Baron Albert L’Universelle Brut NV

Tasting Notes...

Dom Perignon Vintage Champagne is the flagship wine from the House of Moet et Chandon.
A vintage, Cellar Master, Vincent Chaperon is convinced has been misguidedly overlooked. 54% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir. Dosage 5g/l.
Amazingly, obviously, Dom P on the nose – the powerful lemon-mousse nose came soaring out of the glass long before my nose got anywhere near it. Massive intensity of complex aroma hints that this might be a little blowsy on the palate but not a bit of it. It's really tense and tight on the palate and has a certain fumey smokiness to the very concentrated palate. But its most marked feature is the persistence of the finish. This, along with the concentration, makes us confident we will be seeing this in a Plentitude 2 version in later years. Jancis Robinson scored 18.5/20

Tasting Notes...

Several different clones of cool Wairau Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes are used in Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut; after harvesting, they are gently pressed and the juice is given a short period of settling before being inoculated with pure Montrachet yeast. After fermentation in a mixture of stainless steel and oak barrels, the wines are left on their lees for eight months to develop their flavour prior to blending, and then left for a further three months before bottling and ageing for a further two years.

All this attention to detail, pays off in the final wine with its pale straw colour and aromas of ripe citrus fruits that indicate its Chardonnay base. A layered bouquet of apple and lemon citrus complements fresh bready notes derived from the two years in bottle on the lees. The deliciously crisp palate displays toasty, creamy complexity, enhanced by a lingering nutty finish

Tasting Notes...

There is no doubt that this beautifully balanced and aromatic wine lives up to its reputation with an intensely flavoured, distinctive varietal character.

An ideal alternative for Sancerre and Pouilly FumÌ© fans, this wine gives a little more in bouquet and palate. The pale, straw-coloured Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc glints with green, and is enticingly fragrant with lifted elderflower notes, tropical aromas of ripe peach, passion fruit, mango and citrus with hints of fennel and a touch of Pastis. The palate is ripe, fine and succulent, offering zesty ripe citrus flavours coupled with an edge of minerality and sweet herbs. A small barrel ferment component gives balancing flesh to the wine‰Ûªs crisp refreshing acidity

We say...

A classic wine from an outstanding producer