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Country: | France |
Region: | Champagne |
Winery: | Champagne Trouillard |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | NV |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
The House of Trouillard has incredible holdings on the Côtes de Blancs. The vineyard's rating average 94-95, just one of the reasons the Blanc de Blancs has such incredible raciness and elegance. It is a Cuvée of eleven different Crus in the Reims Mountain, the Côtes de Blancs and the Sézannaise region and is the specialty of the house.
Trouillard Blanc de Blancs Brut NV is made of 100% Chardonnay with a green-gold color, characteristic of Chardonnay, and with fine persistent bubbles. This wine has an aroma that jumps out of the glass and is very inviting. On the nose there are seductive scents of warm almond croissant and honey, lightened by some floral notes. Crisp and refreshing in the mouth and lively with a very refined fruitiness and a touch of smokiness typical of wines from the Côtes des Blancs. The elegance and subtlety of the Chardonnay are to be especially appreciated as an aperitif, and nicely accompanies shellfish and fish.
It has become the favorite of those who know Champagne Trouillard.
Reviews:
"A blend of grapes from the Aube and the Marne Valley, this ripe wine shows the structure of Pinot Noir. The fruit's richness balances the low dosage to give an almost bone-dry wine that is full, fruity and that could age further in bottle. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2019), 91 pts
"Aromatic, offering ripe fruit and yeast notes, this is backed by firm acidity, with a lively bead and flavors of Golden Delicious apple, white peach, ginger and whole-grain toast. Drink now through 2018. 2,500 cases made. –AN"
Wine Spectator (Web Only 2013), 90 pts
- Chardonnay du Monde 2012, SILVER MEDAL
This all Chardonnay Champagne is sourced from eleven different crus. It offers a fragrant bouquet of orchard fruit with hints of toasted grain and lemon zest. On the palate, there’s good textural richness and attractive apple and pear complemented by a smoky mineral note. But what we like most about this Blanc de Blancs is its outstanding sense of freshness. 100% Chardonnay aged 2+ years on the lees; 7-8 g/L RS" - - I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 91 pts
The Estate
The Trouillard family has been part of the Champagne business in Epernay since the 19th century with Lucien Trouillard, the founder, showing an interest in Champagne at an early age. He produced his first bottles in 1896. When he passed away in 1966, his two sons took over the operation, followed by his grandsons Luc and Bertrand. In 1979, the House of Trouillard became one of the most important houses in the champagne business. The brothers split the activity in 1990 to focus on their own Champagne labels. However, Bertrand Trouillard shares a small cuverie with his cousins, enabling them to share the costs of production. Bertrand stresses the importance of tradition in the wine making process, but also uses modern methods of production when the quality is not undermined. Only the "jus de raisin" or first pressing is used. The wine is matured in their extensive underground caves cut from the naturally soft chalk where the temperature remains a constant 50°F. Bertrand emphasizes the fact that the French quality laws in Champagne have been raised and the wines must spend a minimum of 15 months of bottle ageing as opposed to 12 months previously. In fact, their Extra Selection Brut spends at least two years on its lees before bottling. They produce 20,000 cases per year (quite small for Champagne) and they export 55% of the production. The house style is similar to a Blanc de Blancs: more emphasis is on the lighter fruit, thus the refreshing, crisp, yet creamy flavors.
At Champagne Trouillard, time is their ally, and patience their secret. Bertrand Trouillard carries on the family traditions while adding his own stringency and tireless quest for perfection.
The Vineyards
They farm 15 hectares (37 acres), divided into 15 parcels of vines, averaging a 94-95 rating. The vineyards are located in the Montagne de Reims in Marne department, Riceys in the Aube, and the Côtes des Blancs on the best facing slopes for maximum sunshine. Vine roots dig deep into the famous chalky limestone soils of the region, which once was under water and hence is full of sea shell fossils. The viticulture method of culture raisonnée is used, meaning pesticides and herbicides are only used when absolutely necessary.
