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: Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

SKU #1231616 92 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark This is a rich and full Chardonnay-based Champagne. It has a sunny disposition while not forgetting a more textured core. (RV) Inner quote mark (12/2021)

91 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark Dried apricots, lemon curd, pears, brioche, chalk and custard on the nose. Medium-bodied with sharp acidity and fine, focused bubbles. Excellent concentration and length with some saline and biscuit notes to close. Dry. Inner quote mark (9/2021)

K&L Notes

This unique, all Chardonnay Champagne comes from a nine-and-a-half acre single vineyard called the Chantemanche, in Saacy-sur-Marne. It might be the most western vineyard site in all of Champagne, and is actually so far west that it is in the Paris district, on the very edge of Champagne. The wine is aged for seven years on the lees with reserve wines from three previous harvests. This creamy, nutty Blanc de Blancs is seamless, integrated, and has good, refreshing lift on the finish. (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne buyer)

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Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

Price: $34.99

Quantity:

WE: 92

JS: 91

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Location	Qty
Main Warehouse:	30
Hollywood:	30
Redwood City:	40
San Francisco:	34

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Product Reviews:

By: Dejah Overby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 9/28/2022 | Send Email

The “Esprit” Blanc de Blancs offers a wonderful yeasty, flinty, citrus driven Champagne for under $40. There is so much character and complexity on the nose and mouthfeel, you’d expect this to be a short in the finish, but it is lengthy and zippy. Perfect for flavorful cheeses, pastries filled with custards or pastry cream and even shellfish ceviche’s. This Blanc de Blancs is such an adaptable champagne I suggest having this around for any occasion.

By: Rachel Alcarraz | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 2/5/2019 | Send Email

The Esprit is Baron Fuente's next step from their top-selling "Grand Reserve." The 100% estate fruit spends 7 years on the lees, much like their esteemed "7" and is equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier. The toasty nose has notes of fresh lemon leaves that leads into a medium bodied wine the depth and texture. The brioche character broadens the flavor of the wines while the hints of lemon peak up every now and then keeping the longevity of the wine.

By: Shaun Green | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 2/5/2019 | Send Email

Baron Fuente is one of the most amazing price performers we've ever seen in Champagne, and the Esprit it right there holding its own. Equal percentages of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay aged 7 years on the lees come together for a wonderfully textured rich and full Champagne that the entire staff loves.

Top Value!

By: Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 4/8/2017 | Send Email

The Esprit Blanc de Blancs is made from the very last vineyard in the farthest west part of Champagne—the Chantemanche in Saacy-sur-Marne. This site is one of the very few so far west that they are actually in the Paris district, Ile-de-France. The current release is based on 2009 with 5% barrel fermented reserves from 2008. It is a very creamy style of Blanc de Blancs, with an excellent Chablis like earth character and a bright finish to contrast the richness of the mid-palate.

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 10/7/2016 | Send Email

Another highlight of a recent Blanc De Blanc tasting...The Baron Fuente Esprit BdB doesn't come from where you typically find Chardonnay planted in Champagne (Cote de Blanc)...in fact this property actually lies so far west it's within the Paris district! Nevertheless it is loaded with all the freshness and minerality I expect from BdB plus Baron Fuente's signature richness of texture. Ummmm good stuff.

By: David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 10/7/2016 | Send Email

This is a tremendous wine and one that I think fully conveys the thought and the effort that goes into our direct import Champagne program. For the price of a standard grade big house-blended cuvee, you're getting a single vineyard, single varietal expression of incredible beauty and depth. There's a nuttiness on the palate from the extended lees aging (keeping the spent yeast in the bottle) and a crispness that comes from the cool weather in this particular vineyard site. All in all, it's a fascinating bottle with unique spice and character for a price that still comes in less than the entry-level Veuve Clicquot!

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Chardonnay

- It's hard to believe that up until about 30 years ago, this extremely popular varietal hid behind the veil of geographical names like Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Now grown all over the world and bottled by its varietal name, Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate where it's grown and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp and minerally with apple and lemon notes to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones, Chardonnay runs the gamut. In France's Burgundy, Chardonnay is the source of the prized wines of Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Mâcon, Meursault and Montrachet. It also the foundation of exceptional Champagne, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier or vinified on its own into Blanc de Blancs. It is also extremely popular in California, and is gaining popularity in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Champagne

- The French region of Champagne (comprised of the towns of Rheims, Epernay, and Ay) was the first region in the world to make sparkling wine in any quantity. Today, the name of the region is synonymous with the finest of all sparkling wines, and winemaking traditions of Champagne have become role models for sparkling wine producers, worldwide. Surprisingly, the region of Champagne is now responsible for only one bottle in 12 of all sparkling wine produced. Styles of champagne range from the basic brut (often blends of several vintages), single vintage champagnes, and rose.

Alcohol Content (%):

12.5