hint of honey and hazelnut), this has potential to develop for a good while.
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Pomme jaunes et craie au nez , un champagne très minéral sans le côte rond de pâtisserie , un champagne droit et très vineux . Excellente première impression
Très beau champagne, vive acidité, de la pomme verte et beaucoup de notes des sols de Champagne. Je ne suis pas un fan des blancs de noirs ou bien des Champagne à majorité Pinot, sauf que je doit dire que c'est un très bon QPR.
3,5/5
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À l’aveugle, offrande d’Étienne. Champagne qui s’ouvre sur des notes de pommes et très minéral. Il possède une bonne acidité et une bonne structure. Les bulles sont fines et c’est très bon! Nous trouvons la prédominance du pinot noir, mais personne tombe sur le blanc de noir. Excellente première impression de ce producteur!
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Lys, blek gul med et lett rosaskjær. Friske gule og røde epler, kirsebær, kritt, gress, litt røyk, estragon og ananas. Også noen lette aromaer av hasselnøtt og blåskjell. Flott moden frukt i munnen. Bouchards viner har egentlig alltid flott frukt, men kan mangle litt friskhet i varme årganger, så lurte litt på denne. Ingen grunn til bekymring her, masse friskhet og løft. Veldig god konsentrasjon. Ren og presis. Sitter lenge. 92p.
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Aperitif bubbles. Pale yellow, lots of tiny bubbles. Toasty and yeasty nose, but not particularly aromatic. Light weight, creamy mouthfeel. Like fruit tarts, plums and pastry cream. Finishes clean and tart, like green apple skins.
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As before -- cider on the nose; cider, citrus, and peach on the palate, with a note of yeast on the finish and a medium to fine bubble. Excellent, and good value for the money at $50.
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Apple cider and lemon juice on the nose. On the palate, pear and apple cider, grapefruit citrus, white peach, and a nutty yeasty note on the medium to long finish, with good acidity and a fine bubble. I'm not normally a fan of strong apple flavors in Champagne, but it harmonizes well with the other elements here. Good value at about $50.
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3/8/2024 - adnorthup wrote:
two flawed bottles in a row to start the night so had to pull something guaranteed to hit. Pop and pour, tight at first. 30 minutes or so and that Bouchard ripe green pear and red apple come rolling in, but with the early stages of some toasty notes and a little caramel. In transition into its secondary phase of life, but not awkward. Delicious
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12/25/2023 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Kicking off our Christmas celebrations with some fizz—although that is not a term that really applies to this wine. Although some nice bubbles to start, it quickly becomes a still wine in the glass. And it is so good it really doesn’t matter. So balanced and elegant. An impressive nose of delicate florals and bright fruits—red apples, pears and clementines. The same fruit on the palate with mineral, wet stones and chalk. Nice long finish. This is probably the wine I have enjoyed the most since my surgery at the end of Sept. Sadly, my last/only bottle of this vintage although I do have some NV with a 15 base so maybe will be similar?
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4/27/2023 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
The nose is so balanced and succulent with layered tones of red apples, peaches, pears, vanilla beans, yellow flowers, warm biscuits, toast, red berries, and some nectarines. This nose is just gorgeous as it flows in the glass while showing off just the right mix of autolytics and fruit notes. The Medium bodied feel is textured and flowing with crisp, high acidity. This is just a flat out sexy Champagne. While this can certainly age for plenty of more years it is just a real joy right now.
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6/16/2022 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 92 Points
Has improved since last bottle 4 years ago. Still a charmer but showing a lot more depth. Delicious.
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5/31/2022 - rcb25 wrote:
Lots of sweet red berries. Strawberries. Really open and aggressive on the attack bursting with fruit. That carries through to the mid palate and finish making it seem a bit simple and one note. Good depth of fruit, but sadly not much more. Quite uninteresting.
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4/23/2022 - corkcork wrote: 95 Points
The 2015 Cote de Val Vilaine is in a sweet spot to drink right now. It is an excellent spring sipper! And a perfect compliment to Hakka House’s superb Chinese Cuisine
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4/12/2022 - WST Likes this wine:
It was a great wine for the $65 I paid. I was hoping not to like it and send the rest off to auction given the recent price increase, but no luck. We liked it a lot. Nice weight and balance, with an evolving nose and palate showing clementine, apples, florals, lemons... more as it warmed. Drinking really well now.
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4/2/2022 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 91 Points
Très bien, mais j’ai de la difficulté à voir la plus value vs champagne ou même mousseux à la moitié du prix. RQP un peu décevant.
