NV Carre-Guebels Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Réserve Brut

View From the Cellar

• By John Gilman
  Jul/Aug 2011, Issue #34, The Annual Champagne and Sparkling Wine Report: Good Looks at Vintages 2002, 2004 and 2005 And a Plethora of Superb Non-Vintage Bottlings

  (NV Carré-Guebellas Blanc de Blancs Brut Réserve NV) Login and sign up and see review text.

• By Antonio Galloni
  Champagne: The Last Frontier (Dec 2009), (See more on Vinous...)

  (NV Carre Guebels Brut Blanc De Blancs Premier Cru Reserve) Login and sign up and see review text.

• By Josh Raynolds
  November 2007, (See more on Vinous...)

  (NV Carre Guebels Brut Reserve Blanc de Blancs) Login and sign up and see review text.

Burghound

• By Allen Meadows
  4th Quarter, 2007, Issue #28, (See more on Burghound...)

  (NV Carré Guebels Brut Réserve Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru 1er Cru White) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  11/18/2009, (See more on RJonWine.com...) 91 points

  (NV Carre-Guebels Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Réserve Brut) Light yellow color; caramel, vanilla, chocolate nose; lemon, lemon cream, caramel palate; medium finish

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  9/20/2007, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (NV BLACK LABEL Blanc de Blanc Carre-Guebels Brut 1er) Carre-Guebels Dear Friends, In a nutshell, I was blown away by this producer - one of the highlights of my trip so far (and there have been many). If you have an interest in white Burgundy, Champagne or simply the best wine of the world regardless of what it is, this is worthy of your undivided attention. Working in Montagne de Reims out of the town of Trepail, the “winery” known as Carre-Guebels has to rank as a Champagne discovery of the year. Their wines have been in the US before but the new cuvees about to be released are as exciting as this category sees. The prices are up from last year’s NV cuvees but they certainly justify the tarrif. These are some of the only wines I actually drank over the last few weeks (rather than spit) and that’s saying a lot - I guess I wasn’t counting on them being out of cafe so I had to be escorted back to the train depot not to fall prey to the growing number of DUI roadblocks popping up around France (and Italy, Spain and Germany). Keep this in mind if you are planning a trip to Burgundy, Bordeaux or other... Working exclusively with premier cru holdings in the area, Michel Carre-Guebels specializes in two non-vintage cuvees that are both equally as exciting and considered at the same level (one with a percentage of Pinot Noir and the other a pure Blanc de Blanc of 100% Chardonnay). Not to put down any of the known boutique producers (like Pierre Peters, Larmandier-Bernier, Gaston-Chiquet or others) but many of the “small” growers have become so widely distributed that one has to wonder how they are producing so many cases of Grand Cru level wine? With Champagne, one must stay ahead of the commercial road (or the “discovered” road) as the hands-on aesthetic that is required to make wine of piquant detail can be fleeting - especially when the lure of the almighty Dollar (or Euro) starts to weigh on the producers mind. Michel Carre-Guebels is still at the unknown stage and the motivation is 24/7 - a perfect chance to acquire the wines at the peak confluence of price/value. Yes, there are great wines made by large producers (like Comte de Champagne, Dom Perignon or Salon) but you will pay dearly for the privilege. This lot of Champagne is directly from the riddling rack in the winery cellar, with the utmost provenance I can muster VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fantastic quality at prices that are as low as I’ve seen for this level: Both are EXTREMELY LIMITED - I could only get a small amount of each as the entire production is already fully subscribed: NV Carre-Guebels Brut “Tradition” (Reserve) 1er STRICT LIMIT 6/person This is Michel’s cuvee with Pinot Noir (mostly Chardonnay with 15-25% Pinot Noir) and it is a serious wine. The clarity and energy in this wine are something one must taste to really give due credence. To give you an idea, here is the review of last year’s lot, but I found this new release to have everything in much broader and finer detail with a masculine presence and cutting verve that is truly outstanding (versus the Black Label below that is much more feminine and Margaux-like in stature - both wines are equally enticing for different reasons). Think of the Tradition as the accompaniment to rich starters that require a biting kick in the rear and the Black Label below as the seductress that floats effortlessly by as you try to grasp the brilliance of flavor: NV Carre-Guebels Brut “Blanc de Blanc” Black Label (Reserve) 1er STRICT LIMIT 6/person This is also the review of last year’s lot, but again, this wine has more of everything - including the above mentioned finesse and a sublime, ethereal nature that is tough to describe - really one of Champagne’s top 1er Blanc de Blanc examples at the moment: Only 25 cases imported. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Champ8100 Champ8200