Château de Bligny Blanc de Blancs Champagne

Here's a classy, vinous, evidently concentrated grower champagne from the Rpeneau family, the second largest owners of vineyards in the region. This is made from pinot noir and chardonnay grown in the Côtes des Bars in the southern end of champagne, and this comes across as a wine made from fully ripe grapes, displaying uncommon richness and flavour intensity for a non-vintage offering at this price. It offers both admirable power and finesse, very much like top notch, minerally chardonnay with (very fine) bubbles, and drinks more like a table wine than a sparkling wine. The complexity is impressive for the category, covering a broad range of flavours from fully ripe citrus and pear, to fresh hazelnuts, oyster shell, white chocolate, fresh wheat and acacia honey; elegant and classy. I'd confidently serve this alongside veal scallopini or poached fish in beurre blanc, white truffled pasta or risotto. Alternatively, I could also sip this all afternoon and evening. The dosage (sweetness level) is sufficient to make this widely appealing. Smart Buy. Score - 92. (John Szabo, M.S., winealign.com, Dec. 13, 2013)