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Terroir: This cuvée is from two of the best parcels in Moulin-à-Vent: Rochegres and Le Mont. Stéphane Aviron considers this to be one of the best terroirs of Beaujolais. The soils here are white granite with iron and manganese deposits. The vines in the parcels are all old, averaging 65 years old and many over 100 years in age.

Vinification: Grapes are vinified separately until time for the final blending and bottling. Whole bunches are used and then macerated in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for ten days. The wine is aged in neutral Burgundian barriques, 228-liter barrels, that are between three and six years old for 12 to 14 months.

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Burghound 87 - A deft application of wood easily allows the pretty red pinot fruit aromas to shine. The super-fresh and highly energetic flavors possess excellent cut and a lovely mouth feel while delivering solid depth and length. This is very good for its level and a wine that should drink well almost immediately if desired.

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Jeremy's Notes - As ubiquitous as Chardonnay has become, Burgundy is still its homeland and with good reason.  Terroir matters and Burgundy is all about terroir. This is about as good a value in Burgundian Chardonnay as it is possible to find.  Smooth, elegant, complex and long.

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Wine Advocate 88 - Broad and corpulent, the 2019 Saint-Joseph Deschants Blanc is honeyed on the nose, with ripe pear and melon notes. Full-bodied, rich and round, it appears to be a fast-maturing example of this cuvée.

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CRU/JRM - Made in the modern Rioja style, this is a deep, lush, luxurious wine with good structure and length.  Very appealing.

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Wine Advocate 91-93 - Comprising old vines not from la Crau or le Pied Long (two years ago, the Bruniers purchased eight hectares of 60-year-old Grenache, specifically for this cuvée) and young vines from those lieux-dits, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme delivers pretty notions of strawberries and raspberries, plus just a hint of chocolate. Full-bodied but silky, fine and elegant, this looks like the finest wine I've tasted under this label—a solid wine of its own.

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Wine Advocate - 92: Lallement’s NV Brut Grand Cru Cuvee Reserve is cool, implosive and structured, all qualities typical of the 2008 vintage. Sweet floral notes meld into mint, red berries, graphite and crushed rocks. The Reserve is at once rich yet weightless. This edition is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay based on the 2008 vintage with 20% 2009 juice. The low dosage of 4 grams per liter contributes the wine’s tension and energy.

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WA 95 - A much smaller production cuvée, the 2015 Condrieu Clos Boucher (aged 80% in barrel and 20% in stainless steel) is a sensational Condrieu that offers textbook, yet pedal to the metal notes of white peach, tangerine, citrus blossom and hints of minerality. Impeccably balanced, fresh and lively, it should be given six months in bottle and enjoyed over the following 4-5 years.

Vinous 94 - Very light gold. Powerful, mineral-accented orange pith, melon, white peach and violet scents show impressive focus and vivacity. Possesses an impressive blend of depth and finesse, offering concentrated citrus and pit fruit, honey and candied ginger flavors complemented by a subtle anise quality. Finishes with superb mineral cut and lift, leaving suave floral and mineral notes behind. This complex, densely packed wine would complement lighter foods as well as rich ones and, from my experience with older vintages such as the 2005 and 2010, it's a highly reliable cellar candidate.

WS 93 - Ripe and creamy in feel, with pear, quince, almond cream, shortbread and warm brioche notes melded together, backed by a light hazelnut echo on the flattering finish. Drink now through 2020.

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Wine Advocate 90 - This disgorgement of the NV Cuvée des Moines Brut Rosé is from September 2017 and is (probably) based on the 2014 vintage. The salmon colored wine leads to a delicate, fresh and vinous nose with intense red fruit and floral aromas and a refined chalkiness. It's a bit reductive perhaps but nicely round and fruity on the elegant and refined palate. An excellent cuvée of Pinot Meunier (40%) and equal parts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

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Wine Advocate 90 - Disgorged in December 2018, the latest rendition of Besserat de Bellefon's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée des Moines exhibits a toasty, reductive bouquet of bread dough, smoky citrus rind and green orchard fruit. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and nicely balanced, with a frothy mousse, lively acids and a clean, harmonious finish. This is a well-made Blanc de Blancs that reflects this marque's recent progress.

Maker's Notes - "Sculpted from the rocky soil of its terroir, BB Blanc de Blancs offers

a magnificent chain of creamy bubbles of incredible precision. The nose is intense, mineral and saline, with fresh citrus aromas

intermingling harmoniously with floral notes of honeysuckle and acacia. A finely-honed palate with superb structure and magnificent amplitude. Translucent and pure, citrus and lemon compose a symphony of absolute elegance."

Cédric Thiébault

Cellarmaster, Champagne Besserat de Bellefon.

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Wine Advocate 97 - I’m increasingly convinced that Pierre Larmandier produced Champagne’s wines of the vintage this year, and the 2011 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant only compounds that suspicion. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex nose of citrus zest, crisp yellow apples, smoke, warm bread, mandarin oil and oyster shell, it’s full-bodied and fleshy but incisive, with huge concentration, bright acids and a long, intensely saline finish. Totally transcending the reputation of 2011, it has many of the textural properties of a great white Burgundy, married with the cut and chalky grip of Champagne’s Côte de Blancs.

Maker's Notes - This is a Champagne which should be tasted for its own qualities as an aperitif, to accompany poultry with morels, and this cuvée will happily stand its ground with dishes cooked in cream. It must be allowed time to open up, so that you can appreciate its power, complexity and exceptional length. It should be kept for two years (it will gain in depth) and much longer, even, if that’s how you like it.

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