Annual Grower Champagne Tasting

Terry Thiese Grower Champagne Tasting Saturday, November 3rd 12 to 4pm It's time again for our annual "farmer fizz" Champagne campaign! We are the biggest fans of these rare, brilliant handmade sparklers. We only get the chance to buy them ONCE A YEAR.....that's it! So don't miss this chance to taste, hoard and collect some of the greatest sparkling wines ever made. Here's what we'll be pouring:

NV Pierre Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs Cuis 1er Cru Brut On Sale $49.99 Bright straw. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet offers lime pith, fennel, jasmine and chalk. Lively and delineated in the mouth, lending incisive citrus and quince flavors that are underscored by intense minerality. Very tight, with strong finishing cut and lingering chalkiness. 90 Points Stephen Tanzer NV Mousse "Or Tradition" Brut On Sale $42.99 We love this nonvintage champagne from a new producer, Mousse Fils. This basic NV is 80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir, disgorged late December 2011. This is the best edition of the cuvee so far. It's chunky and unassuming but flavory, round, and dark-bready. Not complex, but hugely enjoyable. NV Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Sainte-Anne Brut On Sale $42.99 (60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir, 80% from 2007 and 20% each from 2006 and 2005; disgorged June, 2011): Light gold. Deeply pitched aromas of orchard fruits and redcurrant, with a hint of pungent herbs. Dense and chewy on the palate, offering broad pear and bitter cherry flavors braced by tangy acidity. Shows very good clarity and energy on the finish, which leaves a spicy note behind. 90 Points Stephen Tanzer 2006 Pierre Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs "Cuvee Gastronome" Brut On Sale $56.99 (made from fruit grown in Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Cuis; disgorged April 5, 2011): Light gold. Vibrant, deeply fruity aromas of melon, nectarine and orange. Sweet citrus and honeydew flavors offer impressive depth and energy, picking up chalky minerality with air. Finishes with energetic lift and a lingering echo of sappy orchard fruits. Offers a happy marriage of power and finesse. 92 Points Stephen Tanzer 2006 Pierre Peters "Cuvee Millesimee L'Esprit de 2006" On Sale $74.99 The 2006 Brut "Cuvee Millesime L'Esprit de 2006" is a blend of fruit from parcels in Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Cramant, all four Grand Cru villages. It is a sensational wine laced with green pears, apples, lemon, white flowers and spices. The balance of ripeness and tautness is remarkable in this powerful, intense wine. I tasted the 2006 for the first time during a visit to the winery about a year and a half ago, and immediately purchased a case of magnums. The wine is every bit as remarkable today. Dosage is 5.3 grams per liter. Disgorged January 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026. 93 Points The Wine Advocate NV Jean Lallement et Fils Brut Rose On Sale $62.99 The NV Brut Rose is 100% Pinot Noir from Verzenay. It is a fabulous wine endowed with tons of sheer energy and class. Layers of vibrant, beautifully delineated fruit flow effortlessly from this superb Champagne. Although it can't be labeled as a single vintage wine, Lallement's NV Brut Rose is 100% 2008 juice. It is a serious wine that is highly deserving of attention. Sweet, perfumed notes resonate on the finish. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged May 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015. 92 Points The Wine Advocate