Alain Bernard Alain Bernard Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

Still solid and nice. As before.

Brought to a large Champagne tasting (Compte, Dom, Cristal, Rare were all in the room). This was one of the few extra brut's which made it stand out. Definitely had the steely grip, I described it as not ripping the enamle off your teeth, but grippy. Apple, pear and steely chalk were the flavor profile. Nice, enoyable, and distict from the extra brut standpoint but defintely not in the Tete category.

New Years Day: Vrai Champagne, Ninth Annual Edition (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN) : Small pour. Brief note. This was pretty aggrerssive, foamy mousse, apple peel, coarse chalk. Needs food. Gut 89-90pts.

Pale gold color. Fine bubbles. Nose is lovely, bright, light, but rich. Notes of buttered croissant, lemon zest, just the beginning of a beautiful hazelnut (will assuredly come with time). The palate has zippy lemon zest acidity, a bit of bitter lemon on the mid palate, medium saline finish. Maybe a bit flat/lacking depth in the palate. This still feels very young, but I think it will gain complexity and depth with time.

2015 vintage

Good quality champagne with a great qpr. Freshness, apple, some brioche and and macadamia.

Tasted with other wines-brief note. Excellent BdB, richer in style with a long road ahead of it.

2013 vintage

Very clean and tasty French NV Champagne. Slight notes of citrus and strawberries. A bargain from WTSO at $20 per half bottle.

Excellent BdB. Structure and depth with a very classic profile. Missing something that would have pushed this into the 95+ territory but this was a really nice wine and very food friendly.

2015 vintage

Very yeasty

Really in the zone last night. Great qpr champer.

Strangely bitter on the finish, with licorice and hazelnut notes mixed together. Not a typical Blanc de Blancs. Unripe pineapple and apple flavors. On the nose its a bit more typical of BdB — crisp citrus and freshness. It is a complex wine, though not necessarily in the best sense, not what i was hoping for

Pale gold color. Drank a couple glasses over a long flight on KLM. Very workable, decent minerality, nougat, apple, lighter body. Has been better in past.

This is a great wine with a lot of layers, fun for anyone who likes to think about their drink while enjoying it. The fruit is largely orchard, think apple and pear, but there’s a second layer of ripe tropical fruit like mango or passionfruit. There’s a lovely salinity and underlying steeliness that keeps this from feeling overly ripe. At the same time, the salinity is balanced by a sweet almond and pie crust element. Excellent balance and a medium …

Maybe up next to too stiff of competition but this bottle seemed more overtly sweet than the last and just kind of simple. Drinkable, for a crowd but maybe not great QPR. A bit clunky and big house tasting.

Had this as our second champagne of the night. Very nice NV BdB -- another great deal from Last Bubbles -- with a lot of palate-cleansing acidity and freshness. Good balance and finish. Everyone loved it, or so they said. They all drank two glasses of Lonclas though.

A good wine and better than the brut but nothing special about it. Solid QPR but won't seek it out.

I was very happy with my first of four bottles of this grower champagne I ought from Last Bubbles last month. I brought this Blanc de Blancs extra brut to my wine group dinner tonight. Clean, crisp, and balanced, with a tiny bubble stream. Floral and honey aromas. Brioche flavors. Got our night off to a great start

All the BdB character one could ask for, in exquisite balance. Not mind-blowing but a lovely, versatile Champagne entering a period of maturity. 92+

2015 vintage

Outstanding, but young. Six hours open and it is still tense and firmly coiled. Would love to try again in 10 years.

2013 vintage

Delicious. A classic BdB with enough body and texture to satisfy a wide range of palates.

Outstanding effort. Autolytic, effervescent, structured, expressive, balanced, intense, with evolving complexity. Still a bit early but excellent.

2015 vintage

Pretty bummed to sink this last sailor, but it certainly rose to the occasion for NYE. Robust mousse, generous bouquet, and a long, delicious palate. Firmly extra brut, showing a light angular tartness to counteract the sweetness of banana cream pie and toasted marshmallows. 5+12+17+8= 92

Beautiful nose of red skin apples, baked pears and oyster shell freshness! Medium-bodied, with a wonderful sweetness of fruit despite the extra brut designation. Baked apples and pears on the palate. Very well made, but unexciting. 90

solid blanc de blancs champagne... aromatically clean and fruit driven with green apple and citrus, minerals. minimal brioche or aged wine aromas. fresh and long on the palate.

Still liking it. A clean minerality with hardly a hint of brioche.

