Chiquet/Gaston Brut Champagne Tradition 1er Cru NV

92 points Wine Spectator: "[$48 list] Lacy in texture, this leesy version offers notes of pastry cream, bread dough, oyster shell and poached apricot, layered with sleek acidity and a chalky underpinning. A rich but balanced style. Disgorged July 2018. Drink now through 2022. (12/15/19)"

91 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(2013 base vintage; disgorged July 2018; 35% chardonnay, 25% pinot noir, 40% meunier; 10% reserves dating from 2009; 8g/L dosage). The same blend since the brothers’ grandfather created the brand, hence the name. The lively 2013 season has made for an accurate Tradition, in which the red fruits and citrus crunch of Dizy take the lead in a clean and fruity style of balanced integrity. Age has built gentle texture and gingernut biscuit, honey and spice complexity. Well-integrated dosage melds with vibrant acidity on an even finish. (2020-2021)"

90+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "This bottling of Brut Tradition from Nicolas Chiquet is still from the base year of 2010, as he skipped shipping a 2011 base year bottling to the US and instead extended the previous base year bottling for another year. This cuvée is its customary cépages of forty percent pinot meunier, thirty-five percent chardonnay and twenty-five percent pinot noir. I tasted this same disgorgement a year ago, with the extra twelve months in the bottle allowing the wine to continue to blossom, offering up a superb bouquet of apple, white peach, fresh-baked bread, a complex base of soil, gentle smokiness and a lovely, floral topnote that seems more pronounced than a year ago. On the palate the wine is full, crisp, complex and rock solid at the core, with bright acids and very good length and grip on the balanced finish. As was the case last year, the only slight demerit for this wine is that the mousse is slightly coarse, but it is a minor flaw in an otherwise very tasty bottle. (Disgorged January 2015). 2017-2030. (Sep/Oct 2017)"

90 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The NV Brut Tradition is bright and beautifully focused, with striking balance of fruit, aromatics and acid. The current release is 40% Meunier, 35% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, based on the 2014 vintage, with 20% reserve wines from 2013. There is a breezy, effortless quality to the Tradition that is impossible to miss. Floral accents, dried pear and chamomile linger. Disgorged: May, 2019. Drink: 2020-2028. (Nov 2020)"

90 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(disgorged January 2015). A restrained nose speaks of yeast, brioche, green apple and a hint of citrus. In much the same fashion as the Rosé the supporting mousse is relatively soft though it's finer and is in keeping with the understated and relatively dry finish that offers solid complexity. This is really quite pretty and is drinking perfectly well now. Drink: now. (Jan 2018)"