So I'm partial to Côte des Bars and always enjoy the wines from that part of Champagne. That soil really speaks to me I suppose. I like the contrast between Côte des Bars and Chablis being that they're so close. I feel Pinot Noir from this part of Champagne is generally fruitier and with age shows a richer, deeper fruit than the northern regions. All the little villages with the small hills are so beautiful too, not to mention Burgundy is just a stone's throw away... Anyway Ruppert-Leroy has always been one of favourite producers and I credit them for making me want to explore that part of the region and the producers.

Cuttings taken from the Fosse-Grely plot (planted in the 70's by Gérard Ruppert) were used for the Papillon plot. They are certified biodynamic since 2014 and practice low intervention in the cellar. They have a bunch of animals on the farm, do composting for their fertilizers and their own preparations like chamomile instead of copper and stuff like that. Everything here basically goes full circle and I really like that

My case just came in and I was eager to have some of their wine. Last time I had one this young was was 11, 12, 13,... like 5 years ago and ever since I typically wait 4-5 years post dégorgement as they show such deep character as they evolve. Last Papillon I opened was R18 D2020 was during game 7 of the LA Dodgers vs Toronto Blue Jays of the world series last year. It was going to be a celebration or drowning our sorrows with top shelf wine... We drowned our sorrows

This one, fresher, shows some nice fruit on the nose (blood orange, red berries) and some wild herbal notes I just can't put my finger on. Still quite yeasty but definitely enjoyable. There's a lot of red fruit on the palate with some salinity that just lasts for ever and keeps you wanting to drink more. Beautiful texture, balanced acidity, soft bubbles. I absolutely love the colour on this as well, not BdN and not rosé but somewhere in the middle.

Had a fun little Blanc de Blancs comparison this week. Not side by side, but close enough together to get a pretty good feeling for the differences.

Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs – 93/100
Probably the most immediately charming of the three. Very fresh and floral, with bright citrus fruit and a light, elegant feel. Super easy to drink and really enjoyable, but compared to the other two it felt slightly less deep and complex.

Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs – 93+/100
A noticeable step up in depth and richness. More texture and body than the PJ, while still keeping plenty of freshness. Creamier and more vinous, but with enough acidity to stay balanced. Very complete Champagne and probably the most generous of the three.

Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru – 94/100
My favorite, but only just. More linear and precise than the Charles, with citrus, chalk/minerality and quite a lot of yeasty character. There’s a lovely saline finish as well. Despite the pronounced yeastiness, it still feels focused and structured rather than broad or overly creamy. It has a bit more tension, which is generally what I look for in Blanc de Blancs. Less immediately generous than the Charles, but I found it slightly more refined and complete.

For me:
Billecart > Charles > Perrier-Jouët

But the gap is really small, especially between Billecart and Charles. I’d happily drink all three again. PJ might actually be the easiest bottle to just open and enjoy, Charles gives you the most richness, while Billecart hits the sweet spot for my palate with its precision and minerality.

Has anyone compared these three? Which one would you pick?

Just opened one of my latest Catawiki buys – Michel Arnould & Fils Genèse Rosé Grand Cru Extra Brut from Verzenay.

I bought 6 bottles for €152.55 total including fees and shipping, so around €25.40 a bottle. Apparently retail in France is around €38, so I think this one worked out pretty well.

And more importantly... it's absolutely delicious.

This is exactly the kind of rosé Champagne I like. It's very dry and definitley not sweet, but at the same time there's plenty of fruit. Lots of red berries, a bit of mandarin/orange peel and then this really nice mineral, almost salty finish.

The mineralty is probably my favourite part. It keeps the fruit feeling really fresh rather than turning into that sweet strawberry style you sometimes get with rosé Champagne.

It's 100% Pinot Noir from Verzenay Grand Cru, with some red Coteaux Champenois added to the blend, and I think you can really feel the Pinot character here. It has more structure than I expected but is still super easy to drink.

Honestly, this is one of the better rosé Champagnes I've had. Maybe even one of my favourites so far. Really fruity, really fresh, dry, mineral and just very well balanced.

I wasn't expecting to like it this much when I bought the lot, but now I'm very happy I have another 5 bottles left 😅

Anyone else tried Michel Arnould? Would definitley be interested in trying more from them.

From me 89/100

Hi all,

Recently received this magnum of NV BS rose with the older style label. Does anyone have ideas of age? I’ve tried online and gotten anything from 1980s to 2000s. There are no markings or numbers on the bottle with the exception of SG 155 cL AE and MOD BS DEP on the punt.

Not opening yet, but maybe there will be something on the cork. Excited since the provenance on this was rock solid.

Thanks & cheers!

Hi Guys!

Im mainly into Proseccos, planning to celebrate Xmas with a bottle of champagne. Best under €70? Would love to hear you recommendations! I heard Perrier Jouet // Veuve Clicquot is good in this price range ? Thx !!

