($90, Quintessential Wines): The grapes for this 100 percent Chardonnay come from Villers-Marmery and Trepail, two 1er Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims, a region otherwise known for Pinot Noir, and the Côte de Sézanne, a sub-region of Champagne just south of the Côte des Blancs.  The soil of the Côte de Sézanne is less chalky than that of the Côte des Blancs, which accounts for the relative fullness in the wines from this area.  Penetrating acidity balances and supports the extra oomph, which likely comes from the origin of the grapes, this Blanc de Blancs displays.  Five years of lees-aging also helps explain its complexity.  A fuller style of Blanc de Blancs, Palmer’s is wonderfully engaging and another example of a Champagne equally well-suited for the dinner table.
94 Michael Apstein May 18, 2021