Bruno Paillard : Blanc de Blancs Grand cru

The creamy scents of the non-vintage Blanc de Blancs (disgorged June 2004) lead to a high-toned personality with white pepper, lemon, lime, and salty flavors. A fresh, bright sparkler, it will be particularly successful if paired with food. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. The Bruno Paillard Champagne house deserves accolades for clearly marking its wines with their disgorgement dates. This policy allows consumers to know that the Champagne they are purchasing is not from old stock and permits journals such as The Wine Advocate to distinguish the non-vintage bottling tasted from those of the past or future. Ever since I witnessed a Washington, DC wholesaler providing retailers with “shelf-talkers” for a non-vintage Champagne that proclaimed “Parker 90-Points!” by using a 10 year old review, I have instituted the policy of indicating lot numbers or disgorgement dates for all non-vintage wines. Importer: Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000

Produced exclusively from Grand Cru fruit grown on the Côte des Blancs, this is a crisp, textured Champagne. Rich in white fruits and structured with minerality, the wine has good potential for further aging, although it is deliciously refreshing now.

Dried jasmine, white peach, lemon curd, chalk and pie crust on the nose. Medium-bodied with sharp acidity, fine bubbles and a fresh, zesty and peachy palate. Excellent balance. Drink now.

The NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut is soft, open-knit and delicious, all qualities that make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next few years. Lemon peel, tangerine, exotic flowers, sweet oak and mint are all nicely pushed forward in this racy, inviting Blanc de Blancs from Bruno Paillard. Disgorged July 2014.

Sourced predominantly from the Grand Crus of Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger, the NV Champagne Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs Extra Brut pours a medium yellow color and is expressive on opening, with notes of lemon bars, honey, pear, and fresh flowers. Medium-bodied and approachable, its pillowy mousse fills out the palate, with a fresh feel throughout and a clean and silky finish. It’s drinking wonderfully now and will drink well over the coming 8-10 years. Disgorged in July 2022.

A silvery transparency for these chardonnays from the exclusive Grands Cru origins of the Côte des Blancs. Here we’re in demi-mousse, with a gentler pressure that delicately lifts lemony essences and the whiteness of fine chalk. Hints of white flowers are subtle, and the aromas of the bread oven and brioche are wonderfully enveloping. The mid-palate shows a slight liqueur-like warmth of white pome fruits. On the palate, the sensation is finely dusted with rock, and a feeling of purity prevails. Lengthened beautifully by zest and saline chalk, the wine’s verticality is pure energy.

The nose shows fine complexity, fresh with a subtle buttery touch; it is still a little constrained by reduction. The whole is underlined by a chalky note.