View From the Cellar

• By John Gilman
  May/Jun 2008, Issue #15, Recently Tasted Champagne and Sparkling Wines

  (Serveaux Fils Brut Millésime) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  11/9/2012 (link) 93 points

  (Serveaux Fils Champagne Brut Millésimé) Light lemon yellow color with steady stream of tiny bubbles; appealing, floral, tart pear, yeasty, white chocolate nose; tasty, full bodied, bright, yeasty, mineral, quince palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 93+ points

• By Richard Jennings
  11/26/2010 (link) 89 points

  (Serveaux Fils Champagne Brut Millésimé) Very light yellow color; focused lime, lemon, mineral, quinine nose; a little oxidative, quinine, chalk, mineral palate; medium finish

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  11/5/2008 (link)

  (Serveaux Brut) A New Light I have a pact with each day and with the sun in particular. I always greet the day with eager anticipation and as long as the sun is willing to rise, I've assured it that I will give the day my all, no matter how tired my hands or tough it seems. I looked out the window this morning at the same sun I always greet - it rose from the southeast (as usual) but today it was more self-assured, it appeared to spread with confidence in all directions - to the north, east, west and south. For some reason, the rays were warmer this morning - the light appeared just a bit clearer. This morning I filled my lungs with a new air - a breath of buoyancy from a country that is different than it was yesterday, different than it was in 1776, different than it was in 1865. Today we breath the air of tomorrow, held in our hands as the most delicate of opportunities. Fleeting for sure, but it is there for us to nurture, to grown and coddle despite what are certain to be missteps along the way. Sometimes our will as human beings can outmuscle our negativity and yesterday that most fleeting of human traits was propped up by a desire bigger than any single one of us. Sometimes 'larger than life' is life itself. 40 years ago, across the southern tier of our country, a significant number of the population could not register to vote - last night they used that vote to sweep away three centuries of depravity and judgment based only on a color and not on the integrity, ambition or intellect of the human being. Is that prejudgment ancient history? Not a chance - we've taken the smallest of steps but the door is now slightly ajar and it's going to take all of us, every one of us, to keep the ever-present wind of resistance from blowing it closed once again. Regardless of who you voted for, there is only one vote that now matters - your vote of confidence - your willingness to give the man a chance. Nothing is free - he will need to earn our respect but he asks for your unbiased arm extended - without precondition. This morning, as I watched that new light rise, I received an email note from a good friend of mine (and customer) - a well-off staunch Republican that has been an advocate of the center-right for years. We frequently exchange musings on the ideas of our time but something struck me in his note today that seemed to resonate with many voters yesterday, he wrote "I've voted Republican for the last 30 years, but when I searched my soul, it was for 'me first' not 'county first' - I voted in most elections to pay less taxes and I certainly benefited more than most from the last eight years. I paid the lowest taxes of my adult life and I made the most money. Yesterday I voted for the Blue side and you know what - for the first time I did it for 'country first' - I think the wrong guy had the slogan in this year's race. As a small-biz owner, I know I'll pay higher taxes, probably a lot higher but for some reason, I don't mind". Last night we let enormous pressure out of the bottle so let's go ahead and pop the cork on a new frontier...even if you voted on the red side of the fence (which many of us did), my faith in our ability to reach a common good is what motivated the original settlers to unify this land in the first place. Easy - no. Possible - you betcha'. Here's to you America. - Jon Rimmerman ************************************************** 2002 Champagne Dear Friends, As long as we're talking about popping corks, how about a vintage of a lifetime to help lubricate the cog-wheels? I've continued to pound the pavement to come up with the last of the 2002 grower or small-batch Champagne I can find and this is one of the best. With most small producers already on to 2004 at this point, I'll take whatever 2002 vintage material I can convince the top-tier to part with. Acclaim for this producer has gone from the complete unknown to quasi-star in less than a decade. Most of the attention is paid to their NV cuvees but they also make a small amount of vintage stock that is their "grand cru" effort. The 2002 is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay and it will captivate with its broad and tactile presence. The structure of this wine is wrapped in a cellophane-like acidity that holds a bottle of masculine ball-bearings made of solid ore delicately dipped in marzipan - the ball-bearings are perfectly spherical, never obtuse, and the elements roll together through the palate to provide a gracious, complex aperitif or accompaniment to the meal itself. Large-scaled but still filigreed, many of you will find a lot to like in this Champagne and it should age for at least another decade or more. In other words, this is special effort. As I've said in the past, almost any top-drawer 2002 Champagne represents an opportunity for investment - it doesn't have to be Dom Perignon or Krug. Compared to white Burgundy or even top-level Chablis at this point, 2002 Champagne is a relative bargain for the potential ageing ability and the certain surprises in store each time a bottle is uncorked. You can check reviews of Burghound and Tanzer on the NV Serveaux cuvees but this is the cr_me-de-la-cr_me of material in 2002 (the NV wines only used a small amount of 2002 for depth and backbone). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a distinct example of the new face in Champagne that is still reasonably priced for 2002 vintage stock. This parcel is directly from the source with perfect provenance: 2002 Serveaux et Fils Champagne Brut Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Champ9960