Country: | France |
Region: | Champagne |
Winery: | Roland (Champagne Champion) |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2011 |
Bottle Size: | 1500 ml |
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru 100% chardonnay.
Champagne with rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
Review:
"Smoky pear and lemon meringue introduce the Carte Noire Blanc de Blancs. On the palate, it offers ripe citrus, rich apple in butter pastry, and an uplifting note of lemon curd with lovely mid-palate depth, fine effervescence, and brisk acidity that provides a successful counterbalance to the richness of the fruit. The finish is solidly dry with lingering rich fruit notes. All Grand Cru Chardonnay from Chouilly; spends 6+ years en tirage. Outstanding value for the price, too."
- I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 94 pts
- Wine Enthusiast (December 1st 2019), 93 pts & Editor's Choice –Roger VOSS"
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru 100% chardonnay.
Champagne with rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
Review:
"Based in Chouilly on the Côte des Blancs, it is obvious this producer will have a Blanc de Blancs Champagne. And very good it is, with some age after six years on lees while still having freshness, crisp acidity and a tight, steely edge. The bottling will benefit from further aging, and it will be at its best from 2022. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2020), 92 pt
This is a 6 liter imperial also called a Methuselah.
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru 2014 is made from 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.
Manual harvest; then pressing immediately to avoid oxidation & preserve quality. Free run juice only. Aged six years on the lees.
It matches magnificently with foie gras!
Review:
"Based in Chouilly on the Côte des Blancs, it is obvious this producer will have a Blanc de Blancs Champagne. And very good it is, with some age after six years on lees while still having freshness, crisp acidity and a tight, steely edge. The bottling will benefit from further aging, and it will be at its best from 2022. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2020), 92 pt
This is a 9 liter imperial also called a Salmanazar .
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru 2014 is made from 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.
Manual harvest; then pressing immediately to avoid oxidation & preserve quality. Free run juice only. Aged six years on the lees.
It matches magnificently with foie gras!
Review:
"Based in Chouilly on the Côte des Blancs, it is obvious this producer will have a Blanc de Blancs Champagne. And very good it is, with some age after six years on lees while still having freshness, crisp acidity and a tight, steely edge. The bottling will benefit from further aging, and it will be at its best from 2022. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2020), 92 pt
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru 100% chardonnay.
Champagne with rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
Manual harvest; then pressing immediately to avoid oxidation & preserve quality. Free run juice only. Aged six years sur lattes.
It matches magnificently with foie gras!
Roland Champion Champagne Dosage Zero is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This cuvée is made for Kysela Père et Fils only. It is a Zero Dosage, meaning no liqueur d'expedition was added during the disgorging process.
It is the same base as the Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Chouilly NV as it is also made from 100% Chardonnay and is produced from the free run juice only. Fresh and delicate, its fine bubbles and wide range of aromas will be perfect as an aperitif. A classic Blanc de Blancs Champagne.
Very complex nose. Elegance and finesse. A surprising aromatic complexity. A bouquet of aromas dominated by honey, brioche and notes of dried fruits, hazelnuts and sweets. Perfectly matured.
Juice exclusively 100% Grand Cru from Chouilly, chalky soil and subsoil.
It matches magnificently with foie gras!
Review:
Produced from old vines in the Grand Cru vineyards of Chouilly in the Côte des Blancs, this is a beautifully crisp, ripe wine, showing taut fruit and fine, stylish acidity. As a Special Club bottling, it adheres to stringent qualitative guidelines set out by an elite group of growers. Still young, it will be best from 2019. -Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
The Champagne Champion Roland Estate
This small grower is located in the Grand Cru Village of Chouilly, in the `Cote des Blancs`. The vineyard of Chouilly has a south, southeast sun exposure, which gives the chardonnay its delicate aromas.
Founded in 1951 by Andre Champion, his son Roland expanded the company by purchasing some new land, and gave his name to the family house of Champagne. François is the third generation of the family and continues in his father’s footsteps. He is the enologist and currently runs the company. He farms their 18 hectares (44.5 acres) and blends wines resulting from different parcels and various vintages to elaborate his Cuvees.
The property consists of 40 different parcels planted with the following grape types:
The grapes are harvested manually, which is the rule in Champagne. Then, the grapes are immediately pressed in-site to avoid oxidation and preserve the quality of the grapes.
The wine is aged in their cellar made of chalk where the constant temperature is 1012°C (50/54°F).
