{"title":"Max Allen's Top 20 Drinks of the Year: Outstanding Grillo at an unbelievable price + Great Value Champagne","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"2002-billecart-salmon-nicholas-franc-750ml","title":"2008 Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois 750Ml Bottle","description":"“\u003cem\u003eAlongside Clos du Mesnil, Nicolas-François Billecart 2008 is my most anticipated release of the year and indeed the decade. I believe this to be the very last cuvée to be released from 2008, the vintage of our lifetimes\u003c\/em\u003e.” Tyson Stelzer","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42176659751092,"sku":"08BLCSNCFR750","price":399.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/GONETMEDEVILLE-September23.jpg?v=1694573017"},{"product_id":"2002-lanson-noble-cuvee-750ml","title":"2002 Lanson Noble Cuvee Champagne 750Ml Bottle","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan face=\"playfair display, georgia, times new roman, serif\" style=\"font-family: 'playfair display', georgia, 'times new roman', serif;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAs potentially one of the last 2002 vintage Champagnes to hit the market, and with many of the wines from that vintage now difficult to find, Lanson’s Noble Cuvée Brut is a terrific buy.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Medium to full yellow colour with an explosive and richly complex bouquet of toasted brioche and roasted nuts, dried flowers and herbs, straw nuances, and subtle iced pastry aromas. Fabulous - the bouquet on this alone has me salivating! The palate is simply amazing - there is heaps of sheer power and drive, balanced perfectly by a mouthfilling richness as well as a real finesse.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Randall Pollard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The 2002 Noble Cuvée certainly did not need any malo. It is a great and perfectly balanced Champagne. It’s drinking superbly at 17 years of age, possibly the last of the 2002 Champagnes to hit the market. \u003cstrong\u003eThe 2002 is an exceptional vintage.\u003c\/strong\u003e The wine is\u003cstrong\u003e impossibly fine and poised, yet spellbinding in its complexity\u003c\/strong\u003e. At AUD $200 it is terrific value. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMost comparable deluxe cuvées are at least double the price,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and most ’02 wines have been sold long ago. Noble Cuvée is 70% chardonnay, 30% pinot noir, all from grand cru vineyards.” \u003cstrong\u003e98pts - Huon Hooke.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan face=\"playfair display, georgia, times new roman, serif\" style=\"font-family: 'playfair display', georgia, 'times new roman', serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCheers, Randall .\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42176659783860,"sku":"02LNSNBLCV750","price":359.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/products\/LANSON20NOBLECUVEECHAMPAGNE750MLBOTTLE.jpg?v=1678142277"},{"product_id":"2011-taittinger-comte-de-champagne-750ml","title":"2011 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 750Ml Bottle","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"So restrained and alluring. Struck-match character on the nose. Like a fine burgundy with a delicate but persistent mousse. Plenty of acidity on the palate to balance the ripe, almost tropical\/exotic-fruit notes. No shortage of purity with exuberant freshness to finish. Flavours build in the glass – biscuity, very precise.\" - \u003cstrong\u003eAndy Howard, jancisrobinson.com\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"A firm, fresh Comtes with a tight and composed palate. It’s full-bodied with a racy mid-palate. Long and persistent. Very structured with phenolics and acidity. Minerally. Floral, too. Refreshing and energetic.\" \u003cstrong\u003e97pts - James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42176660144308,"sku":"11TTGCMTDCH750","price":395.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/products\/TAITTINGERCOMTEDECHAMPAGNE750MLBOTTLE.jpg?v=1678937186"},{"product_id":"pre-arrival-nv-gonet-medeville-champagne-1er-cru-blanc-de-noirs","title":"NV Gonet-Medeville Champagne 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs 750Ml Bottle","description":"\u003cspan\u003e\"The new release of Gonet-Medeville's NV Brut Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs is showing very well, offering up an appealing bouquet of crisp golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, warm biscuits and dried white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, broad and vinous, with ripe but racy acids, good depth at the core and a delicate mousse. Concentrated and structured, another year on the cork will be rewarded by additional complexity, even though this is approachable now.