Conrad Green

9.3

From mag. Golden in color. Soft bubbles. Dried apricots, hazelnut, toast. Very secondary and soulful. Drink up — 11 days ago

with David, Bex and 1 other

Vanessa

9.6

Birthday weekend bubbles! 🥂🍾

With notes of candied pear & orange peel, yellow apple, lemon curd, nectarine, yellow cherries, raspberry coulis, fruitcake, toast, smoke, brioche, pastry, biscuit, dried rose petals, anise, nougat, roasted almond, wet stones.

A creamy mousse and mouthfeel — stunning. 😍 — 6 months ago

with Deked1

Damian

9.9

Decanted in the glass for 30 minutes, with bottle open during that time and later. The best wine experience so far. I tried it before on a tasting and was not impressed. Brioche, toast, citrus, apple and racing acidity were still present in my mouth after 2 minutes of taking a sip. I prefer to drink it the way I described at the beginning vs straight from the bottle that was standing in ice. — 10 months ago

Mark Eastom

8.9

toast, baked apple/pear, lemon curd, nice acid. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

A pull from the cellar to toast my son’s (our first) graduation from High School! The 2006 La Grande Dame pours a deep straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is autolytic and developing with notes of ripe and tart orchard fruits: Bosc pear, green apple, strawberry, raspberry, lemon curd, toasted brioche, marzipan, honeysuckle and chalky, limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and creamy. These are in a fabulous spot. Drink now through 2036+. Disgorged October of 2016. — 5 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Tasted from 1/2 bottle. They come in handy for dinner for two in many cases, but especially at a restaurant that allows corkage. Most do in California. It is even harder to find vintage champagne in 375ml’s.

The 2018 vintage was good to very good. You need to taste and or read up for its best offerings.

A note, I tasted at the Billecart-Salmon property in later October 2022 with Mathieu Roland-Billecart. As insightful as that was, he was asked other than Billecart Salmon champagnes, what was one of his favorite champagnes? His reply was surprisingly an older vintage Paul Bara he had recently. That’s a producer question that gets asked often. Normally generates a pause with some minor angst to answer.

The nose shows; lemon chiffon/meringue, bruised apple to slightly cider, bruised pear, yellow & white stone fruits, just ripe pineapple, orange citrus blend, lime pulp, tropical melons, whipped, white cream, white spice-ginger, yeasty bread dough, saline, crushed limestone pulp, crumbled chalk, sea fossils, white spring flowers set in yellow lilies.

The palate is round & soft. The mousse is delicate w/ micro oxidation. Ripe; lemon chiffon/meringue, white & yellow stone fruit, slightly bruised apple & Bosc pear, lime pulp, orange citrus rind, some tropical melons, cream, ginger white spice, yeasty bread dough, sea spray, saline, sea fossils, dry crumbled chalkiness, caramel notes, heather honey, warm perfectly toasted toast, graham cracker, nougat w/ nuts, yellow flowers set in a field of white spring flowers, excellent acidity with a nicely; balanced, structured, tensioned, polished finish that lasts a minute and falls on limestone laced with soft, dry, powdery chalkiness.

Photos of; the house of Paul Bara, chalky caves w/ riddling racks, old wood basket press & a vineyard picking party. — 7 months ago

Michael Dierberg

9.4

Has a little brown toast note that is distinctive. Overall very nice and worthy of a graduation celebration. — 4 months ago

Jane Nuss

9.2

Pale golden in the glass with fine, persistent bubbles. Aromas of green apple, orange peel, pear, and peach, layered over rich notes of brioche and toast. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and complex, with a creamy texture, energetic mousse, and toasty depth. High acidity. Vibrant and refreshing with a long, satisfying finish. Consistently well-balanced, reliably delicious. A standout non-vintage Champagne. — 9 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

A nice way to toast my daughter’s 33rd Birthday! Blend of Chardonnay (42%), Pinot Noir (39%) and Meunier (18%). Straw gold color. Ripe apple hits both the nose and palate immediately with additional notes of pie and bread dough, lemon, apricot, white flowers and fresh herbs. Distinct chalky/nutty note on the finish. Rich and full bodied. Acidity was a bit lighter than expected. Quite dry but extremely fruit forward. A bit lacking in effervescence and mousse but still quite enjoyable. Thank you for sharing and Happy Birthday, Kase! — 7 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.1

Very creamy and rich. A lot of toast. Felt like it was moving toward secondary flavors. It was good. — a year ago