June is Wedding Month!
The warm weather has arrived and marriage is in the air! Weddings and anniversary parties have been planned, invites sent out, dresses made and tuxedos tailored! Better stock up on Champagne before it’s too late. Whether to tie the knot, to celebrate the years achieved, or to commemorate a decade (or two) together in 2016, Vinopolis has your bubbles. From delicious non-vintage bottles to delectable vintage years, small-production winegrowers to famous Champagne houses, 750ML bottles to magnums (and even 375ML to jeroboams), we’ve got something for every nuptial feast. Champagnes excellent enough to impress and enliven the new in-laws, to fuel the dance floor, and to inspire memories worth reliving the following year with more Champagne! It’s as if the sacred effervescent wine were made for brides and grooms.
We’ve listed a selection of six special cuvees available in our shop or arriving soon below, followed by three 2006 (think 10 year anniversary!) and one 1996 cuvee (20 year!). For larger parties, keep browsing – we’ve put together a list of four wines available here now in magnum.
Arriving in June
Salon ‘Cuvee S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 2004 750ML ($519.95) $399 pre-arrival special, arriving late June
Antonio Galloni Vinous “I have tasted the 2004 Salon a few times now, starting with a bottle disgorged a la volee about a year ago. Now in finished form, the 2004 Salon is simply one of the greatest young Champagnes I have ever tasted. The 2004 vintage produced dazzling, crystalline Blancs de Blancs. That is exactly what readers will find in the 2004. Unlike other taut Salons (1996 comes to mind), the 2004 has such phenomenal balance that is virtually impossible to resist young. It is a superb Champagne.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Elegant, featuring up-front, ripe aromas and flavors of dried apricot, crystallized honey and candied kumquat, giving way on the creamy palate to more subtle notes of raw almond, fleur de sel and star anise. Mouthwatering, with a chalky underpinning and a lovely, satiny finish. Drink now through 2026.”AN
Here @ Vinopolis in June:The most elusive of Champagne’s grand marques; made only in what the house considers to be the very best years. In fact, Salon has been bottled just 38 times since 1905, its first vintage.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $471
The average price is $471
Available Here Now
Aubry Premier Cru Brut NV 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles availableCase-12 Aubry Premier Cru Brut NV 750ML ($449.95) $349 special, 1 case available (that’s only $29.08/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Josh Raynolds Vinous 91 points “(45% pinot meunier, 25% pinot noir and 25% chardonnay, with the rest arbanne, petit meslier and fromenteau; disgorged in April, 2013): Bright straw. Pungent aromas of Meyer lemon, pear and fig, with a gingery accent adding lift. Sappy, penetrating citrus fruit and floral flavors are given a refreshingly bitter character by notes of pear skin and peach pit, with a waxy note coming up on the back half. A smoky nuance lingers on the finish, which shows very good clarity and length. Fifty-five percent of this blend is from 2010 and the rest is reserve wines, mostly from a solera that was begun in 1998.” JR
Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Millesime Brut 2004 750ML ($179.95) $139 special, 13 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 97 points “The 2004 Dom Ruinart is just as brilliant and viscerally thrilling as it has always been. If anything, the 2004 has shut down considerably over the last six months. Tightly coiled and exceptionally beautiful, the 2004 boasts fabulous intensity, class and pedigree. The flavors are vibrant, chiseled and crystalline in their precision. Time in bottle is doing wonders for the 2004. This is a tremendous showing.” AG
Antonio Galloni 97 points “The 2004 Dom Ruinart is just as brilliant and viscerally thrilling as it has always been. If anything, the 2004 has shut down considerably over the last six months. Tightly coiled and exceptionally beautiful, the 2004 boasts fabulous intensity, class and pedigree. The flavors are vibrant, chiseled and crystalline in their precision. Time in bottle is doing wonders for the 2004. This is a tremendous showing.” AG
Michel Turgy Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut 2005 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 20 bottles available
Josh Raynolds Vinous 92 points “Vivid yellow. Musky pear, yellow apple and anise scents are complemented by hints of chamomile and smoky minerals. Fleshy and focused on the palate, offering pliant orchard and pit fruit flavors and a touch of anise. A subtle underpinning of minerality carries through a long, sappy finish that leaves gingery spice and floral notes behind.” JR
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose NV 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 94 points “An subtle nose with plenty of fine autolysis aromas of fresh bread and sweetly fragrant yeasty notes, plus some gentle spice and chalky notes. The palate unleashes beautiful wild strawberry fruit flavors, super fresh, fleshy and pure. Great balance and depth. Drink now.” JS
