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Henri Billiot Rosé Champagne NV, Reims France
RETAIL 74.99 – GGWC 69.99 net item
Champagne BILLIOT has existed since 1937, owned by Mr. Louis Billiot who then separated it between his descendants, brothers and sisters of Henri Billiot. But it was 1960 that the Champagne H Billiot & Fils was established by Henri himself, who invented and created the cellars at 1 place de la Fontaine and was later on managed by Mr. Serge Billiot who developed the reputation of their wines and diversified the range and imagined their Special Cuvées. Today, it is now managed by Laetitia Billot, proud to be the 5th Generation who is in charge of the management of the exploitation, production and development of their wines after 18 years of family work. The Billiot cellars dominate the main square of Ambonnay, one of the grand cru villages of the Montagne de Reims, a region famous for its Pinot Noir, the dominant grape of the Billiot wines. The wines are fermented in enamel-lined steel vats, aged in old oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is blocked, as the wines are already quite rich due to the maturity of the vines. The wines are neither fined nor filtered.
Vinous 93 Points: “The NV Brut Rosé is a knock-out. A Champagne of notable intensity, Billiot’s Rosé possesses tremendous richness and power. Sweet red berry fruit, kirsch, rose petal and mind infuse this deeply-colored Rosé with tons of flavor. This is an especially heady, vinous style built on serious texture, with Pinot Noir very much front and center.”
Wine Spectator 93 Points: “Rich and mouthwatering, with fragrant grilled nut and lime blossom on the nose layered with notes of pureed raspberry, kumquat, ground cardamom and graphite. There’s opulence here, but it’s well-checked and balanced by a firm spine of acidity and a salty streak of mineral that shows on the finish. Disgorged June 2020. Drink now through 2025.”
Moussé Fils, Champagne Brut Blanc de Noirs Perpetuelle L’Or d’Eugéne (NV) France
RETAIL 65.00 — GGWC 61.99 net item
Located in Vallee de la Marne in the village of Cuisles, Jonquery, Châtillon-sur-Marne
The Story: The Moussé family has been living in the Marne river valley as growers from father to son since 1629 and as winemakers for 4 generations. They came to Cuisles in 1880, cultivating vines and selling the grapes to the large champagne houses. Born in 1896, Eugène Moussé first took the same step. Later in the 1920’s, when he got tired of the ever-fluctuating grape price and fed up with his dependency on the whims of the buyers, he became one of the first two growers of the canton to start vinifying his own Champagne. The first bottling happened in 1923, which he started commercializing in 1926.
Sales were developing until the 1939 conflict. The 2nd world war endangers all Eugène’s hard work, as he tragically died in the Neuengamme concentration camp in 1945. His wife Suzanne bravely carried on until their son Edmond had recovered and came back from the same camp where he was also deported. In 1947 son Edmond came back from Neuengamme concentration camp. From then, the Champagne Moussé Fils adventure took on a new lease of life. Edmond was a remarkable wine enthusiast and connoisseur. He not only preserved the family traditions, but also took the quality of the wine to a whole new level. Sadly, he got ill and passed away in 1990, which means he never got the chance to keep expanding the company with his son Jean Marc, who joined him on the estate.
The NV Brut Blanc de Noir L’Or d’Eugène Perpétuelle is 80% Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir based on 2018, plus reserve wines. Sweet, perfumed aromatics immediately convey a feeling of sensuality and exoticism. Mirabelle plum, rose petal, spice and mint are all beautifully lifted. Soft, silky and open-knit, the L’Or d’Eugene is a fabulous choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. The fruit profile of the red grapes is front and center. Dosage is 3.5 grams per liter.
Robert Parker 94 Points: “A blend of 80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir drawn from a solera established in 2003. Wafting from the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, mirabelle plum, candied peel and fresh pastry, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with a rich and sapid core of fruit, lively acids and a delicate pinpoint mousse.”
En Tirage 2010 Blanc de Blanc, Beckstoffer Napa Valley
–GGWC 49.99 net item —
SPECIAL OFFER TODAY ONLY!!! 10% OFF when you buy 6 bottles and 15% OFF on a FULL case (You’ll have to CALL ME for the SPECIAL PRICING, as it is NOT available online!!)
