Marguet Extra Brut Champagne 'Shaman' Grand Cru 2019

92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "I somehow missed tasting the Shaman 19 from Benoît Marguet when it was first released, so nearly a year out from its arrival in New York, this is my first visit with the wine. The wine this year is composed from a cépages of eighty-seven percent pinot noir and thirteen percent chardonnay, with the vins clairs given nine months of élevage in cask prior to bottling up for secondary fermentation towards in mid-July of 2020. The wine aged just over two years sur latte prior to its disgorgement in October of 2022. The bouquet is bright and complex, wafting from the glass in a mix of peach, apple, warm bread, superb minerality, gentle smokiness, gentle spice tones, dried flowers and just a touch of buttery oak. On the palate the wine is pure, ripe and full-bodied, with excellent depth at the core, superb mineral undertow and grip, bright acids, elegant mousse and a very long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is drinking very nicely out of the blocks, but will be even better if given a year or two in the cellar to allow its girdle of acidity to relax a bit more. Fine juice. 2023-2035. (Jul/Aug 2023)"

90 points Anne Krebiehl, MW (Vinous): "The NV Brut Nature Shaman 19 Grand Cru is a blend of 87% Pinot Noir and 13% Chardonnay picked in Bouzy and Ambonnay. Spiced, mellow Red Delicious apple flesh makes for rich and inviting nose with vanilla playing smoothly around the edges. The palate is alive with foamy, frothy mousse and shows that same Red Delicious apple but in all its ripe and crunchy purity, with lovely acidity and bite. Fruit-driven, utterly Pinot-focused, pure and youthful. Zero dosage. Disgorged: May, 2022. Drink: 2023-2030. (Nov 2023)"

Ultra-soft mousse with beautiful structure and clean fruit. Lithe and delicate, but broad on the palate with linen, white stone fruit a touch of brioche with layers of apple and mineral. If that sounds complex, it is - in the best possible way. Pure and clean is the overall impression however, with a mineral character that underlies it all. First class Champagne at a price that makes this wine a real value.