Color: Deep Red
Nose : Red fruits (raspberry, black-current) and flowers (violet).
Palate : Full, rich and ample, long finish, nice concentration.
Aging potential : 7 to 9 years
Surface : 22 Ha. Yield : 40 Hl./Ha. Vineyard age : 40 years Terroir : Clay / chalk, clay / limestone and sandy with pebble stones. Harvest : by hand Vinification : 100% destemmed , long 30 days maceration with a maximum of 34°C temperature
Pairs well with red meats, grilled meats, game and cheeses.
Review:
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre brought up in tank, the 2019 Côtes Du Rhône La Dame Rousse is a big, rich, powerful Côtes du Rhône loaded with notions of smoked black cherries, licorice, scorched earth, and ample minerality. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Southern Rhône that has terrific purity of fruit, ripe, present tannins, and a great finish. I love its balance and it’s going to deliver ample pleasure over the coming 4-6 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 90-92 Points
"For this appellation this is a remarkably restrained and rather elegant red with complex red-fruit, baking-spice and terra-cotta aromas. The self-confidently dry tannins build gently and keep the alcohol well in check until right at the end, when you do feel a touch of warmth. A blend of grenache and syrah. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (February 2022), 92 pts
Antica Vigna Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Superiore is made from 50% Corvina, 45% Rondinella and 5% Merlot.
Ripasso Superiore DOC is an elegant and refined wine, showing a beautiful and intense ruby color. Spicy, with cherry hints and wild berries notes, it features great personality and complexity. In the palate it is rich, very fruity, elegant and still young but already very well-orchestrated, with the typical notes of wild berries that blend well with the complexity of the wine.
20% in steel· 80% in wood for 6 months of which 2/3 in American and French barriques, half of which are used for the second and third time 1/3 in large barrels
Aging:
Fermentation time: about 7/10 days the first and 15 days the second.
Fermentation: at a controlled temperature of 18/20° and second fermentation on the skins of Amarone at 18/20°C.
Vinification: soft crushing of destemmed grapes to obtain Valpolicella.
Drying: the grapes are not dried but vinified fresh.
Harvest: mid-September with manual harvesting of the grapes.
VINIFICATION AND AGENG:
Vineyard management: sustainable agriculture and great attention to natural cycles
Vine density: 4,000 to 5,400 vines per hectare
Vine planting year: from 1972 to 2009
Vineyard training system: guyot and pergola
Soil type: limestone
Exposure: south
Height: 350/400 meters asl
Geographical location: Tenuta di Mezzane, Tenuta di Cazzano di Tramigna
THE TERRITORY:
Pairs well with grilled and roasted meats, as well as cheese.
Rubus Reserve Pinot Noir Russian River is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Rubus Reserve Pinot Noir is sourced from Russian River Valley. It shows complexity with raspberry and cherry notes that dance on the tongue.
Viejo Isaias Juana Cabernet Franc is made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet Franc has an intense bright velvety red color. In the nose this wine reveals a complex expression marked by fresh berries followed by hints of floral aromas. It also displays some smoke and vanilla from the oak barrels. It is rich and balanced in the mouth with an elegant tannic structure and long fresh fruit end.
Vineyard information:
Location: Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, on the highest area of the Mendoza river - Mendoza.
Altitude: 950m above sea level.
Soil: Stony, from Alluvial origins
Coming from our estate vineyards in Perdriel and Lujan de Cuyo.
Aged in 50% French and 50% American Oak barrels for 12 months. First and second use only.
Wine was slightly filtered before bottling.
Excellent when paired with red meats, pasta with spicy sauces, matured cheeses.
Review:
"Hints of plums and dark berries with some dried flowers, following through to a medium body with round tannins and a juicy finish. Bigger in nature. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (March 2022), 92 pts
Vinsacro (Valsacro)( Rioja is predominately 70yr old 55% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo, 10% Graciano and 5% Monastrell aged in American oak.
