New Years Day: Vrai Champagne, Ninth Annual Edition
Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN
Tasted Thursday, January 1, 2026 by rocknroller with 79 views
Introduction
This was the 9th Annual Edition of the New Year's Day Vrai Champagne extravaganza hosted by Brad and Marcia that started back in 2017 (only skipping 2021 during the pandemic). We had a group of around 26 this year. Every year this is a benchnark event to turn the page and provide hope for the new year. This year was exceptional with some fantastic wines. The food continues to be another highlight as everyone really brings such great appetizers. Thanks to all for sharing your wines, food and friendship now and through the years. Happy New Year to all!
NV Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Premier Cru Les Terres Fines Blanc de Blancs 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Small pour. Brief note. Citrus, lemon peel, oxidative, strict. Ok, but not really my style. 89-90pts.
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NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Premier Cru Les Vignes de Vrigny 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Small pour. Brief note. The requisite class and purity of E-O. Pretty and balanced with poise and class. Very nice. 92+pts.
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NV Louis Roederer Champagne Collection 245 93 Points
France, Champagne
Small pour. Brief note. Based on the 2020 vintage (55%) with 10% of grapes aged in oak from 2010/13/15/17/18/19 and 35% from the perpetual reserve going back to 2012. Toast, deep, pear, almond, stone, long and fresh, impressive again. Great value.
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NV Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Small pour. Brief note. Consistent with all my notes. This is classy stuff, so well balanced, energy, finesse, brioche, green orchard fruit, fine minerality. 92 to 92+pts.
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NV Bernard Lonclas Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
France, Champagne
Small pour. Brief note. This was pretty aggrerssive, foamy mousse, apple peel, coarse chalk. Needs food. Gut 89-90pts.
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NV Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
Small pour. Brief note. Nothing truly remarkable, but a well made straightforward Champagne that won't disappoint. Citrus, limestone, yeasty. 90+pts.
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NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve Extra Aging 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Small pour. Brief note. This one caught my attention, crisp and on point, lovely, toast, expressive, good breadth, excellent mineral definition, balanced. Really good 92+ and maybe a bit better.
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NV A. R. Lenoble Champagne Cuvée Intense Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne
Small pour. Brief note. Consistent with a bottle from a couple weeks ago. Rich and intense as the name gives away.
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2005 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé Rosé 91 Points
France, Champagne
Light Sockeye salmon color. Small pour. Brief note. This was still good, but was not at the level of past bottles. The fruit was faded and it was not as bright overall, a little angular on the finish as well. This one was showing some age. I have one that was a gift lurking about, and I don't think I will wait very long to drink it.
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NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Rubis 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Medium strawberry color. Small pour. Brief note. This has more intensity, lots of red berry fruits, citrus, chalk, yeast, fairly creamy texture, and plenty of of spiciness on the back end. 91 to 91+pts.
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NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Pale salmon color. Small pour. Brief note. You know, it's all about how you express yourself. Well this comes off so well and exquisitely balanced; bringing the red fruits, fine mousse, bread dough, crystalline minerality and delicate spicebox to full fruition. Lovely and suave, I love these. 93pts and maybe better.
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2015 Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage Rosé 91 Points
France, Champagne
Light -medium salmon color. Small pour. Brief note. Well this has come a long way since we had it at Moet & Chandon a couple years ago. It was pretty unbalanced and not ready back then. This was a different story, clean and fresh with citrus, cherry and spice that finish well now.
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NV Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Rosé de Blancs Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Very pale pink color. Tiny pour. Brief note. Well I wasn't sure if I'd had this before, but then I came across my note from 3 years ago. We had this at the very end of the night, so just a little taste for science. Very nice, delicate and precise, light, cherry, biscuit, chalk. I don't recall ever seeing an offer on it, but I'd be if it I did. 91+pts.
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2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut 95 Points
France, Champagne
Medium plus blood orange color. Small glass over 20 minutes or so. 70%PN, 30%C. It's been a touch over 4 years since my last bottle. This is no wallflower for sure. Deep and toasty, penetrating on both the nose and palate, offering up a complex mix of raspberry, strawberry, blood orange, spicebox, dried flowers, spicecake, chalk, and almond with a rich, creamy texture. There's a lot of power and weight here, not heavy, but perhaps not quite as ethereal as previous bottles. Last bottle and going out strong.
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NV Déhu Père & Fils Champagne Cuvée La Rue des Noyers Extra Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
Just a small taste of this. Powerful, strict citrus, linear and minerally, hazelnuts. I'm generally not a big fan of 100% Meunier, but this is pretty good. 91+ to 92pts.
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2016 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Special Club Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay 92 Points
France, Champagne
Pale gold color. Small pour. Brief note. Youthful and crisp, green apple, apple peel, anise, stone. Good, should get a bit better.
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2003 Dom Pérignon Champagne 95 Points
France, Champagne
Light plus gold color. Small pour. Brief note. The oft maligned and perhaps even misunderstood '03 Dom has achieved redemption from those that panned it back on release. I always thought this was good, but it just kept getting better and better over the years. I wish I had stocked up more at this point, as mine are gone. We had the splendid '04 P2 the night before, and while that was otherwordly, this did not tuck it's tail in comparison. On the contrary, this stood on it is own with so much energy and autolytic grace, poised and balanced in an effortless display. Outstanding. Easily 95pts.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Édition 168ème 96 Points
France, Champagne
Light gold color. Small glass. The 168 is a 2012 base vintage. Side note - we had this just a couple nights ago at the holiday party, and it was good, but not all that expressive. It made me rethink whether I was going to bring this bottle in the wake of that one. In the end, I decided to go with it, and it was a completely different wine, as everyone agreed. So bottle variation, or whatever, this was glorious. Fine bead, bright mousse, fresh air, incredibly complex and nuanced on both the nose and palate. The nose is way up in the upper register, sending out Chantilly cream, toast, almond paste, amaretto gelee, fine spice, biscuit, pear, white apple, and bursts of white flower petals. The palate resonates on the same level as the nose. Blissful, easy, nuanced and fine, no oxidation, very fresh, so full ready to go tonight, with length and harmony. 96+ to maybe 97pts.
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2013 Rare Champagne 94 Points
France, Champagne
Shimmering light gold color. Small pour. Brief note. Had this 3 weeks prior and this bottle raised the ante to the niext level. This was probably better chilled too. Sea breezes, toasty, citrus, ocean vibes, star anise, vibrant, balanced, long.
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2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 95 Points
France, Champagne
Small pour. Brief note. Excellent, though still a bit reclusive from being at it's most fully expressive peak. Some bottles have really hit that mark, and this one was close but didn't have the full complement of complexity. Yes, a bit nit picky, but still true. No toast, orchard fruits, light green apple chiffon texture, almond, dried white roes, biscuit, Meyer lemon, chalky, medium plus length.
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