The 12 Champagnes of Christmas
The stellar, Pinot Noir-driven, Champagnes of Jean Lallement have been unavailable to us for the past few years. This tiny grower-estate's production averages a miniscule 1700 cases from ten acres of vines split between the Grand Crus of Verzenay and Verzy. Furthermore, the lion's share of the U.S. allocation had been reserved for savvy east coast restaurateurs. Now, due to the persistent sourcing efforts of a small California importer we have, once again, gained access to this long-time staff favorite. For value and immediate enjoyment Lallement's mid-range Brut Reserve is our top portfolio pick. This outstanding iteration is drawn mainly (80%) from the 2020 harvest and freshened with wine from 2021. It is an old vine (35 plus years old) assemblage with a well-melded dosage of 4 grams per liter. The nose pleases a cornucopia of scents including that of Mirabelle plums, wild strawberries and filberts while the palate features a lively play of Queen Anne cherries, quince and baking spices that rise up in the long, expansive finish. This full-framed farmer fizz leaves an enduring Burgundian impression that makes it a perfect call for Holiday fare.
VINOUS WINE MEDIA 93 POINTS - "Tiny bubbles of great persistence. Like all of Jean Lallement’s Champagnes, the nose is understated and discreet, offering up delicate floral aromas of ripe citrus, wild strawberry, black tea, and orange pith. Piercing and lively on the attack, filled with a fabulously mineral mix of ripe apple, quince, and smoke. Perfectly poised on the mid-palate, in many ways far more Burgundian than Champenois, finishing with superb refinement and length."
JOHN GILMAN 91+ POINTS - "The Jean Lallement et Fils "Cuvee Reserve" is a blend of eighty percent Pinot Noir and twenty percent Chardonnay, for Monsieur Lallement's older parcels, with the average age of the vines thirty years. The vins clairs are fermented in stainless steel and undergo full malolactic fermentation. The domaine has holdings in Verzenay, Verzy and Ludes, with the Cuvée Reserve hailing exclusively from the first two of those villages (hence its grand cru status). The bouquet is deep and youthful, wafting from the glass in a blend of apple, a touch of quince, sourdough, incipient nuttiness and a lovely, complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite primary, with snappy acids, fine focus and grip, frothy mousse and a very long, vibrant and still slightly green finish. All this lovely wine needs is a bit more bottle age to blossom, as the constituent components here are excellent, but it is still a bit on the young side for primetime drinking."
The stellar, Pinot Noir-driven, Champagnes of Jean Lallement have been unavailable to us for the past few years. This tiny grower-estate's production averages a miniscule 1700 cases from ten acres of vines split between the Grand Crus of Verzenay and Verzy. Furthermore, the lion's share of the U.S. allocation had been reserved for savvy east coast restaurateurs. Now, due to the persistent sourcing efforts of a small California importer we have, once again, gained access to this long-time staff favorite. For value and immediate enjoyment Lallement's mid-range Brut Reserve is our top portfolio pick. This outstanding iteration is drawn mainly (80%) from the 2020 harvest and freshened with wine from 2021. It is an old vine (35 plus years old) assemblage with a well-melded dosage of 4 grams per liter. The nose pleases a cornucopia of scents including that of Mirabelle plums, wild strawberries and filberts while the palate features a lively play of Queen Anne cherries, quince and baking spices that rise up in the long, expansive finish. This full-framed farmer fizz leaves an enduring Burgundian impression that makes it a perfect call for Holiday fare.
VINOUS WINE MEDIA 93 POINTS - "Tiny bubbles of great persistence. Like all of Jean Lallement’s Champagnes, the nose is understated and discreet, offering up delicate floral aromas of ripe citrus, wild strawberry, black tea, and orange pith. Piercing and lively on the attack, filled with a fabulously mineral mix of ripe apple, quince, and smoke. Perfectly poised on the mid-palate, in many ways far more Burgundian than Champenois, finishing with superb refinement and length."
JOHN GILMAN 91+ POINTS - "The Jean Lallement et Fils "Cuvee Reserve" is a blend of eighty percent Pinot Noir and twenty percent Chardonnay, for Monsieur Lallement's older parcels, with the average age of the vines thirty years. The vins clairs are fermented in stainless steel and undergo full malolactic fermentation. The domaine has holdings in Verzenay, Verzy and Ludes, with the Cuvée Reserve hailing exclusively from the first two of those villages (hence its grand cru status). The bouquet is deep and youthful, wafting from the glass in a blend of apple, a touch of quince, sourdough, incipient nuttiness and a lovely, complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite primary, with snappy acids, fine focus and grip, frothy mousse and a very long, vibrant and still slightly green finish. All this lovely wine needs is a bit more bottle age to blossom, as the constituent components here are excellent, but it is still a bit on the young side for primetime drinking."
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