When you think you’ve seen (tasted) it all, something else “pops” up. The Beckstoffer family has been growing some of the most amazing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Carneros for years and my old friend Don Baumhefner owner of the Elusive Chateau Beaux Hauts Bubbly produced one of the best bubblies to ever come from California. He just released his recently disgorged 2010 En Tirage “Blanc de Blancs” sparkling wine, sorry cannot call it “Champagne” here, but hey, this is worthy of being called Champagne in my book! Only 322 cases were produced, so this one will go very quick! For those sensitive ones, only 12% ABV
“The pale straw color and very subtle sparkling appearance of this wine, veil what lies beneath. Aromas of warm butter croissant, lemon curd, baked apple, and dried honeycomb give the impression you just walked into a French bakery. Toasty and doughy flavors paired with tart citrus fruit and subtle nuttiness convey the maturity and complexity of a wine developing though lees aging. On the palate, these rich flavors are layered upon each other in a savory mille-feuille of structured decadence. Silky effervescence provides the textural background for an elevated acidity to pierce through the gravity of this wine which perfectly expresses the ethos of En Tirage.” – Desmond Echavarrie, Master Sommelier.
Dosnon Rose Brut Récolte, Champagne Avirey-Lingy
Côtes de Bars France
GGWC 69.99 net item
La Maison Dosnon is located in Avirey-Lingy, in the heart of a unique territory called La Côte des Bars, located in the southern part of the Champagne region, the vineyards are situated on rolling hills of hard limestone soils like Chablis. This terroir, dominated by clay-limestone soils, inspires particularly rich aromas and flavors in the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which acquire an exceptional finesse and fruitiness as they age.
Their knowledge of the most suitable terroirs for this wine, as well as discerning selection of grapes and crus, allows them to craft complex and enticing wines.
The base wine for the Récolte Rose starts as a Blanc de Noirs of Pinot Noir with an addition of Pinot Meunier giving it its salmon-pink hue. Pinot Meunier is not as common in the Côte des Bar as Pinot Noir but Davy feels that it brings a lovely spice and fruit to his Rosé. With the base wine fermented and aged in used Puligny-Montrachet barrels and a minimum of 2 years aging in bottle with a dosage of 5g/L (the same as the Récolte Noire) it bears all the hallmarks of the Donson style – pure, focused, intensely mineral but with a clear, spicy, red-fruit and orange peel lift to the flavors.
Wine Spectator 94 Points: “Delicate spice, floral and graphite aromas lead to flavors of white peach, fresh ginger, biscuit and lemon peel in this harmonious rosé, with a firm and chalky frame. Offers a lasting, mouthwatering finish. 250 cases imported.”
Vinous 94 Points: “Light, bright orange. Redcurrant, orange zest, jasmine and a hint of dusty minerals on the seductively perfumed nose. Juicy, vibrant and taut, offering powerful, spice- and mineral-accented flavors of red berries and candied orange peel. Silky and expansive on a finish resounding with orange and mineral notes.”
Click on the links for some other bubbly suggestions:
Colin 2012 Grand Cru Champagne
A. Margaine Champagne Premier Cru “Le Brut” 93 Points
Laherte Frères NV Ultradition Extra Brut Champagne
Dosnon Rose Brut Récolte, Champagne France
Thienot Rose Champagne NV Reims, France
Stéphane Coquillette Carte d’Or Brut Champagne 92 Points
Gonet-Médeville 1er Cru Cuvée Tradition Champagne 93 Points
Clotilde Brut “Grand-Cru” Champagne, France
Cazals 2009 Champagne Millesime 94 Points
Andre Robert Champagne “Extra Brut” Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs, Le Mesnil
Billecart Salmon Brut Sous Bois Champagne
Monthuys Champagne NV Brut, 750ml
Monthuys Champagne Brut NV in MAGNUM
Carboniste 2020 Rose of Pinot Sparkling
Allimant Laugner Crémant Rosé d’Alsace
Click here or on the links above to order!
Call 415-337-4083 or email frank@goldengatewinecellars.com for availability and priority allocation!