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Staff Favorites - John Christensen
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Reviews
Egrot Extra Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-28-2023
Egrot's Extra Brut is undoubtedly one of the finest values from Champagne. With top Champagne production in her bones, Elisabeth Goutorbe has delivered us a beautiful Extra Brut, full of verve and finesse. Based on 75% Pinot Noir, the fruit character is perfectly ripe giving off similar notes of a fine Red Burgundy. Surely Extra Brut in style, but with only a 2g/l dosage one would expect this to be an extreme version of Extra Brut, however the ripeness achieved on the vine allows this to be beautifully balanced. All-around, a wonderful Champagne!
Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Prestige" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-28-2023
This flagship bottling from Gilbert Jacquesson is comprised of 40% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir & 30% Chardonnay, and delivers so much bang for the buck. With fresh citrus, ripe cherry, crisp granny smith apple, whiffs of savory herbs and just the right amount of toasty lees from the extensive, near decade-long aging. An absolute stunner for under $40!
Price:
$34.99
Damien Hugot "Hommage 1921" Extra Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-28-2023
A perfect utility champagne for pairing with food or as an aperitif, this swiss army knife cuvée hits all the right notes. Impressively balanced for an Extra Brut, which often can be aggressively acid-driven, the Hommage 1921 delivers a bounty of fresh citrus fruits, roasted hazelnuts, fresh baked brioche and a kiss of vanilla bean. A masterclass in blending and an absolute bargain given the quality in the bottle.
Price:
$39.99
Fallet-Dart "Éocène" Extra Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-13-2023
Based on 80% Chardonnay, the Eocene, coming from Clos du Mont, is a real showstopper. Filled with a bevy of citrus, white florals and hints of stone fruit, leading into a consistent and long mineral-tinged finish. This is an absolute bargain that hugely overdelivers with exceptional complexity for the money.
Price:
$59.99
Fallet-Dart "Grande Sélection" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-13-2023
Where the Cuvée de Réserve is a fun and delightful entry to the portfolio, things get a little more serious with the Grande Sélection. With upwards of 8 years on the lees, the complexity here is unparalleled for the humble price tag. A powerful, yet elegant bottle of bubbles, full of toasty brioche, ripe citrus and a melange of stone fruits. Another stunning value from the fan-favorite Fallet-Dart!
Price:
$34.99
Fallet-Dart "Cuvée de Réserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-13-2023
The Fallet-Dart Cuvée de Réserve is a wonderfully inviting and delicious Champagne! The Pinot Meunier based Blanc de Noir entices the senses with ripe red cherry, crunchy red apple and toasty Brioche, and a sneakily long and persistent finish. A perfect apéritif one should always have on hand.
Price:
$32.99
Krug "Grande Cuvée" 170ème Édition Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-13-2023
The 170th edition of the Krug Grande Cuvée is another triumph for the inimitable house of Krug. Based on the 2014 vintage and including reserve wines going back to the 1998 vintage, this beauty unfurls in the glass revealing layer after layer of complex aromas and flavors. The classic fresh Brioche, hazelnut, white florals, Bosc pear and orange peel grab your immediate attention, with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing flavors and aromas that keep you coming back for more and more. Always rich and flavorful, but light on its feet, this emblematic bottling is one of the best money can buy.
2019 Seigneurs d'Aiguilhe (Château d'Aiguilhe), Côtes de Castillon
Review Date: 02-13-2023
Von Neipperg never seems to miss the mark. Bing Cherry, Cacao nibs, Tobacco, Cedar and baking spice leads to a surprisingly long and persistent saline finish. A brilliant everyday bottle from one of the Right Bank’s most-reliable producers!
2018 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 02-02-2023
Loaded with dark berries and black plum, with layers of savory herbs and baking spices, concluding in a very long finish highlighting Howell Mountain’s classic volcanic minerality. With massive power and intensity achieved from their Howell Mountain vines, this wears the 32 months in new French oak extremely well, and it is impressively integrated at this stage. Patience is your best friend here, but this is one impressive wine in its youth!
2020 Bodegas Lanzaga (Telmo Rodríguez) "LZ" Rioja
Review Date: 12-20-2022
Wow! The aromas just jump out of the glass on this beauty. Extremely bright and floral, this is surprisingly reminiscent of Beaujolais, but is unmistakably Spanish. Juicy and undeniably delicious, this is a perfect red to always have around the house. I would argue this to be one of the finest wines under $20 that I’ve had in years. An overwhelmingly good value for the money and a perfect introduction to the genius of Telmo Rodríguez.
2019 Domaine Hubert Lamy St-Aubin "La Princée"
Review Date: 09-16-2022
A perfect introduction to the style of Olivier Lamy. Precision is everything with the wines of Lamy. Nothing is ever out of place. An ever-changing subtle bouquet draws you into an incredibly long vein of acid that strikes and sprawls across your palate. Many complex layers of flavors reveal themselves, layers of citrus, granny smith apple and pear, with a seemingly endless saline-laden finish. It’s always a memorable experience having these wines.