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e93pts! - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42279005225140,"sku":"PANVGNT1ERBDN750","price":95.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/GonetMedevilleBlancdeNoirs.jpg?v=1695712649"},{"product_id":"2012-taittinger-comtes-de-champagne-750ml-bottle","title":"2012 Taittinger Comtes De Champagne 750Ml Bottle","description":"\"This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful.\" \u003cstrong\u003e99pts! - James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42320935190708,"sku":"12TTGCMTDCH750","price":413.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/TAITTINGERCOMTEDECHAMPAGNE750MLBOTTLE_6bfffca3-7469-415b-b892-62b499ec1b1b.jpg?v=1689132576"},{"product_id":"2008-bollinger-vintage-champagne-r-d-750ml-bottle","title":"2008 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 750Ml Bottle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 2008 Champagne R.D. Extra Brut is chiseled, powerful, and packaged with a chalky mineral texture. Made from 70% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay, with 3 grams per liter dosage, it pours a bright straw yellow hue, while its aromatics are more mineral-tinged and feel a touch more noble and upright in character. Aromatically, it opens to notes of toasted almond, preserved Meyer lemon, brothy saline, and vibrant fresh fruit. Displaying tension and grace, it has the richness of Bollinger but is more upright, with an electric mineral energy that courses through the finish, which lasts for days. Mouthwatering and long, it’s a stunner. It needs more time to harmonize all its components, but this is a wine to cellar for the ages, and I think this is going to be a vintage of RD we talk about for a very, very long time. Cellar it if you can and drink 2026-2056. Disgorged December 2022. \u003cstrong\u003e98 points - Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage. \u003cstrong\u003e98+ - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2008 vintage is characterised by its remarkable precision and opulence. The assembly of this 2008 vintage is composed of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay. A total of 18 crus can be find in the blending, mostly Aÿ and Verzenay for Pinot Noir and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant for Chardonnay. The fermentation is entirely in oak barrels. Bollinger R.D. is sold just a few months after being disgorged, with a very low dosage known as “extra brut”, at just 3 grams per litre. The recent disgorgement guarantees the remarkable freshness of the wine. An old vintage, with a very low dosage, that has been disgorged just prior to release: R.D. is a wine that has always been ahead of its time and embodies Madame Bollinger’s visionary spirit. The combination of the long wait during the ageing process and the immediacy of disgorgement enables the harmonious contrast between the different temporalities of R.D. Today, Bollinger R.D. 2008 is lively and exceptionally complex, taking us on a journey outside time. Hazelnuts, with all their freshness and generosity, are the perfect ingredient to echo a wine of such splendour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA wine glimmering with golden reflections. Enticing aromas of marzipan, stewed apricots, honey and breadcrumbs accompany fresh notes of bergamot. A rich, precise mousse. Citrus notes are followed by flavours of Mirabelle plums and vine peaches. A very vivaciours wine which unfolds to reveal exceptional complexity. Notes of fresh hazelnuts and salinity combine to create an intense, everlasting finish.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42546014552244,"sku":"BLGRRD750","price":599.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/2007BollingerRD_8387518e-448a-4ab4-8f3d-3c29c108178a.jpg?v=1702613679"},{"product_id":"nv-gonet-medeville-champagne-1er-cru-blanc-de-noirs-magnum-1500ml-bottle","title":"NV Gonet-Medeville Champagne 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs MAGNUM Bottle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"The new release of Gonet-Medeville's NV Brut Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs is showing very well, offering up an appealing bouquet of crisp golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, warm biscuits and dried white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, broad and vinous, with ripe but racy acids, good depth at the core and a delicate mousse. Concentrated and structured, another year on the cork will be rewarded by additional complexity, even though this is approachable now.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e93pts! - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42739655213236,"sku":"NVGNTMDVBDN1500","price":235.