Vanessa

9.3

This is the 2018 Marc Hébrart Brut ‘Special Club’ – a beautiful bottle of vintage bubbles hailing from a collection of premier and grand cru sites in the Marne and Montagne de Reims regions of Champagne, France.

When you see “Special Club” on the label of a bottle with this distinctive shape, you’re dealing with essentially a prestige cuvée of a grower-producer who’s a member of the “Club Trésors.”

Marc Hébrart joined the Club Trésors in 1985, which is an association of quality-minded grower-producers. Grower-producers operate differently than the big champagne houses (e.g., Veuve-Clicquot) in that they are smaller-scale vignerons who own the entire production process from the vineyard to the winery and cellar.

They have helped raise awareness and appreciation of artisanal champagne wines that speak to a sense of place and personality, unobscured by extensive, widespread blending.

To achieve the status of “Special Club” a wine must undergo a rigorous application process and meet minimum quality metrics culminating with in two blind tasting panels – the first tasting evaluates the base wine after the first fermentation; the second and final tasting occurs after a minimum of three years aging sur lie.

From our studies we’ve learned the 2018 vintage bore above-average fruit; the warm and dry summer paved the way for a riper expression in an otherwise marginal climate. This wine is made with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The bouquet has a medium (+) intensity of yellow and green apple, lemon zest, white peach, gardenia, almond biscotti, nougat, pastry, biscuit, and toast notes. The palate is creamy with vibrant acidity, adding lift, a fine-beaded, persistent mousse and long, elegant finish.

— a year ago

with Deked1

Mark

9.5

At Ventana Big Sur. Big oaky buttery. Kelly and I both loved it. Paired very well with our oyster mushrooms — 6 years ago

Will Rogers

9.1

Big Sur dinner — 7 years ago

CaptainVino!

9.0

Fantastic! Great fine mousse. First impression: big yummy yeast and not much fruit. Med+ acidity. After opening up for 45 minutes, less pronounced (but still significant) yeast, apple, pear, bell pepper, honey and cinnamon. Complex and very nice. — a year ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.4

2019 disgorged. Big toasty brioche note, citrus, medium finish, beautiful nose. Great texture. — 5 years ago

with Alsu

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Starting the long Labor Day weekend in Big Sur the right way with a little N/V Krug Grande Cuvée. @Nepenthe

Happy Labor Day weekend all! 🍾🥂

Noses reveals; heavy bruised red apple, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, lime zest, white spice, sea fossils, deep crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, white & spring flowers & mixed greens.

The palate is, ripe, lush, fresh and lively. The mouthfeel all Krug beautiful. Bruised red & golden apple with hints of cider, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, white stone fruits, lime zest/candy, white spice, sea fossils, crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, cream soda, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, spring flowers & mixed greens. The acidity is near perfect. The long, elegant, well knitted & balanced finish is gentle until the long set when you get a full presence of white spice and minerality that persists for minutes.

This bottle was composed around 2011 and is made from over 120 different wines that span over 10 years. It is 47% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay & 17% Pinot Meunier. — 5 years ago

Manny Abascal

10

30th wedding anniversary dinner in Big Sur. Best wine I have ever tasted. Mint, menthol, herbs, dried flowers, river rock on nose, red fruit (cherry), spices, minerals, and some secondary flavors with such a light, silky texture and endless finish. Ethereal. Such a gorgeous wine. And a special evening celebrating 30 years. — 4 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.2

Orange blossom honey, pears, funk, good funk, tangerine peels.

Mmm orange blossoms. Enough funk to curl up with some Richard Brautigan short stories and wonder about Big Sur waves crashing against cliff side mountainous triangles rising up from the sea foam.

My idea of a fun wine.

Enjoying the new couch/coffee table setup. — 5 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Man I love 2018. Huge pungent lipstick like fruit. Gorgeous mid to late season red and black cherries. Stunning. Such purity and aromatic depth. Has a gamey depth as well. Palate just has “crank it up” fruit. Juicy, dense, complex and full of big ripe velvety tannins. Amazing density and purity. What a finish. This is so epic. Such tiny berry fruit intensity. So good. Amazing concentration. Long, succulent, tangy and sappy. So fresh and energetic. Long. What a version of this. Sickness! — 6 years ago

Raj Harb

9.3

Big, powerful, opulent. Baked bread, honey, ripe fruit. Also quite lively and interesting. Strikes a nice chord for mature champagne. — 6 years ago