Great little discovery from Garagiste for $36+. Would definitely buy more from this producer.

Excellent delicately white stone fruited Champagne with very fine bubbles and zippy acidity to offset the fruit. Lovely balance. Drinking so well already that it's going to be hard to keep my hands off this, though I know that patience would be rewarded with added depth. I will look for more of the NV (which I remember liking so much) as a cellar defender. 93++

2015 vintage

Dégorgé décembre 2022, dosage 3gr Parfait pour l’apéritif d’une chaude soirée d’été. Belle robe citron mûr, bulles fines, levain, amandes, agrumes, bel équilibre dosage/acidité Très bon

Starting crisp and lean. Much better second night. Now showing more appley fruit on the nose as well as decent minerality. Just not a style for me. Use as apperitif. 90

Pale gold color. Drank a couple glasses over 2 hours. Starting off appropriately with some BdB bubbles. Pretty delicate, fine mousse, yeast and biscuit, light orchard fruits. Can't complain for free plus great KLM hospitality.

Another good one from this producer. Fairly fresh and fruity, nice aromatics, bubbles vanished a bit quickly.

I had forgotten how much I liked the first bottle I had of this last summer. Complex and powerful — toasted bread, minerals and citrus. Could it be more elegant/refined? Well sure, but it has plenty of Champagne character and class as it is and it is a tremendous value.

This is a delicious gem. Clean, fresh with brisk bubbles. Lively. Enjoy!

Quite delicious. Profound bakery and citrus bouquet. Vibrant fizz and a pretty straw co!or. I don't care how "brut" it is, this has a definite sweetness that makes it (almost) too easy to drink. Dosage and disgorgement aren't listed, but this should suit anyone that loves a little honey with their bubbles. To it's credit, if I truly contemplate this nectar, it has a bevy of nutty complexity and essential fruit allure to elicit a big thumbs up from the …

Moments that shine but balanced by moments of empty expanse.

rapid thin bubble stream. light straw, in color. honeysuckle, apple, pear, peach, tangerine, lime, citrus zest, pastry, almonds, chalk, mineral. fresh, sweet mousse, racy acidity, linear, sharp, on a long finish.

Clean and zippy — crisp apple, Gorgonzola, has a sort of sharp zestiness. Finishes with some very light powdered sugar and slightly riper fruit. Very enjoyable and bright.

Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN) : Had a small pour at the holiday party reception. Pretty good, not as memorable as others tonight. 89-90pts.

Received from Garagiste Dec 2022 Light straw/yellow. Beautiful nose of fresh pears, green apples and star fruit and chalky oyster shell. Light-bodied with some metallic minerality. Very fresh, excellent aperitif style. 90

POP! The cork popped out on its own, hit the ceiling and landed at my feet! First time that's ever happened to me. Bottle had been upright in the fridge, so perhaps just over-exuberant frothy bubbles that just couldn't wait. Apple, lemon, yeast on the nose and palette, fine bubbles. Solid tensile core with good acidity and length. Paired perfectly with truffle gouda and also pesto and prosciutto on toast. So easy and pleasing to drink. Great QPR for under …

Very good value BdB. Fresh geen apple, tightly knit mouse with a creamy touch. Sharpness faded a bit quick after wine warmed up in the glass.

Super clean, with a creamy, frothy mousse. Lemons, apples, and cream on the palate. Very refined, and exuding class. Worked great with brown bread, crème fraiche and caviar.

Very good, especially given the price point. Good length, good acid, white flowers. Great value.

Yeasty, bright, and delicious, but somewhat lacking in bead.

From 375ml. Hints of lemon, grapefruit and other citrus. On the side of medium body. Bought on a flyer via WTSO and was pleasantly surprised as I was not familiar with this producer. Drink or hold.

Very fine mousse provides elegance; lime, bread dough, and rocky minerals on the palate. I’ll be on the lookout to restock - heavily - ifit is offered at the same sub-30 price again.

A lot of minerality to it with some citrus notes peaking through. I wish it had just a little more fruit to balance it out but it's solid overall and certainly a decent value for champagne. C enjoyed a little more than I did.

From a split. Lively acidity, Very dry. Lemon lime, green apple. Would buy again

A solid good champagne with a delicate mousse, some toast. Despite low dosage of 2g/L round and pleasing. Perfect P/Q

2008 vintage

A very special birthday dinner (Amsterdam) : A firm and good champagne with a hint of cocoa, gentle mousse, misses however some refinement.

2008 vintage

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Alain Bernard Alain Bernard Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

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