Les Champagnes de Vignerons

Some producers from Les Champagnes de Vigneros were in town. I got to taste the following wines.
A note for the future, when I started to wax enthusiasticly over the 2008 vintage, every producer said "yes, yes, but wait for the 2015´s"...

Click on the producers name to get to their website for info.

Phal B. de Beaufort
2009 Privilege
A new producer that started in 2008. The Privilege has a cool, fresh nose with notes of nuts, lemons and freshly washed clothes. Very, very good.
The taste is dry and salivating with notes of nutmed, orange liquorice and gravel. A fine acidity. 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay.
90p   (tasted 2017/03)

2010 Expression
This 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay is even better, with a cool, elegant nose with notes of spices, dark bread and gravel.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of caramel, red currants and toasted bread. A long, balanced finish.
91p   (tasted 2017/03)

2011 Harmonie Rosé
The Rosé is a blend of 44% Pinot Noir, 44% Chardonnay and 12% other grapes. The nose is restrained and steely with notes of ripening lingonberries and liquorice.
The taste is pure and seedy with notes of red currants, chrushed rocks and iron. A tad foursquare compared to the two previous wines. Some time in the cellar should help.
87p   (tasted 2017/03)

Gauthier-Christophe
NV Mathilde Blanc de Blancs
A light, fresh nose with notes of toasted bread, elderberries and crushed rocks.
The taste is dry and linear with a high acidity and notes of sweet/sour lemons, grass and wet stones.
87p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Reserve
This Solera Champagne consists of 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier. The oldest vintage is 2004. The nose is racy and healthy with notes of red apples, plums and undergrowth. Very good.
The taste is tight and focused with notes of apples, lingonberries, warm grass and chalk. Long and fine.
90p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Paul Devaud
2010 and 2011 vintages make up this blend with 50% each. It has a strong, fine nose with breed and notes of dark bread, dried flowers, smoke and chrushed rocks. Very, very good.
The taste is dry and snappy with notes of red plums, flowers, grass and gravel. A very long, structured finish. Really good.
91p   (tasted 2017/03)

2009 Rosé
The Rosé shows of a cool nose with notes of dried raspberries, chalk and dry warm grass. A bit anonymous.
The taste is young and tight with notes of dry caramel, raspberry liquorice and salty stones. A medium long finish. A tad linear.
86p   (tasted 2017/03)

Gimonnet-Gonet
NV Tradition
A fine, spicy nose with notes of yellow apples, summer flowers and road dust. A fine depth.
The taste is young and fresh with notes of blood oranges, grass and flowers. A very fine acidity. 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir and 2014 as base vintage.
89p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Cuvée Or
This Blanc de Blancs offers up a cool, fine nose with notes of lemon fudge, cool earth and passionfruit. Very fine.
The taste is pure and peculiar (in a good way) with notes of lime, dry fudge, earth and iron. Long and very, very good.
91p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Rosé
The best Rosé at the tasting. The nose is deep and multi layered with notes of strawberries, forest floor, plums and a hint of chocolate. Deep and fine.
The taste is pure and fine with notes of wild strawberries, ckalk, dried flowers and dry liquorice. Interesting enough it is 93% Chardonnay and 7% Pinot Noir, but Philippe describe in detail how he source just the right Pinot fruit for this blend. Geat wine. Buying!
92p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Extra
This is a Extra Brut with 2g/l dosage. The nose is a bit shy with cool lemon fruit and a hint of white pepper.
The taste is young, dry and perky with notes of lemon peel, chalk and grass. Very good in a dry style.
88p   (tasted 2017/03)

2008 Carat de Mesnil
I was looking forward to this, since almost every 08 I have tasted have been fine. This bottle isn´t. The nose is deep but it displays overripe, almost cooked yellow fruit that makes the nose heavy. Concentrated, yes, but maybe too much.
The taste is big and broad with the same overripe fruit as on the nose. A long finish with a piercing acidity. Unbalanced. The others who tasted at the same time seemed to like it...
82p   (tasted 2017/03)

Dérot-Delugny
NV Coiffe d´Or
This wine grower focus on Pinot Meunier, and this cuvée is 80% Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. It has a spicy, complex nose with notes of roasted nuts, Christmas spices, some and assorted red fruits.
The taste is dry and fine with notes of almond paste, dried flowers and spices. Long and really fine.
90p   (tasted 2017/03)