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12/31/2021 - philmtl Likes this wine:
It's initially a little wound up showing more green apple, citrus and stones. And as it gets some air and warms up a little, it just gains more and more complexity: spices, a little roasted bread, tangerine. But even as the fruit expands on the palate, it keeps this incredible focus. Just lovely.
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12/21/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 93 Points
Stunning champagne. Piercing citrus and mineral notes, with pear and candied lemon rind notes. Beautiful mousse, rich and yet light on its feet, with a very long, chalky finish.
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10/9/2021 - csimm wrote:
This bottle wields broader swaths of ginger, red apple, cherry water, almond skin, and bruised lemon notes, flaunting a bit of a big house blend loftiness. There is still the obligatory freshness and balance here, with no sense of steeliness or rigidity, however, the brighter yellow citrus and floral notes are in the shadows of the more nutty and ginger-laced red apple core. Finishes slightly round and almost lush, though luckily the effervescence keeps the frame from becoming too stooped. It's indeed delish and invitingly mouthwatering in this "crowd pleaser" stage.
The mastery here is really in the overall footing and even distribution of weighted flavor, even if this sample flashes its Noir underpinning with dominion this go-around. I may have to start drinking this vintage of Val Vilaine sooner than later given its current orientation and trajectory.
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8/26/2021 - Vas19 wrote: 91 Points
I enjoyed this most the first time I had it, when it was all bright red apple fruit. This bottle seems to have lost its fruit - it's all mineral and yeast driven at this point. Still a good wine, but hopefully just in a phase.
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7/10/2021 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
I loved this - beautifully made with a steely edge, I would expect this to improve from here
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4/24/2021 - fred o. Likes this wine:
V15. Disgorged 4/2017
Golden color with very delicate bead.
Nose slightly waxy, golden fruit, a floral note.
Palate initially very chalky and mineral. Then broadened orchard fruit.
Very nice balance and still in need of either more time or a decant to fully show its stuff. Vinous champagne showing well for a riper year. 92 pts
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4/24/2021 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Bright green apple; Fruit forward; Nice medium weight
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3/2/2021 - bps2266 wrote:
more mousse than usual for his wines. ample fine bead. nose showing rubber, cocoa, sweet pastry, apple skins, and cherry cream. light bodied with high yet integrated acidity. crystal mouth feel, soft foaminess with swishing. well balanced flavors of lemon peel, almond cake, and cherry. medium length finish.
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2/26/2021 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Fruit” day): Medium golden to the eyes.
Golden apples, brioche, mushroom.
Great minerality. Already enjoyable with some time in glass.
93-94 points.
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11/27/2020 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Pale slate with olive straw tinge, initially overflowing bubbles.
Nose slight wax, some lemon, a floral vanilla tinge — lemon verbena?
Palate sharp acidity, some yellow peach with time, a mineral tinge. Good with fried chicken.
Still seems young and needs more time, but nice potential here. 91 pts with upside
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11/1/2020 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Fabuleux ces bulles, on adore ce producteur et
sa façon de faire. De la haute-couture à
prix accessible compte-tenu de tout l`ouvrage et
la discipline de ce Monsieur...chapeau encore une fois.
Nez tout en élégance, biscuits, fleurs et fruits
à chair blanche.
En bouche, c`est un WOW. Du pain, des pommes,
des citrons confits, des coquillages et
un peu de Marzipan. Super long, vif et vineux.
J`adores!
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10/17/2020 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
This was singing after about an hour of air. This really benefits from a decant. It opened up wonderfully. This is a testament that the Val Vilaine isn’t the “base” wine or lowest level from Cedric Bouchard, it’s just priced this way. No better grower champagne under $100. Fantastic wine!
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9/19/2020 - csimm wrote:
Same as previous notes. Drinking fantastic now. V2015/disgorged2017. My favorite vintage of Val Vilaine thus far. Beautifully balanced delivery of tension and flavorful fruit. No decant this time.
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8/13/2020 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Really concentrated red fruits, strawberry and cream. You would never know this is a no dosage champagne. The acids are deep and interwoven, with a natural feel. I didn’t get much citrus or brioche, it’s all intense cranberry and white grape. This particular bottle had lots of pressure, which I understand is not the rule at this address.
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6/7/2020 - WhatsSamSipping wrote:
Many people have described this wine to me as having lots of tension. For me it seems more like it teeters. Constantly on the cusp of being more a still wine or a sparkling wine. Low pressure, more than average fruits, and toasty yeast notes. I feel like its lack of identity prevents it from really standing out.
This bottle can’t be two wines at once. No matter how much it wants to be.
