Champagne Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellar Review – Nicely Balanced

We always love taking reader suggestions when it comes to delicious wine, and Champagne Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellar was one such bottle.

This beautiful Champagne was nicely balanced and had a decent hit of lees character while starting to show some tertiary development. Although the price for this one was a bit higher than what we'd prefer (particularly in the USA), it was a great one to try all the same.

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Famille Bougrier Rose d’Anjou 2021 Review – Easy Drinking

Famille Bougrier's Rose d'Anjou was an interesting one to us as the primary grapes in the bottle were a blend of Gamay and Grolleau- two grapes we are not accustomed to see in rose wine compared to widely grown counterparts.

Although the flavors in this bottle were somewhat simple all around, we are interested in trying more roses with this kind of makeup!

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Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial NV Review – Subtle and Bubbly

Whenever we drink Champagne, we often go for the more common blanc de blanc or blanc de noir bottles over rose and other styles. But when we found Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial NV at a duty free store at an approachable price point, we knew we had to give it a try.

If you are looking for a sparkling wine with some intense red fruits and, admittedly, more mellow lees character, this one may need to be on your radar!

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Veuve Clicquot Champagne Review – Delicious at a Price

Whenever we travel, especially to regions that are not known for wine production, we often pick up a bottle or two of sparkling wine at duty free to enjoy somewhere beautiful.

Whenever our duty free shopping happens in Europe, odds are good we are picking up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne to enjoy if only because it is at a vastly lower price point than we are able to find at home.

For a bottle that you are paying for the name recognition as much as you are what is inside, a lower price point is always welcomed!

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Dumenil Reserve 22 Review – A Well Balanced Champagne

We are big fans of Champagne Dumenil, and in the past have tried gems like their Dumenil 1999 and Dumenil Les Pecherines Cuvee which we adore.

Another bottle from this producer we finally got the chance to enjoy is their Reserve NV wine, Dumenil Reserve 22 edition, and while perhaps not as intense as the previous two bottles (which are on the higher end of their portfolio), it is still a gem for those looking for a bottle at a slightly lower price point!

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Chateau La Rose Du Temple Pomerol 2015 Review – Intense Flavor

Although I generally found my WSET Diploma D3 tasting exam to be, in a word, brutal, there were some silver linings to be found. In particular, the 12 wine lineup included some fantastic examples of wines found all over the world.

One such bottle we were fortunate enough to taste blind was an aged Pomerol- a Merlot heavy red blend from the right bank of Bordeaux known for making some of the finest wines in the world.

Not only was that the first Pomerol I had ever tried, it was also exceptional. So much so that the day after the wines were announced, I stopped at a wine store, purchased a bottle of Chateau La Rose du Temple Pomerol, and brought it home to enjoy- hoping it'd be anywhere as delightful as the bottle I enjoyed on my exam.

It absolutely was.

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Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Pinot Gris 2019 – A Gem

As far as grape varietals are concerned, I have to admit that Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio is not one I typically seek out. This relatively mild grape has a reputation for being somewhat simple as far as character is concerned.

I had always known that Alsace was said to produce the most intense and robust Pinot Gris, and when I stumbled upon a bottle of Domaine Weinbach's Clos des Capucins Pinot Gris, I knew I had to pick it up to try.

Arguably my favorite winery in Alsace that has only ever had wines of the highest quality? I can get behind that and didn't look back.

As it turns out, Domaine Weinbach's Pinot Gris is just as spectacular as all of their other bottles, and is helping change my mind on this oft-overlooked grape.

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Domaine Curtet Autrement Rouge 2018 Review – Gamay Blend

We're never ones to say no to an easy drinking Gamay, and when we can find this grape in a blend we almost always have to give it a try.

Domaine Curtet's Autrement Rouge gave us just that with a mix of Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Mondeuse Noir giving all of the hallmarks of a classic Beaujolais but originating from Savoie!

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Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne Review – Simply Perfect

We always love trying Champagne house's premium production lines as they are always worth savoring and talking about. Bollinger's Special Cuvee NV Champagne is no different.

What makes Bollinger's Special Cuvee unique is that this wine is not a vintage Champagne. It has all the characteristics of being an intense, vintage bottle of bubbly but is instead made up of reserve wines that have been aging anywhere from five to 15 years made with grapes from grand and premier cru sites from all over Champagne.

So what you end up is an incredibly intense, powerful wine that can be enjoyed again, and again, and again- assuming you can find a bottle for sale, at least.

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Dumenil 1999 Review – An Exquisite Aged Champagne

After going down the Champagne rabbit hole, we realized that there is Champagne and there is Champagne.

If you have had incredible Champagne, you know exactly what we mean about this. Strong acidity, pronounced fruit and lees notes, an incredible mouthfeel, and a finish that just hangs on.

While we generally like all bottles of Champagne that find their way to our table, only certain bottles are Champagne in this sense. These are often vintage or prestige blends that are some of the top of the line bottles from any producer and often come at a price to match.

Champagne Dumenil's 1999 was one such bottle for us. Although this one clocked in at one of the highest price points we have ever paid for Champagne (about $120 a bottle), oh was it worth it.

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