2008 Brut Millésimé
This is a stunner with a deep, vigorous nose with notes of spicy oranges, smoke, nuts and a hint of tobacco. Very complex and fine.
The taste is rich and tight and with notes of blood orange peel, pomegranate and lots of chrushed rocks. A long, impressive finish. 50% Meunier and 50% Chardonnay. Great stuff. Please someone import this!
93p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Cuvée Harmonie
This cuvée contains no Meunier but 50% each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It has a cool, elegant nose with notes of grilled lemons, wet gravel and smoke.
The taste is young and tight - it is made up of 50% of the vintages 2012 and 2013 - with notes of tangerines, smoke and gravel. Very, very good.
91p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Cuvée Des Fondateurs
A interesting cuvée indeed - 100% Pinot Gris! Apparentely the only producer who makes a single Pinot Gris cuvée. The nose is a bit different with notes of asparagus, dried tropical fruit and elderberries.
The taste is very dry and linear with notes of dried tropical fruit, road dust and warm grass. Good but not really my cup of tea.
87p   (tasted 2017/03)

Hélène Delhéry
NV Extra Brut
A stony, fresh nose with notes of almonds, dried flowers and dried up butter cookies. A tad superficial.
The taste is light and dry with notes of dry lemon, dried flowers and gravel. A medium long finish. Good. 45% Menuier, 30% Pinot and 25% Chardonnay.
85p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Perles d´Assemblage
The same blend as above but with a higher dosage, 8 g/l, compared to 4g/l, and the fruit becomes rounder, sweeter and more harmonious. Clearly better.
88p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Perles de Chardonnay
This Blanc de Blanc offers up a deep, clearly cut nose with notes of ripe lemons, freshly cut grass and sweet minerals. Very good.
The taste is tight yet with creamy Chardonnay fruit in the shape of lemon cream, white flowers and some buttery biscuits. Long and very fine.
91p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Éclat de Perles
The Rosé is made up of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay and displays a cool, young nose with notes of dark bread, dried raspberries and gravel.
The taste is dry and seedy with notes of lingonberries, road dust and a hint of cocoa puffs. Good but a tad hollow in the middle.
86p   (tasted 2017/03)

Lacroix Triaulaire
NV Le Biographe
A 67% Pinot Noir, 17% Chardonnay and 16% Meunier blend that has a medium deep, somewhat dusty nose with notes of dried red currants, earth and dried flowers.
The taste is dry and linear with notes of damsons, gravel and a hint of tobacco. A bit foursquare.
85p   (tasted 2017/03)

2009 Champraux
The Champraux has a young, steely nose with notes of red currants, beet roots and moist earth.
The taste is dry and iron clad with notes of ripening blueberries, dusty earth and blood. Different, interesting but not my kind of bubbly. 100% Pinot Noir.
86p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Les Premiers Piquets de Vignes
This is also a 100% Pinot Noir and it shows of a deep, tight nose with notes of red currants, liquorice, dried flowers and beet roots. Very good.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of ripening black currants, iron, green peppers and gravel. Long and distinct.
89p   (tasted 2017/03)

2011 Mont Marvin
100% Pinot Meunier. A deep, dry nose with notes of dried up passion fruit, nuts and spices. Very good.
The taste is young, dry and spicy with notes of dried red currants, dusty earth and Christmas spices.
87p   (tasted 2017/03)

Morel & Fils
NV Brut Réserve
This 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay blends has a open, fresh nose with notes of toasted almonds, dark bread and warm gravel. Good.
The taste is cool and straight forward with notes of dried orange peel, dried flowers and dusty earth.
87p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Rosé de Saignée
The Rosé has a restrained, dry nose with notes of red currants, dried raspberries and flower water. A tad hollow.
The taste is dry and tight with dried red fruits, gravel and smoke. A bit simple.
82p   (tasted 2017/03)

NV Cuvée Gabriel
This Bland de Blancs sports a deep, finely tuned, expansive nose with notes of lemon cream, white flowers and cap gun smoke. Very, very good.
The taste is young, fresh and focused with notes of almond paste, grilled lemons, summer flowers and minerals. Long and fine. Really good.
92p   (tasted 2017/03)