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/GonetMedevilleBlancdeNoirs_d69e6179-addb-48a5-beca-4afc67df3521.jpg?v=1709601509"},{"product_id":"2013-taittinger-comtes-de-champagne-750ml-bottle","title":"2013 Taittinger Comtes De Champagne 750ml Bottle","description":"\u003cp\u003eFantastic complexity here with aromas of toast, biscuit, lemon, almond, chalk and some fennel. It's long, sleek and mineral, with tight, very fine bubbles and so much tension and precision. Very long and chalky finish. Try after 2024.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e99points - James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2013 Comtes de Champagne is a towering Champagne, as it was last year. Rich, sumptuous and explosive, the 2013 soars out of the glass with a captivating mix of tropical fruit, apricot, passion fruit, baked apple tart, mint and yellow flowers. It is one of the most explosive, extroverted Comtes I have ever tasted. Impressive.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e98 points - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42792313454772,"sku":"13TTGCMTDCH750","price":420.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/TAITTINGERCOMTEsDECHAMPAGNE.jpg?v=1765585482"},{"product_id":"2008-krug-vintage-champagne-1","title":"2004 Krug Vintage Champagne 750ml Bottle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCombining subtleness with complexity, the coolish Krug 2004 Brut opens with a highly elegant, fascinatingly clear, bright and refreshing bouquet of ripe (apple) fruits. Dense and round, with a delicate mineral soul, the pure but perfectly balanced 2004 reveals great finesse and weightless elegance with a long and round finish. This is a gorgeous Krug vintage that is 14 years old but still on the rise. '\u003cstrong\u003e 97 points - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Moet Hennessy","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43654004506804,"sku":null,"price":749.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/Krug2004_2.png?v=1748930309"},{"product_id":"2002-louis-roederer-cristal-vinotheque","title":"2002 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque","description":"","brand":"Randall's Fine Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43720038645940,"sku":"","price":1990.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"2011-krug-vintage-champagne-750ml-bottle-copy","title":"2011 Krug Vintage Champagne 750ml Bottle","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"c-drawer__review\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt shows reserved character but with a lot of energy and tension. Concentrated citrus fruit, candied lemons and mandarin peel with hints of savory herbs and spices. Notes of brioche and caraway seeds. Full-bodied, complex and nervy on the palate. It has fine, silky bubbles yet it’s structured and firm with a lot of power. It builds up on the finish with freshness and vibrancy. \u003cstrong\u003e98 Points — James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-drawer__review\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause 2011 was a challenging vintage for Champagne, it would be very easy to over-generalize, as many readers may have had less than ideal experiences elsewhere. But Krug’s 2011 Champagne Millesime Brut is not your average Champagne. With a rounded nose, it pours a medium golden straw hue and is creamy with aromas of orange blossoms, custard, fresh pear, hazelnut, and delicate smoky incense. Medium to full-bodied and refined on the palate, it has a rounded and pristine profile, with ripe, balanced fruit floating through the palate, a pinpoint mousse, and a delicate hint of almond skin on the finish that I would expect to become more pronounced with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-drawer__review-author\"\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e— Jeb Dunnuck, 97 Points\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Moet Hennessy","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44022701981876,"sku":null,"price":679.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/Krug2004_2.png?v=1748930309"},{"product_id":"2014-taittinger-comtes-de-champagne-750ml-bottle","title":"2014 Taittinger Comtes De Champagne 750ml Bottle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 2014 Comtes de Champagne is pristine. In this tasting, it comes across as a mini-2008, similar in its linear personality, with just a touch more mid-palate creaminess. Readers will find a Comtes that plays in the realm of tension and energy. Citrus confit, white flowers, chalk, mint and chamomile are all finely sketched. Light tropical overtones grace the finish. What an absolute delight. The 2014 can be enjoyed now or cellared. Dosage is 9 grams per liter.' \u003cstrong\u003e97 points - Antonio Galloni, Vinous\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrankly, who