Champagne Lilbert-Fils Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
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Wine Spectator
This graceful Champagne is like the finely tailored suit that somehow never goes out of style, with a lovely overtone of minerally chalk and brine enticing you into the glass, where flavors of apricot and Marcona almond, and hints of passionfruit coulis and pickled ginger, ride the fine, satinlike mousse. Disgorged autumn 2018. Drink now through 2028.
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Wine & Spirits
Bertrand Lilbert makes this wine from his old vines in Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry, aging the base wine in tank for up to three years, with a shorter rest on the lees in bottle. It’s a distinctive take on Côte des Blancs chardonnay, the pale fruit layering scents of spring blossoms and meadow honey over fresh notes of cream. Toast and lime zest complete the spectrum of flavor, with floral scents that seem to come directly from the lees.
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Wine Enthusiast
Grand cru grapes from the Côte des Blancs give this Champagne great intensity and texture. While the bottling is still a little young, it does have hints of the richness of maturity that will shine through the white fruits and lemon flavors. Best after 2021.
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Vinous
The NV Blanc de Blancs, based on 2019, is racy, open-knit and expressive. Citrus peel, white orchard fruit, mint, lime and white pepper lend aromatic brilliance. Even with the torrid heat of 2019, the Blanc de Blancs retains terrific freshness and verve. This mid-weight Champagne is a real charmer.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’