Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne La Haute-Lemblee Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, France

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The 2007 Blanc de Blancs Roses de Jeanne La Haute-Lemblee comes across as inward and cool in this vintage. It will be fascinating to see where the 2007 goes over the next few years. Today it is a gorgeous, seamless wine laced with persistent minerality, notable intensity and a bouquet that needs a little time to fully emerge. The lieu-dit is La Haute-Lemblee, in Celles-sur-Ource. Disgorged April 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Cedric Bouchard remains at the forefront of innovation in Champagne. Yields are minuscule, even by the most exacting definition. The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts and are bottled unfined and unfiltered with no dosage. Bouchard is adamant that he wants to stay at a size where he alone can do all of the work, so readers should not expect production to increase in a meaningful way, at least not any time soon. There is a new Champagne in the works, though, a 100% Pinot Noir from La Proele, a tiny parcel of just 0.025 hectares (15 rows) planted with 10 different Pinot rootstocks. This is the same parcel Bouchard had used for his Coteaux Champenois Pinots, a project he has since abandoned, as he wasn’t happy with the quality of the wines. The 2007 and 2008 Coteaux Champenois Chardonnays are still in the cellar, but here, too, it appears the still-wine experiment was short-lived. I am not sure anyone will mind too much given the quality of Bouchard’s Champagnes. Bouchard plans to phase out the Infloresence brand by 2013/2014, once the ownership of the respective vineyards passes into his direct ownership. At that point, all of the wines will be sold under the Roses de Jeanne brand. Unfortunately the already tiny production is down by as much as 50% for the 2007 La Boloree, Haute-Lemblee and Creux d’Enfer because of hail damage, so the wines will be harder to find than usual. Furthermore, I was not able to taste the 2009 Les Ursules, but will report on that wine as soon as I can. Incidentally, 2010 is the last year Les Ursules will be released as a non-vintage wine. These remain some of the most spectacular wines being made anywhere in the world, and are well worth the effort of finding them. Frankly, I can’t think of too many wines I would rather drink.A Thomas Calder Selection, imported by Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404

The 2005 Roses de Jeanne Brut Blanc de Blancs (La Haut-Lemblee) needs to be opened at least an hour in advance in order to be fully appreciated. Initially very ripe and almost tropical, the wine settles down over time and gains incredibly clarity in the glass. Mango, pineapple and exotic Chardonnay fruit emerge with awesome richness in a big, boisterous style. The mousse is exceptional for its elegance and finesse. Tasted an hour later, some of the overt ripeness in the wine has receded and the wine reveals absolutely incredible balance. Still, 2005 is a warm vintage and some of the energy and sheer thrust of the 2004 is missing. The 2005 Blanc de Blancs Roses de Jeanne Haute-Lemblee spent 38 months on its lees. It is differentiated from the other 2005 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs, La Boloree, by its tan label. Disgorged: April 16, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. The hand-crafted Champagnes of Cedric Bouchard remain some of the most fascinating wines to emerge from the region. I have been drinking last year’s releases over this past year and the wines have never failed to deliver immense pleasure. All of the Bouchard wines are made in a strictly non-interventionalist method. The organic vineyards are farmed to very low yields. The fruit is hand-harvested and the grapes are crushed by foot and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wines are aged in stainless steel and are bottled unfined and unfiltered with no dosage. The estate offers two ranges; the Inflorescence wines are made from vineyards owned by Bouchard’s father, while the Roses de Jeanne wines are made from Bouchard’s own vines. These remain some of the most vivid, eloquent Champagnes readers are likely to come across and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Readers should note that bottles destined for the US do not carry vintage, lieu-dit or disgorgement dates, as that space on the bottles is taken up by the importers’ labels. I am told this situation will be remedied by next year, but in the meantime, readers seeking these wines should consult their merchant to make sure they are indeed receiving the current releases.A Thomas Calder Selection, imported by Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, Potomac Selections, Landover, MD; tel. (301) 583-8844, Triage Wines, Inc., Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 883-0543, Vineyard Road, Framingham, MA; tel. (781) 789-1662

Bouchard's 2004 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs La Haut-Lamblee is striking in its depth, clarity, and sheer beauty. This vivid wine possesses tons of richly layered Chardonnay fruit intermingled with suggestions of smoke, minerals and earthiness in a mind-bending display of elegance and pure breed. Made in a powerful style, this Champagne shows a remarkable inner tension that makes it very hard to put the glass down. The wine could use a few years in bottle but it is simply breathtaking today. This is an unforgettable wine that must be tasted to be believed. The Haut Lamblee spent 46 months on its lees, and like all Bouchard wines, it was bottled unfined, unfiltered and with no dosage. This bottle was disgorged in March 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. The explosive, kaleidoscopic Champagnes of Cedric Bouchard are some of the most compelling wines coming out of the region today. Quite simply, this set of new releases left me speechless and literally shaking my head in awe. Readers should do whatever they can to experience these magnificent wines. Bouchard farms just under three hectares of vineyards. There are two ranges; the Inflorescence wines are made from vineyards owned by Bouchard's father, while the Roses de Jeanne wines are made from vineyards Bouchard owns himself. The vineyards are cropped to yields that would be considered miniscule in any region in the world, but are shockingly low compared to the average in Champagne, where high yields are prevalent. Because of the low yields, the wines reveal a very fine and subtle mousse. The wines are made from hand harvested fruit, crushed by foot and fermented with natural yeasts. Bouchard prefers stainless steel, as he believes the neutrality of steel allows for the maximum amount of expression of his philosophy, which is single-vineyard,single vintage and single-variety bottlings. The wines are neither fined nor filtered and are disgorged with no dosage. Unfortunately the wines do not carry a disgorgement date on the label, although I am told that will be changing next year.A Thomas Calder Selection, imported by Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404