BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BUYING I GUIDE
Champagne may be the exception. Imported by
Terlato Wines International. —R.V.
95
Deutz 2000 L’Amour de Deutz
Brut (Champagne); $NA. Elegance
and finesse mark this beautiful wine. It has a tight
minerality to go with white fruits, crisp apple
juice, a hint of yeast and the purest acidity. With
this structure, it should age gracefully for many
years. Imported by Maisons Marques &
Domaines USA. Cellar Selection. —R.V.
95
Louis Roederer 2003 Blanc de
Blancs Brut (Champagne); $69. A
rich Chardonnay, full of white fruits and the merest
touch of toast and yeast. It is ripe, full in the
mouth, but never loses sight of pure elegance. A
great success in balancing freshness and richness
from this hot vintage. Imported by Maisons Marques
& Domaines USA. —R.V.
95
Louis Roederer 2004 Vintage Brut
(Champagne); $67. A great celebration
of the fine 2004 vintage, this wine reveals
both generosity and a steely resolve. It has a cool
elegance as well, giving it a sense of refinement,
while still preserving the Roederer richness. The
tight acidity holds the wine together and promises
long aging. Imported by Maisons Marques &
Domaines USA. Cellar Selection. —R.V.
95
Moët & Chandon 2000 Dom
Pérignon Brut (Champagne); $NA.
Nutty and toasty, this is already maturing. It has a
ripe, soft texture, deliciously balanced between
acidity, grapefruit and riper peach flavors. It feels
sumptuous, rich and certainly ready to drink.
Imported by Moët Hennessy USA. —R.V.
94
Moët & Chandon 2002 Grand Vintage
Brut (Champagne); $NA. In
acknowledgement of the superior quality of 2002,
Moët has released this wine well after the 2003.
The decision is fully justified, for this is still
young. It is impressive, intensely concentrated,
mineral, showing tight grapefruit and apple flavors.
Excellent aging potential. Imported by
Moët Hennessy USA. —R.V.
94
Taittinger 2004 Brut Millesimé
(Champagne); $80. A wonderfully
toasty, yeasty wine, with creamed apple fruits, flavors
that show some softness but never deviate
from a crisp, steely character. Although this wine
is ready to drink, consider keeping for 3–4 years.
Imported by Kobrand. Cellar Selection. —R.V.
93
Gosset 2000 Grand Millésime Brut
(Champagne); $90. A soft and beauti-
fully ripe Champagne, albeit with a steely, mineral
core. It is very much in the Gosset pure, dry
style, full of apple and grapefruit acidity to go
with a light yeast character. Unlike some 2000s,
this should age well. Imported by Palm Bay
International. —R.V.
93
Perrier Jouët 2002 Fleur de Champagne
Brut (Champagne); $139.
With its distinctive flower bottle, this is an immediately
recognizable Champagne, both in its looks
and its distinctive Perrier-Jouët elegance. Lively
white fruits play with acidity and a tangy backbone
of apple skins. Age this for 4–5 years and
maybe more. Imported by Pernod Ricard. Cellar
Selection. —R.V.
93
Philipponnat 2004 Grand Brut
Blanc (Champagne); $80. This wine
is on the dry side of Brut. It is rich, at the same
time crisp with a delicious creamed pear and
apple flavor, lifted even further by pineapple
acidity. Congratulations to Philipponnat for indicating
disgorgement date and even the dosage on
the back label. Imported by Ex-Cellars Wine
Agencies, Inc. Cellar Selection. —R.V.
92
Drappier 2002 Millésime Exception
Brut (Champagne); $NA. This
is a balanced wine, moving easily between rich
fruit and a tight mineral and grapefruit texture.
There is a hint of toast to give extra weight. Worth
aging for several years. Imported by A. Hardy
USA. —R.V.
92
Drappier 2004 Grande Sendrée
Brut (Champagne); $NA. Warm and
rich, even if still young, this is a rounded Champagne,
full of ripe apple and spice, pink grapefruit,
lined with intense acidity. Because it is still
so young, it needs several years’ aging. Imported
by A. Hardy USA. —R.V.
92
Lallier 2002 Millésime Grand Cru
(Champagne); $75. A rich wine, with
delicious cream and apple flavors, lifted by fine
acidity. It is opulent, packed with apricot and light
honey character encased in a dry, mineral framework.
Imported by Massanois Imports. —R.V.
92
Laurent-Perrier 2000 Brut Millésimé
(Champagne); $69. A soft,
ripe Champagne, as befits the year. Attractive
apples, spice and toast go beautifully with sweet
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THE WINE ENTHUSIAST
BUYING GUIDE
The Buying Guide includes ratings and reviews of new
releases and selected older wines evaluated by Wine Enthusiast
Magazine’s editors and other qualified tasters. On a regular
basis the Buying Guide includes reports on special
tastings and the wines of specific producers. Regular contributors
to our Buying Guide include Senior Editor/ Tasting
Director Joe Czerwinski, Assistant Tasting Director Lauren
Buzzeo, Executive Editor Susan Kostrzewa, Contributing
Editor Michael Schachner and Contributing Reviewer Jean
Reilly in New York, European Editor Roger Voss in Bordeaux,
Italian Editor Monica Larner in Rome, Contributing
Editor Steve Heimoff in Oakland and Contributing Editor
Paul Gregutt in Seattle. If a wine was evaluated by a single
reviewer, that taster’s initials appear following the note.
When no initials appear, the wine was evaluated by two or
more reviewers and the score and tasting note reflect the
input of all tasters.
Each review contains a score, the full name of the wine,
its suggested national retail price, and a tasting note. If price
cannot be confirmed, $NA (not available) will be printed.
Prices are for 750-ml bottles unless otherwise indicated.
TASTING METHODOLOGY AND GOALS
Tastings are conducted individually or in a group setting and
performed blind or in accordance with accepted industry
practices. Price is not a factor in assigning scores. When possible,
wines considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.
ABOUT THE SCORES
Ratings reflect what our editors felt about a particular wine.
Beyond the rating, we encourage you to read the accompanying
tasting note to learn about a wine’s special characteristics.
Classic 98–100: The pinnacle of quality.
Superb 94–97: A great achievement.
Excellent 90–93: Highly recommended.
Very Good 87–89: Often good value; well recommended.
Good 83–86: Suitable for everyday consumption;
often good value.
Acceptable 80–82: Can be employed in casual, lesscritical
circumstances.
Wines receiving a rating below 80 are not reviewed.
SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS
Editors’ Choice wines are those that offer excellent quality
at a price above our Best Buy range, or a wine at any price
with unique qualities that merit special attention.
Cellar Selections are wines deemed highly collectible
and/or requiring time in a temperature-controlled wine cellar
to reach their maximum potential. A Cellar Selection designation
does not mean that a wine must be stored to be
enjoyed, but that cellaring will probably result in a more
enjoyable bottle. In general, an optimum time for cellaring
will be indicated.
Best Buys are wines that offer a high level of quality in
relation to price. There are no specific guidelines or formulae
for determining Best Buys, but they are generally
priced at $15 or less.
SUBMITTING WINES FOR REVIEW
Wines should be submitted to the appropriate reviewing
location as detailed in our FAQ, available online via
winemag.com/contact. Inquiries should be addressed to
Assistant Tasting Director Lauren Buzzeo at 914.345.8463 or
email tastings@wineenthusiast.net. There is no charge for
submitting wines. We make every effort to taste all wines
submitted for review, but there is no guarantee that all wines
submitted will be tasted, or that reviews will appear in the
magazine. All wines must be accompanied by a submission
form, which may be downloaded from our Web site.
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