James Suckling 94 points “An subtle nose with plenty of fine autolysis aromas of fresh bread and sweetly fragrant yeasty notes, plus some gentle spice and chalky notes. The palate unleashes beautiful wild strawberry fruit flavors, super fresh, fleshy and pure. Great balance and depth. Drink now.” JS
The average price is $87
Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale ‘Les Chetillons’ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut 2007 750ML ($149.95) $129 special, 15 bottles availableAntonio Galloni 94 points “What a pleasure it is to taste the 2007 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons. An absolutely impeccable Champagne, the 2007 is gorgeous today. Crushed flowers, sage, almonds, lemon peel and ripe, juicy pears inform the supple, resonant finish. In 2007, the Chétillons is a model of grace and finesse. This is the first vintage Rodolphe Péters made from start to finish, and he nailed it.” AG
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut NV 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 28 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “This deftly woven Champagne is all about finesse, offering a rich vein of smoky minerality and vivid acidity. The power is cloaked in a silky texture and notes of creamed pear, lemon confit, almond biscotti and fresh ginger. Drink now through 2021.” WS
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Pale yellow. Complex, high-pitched aromas of orange zest, lemon pith, iodine, smoky minerals, anise and jasmine. Sappy and tactile on the palate, offering impressive volume to its ripe citrus and orchard fruit flavors accented by smoke and minerals. Finishes tangy and long, with lingering smokiness and an echo of anise.” ST
Wine Spectator 93 points “This deftly woven Champagne is all about finesse, offering a rich vein of smoky minerality and vivid acidity. The power is cloaked in a silky texture and notes of creamed pear, lemon confit, almond biscotti and fresh ginger. Drink now through 2021.” WS
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Pale yellow. Complex, high-pitched aromas of orange zest, lemon pith, iodine, smoky minerals, anise and jasmine. Sappy and tactile on the palate, offering impressive volume to its ripe citrus and orchard fruit flavors accented by smoke and minerals. Finishes tangy and long, with lingering smokiness and an echo of anise.” ST
2006 Vintage Champagnes for 10 Year Anniversaries
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Available Here Now
J.L. Vergnon Expression Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut Millesime 2006 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 15 bottles availableStephen Tanzer 93 points “Vivid yellow. Mineral-driven pear skin, jasmine and anise scents are given depth and power by notes of yellow plum and buttered toast. The palate offers intense, deeply concentrated citrus and orchard fruit flavors, with suggestions of brioche and orange pith gaining strength with air. The mineral quality adds definition to the finish, which clings with excellent persistence and a lingering floral quality.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Aubry Cuvee ‘Aubry de Humbert’ Premier Cru Millesime Classique 2006 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 12 bottles availableJosh Raynolds- Vinous 91 points “(45% pinot meunier, 25% pinot noir and 25% chardonnay, with the rest arbanne, petit meslier and fromenteau; disgorged in April, 2013): Bright straw. Pungent aromas of Meyer lemon, pear and fig, with a gingery accent adding lift. Sappy, penetrating citrus fruit and floral flavors are given a refreshingly bitter character by notes of pear skin and peach pit, with a waxy note coming up on the back half. A smoky nuance lingers on the finish, which shows very good clarity and length. Fifty-five percent of this blend is from 2010 and the rest is reserve wines, mostly from a solera that was begun in 1998.” JR
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Lassaigne Brut Nature Blanc De Blancs 2006 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 36+ bottles availableWine Advocate 93 points “Sourced from Le Cotet, La Grande Cote and Les Paluets – which last-named is southeast-facing and arguably the top site in Montgueux, opines Lassaigne – his 2006 Brut Nature is intriguingly and alluringly scented with fresh lemon and apricot, peony and narcissus, rowan and pistachio, along with sea breeze intimations and a pungency of struck flint. Startlingly silken and creamy, yet focused and vibrantly juicy this adds a sort of shimmering, crystalline sense of stoniness to an almost kaleidoscopically interactive finish. It ought to merit following for 6-8 years. Incidentally, Lassaigne believes that a purer expression of vintage character will always be achieved by maturing this cuvee in tank.” DS
This is the only listing in the USA today!