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6/6/2020 - Vatch Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tres bon RQP, mais ne comprend pas le hype. Trop jeune ? pas roasted du tout, mais belle acidité, la bouteille s'est vidé très rapidement...
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5/10/2020 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
So damn good and a top 1-2 grower for my palate. The richness and power is on point with good refreshing cut.
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4/13/2020 - Rieslingfan wrote:
So freaking delicious right now. Deep apple and plum fruit, wheat and roasted corn accents and a long, rich finish. Stunningly good, with a long life ahead.
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1/5/2020 - .M. wrote: 92 Points
Et meget godt sted for denne nå. Synd det var siste.
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12/24/2019 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Quality and focus every time with this wine. An obvious serious side to Bouchard’s Champagne, but also plenty giving in the yellow citrus, yellow pear skin, limestone, and black cherry water core. Overall, super balanced and delineated with its execution of flavor. Finishes with the same sophisticated drive with which it began. Not decanted this time around, but likely could have benefitted from more air. One of the best base model “grower” Champagne out there in my opinion. 94-95+ points.
Disgorged April 2017.
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12/21/2019 - Outplaying wrote:
Nice Champagne with lime/citrus, yeast, mineral notes. Delicious.
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12/8/2019 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Very delicate bead. Pale golden slate. Nose super, cool stone fruit, crushed rocks. Palate delicate and finessed, rocky minerals, some yellow peach.
Very nice nose and just a wonderful palate. For a riper vintage, and for this bottle, Cedric Bouchard really nailed it here, and made me a fan. 93 pts
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10/28/2019 - swade wrote: 94 Points
This was like kaleidoscope of flavors and sensations. Pale, white gold color. Fine mousse. Aromas of lemon zest, pear, dough, melon and green apple. Demi-sweet. Dough, citrus, nut skin and honeydew. Long. This was fantastic. 94
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9/20/2019 - Hansen73 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Everything I want in a champagne--simply beautiful, so much depth and complexity.
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9/8/2019 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
This wine remains a beauty - soft and elegant with just the right bit of crisp acidity. Excellent depth of flavor, lengthy finish. Warmed ten degrees from refrigerator temperature it was truly gorgeous. One of those wines I was sorry to be sharing because it was so good but glad to share because it was so good.
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8/18/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pretty much identical to last time, and maybe my champagne of the night with some stiff competition!
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8/3/2019 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Sad that this is my last bottle; another lovely experience with ripe orchard fruits, lemon peel, baking bread, and apple blossom. Very nice.
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4/20/2019 - Bobhelge wrote: 92 Points
Viner i Bodø-påske; 4/18/2019-4/21/2019 (Bodø): Complex fruit picture of red apple skin, physalis and stone bramble. Crisp malic acid (or at least it feels that way with no dosage) with a nice balanced though of oak and autolysis.
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4/13/2019 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
In reference to my previous note from a year ago on this wine, I can certainly tell ya'll that decanting this Champagne does absolute wonders in enabling it to fan-out its full flavor profile and shed some of those pithy, more linear notes that pop up on the initial pull. This bottle was decanted and left in the refrigerator for a total of three hours. This was the PERFECT service, with much of the vinous complexities this wine has to offer showing up to the party in a deliberate but still fun and flavorful approach from front to back. The grip and acid stayed in perfect step with the core flavors throughout consumption.
Specific notes of yellow citrus, yellow pear skin, red apple pulp, black cherry and white raspberry water, limestone, concrete, toasted almond, and some tree bark. Beautifully balanced and weighted, with a surprising mid-palate expansion that offers both verve and flavor. Finishes focused and concise, as well as delectable and succulent.
Certainly a Champagne that can age, but drinking amazingly well now with the proper preparation and service. The best showing yet of this wine for me. 94-95+ points, with even more potential upside in 3-5+ years.
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3/18/2019 - Torchy wrote: 90 Points
Cederic Bouchard tasting with add-ons. (LystPå resturant Bodø): Anonymous nose. High on acid. Salty minerals. Hints of yellow apple peel, and light citrus. Added air softener it. Gets rounder and more elegant.
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3/13/2019 - christyler Likes this wine: 95 Points
Well, this was outrageously good. So good as to make me wonder: could this get any better? I wish I had more and would not be afraid to find out, but it's so fresh and vibrant now that I just love it as-is.
I love this wine's consistency - as far as I can tell, it drinks well at all points of its lifecycle, and there are no vintage duds. It's tough for me to spend ~$80 on a bottle of wine, but if it's super consistent and this good, then I'm in.