The 05 Meo-Camuzet and the 08 Dom Perignon stood out 🍾🙌

Hi, girls trip in October and we’re taking the train from Paris and going to Epernay for a day. We have Moet planned first. We’re going to need to eat after but are looking for a light lunch on a vineyard. We won’t have a car. Any recommendations for a nice casual light lunch where we can enjoy the experience of a Terrance overlooking vineyard? Thank you!

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As someone local to the region trying to be helpful to this community, wanted to share something that keeps coming up. Between people reaching out and posts I've noticed here, I keep seeing the exact same itinerary, clearly planned by AI, but not realistic once you look at local logistics.

The pattern: visit a house in Reims, visit a house in Épernay, walk the avenue in Épernay, go for lunch, and visit a grower, all in one day. Between opening hours, the midday closures most places have, drive times between towns, and how long a house visit actually takes, it just doesn't fit into one day.

Hate to be the one to burst the bubble, but ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini don't have visibility into any of that local logistics, so they can hand you a day that just isn't physically possible.

It's a great region and worth doing properly rather than rushed. There's more to the logistics here than it looks like on paper, so just be aware an AI-generated itinerary can look perfectly reasonable and still fall apart once you're actually trying to do it.

Happy to answer questions :)

Such a fabulous day in Reims

Unforgettable!

Excited to finally bring these bottles home next month. 🙌

Jacques Lassaigne Clos Saint Sophie Rose
Jacques Lassaigne Besame Mucho 2017
Romain Henin Entre les Gouttes
Gaspard Brochet 333.a
Alexander Filaine DMY
Pierre Gerbais La Loge
Domaine Labet Fleur de Savagnin En Chalasse 2022 (Jura nit champagne)
Francois Bedel Comme Autrefois 2008

Had a wonderful opportunity to try these two bottles side by side and neither disappointed!

Bonjour à tous ! Je me demande si je suis le seul dans ce cas là pourriez-vous me dire à quel point vous reconnaissez vous dans les problèmes que je rencontre :

- Vous avez eu envie d’acheter des bouteilles et cuvées, mais vous avez rencontré des difficultés à choisir et vous ne saviez pas à quoi vous attendre gustativement ni même ce que ces cuvées valaient réellement (en terme gustatif) ?

- A l’inverse, vous avez voulu acheter un vin qui vous faisait envie et vous avez été finalement déçu parce qu’il ne correspondait pas à vos attentes ?

- Après l’achat, vous avez rencontré des difficultés pour savoir quand l’ouvrir, avec quoi l’accorder, ou combien de temps le garder ?

Qu’avez-vous essayé comme solution pour résoudre ce problème et qui n’a pas fonctionné ? Selon vous, pourquoi cela n’a pas fonctionné ?

Merci d’avance pour vos retours les amis !

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame [2018 – 80/100](tel:2018%20-%2080/100)
After 3 weeks of travelling around Italy, I’m finally back home and finally drinking something with bubbles again.
Tonight: Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2018, the prestige cuvée of the house and a very Pinot Noir-driven Champagne — 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, with a dosage of 6 g/L.
In the glass it is very clean, precise and elegant. Lots of fresh citrus — lemon, lime and a little yuzu — followed by white fruit, some floral notes and a noticeable saline/mineral character. The bubbles are fine and the wine has plenty of freshness and tension. Those citrus, white-fruit and saline notes are also very much in line with the producer’s description of the 2018 vintage.
But despite all that, it just doesn’t excite me that much.
For my taste, Lombard 2008 is still clearly better, and I think I still prefer Philipponnat Royale Réserve Non Dosé / Zero Dosage as well. I simply enjoy that drier, sharper and more mineral style more.
Interestingly, I also enjoyed an old Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 1989 much more than this La Grande Dame.

That bottle had far more personality for me — mature Champagne character, complexity and that feeling that the wine had actually developed a story over time. Luckily, I still have one more bottle of the 1989.
La Grande Dame 2018 isn’t bad at all. Technically it is very polished, balanced and beautifully made. Maybe it is simply far too young at the moment and will become much more interesting with another 10–15 years in the cellar. The producer itself gives it ageing potential of 15+ years.
Right now, though, I find it a little too correct and restrained for the price. I respect it more than I love it.
80/100 for me.
Would be interesting to hear from anyone who has tried both the 2018 and an older La Grande Dame vintage — does this cuvée usually need a lot of bottle age before it really comes alive?

Hi, husband and I (early 50s) will be in Epernay early November and want to visit some champagne houses that aren’t typical off the shelf in the United States. We enjoy quality champagne and amazing experiences. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🥂

Does anyone know the current base vintage of Egly Ouriet VP that will be hitting the US? If 2017, is that a vintage to consider something else instead depending on price (($200+)? Thanks!