1996 Vintage Champagnes for 20 Year Anniversaries
Available Here Now
Available Here Now
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Brut 1996 750ML ($399.95) $348 special, 11 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 97 points (December 2015); Antonio Galloni 96 points (March 2015) “One of the all time greats from Philipponnat, the 1996 Clos des Goisses captures the essence of a vintage in which both sugars and acidities were elevated. Tension, energy and salinity are the signatures. Readers who can wait on the 1996 will be rewarded with a stunning bottle of Champagne that will likely still be profound at age fifty.”
A Selection of Five of the Fourteen Magnums (And Larger!)
Available Here Now
Available Here Now
Gaston Chiquet Carte Verte Premier Cru Brut Tradition NV 1.5L ($99.95) $89 special, 16 magnums available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Light yellow. Suave, floral aromas of poached pear, blood orange, melon and honey. A dusty mineral quality adds lift to spicy red berry and citrus fruit flavors. Closes nervy and long, with resonating minerality and a touch of gingerbread.” ST
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Light yellow. Suave, floral aromas of poached pear, blood orange, melon and honey. A dusty mineral quality adds lift to spicy red berry and citrus fruit flavors. Closes nervy and long, with resonating minerality and a touch of gingerbread.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 13 magnums availablePierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV 3L ($499.95) $399 special, 3 jeroboams available
Wine Spectator 91 points “Fresh and floral, with dogwood and spring blossom accents, this mouthwatering blanc de blancs offers a lively bead, carrying flavors of white cherry, fresh ginger, slivered almond and yellow plum. Disgorged February 2015. Drink now through 2018. 900 cases imported.” WS
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis Premier Cru Brut NV 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special, 8 magnums available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “80% 2010 wine, 10% 2009, 4% 2008, 5% 2007 and 1% 2002; disgorged in May, 2013 after 30 months on its lees): Green-tinged yellow. Intense, mineral-accented aromas of orange zest, pear and white flowers, with an iodiney quality building in the glass. Chewy in texture and nicely concentrated, offering precise citrus and bitter quinine flavors and a strong topnote of dusty minerals. Finishes clean, bright and very long, with lingering chalkiness. This would make a superb match with fresh oysters or crab.” ST
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “80% 2010 wine, 10% 2009, 4% 2008, 5% 2007 and 1% 2002; disgorged in May, 2013 after 30 months on its lees): Green-tinged yellow. Intense, mineral-accented aromas of orange zest, pear and white flowers, with an iodiney quality building in the glass. Chewy in texture and nicely concentrated, offering precise citrus and bitter quinine flavors and a strong topnote of dusty minerals. Finishes clean, bright and very long, with lingering chalkiness. This would make a superb match with fresh oysters or crab.” ST
Jacques Lassaigne ‘La Colline Inspiree’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 5 magnums available
Wine Advocate & Wine Spectator 92 points “Aromatic, featuring apple blossom, bread dough and sous-bois notes, this well-structured version is underscored by a hint of chalk-tinged minerality, with the mouthwatering impression enlivening refined layers of poached apple and pear, crystallized honey, lemon curd and candied ginger. Drink now through 2020.” WS
Wine Advocate & Wine Spectator 92 points “Aromatic, featuring apple blossom, bread dough and sous-bois notes, this well-structured version is underscored by a hint of chalk-tinged minerality, with the mouthwatering impression enlivening refined layers of poached apple and pear, crystallized honey, lemon curd and candied ginger. Drink now through 2020.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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We offer 98 Champagnes to choose from in 375ML, 750ML, 1.5L and 3L formats – browse the full selection through our web site.
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Of course, we’re back on Saturday with your regularly scheduled programming.
Don’t hesitate to call or email if you need help – we’re open every day 10-6!
Don’t hesitate to call or email if you need help – we’re open every day 10-6!
– The Vinopolis Team
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
(503) 223-6002
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
(503) 223-6002