Experience the opulent taste of R. Pouillon & Fils Les Blanchiens Premier Cru 2015, a distinctive Champagne exuding the complexity of Ay region, in the heart of Champagne. Expertly produced by the Pouillon family, these artisan vignerons have passionately crafted wines for three generations, adhering to organic agriculture and favouring natural yeast for fermentation.

This nuanced wine is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, producing a captivating balance between opulence and freshness. The grapes, selected from the coveted Blanchiens vineyard, a premier single cru, were meticulously handpicked in 2015, ensuring the apex of their ripeness was captured. Maturation in aged oak casks weave subtle undertones of spice, intertwining impeccably with crisp apple and citrus notes.

The R. Pouillon & Fils Les Blanchiens Premier Cru 2015 personifies champagne of the finest grade, a testament to the deft fusion of tradition and innovation that characterises the Pouillon family's wine-making philosophy.

Savor the effervescent elegance of R. Pouillon & Fils Les Blanchiens Premier Cru 2016, a testament to French winemaking artistry. Exclusively grown in the iconic Premier Cru vineyards of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, the grapes are given a tender touch as they are hand-harvested. The producer, R. Pouillon & Fils, renowned for their century-long legacy and commitment to sustainability, painstakingly ages this Brut Nature on lees for three years, enhancing the depth and fullness of its expression.

A lovely blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, its distinct character presents a rich sensorial journey with nuanced hints of apple, pear, and yeasty brioche, graced with a crisp, lively finish. R. Pouillon & Fils Les Blanchiens Premier Cru 2016’s savoir-faire and earth-conscious cultivation celebrate the enduring essence of Champagne's terroir, capturing an exquisite vinous harmony in every bottle. Savour its vivacious charm—a radiant accompaniment to life’s memorable moments.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2016 Rabaud-Promis has a pale to medium lemon color and reveals slowly emerging notions of fragrant earth, fungi, melons, baked peaches, cedar and ginger with a waft of paraffin. The palate is rich, concentrated and satiny with bold flavors and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.

Wine Enthusiast (94)

Rich, opulent and full-bodied, this wine has great concentration and is packed with notes of apricot, spice, lemon and toast. Its texture brings in minerality as well as a tangy edge. Drink from 2024.

Vinous (95)

My evening began with Pierre Rovani handing me a glass of Ramonet’s 1992 Bâtard-Montrachet, which was an incredible wine with which to start the night. Served from magnum, it was deeply-colored and packed with fruit and sweet toasted oak notes, showing stunning length on the palate and extraordinary balance. In a word: awesome.

Vinous (95+)

Brooding, unevolved, eau de vie-like nose hints at poire quetsche (plum liqueur), iodine and curry powder. Wonderfully silky entry, then thick but utterly vibrant in the middle. Superrich but uncompromisingly dry; builds inexorably from entry to palate-staining finish. Not especially oaky on the nose or mid-palate despite the 100% new oak, but shows some late grilled notes.

Burghound (95)

In the same fashion as the BBM there are soft notes of wood toast and petrol that set off the ripe and overtly ripe but not really exotic aromas of both white and yellow orchard fruit that flash background spice and citrus nuances. The wood is more prominent on the palate though there is so much concentration and sappy dry extract that the big-bodied flavors should have no difficulty ultimately integrating it. Interestingly, and has been the case in several recent vintages of this wine, it is no less refined than the BBM if a bit more broad-shouldered. Good stuff with sneaky good length and this too has most impressive underlying reserves that should permit it to also age effortlessly.

Burghound (95)

Here the nose is firmly reduced so in the unlikely event you're interested in opening a bottle right away, be sure to give it 30 minutes or so of air and decanting it would be better still. Otherwise, there is slightly better underlying energy to the rich yet nicely detailed, even precise, middleweight plus flavors that also deliver impressive length on the bitter lemon-inflected finale. While this isn't as structured as it usually is, it's still going to need close to a decade if you wish to see the '19 Bâtard at its peak.

Burghound (94)

A discreet though hardly invisible application of oak is present on the notably ripe and vaguely exotic nose of white and yellow peach, acacia and carnation, and even more phenolic character. There is better size, weight and volume though, somewhat surprisingly, not necessarily better concentration, to the succulent and caressing flavors that tighten up noticeably on the compact, tightly wound and built-to-age finale. This is very good and if not one of the domaine's all-time great vintages for the Bâtard, it's certainly no less than excellent.

Burghound (94)

A discreet though hardly invisible application of oak is present on the notably ripe and vaguely exotic nose of white and yellow peach, acacia and carnation, and even more phenolic character. There is better size, weight and volume though, somewhat surprisingly, not necessarily better concentration, to the succulent and caressing flavors that tighten up noticeably on the compact, tightly wound and built-to-age finale. This is very good and if not one of the domaine's all-time great vintages for the Bâtard, it's certainly no less than excellent.

Vinous (92)

The 1992 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet continues to entrance, even if I believe it has lost some of its luster in recent years. Here it has an elegant bouquet that feels quite generous and rich for a 1992, a patina of toastiness that complements the citrus fruit. The palate is rounded in the mouth: hints of almond and coconut, perhaps a notch lower in acidity than I might have liked with a subtle honeyed tincture on the finish. It is a gorgeous Bienvenue if not in the same class as the 1988. Tasted at the La Paulée in Beaune.