Also worth noting - this is the first time I've gotten the whole "champagne that drinks like red wine thing." For some reason, this time around even the nose comes across as having heavier elements of a red wine. It's certainly not tannic, but there's a grippy-ness that reminds me of red wine. I've heard these can benefit from a decant, and I'd love to try that next time.
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3/3/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Fantastic as usual, and disappeared way too fast. Great nose with lemon, melon, citrus...nice aromatics. On the palate, the bubbles carry the flavors well..Excellent acidity and a touch of tart cranberry, with more citrus...even still, maybe slightly richer than my last btl. Yum!
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1/18/2019 - RichardP wrote: 91 Points
Yellow apple and grapefruit with notes of lemon citrus and yeast, with strong mineral acidity. Excellent as usual, but with the price rising over $80 it's becoming only an average value.
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12/25/2018 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
Shared this bottle on Christmas day while we prepped dinner. Couldn't believe how delicious this bottle was. So delicious in its youth that I don't think I see a whole lot of upside in holding this for the long term. It will likely improve, but it is just so good that I will probably have a hard time resisting drinking them all within the next 5 years.
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12/6/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Etto: Bright and packed with minerals and chalk. Deep yet tart. Loving this.
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11/8/2018 - jctra Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great champagne and great value. Get as much as you can.
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11/1/2018 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Notes from day 2 open, and very yummy. Gorgeous nose with strawberry, cranberry, lime, a touch of creamy vanilla. On the palate, glorious acidity and more pure lime and strawberry. Very primary, but so refreshing. I love these wines.
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10/13/2018 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Lemon, apple tart, yeasty brioche and a nice toast. Has a nice freshness on the palate, and delivers nice orchard fruit and spice. Another very fine Cedric Bouchard Champagne.
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10/13/2018 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
This was tasty. Dry and complex with good depth.
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9/22/2018 - Voodoo_Champagne Likes this wine:
A very delicious wine, color light golden, nose all kinds of berries, taste velvet, fantastic with a long aftermath, yummy, Pinot Noir is king in AUBE.
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7/3/2018 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
My preference runs to blanc de blancs but this pinot noir champagne is gorgeous. So elegant, with a yeasty nose and tremendous depth. Some citrus but mostly tree fruit. Good minerality. Quite the wine.
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6/4/2018 - phil the agony wrote: 91 Points
Champagne qui s’ouvre sur des notes de pommes et très minéral. Il possède une bonne acidité et une bonne structure. Les bulles sont fines et c’est très bon!Plus ample et plus rond que la dernière fois bu.
91 pts
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5/27/2018 - Justin S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Downtown Offline (Water Grill): 2015 vintage. No dosage. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Golden hue reminiscent of an older wine. Sort of a hybrid between champagne and a still wine. Nose is fairly open and floral. Palate is very fresh and marked by rich apple and lemon flavors, nice depth, and a bit of toast. Long finish.
A unique wine worth trying.
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5/27/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
decanted in advance. Rich golden color. Nose slightly waxy, some apple skin. Palate high acidity, nice texture -- rich body, notes of lemon and stone fruits, great clarity to the flavors. Very nice, great with food. 92 pts
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5/20/2018 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Delicious and pretty good value; the nose has lovely stone fruit, lees, and lime. The palate has great tension and yet good richness and volume. Really tasty.
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5/10/2018 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 90 Points
Always a pleasure tasting Bouchard champagnes. This example is very fairly fresh and punchy - very nice but leaves me missing the finesse of his Ursules.
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5/4/2018 - cmueller Likes this wine: 91 Points
I really like this young fresh wine. Pure crisp apple, chalk, lemon zest.
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5/2/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Dinner with Dave (Mathilde, San Francisco): Moderately aromatic, some yeast and richness but mostly steely and fresh; palate is light, fresh, lime, steely, just a hint of the richness, apples and pears; medium finish. Lovely champagne. 90
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4/30/2018 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
PnP was high-pitched and a bit steely, with lemon seed, slate, chalk, and limestone notes. Ultra, ultra pure, with a unique, exacting focus that I have only found in a handful of Champagnes.
Although Cédric Bouchard would’ve likely recommended I decant and wait 24 hours before consumption, I thought I’d meet him halfway and just decant this Champagne for about an hour or two before truly diving into this (as strange as that might sound to some). And voila! The fruit showed beautifully after some air. Tiny, tiny bubbles were interwoven throughout the core, just enough to provide lift. More defined lemon and quince notes, with some white peach, unripe yellow pear, and graphite emerged.