Dark cherry color. Intense and elegant sweet spices, chocolate and ripe fruit with suggestive toasty aromas that tell us about the aging in good oak. Tasty, powerful, meaty and structured and at the same time easy to drink, very round.
The slogan of our winemaker "Wine is to enjoy". Vinsacro red wine is a wine to be stored, so that positive developments are expected for at least 15 years.
"A modern wine from Rioja Oriental, this is a blend of tempranillo (50 percent), mazuelo (10 percent) and mixed old vines, all farmed by the Escudero family. They allow the fruit to ferment spontaneously, age it in new American oak barrels, and present a wine filled with supple harmonies and long-lasting flavors of plums and tobacco, intensely concentrated and delicious. The oak aging lends a sandalwood note of incense, the meaty Morello cherry notes give it a satisfying feel. Pour it with grilled ventresca tuna. - Joshua GREENE"
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (February 13th 2023), 94 pts
Baron Aime Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose NV is made from 85% Pinot Noir & 15% Chardonnay.
Light pink color with coppery shades. The citrus notes blend subtly with aromas of strawberry, forming a fresh and delicate bouquet. The palate is lively, with notes of grapefruit and fresh bread. Together they form a rich, fresh and vibrant wine.
Review:
"Steely amber color. Aromas and flavors of strawberry, green apple, toasted oats, and creme fraiche with a satiny, lively, finely carbonated, dry light-to-medium body and a tingling, intricate, medium-length finish that presents overtones of slightly under ripe wild strawberries, apricot, warm bread dough, and lemon zest. Lively and bright for a perfect apéritif yet with just enough richness and body to carry you in seamlessly to the first course."
- Beverage Testing Institute (November 2022), 94 pts - GOLD MEDAL - BEST BUY
Trouillard Blanc de Noir Extra Brut NV is made from 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier.
Aged "sur lattes" for 2 years
Color: Golden, fine bubbles.
Nose: Deep, vinous with red berries notes
Mouth: Ample. Sugar dosage gives it wilderness. You will be seduced by its stout, its structure and its vinosity. You will be invaded by a sensation of freshness.
This sparkling wine is only vinified with white juice of black grapes hence its name "Blanc de Noirs", which litterally translate to "White from Black". The exact varietal breakdown is 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier.
It is aged sur lattes, in the bottle, on the lees for 24 months minimum.
Its low sugar dosage makes it an extra dry.
Its full bodied and power features designate it to go with sweetbread, giblet, “bouchée à la reine” and whites meats
Review:
"A blend of grapes from the Aube and the Marne Valley, this ripe wine shows the structure of Pinot Noir. The fruit's richness balances the low dosage to give an almost bone-dry wine that is full, fruity and that could age further in bottle. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2019), 91 pts
"Light yellow-bronze hue. Showing toasty lees aromas and a bright, energetic attack, the Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut offers good balance and complexity in a Champagne meant to be consumed with food. Ripe orchard fruit and brioche like flavors show on a plump, rich palate and persist on the finish. 100% Pinot Noir from the Marne and the Aube aged on the lees for 2+ years; 3-4 g/L RS"
- I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 91 pts
Cheurlin Thomas 'Celebrite' Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
An elegant soft gold color with a refined ring of bubbles. The nose reveals fruity aromas of a complex wine. The mouth is fresh and balanced with a woody finish. A great character with a perfect balance.
Cuvee harvested on the south facing land. The limestone base of the seat is emphasized by a thin bed of Kimmeridgian marl leaving a grayish underground, earth colored by white marl, ground vineyards par excellence. The wine is matured in oak barrel and pipe, second fermentation in the bottle with a minimum of 18 months aging. Reflects the white varieties of the Barrois hillsides.