Production is 85,000 bottles (7,000 cases) yearly, part of which is sold “sur latte” to negociants. The remaining 35,000 bottles are sold under their own name.
They produce the following wines:
NV Brut, Blanc de Blanc: 25% of production
Vintage Champagne, Speciale Club Carte Noire: 70% of production
Rose Brut: 5% of production
Currently, all wines are 90% pre-sold to an adoring French clientele. Daughter Carole Champion represents the fourth generation to continue with the property.
Merry Edwards Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The enticing profile of this elegant Pinot Noir was created by blending together individual lots made from several different clonal selections. The grapes come from diverse sites bordering the Sonoma County coast, and each vineyard is influenced by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which is just a few miles away. In the late afternoon, marine winds carry cool fog to blanket these sites, sometimes until late the next morning. This weather pattern lengthens the “hang time” of the grapes on the vine, allowing complex flavors to develop.
The wine possesses a deep ruby opaque color with a garnet red rim. On the nose, it offers aromas of bright Bing cherry with hints of licorice, subtle forest floor and open inviting notes of rose petal, vanilla and baking spices. Rich and lively upon entry, the mouth begins with fruit forward notes of crunchy raspberries and red cherries. Silky tannins are supported by well-balanced acidity and mocha notes throughout a long finish.
Pairs well with potato-crusted salmon, parmesan portobello risotto, chicken macadamia, spicy quinoa with asparagus and shiitake mushrooms.
Review:
Jammy plum, strawberry and dark cherry ooze from the core of this beautifully coastal wine, seasoned in dried herb, clove and black tea. Expressive and varietal, with a thick tannin structure, it has room to open further and unwind, its oak well integrated and its tannins structured.
-Wine Enthisiast 94 Points
Maison Chanzy Clos du Roy Blanc Mercurey Premier Cru is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Maison Chanzy was founded by Daniel Chanzy in 1974 in Bouzeron, located in the northern part of the Côte Chalonnaise region of Burgundy. In 2013, a group of Burgundy wine lovers purchased Chanzy with a group of investors and have since added a second holding in Côte Chalonnaise and Côte de Beaune for a total of 163 acres planted.
With full control of production from vineyard to bottling, Chanzy’s impressive range spans 40 appellations in 8 villages of Côte Chalonnaise and Côte d’Or. The vineyards are farmed sustainably.
Mercurey Clos du Roy 1er Cru Blanc is one of many vineyards in Burgundy carrying the name Clos du Roy thanks to the King designating his best parcels as such. The parcel sits close to the woods and is protected from the wind with excellent exposure, providing consistent ripeness. Mercurey Clos du Roy 1er Cru Blanc is aged in 100% used 228-liter barrels for 9 months prior to bottling.
White Burgundy is typified by aromas and flavors of green apple and lemon and is defined by its structure and expression of minerality. White Burgundy vinified in stainless steel tanks will emphasize its freshness while aging in French oak barrels can lend accents of toast and vanilla.
Review:
A pure and fresh scent of tart cranberry and wild raspberry rises from the glass. The palate of this wine makes the fruit more intense, adds a smokier, more sonorous flavor, while the body remains slender and translucent. Deep juiciness underpins it all and underlines both elegance and unforced balance.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Pike Road Temperance Hill Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes
Bright, spicy cherry fruit is framed by beautiful floral and exotic spice tones. Don't be fooled by its bright red color, this is not a simple or wimpy wine. Lots of layers are woven into this beautifully exotic Pinot Noir with a silky, elegant finish.
About Temperance Hill Vineyard
This second-generation vineyard was first planted in 1981 on what is believed to be the remnants of an ancient volcano. Exposed to the cold Van Duzer winds at an elevation between 660 and 860 feet, Temperance Hill is one of the cooler sites in the Willamette Valley. Soil types are Nekia, Rittner, and Jory with varying slopes and exposures making it a very complex vineyard site. Temperance Hill is an organically farmed vineyard that uses certified Salmon-Safe methods.
The 2017 Vintage
2017 brought us back to what we consider a classic, cool-climate Oregon vintage, a year when our decades of experience paid off. Wet spring weather led to a more typical growing season compared with the past three vintages, all unusually hot. The summer of 2017 was warm and dry, leading to excellent flavor development in the fruit, but we thinned the crop considerably to ensure concentration and ripeness. Harvest was staggered because of the October rains, which meant long days for our crew during the windows of sun. 2017 wasn’t an easy year to farm, but the fresh, fully developed flavors of the vintage make it worth the hard work.