cares about the specs – for the record, this Chardonnay hails from Grands Crus Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; it spent 10 years in the cellar; its dosage is 8-9g\/L. Nothing new here. What is showstopping about this wine is that it is an absolute beauty from the tips of its toes to the last fibre of its being. While the world and its aunt went tonto about the 2013, I held my cards close to my chest. It was a wine I liked on release and still like (yes, just like) today. It is impressive, towering and structured, but for me, it doesn’t resonate deeply in my psyche on account of scale and muscle alone. The building blocks are too rigid and brusque to conjure up a sense of true wonder, and Comtes is a wine I have been enchanted with in the past, so when four-square vintages come along, I find myself sitting on the sidelines while other commentators dance their jigs. So, with a couple of ounces of trepidation, I approached the 2014 release on Monday afternoon, only to be told to jog off and come back when it was the right temperature. Easy enough, but this only served to heighten my expectations. One hour later, and perfectly chilled, it was poured into my glass and the world, for a minute or two, became a glittering kaleidoscope of effortless, cleansing, elegant and sophisticated Grand-Cru-born, and perfectly balanced Chardonnay. This is the world of Comtes, as I know it. I demand, and only react to, an exultant level of pristine fruit and seamless palate texture that this 2014 (and a handful of previous vintages) offer, and in addition, the finish, tension, and, ultimately, the pay-off, which is evinced in a sensational flavour memory which encapsulates the legend of this wine and its reputation, is complete. This is Comtes. This is the Taittinger House in a sip! It is a phenomenal Chardonnay from the historic Côtes des Blancs, and it is not only drinking now, but I venture it will roll for a further decade and more without breaking step. If you, like me, have missed ‘classic Comtes’ of late, here she is. And this is why this beautiful wine has pushed all others aside to stand in the spotlight this week. ' \u003cstrong\u003e19.5\/20 Matthew Jukes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"review-body\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClosed in style and character like the 2013, Taittinger’s 2014 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne reveals aromas of ripe orchard fruit, confit citrus, dried flowers, herbs, spring blossoms and mirabelle mingled with customary autolytic notes. Full-bodied, seamless and enrobing, it has a delicate, elegant, fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, all enhanced by a saline, fresh and penetrating finish marked by finesse and elegance. This refined, chalky-inflected Comtes de Champagne has the potential to age gracefully over the next 30-40 years.\u003cstrong\u003e' 97 points - Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOccupying a stylistic middle ground between the incisiveness of the 2013 and the fleshier textures of the 2012, Taittinger’s 2014 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne—disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of nine grams per liter—has turned out beautifully. It offers aromas of orange peel, peach, pear and brioche mingled with hazelnut and burnt buttered toast. On the palate, it is full-bodied, ample and textural, with a layered yet crisp core of fruit, considerable tension and a long, chalky finish. Harmonious and racy-fresh though it is, this is a marginally richer rendition than the 2013 tasted alongside it, yet both promise excellent longevity and will make for fascinating comparative tastings in the years to come. \u003cstrong\u003e96 Points - Kristaps Karklins, The Wine Advocate \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApricots, hazelnuts, lemons, white flowers, sliced almonds and hints of licorice on the nose. It's creamy and layered, with soft, rounded bubbles that spread across the palate. Lovely balance of breadth, ripeness and freshness, with delicious wildflower honey and nut notes lingering. 100% grand cru chardonnay from Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Chouilly. Drink or hold. \u003cstrong\u003e97 Points - Claire Nesbitt, jamessuckling.com\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joval Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44104663761076,"sku":"14TTGCMTDCH750","price":449.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0561\/1261\/1508\/files\/TAITTINGERCOMTEsDECHAMPAGNE.jpg?v=1765585482"}],"url":"https:\/\/randalls.net.au\/collections\/max-allens-top-20-drinks-of-the-year-outstanding-grillo-at-an-unbelievable-price-great-value-champagne\/2014.oembed","provider":"Randall's Fine Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}