Cheurlin Thomas Célébrité has rewritten the definition of excellence in Blanc de Blanc Champagnes. As authentic a champagne as can be crafted, the exceptional taste of this Grower’s prestige cuvée is re-writing wine books the world over. An exclusive champagne, produced in limited quantities, Cheurlin Thomas Célébrité is made solely from white grapes varieties and zero added sugar. Célébrité is all natural juice.
Trouillard Elexium Brut NV is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier
Aged 2 years on the lees.
This “cuvee” combines pinot noir’s power, pinot meunier ‘s suppleness and chardonnay’s elegance to give to Elexium all its radiance and its lightness. Its ageing provides beautiful citrus fruits notes, whites fruits and a lightly gold color.
Color: Green pale gold, beautiful intensive and persistent sparkle.
Nose: Notes of citrus fruits, white fruits and white flowers.
Mouth: Sophisticated, light, fresh, silky, elegant with a good persistence. Airy character almost feminine.
Terroirs: AOC Champagne - France, 20 selected vineyards located mainly in Petite and Grande Montagne de Reims, in Grande and Haute Vallée and in Côte des blancs.
This cuvee can be served from the aperitif to the dessert. We recommend that you enjoy with poultry, smoked salmon, whites fruits or sorbet.
Trouillard Comte Decrion Brut is made from 50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay.
The Comte Decrion is clear gold in color, offering fine and attractive bubbles. Elegant and fruit-diven. Supple, ample and well-balanced with good length and freshness.
This Champagne is ideal as an aperitif and throughout the meal.
Review:
Straw green color. Aromas and flavors of peach jam on toast, lemon marmalade, and praline with a supple, vibrant, effervescent, dry-yet-fruity medium-full body and a sleek, appealing, medium-long finish that shows accents of creme brulee and spiced citrus salad. A nutty, juicy, vanilla-kissed Champagne that is sure to please.
-Tastings.com 93 Points
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vintage Brut Grand Eclat is 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from the chalky soils of Chouilly.
This Champagne is full of elegance and finesse. Very complex nose, with a bouquet of aromas dominated by honey, brioche and notes of dried fruits, hazelnuts and sweets. Perfectly matured.
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vintage Brut Grand Eclat is 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from the chalky soils of Chouilly.
This Champagne is full of elegance and finesse. Very complex nose, with a bouquet of aromas dominated by honey, brioche and notes of dried fruits, hazelnuts and sweets. Perfectly matured.
The 2017 was a very different year to 2016 in terms of the viticultural conditions and it was interesting to watch the progression of the wine and scrutinize its quality as it developed over its first two winters. Whereas 2016 had a very mild winter and exceptionally hot summer, this was compensated by abundant winter and spring rainfall. Conversely, 2017 was warm and drythroughout, although summer temperatures were closer to average, whichproved to be a very significant factor allowing for complete, balancedripening.
It is rare to see such tremendous depth and intensity in color as this winedisplays. The freshness of the floral aromas is very attractive with adominance of rockrose, a flower that grows wild around the hills of Senhorada Ribeira. On the palate, it is exceptionally full-bodied, rich andpowerful with black fruit coming to the fore. Gorgeous, ripe fruit isbalanced by the fine tannin structure. On the finish, it is typically Dow,austere and somewhat drier than many other ports. The intense fruit flavors linger long on the palate.
Dow’s Vintage Ports are only produced in years of exceptional quality and represent only a very small part of the total company’s production in that year. On average only two or three times every ten years are the weather conditions sufficiently good to allow for the making of Dow’s Vintage Port.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Dow’s Vintage Ports have been landmark wines in virtually every great year, consistently setting the standards amongst all Port houses. Vintage Ports such as the remarkable Dow 1896, the 1927, 1945, 1955, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1980 and the Dow 1994 are all legends in the history of this great wine. These Ports are still magnificent today, even when 50 or over 100 years old. Few wines can claim this quality and this pedigree.