Review:
Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard opens with charcuterie, cranberries, red currant and wild blackberries with accents of amaro, earth and potpourri. It’s light to medium-bodied with floral-tinged fruits, a firm frame and juicy freshness, finishing long and spiced. 200 cases produced.
-Wine Advocate 92 Points
Louis Jadot Nuits Saint George is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Nuits-Saint-Georges A.C. wines are produced on land delimited by the parishes of Nuits-Saint-Georges and Premeaux-Prissey. The soils are basically composed of limestone and marl. A perfect exposure to the east gives the capacity to produce splendid wines. The grapes bear small little dark red berries. The bunches are destemmed; they macerate in open vats during 4 weeks helping this subtle terroir to reveal itself. After devatting, the wines are aged in oak barrels during 18 months.
Pairs with roasted salmon, roasted chicken, grilled red meat : beef, lamb chops, osso bucco, stew, ragout, bœuf bourguignon, duck, partridge, quail, deer, young wild boar, teppanyaki beef, mashed potatoes with salted butter, Cîteaux, Mont d’Or.
Review:
"A dark, blackberry- and black cherry–laced red, with earth and iron accents, a reserved character and a dense structure. Oak spice elements emerge on the lingering finish. Best from 2022 through 2033. 400 cases imported."
-Wine Spectator 90 Point
Ecard Savigny Beaune Blanc Premier Cru Hauts Jarrons is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Golden yellow with green hues. The mouth is sharp, with a nice acidity and mineral note that give complexity to the wine. A complex and delicate nose of white flowers, dried fruits and toasted bread. It will change with ageing towards pear, ginger bread and white pepper
Pair with tender meat, fried river fish, sea fish in white sauce, hot shellfish, poultry in a beautiful creamy sauce and frog legs. Hard cheeses: Comté, Beaufort, Emmental…
Zaccagnini Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 100% Verdicchio.
Verdicchio is an historic wine that has been made since the 1400’s. There is an ancient bond between the Verdicchio vine and the region of Le Marche, a seaside province on the Adriatic sea, which stems from a cherished relationship with the Benedictine, and later the Camaldolese, Monks. The monks helped spread Verdicchio vines – which had been present for centuries – as well as viticultural-oenological techniques throughout the Marche region. The efforts of the monks, along with improvements in the quality of the vines & vinification methods, have allowed Verdicchio to thrive for centuries. At one time, Verdicchio measured 65,000 hectares (158,080 acres) of grapes throughout Italy.
Verdicchio means “little green one”, in reference to the grape and the color of the resulting wine. The Verdicchio grape – which also goes by Giallo and Turbiana (Lake Garda) – is grown across Italy, and it is closely related to Trebbiano and Greco. The grape is subject to mutations.
The wine is refreshing, exhibiting lemon citrus flavors, aromas of flowers and apples, with herbaceous qualities.
Hickinbotham Brooks Road Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
After the hand-picked Shiraz clusters were delivered from high country (210-230 meters) by Viticulturer Michael Lane, the winemaker destemmed and sorted the whole berries into open fermenters. The cold soak was four days, the skins plunged three times daily, and the minimum time on skins was eighteen days. The wine was then basket pressed; its free run and pressings kept separate. To minimize filtration at bottling, three rack-and-returns were conducted over fifteen months as the wine seasoned in a mixture of Burgundy-coopered barrels.
This Shiraz shows the characters this vineyard has displayed since the start, but perhaps in a more elegant, harmonious and balanced form. Its consistency is comforting and reassuring, buttressed by blue and black fruit notes throughout. It is readily enjoyable but has all the structure, acid and tannin to offer decades of rewards from cellaring.
Review:
Thanks in part to the relatively cool year, this is a wine that manages refinement, restraint and beautiful expression of place. The nose is a neatly woven basket of aromas: crushed flowers, red and blue fruit, pepper, mint and cigar box. The palate is full figured and highly textural. There’s a line of powdery, spicy, ultrafine tannins and a streak of high-end oak. Set up for a long and beautiful life, Drink from 2022–2045
- Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Fonseca Vintage Port 1966 has been pulled from a Gentleman's cellar, all wines from this cellar have been purchased by the owner either from the importer or direct from winery. They stayed in his cellar until being moved to the Timeless Wines warehouse.