I picked this up on a pre-sale, so it worked out to $63.75 per bottle (retail), pretty unbelievable for grower tête de cuvée. Special Club grower-producer (RM) members utilize the same bottle and label.

The wine is intense and hard to say which of the many nuances come to the forefront. The volume is simply turned way up on flavors of toasted brioche, lavender honey drizzled on triple cream brie, fresh key lime and key lime pie filling, honeycrisp apple, honeysuckle, bee pollen and chalky minerality. One of the longest finishes encountered in young vintage bubbly and a pristine mousse, this ranks up there with any of the best Champagne I've tasted. The wine is estate-bottled from the very best premier cru, Mareuil-sur-Ay, located in the Vallée de la Marne.

This day started with hiking the entire 8 miles of the Barton Creek Greenbelt with Anne and my brother Chris; the weather was perfect; then we went for a feast at Home Slice Pizza with a quick stop at Caffe Medici afterward. Chris was impressed. After work at Cipollina and Jeffrey's, Anne and I shared the Champagne, a perfect end to a rather perfect day, although Anne's left hand is severely sprained (possibly broken). Yikes!

Anthony Garcia
www.wineisdivine.com
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