It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Fruity nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.
Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, chocolates, toast, licorice, spices, earth, tobacco and herbs.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Merlot based blend from Bordeaux. Rich and extracted. Nicely balanced and complex.
This 16 year old is starting to drink at its peak now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Wine Advocate 96 points. Wine Spectator 96 points.
I've had the 2012 a few years ago, but this 2010 vintage is showing so much better.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so be patient.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food.
A blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 17 months in French Oak barrels. Unfiltered and unfined.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$180. — 3 months ago
But again from club shipment — a year ago
Rich but not over the top and not too revealing on the nose or palate. Tasty nonetheless. Maybe a little maturity to settle in. — 5 years ago
$55 at Total Wine. Overly fruity and heavy. Not enough complexity for the price. I’d pass on this vintage but consider something with some age. — 6 years ago
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
This was insanely good. So well balanced. Had with Thai food. — 3 months ago
Consistency is their middle name.
This has just started to shift from fresh to aging.
Bruised red apple/pear, lemon, lime zest, tropical melons, drier stone fruits, whipped cream, ginger, brioche, graham cracker, very light caramel/butterscotch notes, grey volcanics, limestone marl, sea fossils, gritty chalk, white & yellow flowers with greens, excellent lively acidity and a well balanced-knitted, elegant & smartly polished finish that lasts near two-minutes. — 8 months ago
Popped and poured. This is a bit unusual as it’s a Pinot Blanc and then even more unusual that it was released as a Special Club. The 2017 vintage may have something to do with the focus on Pinot Blanc though I have no information to back that up. Redolent of stone fruits on the nose with mostly white peach and some apricot; both mostly on the slightly underripe end of the spectrum. Lemons and chalky minerals too. Acid is medium(+?). The finish is long and slightly bitter. Pretty fun to drink and probably at its best now or over the next 5 years. Disgorged 10/2021 — 4 years ago
Dry and bold with just a hint of floral and fruit. Great in the mouth, will drink again. — 6 years ago
Waitrose. Liked it. Fruity raisin taste after double aerating. Slightly drying aspect on the palate. Decent — 6 years ago
40% Pinot Noir; 40% Gamay; 10% Chardonnay — 7 months ago
Very young. Still somewhat unstructured and tannins that need to mellow. But good potential. — 2 years ago
Well they’ve done it again. Who is they? Why Cédric Moussé and the Club Trésors de Champagne of course. Another superstar bottle from them.
A muted pale lemon color with an effusive stream of tiny bubbles. Aromas of honeyed almonds, peaches, and crushed herbs. Fresh cherries and apricots sparkle here. Toasty brioche bread and chalky minerality show after some time with green apples being quite dominant after receiving some air.
The Master of Meunier and here it shows. 100% Pinot Meunier from the village of Cuisles located in the Vallee de la Marne. This Special Club offering is from one plot of land, giving it its name, Les Fortes Terres. Disgorged on 10/21/19 with a dosage of 1 g/l, this is refreshingly stark with beautifully racy acidity.
Full bodied and bold on palate, the complexity and purity of the Meunier shines through. Butterscotch and apples start the party off with more cherries and citrus playing along. A nice long, dry finish. Vibrant and captivating. Moussé and Special Club champagnes never disappoint. — 5 years ago
Shay A

94-95
A grower champagne I always enjoy, but I’ve not had their special club offering with this much age before. I’ve been missing out! A stunner!
54% Cramant, 31% Chouilly (both Grand Crus), with 15% Cuis (Premier Cru); all old vines. Disgorged July 2012; 6g/l dosage
This may be an example of hitting lightening in a bottle, but this caught me (and others I was with) totally off-guard at how youthful it was…and more importantly, how unbelievably good it was. Channeling an oxidative flair at this point in its evolution, this scratched the itch for creamy, powerful, golden champagne. Autolysis on full display (in the best way) with lemon scone, honey roasted cashews, spiced pears aromatically. Honeyed graham crackers, lemon cream, Biscotti cookie, kiss of ginger and plenty of chalky limestone grit toward the finish (but the sweet autolysis lengthens it out beautifully). For me, this tasted like this was the exact right day to catch this wine at peak.
I wish I had a case of these. — 20 hours ago