A cerebral and memorable wine to be sure. Not for those looking to chase down those buttery brioche and ripe banana peel flavors. This is NOT that wine. This is all about fine purity of fruit, precise delineation of flavors, and perfect balance and acidity. A wine made for a mathematician who still knows how to party!
94+ points, with upside in the coming years. Drink now with a decant, or hold a few more years. Treat it like a young Cabernet Sauvignon and you will be handsomely rewarded. QPR is pretty good considering how sophisticated this wine is. Some might find it a little linear, but I loved geeking-out on it. If you love rich, heady Champagnes, then best to move on from here. If you long for super pure, unadulterated precision in your bubbly, then check this bad boy out!
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4/28/2018 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Hmm, maybe a step down from the 2014, at least at this stage. Very nice nose with strawberry mousse, citrus and a hint of chalk/slate, mixed with a slightly suggestion of lees. On the palate, the bubbles are a little overwhelming (even after 2 hrs open), but the acidity is spot on, and this is a juicy lemon cranberry composition, with a very long finish. Yum!
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4/7/2018 - stvjackson Likes this wine: 94 Points
An absolutely beautiful, fascinating champagne. The goldish hue is approaching salmon, hinting at a whiff of strawberry that appears on the palate (brought out by any slightly sweet food) and indicates that perhaps there was some brief skin contact. Tart apple and pear, and a little citrus zest round out the fruit. The nose is full of dough and pastry, which turns into a luscious crème brûlée note on the palate. Crisply, refreshingly acidic, thickly moussed when poured, which leaves a pleasant tingle of bubbles long after the mousse fades. Outstanding already, and with only the barest hints of bottle age starting to form (with a little hint of honey and hazelnut), this has potential to develop for a good while.
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3/31/2018 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Yum. Not much more needs to be said.
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3/11/2018 - Derek Nadon Likes this wine:
Pomme jaunes et craie au nez , un champagne très minéral sans le côte rond de pâtisserie , un champagne droit et très vineux . Excellente première impression
bien aimé le style
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3/11/2018 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Très beau champagne, vive acidité, de la pomme verte et beaucoup de notes des sols de Champagne. Je ne suis pas un fan des blancs de noirs ou bien des Champagne à majorité Pinot, sauf que je doit dire que c'est un très bon QPR.
3,5/5
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3/11/2018 - nmichaud1 Likes this wine:
À l’aveugle, offrande d’Étienne. Champagne qui s’ouvre sur des notes de pommes et très minéral. Il possède une bonne acidité et une bonne structure. Les bulles sont fines et c’est très bon! Nous trouvons la prédominance du pinot noir, mais personne tombe sur le blanc de noir. Excellente première impression de ce producteur!
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3/7/2018 - loegaute wrote: 92 Points
Lys, blek gul med et lett rosaskjær. Friske gule og røde epler, kirsebær, kritt, gress, litt røyk, estragon og ananas. Også noen lette aromaer av hasselnøtt og blåskjell. Flott moden frukt i munnen. Bouchards viner har egentlig alltid flott frukt, men kan mangle litt friskhet i varme årganger, så lurte litt på denne. Ingen grunn til bekymring her, masse friskhet og løft. Veldig god konsentrasjon. Ren og presis. Sitter lenge. 92p.
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11/12/2016 - RichardP wrote: 92 Points
No notes, as this was drunk at a party, but everyone agreed that this was excellent.
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10/21/2016 - chandlerc@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Aperitif bubbles. Pale yellow, lots of tiny bubbles. Toasty and yeasty nose, but not particularly aromatic. Light weight, creamy mouthfeel. Like fruit tarts, plums and pastry cream. Finishes clean and tart, like green apple skins.
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7/7/2016 - RichardP wrote: 92 Points
Yellow apple on the nose. On the palate, yellow and green apple, grapefruit, and notes of lemon and pastry, with good acidity. Excellent as usual.
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3/13/2016 - RichardP wrote: 91 Points
Apple and a hint of yeast on the nose; on the palate, yellow apple, grapefruit, and peach, with a yeasty note on the medium finish and a fine bubble.
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12/17/2015 - RichardP wrote: 92 Points
As before -- cider on the nose; cider, citrus, and peach on the palate, with a note of yeast on the finish and a medium to fine bubble. Excellent, and good value for the money at $50.
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11/24/2015 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Apple cider and lemon juice on the nose. On the palate, pear and apple cider, grapefruit citrus, white peach, and a nutty yeasty note on the medium to long finish, with good acidity and a fine bubble. I'm not normally a fan of strong apple flavors in Champagne, but it harmonizes well with the other elements here. Good value at about $50.
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