5 Champagnes Introduced In 2020 Featuring Cristal, Pol Roger, Bollinger, Pierre Peters, And Pommery. Cheers!

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In honor of the end of this (for many horrific) year, let’s take a look at five of the great champagnes our nose-to-the-glass wine and spirits writer Ken Gargett highlighted in 2020 – and toast the start of a fresh year. Many watch enthusiasts often enjoy fine timepieces with a glass of great bubbly. And as Ken has considerable expertise in champagne, we can happily recommend some of the best tipples in existence.

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Henriot Cuvée Hemera 2005: 100% Grand Cru Vineyards Make For A Seamless New Prestige Champagne

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Henriot is an interesting winemaker that often sneaks in under the radar, which is surprising as it produces champagnes of exquisite quality. The Henriot range comprises the NV Brut Souverain, an NV Blanc de Blancs, a Rosé, a vintage Brut, a vintage Rosé, the prestige champagne Hemera, and an outlier, Cuve 38. Ken Gargett pours himself a few glasses, reports here, and calls it a job well done.

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2016 Vintage Barolo Wines Of Italy: Overview Of A Tremendous Vintage Plus Highlights Of What’s Available Now

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There seems to be no argument that the 2016 vintage from Barolo in Italy is sensational. Very early days, and many of the top wines are yet to see the light of day, but this is a year that has wine lovers and collectors prepared to crawl over broken glass for their allocations. Ken Gargett takes a closer look for us.

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Hennessy Teams Up With Artist Cai Guo-Qiang To Mark The Explosive 150th Anniversary Of Its X.O Cognac

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It was literally raining down fire all around Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle. The high winds had caused the still-burning firework tubes to drift and come tumbling down onto the heads of a group of journalists she joined rather than into the nearby Charente River as anticipated on one stormy, blustery fall day in Cognac, France. But Hennessy’s “The Birth of Tragedy” performance art display by artist Cai Guo-Qiang still went ahead with a bang. A lot of colorful big bangs!

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Domaines Ott And Château de Pibarnon: Truly Great Provencal Rosé Wines

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Here Ken Gargett takes a look at a couple of the very best rosés made anywhere on the planet. Both are from Provence, more specifically Ott is from Côtes de Provence and Pibarnon from Bandol. Did you know that rosé makes for more than half of Provence’s wine production?

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Champagne Jacquesson: Superlative Grower Movement Single-Vineyard Wines

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Champagne Jacquesson transformed itself from an also-ran to pioneering single-vineyard and terroir-based champagne house. Out went the traditional non-vintage, vintage, and prestige champagnes and in came one blend – “the best we can make each year” – and four single-vineyard wines. And Ken Gargett is now a big fan.

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Champagne Labruyère And JM Sélèque: The Majesty Of Grower Champagnes

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Champagne is not a wine that most people enjoy at home or by themselves as they might a good red or a top spirit. Champagne is for occasions and for sharing and enjoying with friends. If times have been tough for the large Champagne-based houses, they have been even worse for many of the small growers and their champagnes. Here Ken Gargett take a look at two up-and-coming growers for your consideration.

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Taylor’s Trio Of New Vintage Ports: There Will Be Comparative Tastings For Decades To Come 

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The most obvious thing to note with these three Taylor’s Vintage Ports is that they will be linked together forever. For decades to come, there will be comparative tastings and their progress will be carefully monitored. There are critics who claim that Taylor’s is the “Latour of Vintage Port,” but Ken Gargett believes they have that backwards: Latour is the “Taylor’s of Bordeaux.”

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Pyramid Valley Wine From New Zealand: Terroir Taken To The Extreme

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In the Waipara region, North Canterbury, in the southern part of New Zealand’s South Island there is a cult winery called Pyramid Valley that Ken Gargett has visited a few times. Today he tastes several 2018 wines from the place with the picturesque vineyard names and shares his opinion with us.

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The World’s Best Wine? No Contest: Romanée-Conti By Domaine De La Romanée-Conti – Reprise

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There is one wine producer that has taken on almost mythical status in recent years: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. And one of its wines, Romanée-Conti, stands out above all others. Many wine lovers, perhaps most, consider it to be the very best wine in the world. Ken Gargett is one of them.

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