Dow's Vintage Ports are drawn from the companies' finest vineyards; Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta de Senhora da Ribeira. Each property contributes to the Dow’s unique and distinctive style. When young, Dow’s Vintage Ports are purple-black, austere, complex and intensely concentrated, full-bodied and balanced with very fine peppery tannins.
Over the centuries, the Dow winemakers have evolved a style that suits the house’s key vineyards; fermentations are a little longer, resulting in a drier Port Wine that has become the hallmark of Dow’s. Abundant fruit flavours with hints of ripe blackberries, give elegance and poise to Dow’s. The nose is deep and powerful with strong overtones of violets when young, these mature into fine cinnamon and rose-tea aromas with age. The very high percentage of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional planted on the vineyards result in the powerful structure and aging potential of Dow’s Vintage Ports
Dow’s Ports avoid an over-rich style and requires a very high degree of skill in wine making and great experience in selecting the finest wines of each year and each vineyard. These wines are aged in seasoned oak casks for some 18 months and are bottled without any filtration or fining whatsoever.
Dow Vintage Ports can be enjoyed when vibrant and young or they can be allowed to age for many years in bottle into a soft and delicate wine of velvet-like elegance.
In the 1920’s, the celebrated Oxford Professor George Saintsbury underlined Dow’s outstanding reputation when he wrote in his famous ‘Notes on a Cellarbook’ (first published in 1920), “There is no shipper’s wine that I have found better than the best of Dow’s 1878 and 1890 especially.”
James Suckling, one of today’s leading authorities on Vintage Port was equally impressed by another legendary wine - the Dow’s 1896 - “The ancient {1896} Port still had an amazing ruby colour with a garnet edge, and it smelled of raisins, black pepper and berries. It was full-bodied, with masses of fruit intertwined with layers of velvety tannins. It was superb.” In 1998, when this wine was 102 years old, he awarded this Port an exceptional 98 points.
Review:
Based on fruit from the predominantly south-facing Quinta do Bomfim in the Cima Corgo and Quinta Senhora da Ribeira in the Douro Superior, with Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca making up 80% of the blend. This is opaque and closed in but powerfully ripe with underlying pure berry fruit. It's seemingly quite introverted compared to some of its peers at this stage, but it's still full, rich and opulent on the palate. It also shows the latent power of the vintage, made as it is in a slightly drier style (3.4 Baumé), with lovely minty fruit and full, ripe sinewy tannins all the way through the finish. Long and lithe, and very fine.
-Decanter 97 Points
A dense, thickly textured version, dripping with warm salted licorice, tar and açaí paste notes, while plum and blueberry pâte de fruit, chai spice and chocolate elements fill in behind. Lots of brambly grip flows underneath. Shows a very sappy feel on the finish. Best from 2035 through 2055. 5,250 cases made, 1,092 cases imported
-Wine Spectator 96 Points
This is a dry while also floral wine, perfumed and enticing with its juicy acidity. At the same time, the structure is very present, showing power and dark black fruits. The balance is coming together with the rich fruits and tannins melding into one. Drink from 2028. ROGER VOSS
-Wine Enthusiast 96 Points
Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate brightening of the edges. Black wildberry jam underlaid with delicate herbs and spices, tobacco nuances, hints of blueberry jam and elderberries, schisty notes. Powerful, full-bodied, sweetness present, carrying tannins, dark nougat in the finish, very good length, an imperious style, built for a long life.
Falstaff 98 Points
Alain Jaume Bellissime Cotes du Rhone Rose is made from 50% Grenache Noir, 25% Cinsault, 20% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre
Salmon-pink color, clear and brilliant. The nose is fruity and spicy, reminiscent of wild strawberry and fine Provencal spices. The palate is full, well-balanced and fruity, with a long, fresh finish. A beautiful and delicate rosé.
A part is drawn off the skins with short maceration and the other part is from direct press. Fermentation in stainless steel at cool temperature. Bottling 5 months after harvest.