Veuve Clicquot Taste Test
- The Wall Street Journal Winner is...

The "yellow label" of Veuve-Clicquot is iconic, yet this holiday season the "red label" of Noël Bazin stole the show.

We've written about the Champagnes of Noël Bazin before.

This tiny husband-and-wife estate of just over three hectares makes some of the most satisfying, delicious, and well-priced Champagnes on the market.

This past week The Wall Street Journal's taste test confirmed something that we've known for a while: "This [Bazin] all-Chardonnay bottling is indeed really good."

Bazin's Blanc de Blanc soared above the famous yellow label.

While this bottling is normally not available in any quantity to mention, this is the right time of year, and we've secured enough to do a small offering: Today we bring you the winning "l'Unanimé," a startlingly crisp and clear Blanc de Blancs Champagne, for as low as $55.95 a bottle.

But don't hesitate: if you want to do your own taste test this holiday season, you'll need to reserve your bottles now. Three hectares are not that many hectares!

The Bazin's hometown of Villers-Marmery is in the Montagne de Reims, a place famous for its Pinot Noir. As such, we're also including the Bazin's Pinot Noir-dominant rosé "Pimpante" in this offering, below, to showcase the talents of this terroir and of the Bazins.

Their rosé is deep and textural, with layers of red fruit and a pushing lift and energy. Anyone who loves rosé Champagne should try a bottle.

Yet the focus of The Wall Street Journal's taste test was the Bazin's "l'Unanimé," a 100% Blanc de Blancs (all Chardonnay) coming from a very curious part of the Montagne de Reims called "the Perle Blanche," or white pearl, because of the Chardonnay planted here.

If this grape is a rarity in these parts, when it works, it works. Taste for yourself.

But, as The Wall Street Journal writes, "It’s not in huge supply..." However, "The good news for anyone hoping to find this one: Much of that production is the 'l’Unanime' Champagne we tasted."

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits