Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV – Champagne AOC, France 🇫🇷

Overview
One of Champagne’s enduring benchmarks, Special Cuvée combines approximately 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Meunier, with a significant portion of reserve wines contributing depth and consistency. Rich, layered, and unmistakably Bollinger, it delivers remarkable complexity at a price point that remains accessible compared to many prestige bottlings.

Aromas & Flavors
Golden apple, ripe pear, citrus zest, baked brioche, roasted nuts, and subtle spice unfold in layers. Notes of fresh bread dough and orchard fruit intertwine with hints of honey and toast.

Mouthfeel
Vibrant and energetic with a creamy mousse and impressive depth. A delicate kiss of yeast adds texture and contrast, while the wine’s concentration and freshness remain beautifully balanced through the finish.

Food Pairings
Lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken, truffle dishes, aged Comté, oysters, or simply enjoyed as a celebratory aperitif.

Verdict
A richly textured and multi-layered Champagne that continues to justify its reputation as one of the region’s benchmarks. Complex, expressive, and consistently rewarding, it offers a level of sophistication that punches well above its category.

Did You Know?
Unlike many large Champagne houses, Bollinger ferments a portion of its wines in old oak barrels and maintains an extensive reserve wine program, helping create the signature richness and depth that define Special Cuvée.

🍷 Personal Pick
Few non-vintage Champagnes deliver this combination of richness, complexity, and value. The layered fruit, subtle autolytic character, and vibrant texture make Special Cuvée one of my favorite benchmark Champagnes and a bottle I never hesitate to revisit. — 21 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2023 pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and dried mixed brambles, Luxardo cherries, red and purple flowers, black pepper, vanilla and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. This is one of the more approachable young Geyserville’s I’ve had in a long time and remains on of my favorite Zinfandel-based blends from Ridge. Drink now through 2048. — 10 days ago

Joe DAscoli

9.3

Pretty good. Kicked off a lot of sediment

Great structure and opened up to reveal the fruit after 30 mins to an hour — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Very pretty color of peach with a salmon hue.

Strong nose of apples, citrus, peaches, yeast, light bread and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and tiny bubbles.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, over ripen strawberries, apples, limes, yeast, sea salt, brioche, spices, minerals, light earth and cardamom.

Long spicy finish with limes and grapefruits.

This 14 year old Rosé Champagne is drinking beautifully already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Elegant, spicy and rich. Fruity and nicely balanced, complex and engaging.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 95 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and better when not too cold.

A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Tuna Avocado Tartare.

A blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay, with 5% red wine. Disgorged in 2020.

12% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — 2 months ago

Kent Wessels

9.4

Had at bite and third and main — 4 months ago

Joel Lara

9.2

This is a full bodied wine providing intense, concentrated flavors of blueberries, raspberries, violets, and cassis, with an underlying layer of dried herbs. It has quite high tannins that provide a chalky mouthfeel, but it’s balanced nicely by med/high acidity. On the finish, notes of earthy bitter chocolate accompany the fruit and violets, and the tannins provide just a slightly drying mouthfeel. I think this wine would go well with something robust like ribeye, lamb, or smoked ribs/brisket. I had it with sausage and mushroom pizza, and after the first glass it became a bit too much. — 20 days ago

Joe Flo

9.5

Just think Dom Perignon is a solid consistent Champagne house. — 4 days ago

David Dorn

9.0

Full bodied zen- very nice wine. It was better with some air so let it breath — 24 days ago

mike cust

9.4

It was great buy more — a month ago

Monica Kalka

9.0

I have a cold, but it has a strong, yet enjoyable flavor. I like how dark of a wine it is. — 2 months ago

S.S. Mandani

9.0

Golden raisins, soda bread, lemon, orchard fruit, nice body, tart rainier cherries — 2 months ago

Deb Hollander

9.1

Loved the hint of cherry and the balanced tannins. — 4 months ago

TH

9.3

濃すぎない黄金色。アルコール感のある白い花の香り。アプリコット、梨、桃などに加え、ハチミツとビターなニュアンス。レシャイエと比較してやや上品さに欠け、アルコール感と苦味が前に出る感じ
@The Winery 11609 incl tax — 5 months ago

Noel Lourdes

9.1

Excellent red and great value. Bought at Jacksonville, Florida and drank in Dublin, Ireland — 10 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2012 Special Club pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of raspberry, apple, strawberry, peach, lemon curd, toasted brioche, almond, and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Delicious. Drink now through 2042. Disgorged October of 2022. — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Ridge Three Valleys 2023
Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A classic Sonoma field blend composed of 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro, and 2% Alicante Bouschet. Crafted in Ridge’s signature transparent style, this vintage leans toward a riper and more fruit-driven expression than many of the winery’s other bottlings.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry preserves, ripe plum, black cherry, and raspberry compote dominate, supported by touches of black pepper and baking spice.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with polished tannins and a broad, generous texture. The fruit lingers across the palate with a warm, persistent finish.

Food Pairings
A natural companion for barbecue, smoked meats, burgers, and hearty pizza.

Verdict
While impeccably made, this is one of the few Ridge wines that didn’t quite resonate with my palate. It leans a bit too jammy and overripe for my preference, though lovers of rich, fruit-forward California reds will likely find plenty to enjoy.

Did You Know?
Ridge has long been one of California’s pioneers of ingredient transparency, listing the exact grape composition directly on the label.

🍷 Personal Pick
I truly love Ridge wines, but I’d still reach for Lytton Springs or Geyserville before this bottling. If bold, juicy Zinfandel blends are your style, however, this one could easily become a favorite. — a month ago

Erica Gamble

9.2

Lots going on with this wine. Progression from light to dark fruit to tart, slightly sour finish. Dried cherry, forest floor, acidic. — 2 months ago

Kimberly Sebby

9.2

Loved it!
40th — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2021 vintage. Medium-medium heavy body. 4.1.26. — 3 months ago

Mariko

9.0

Earthy and peppery. — 4 months ago