Paillard/Bruno Extra Brut Champagne Première Cuvée NV

94 points Tyson Steltzer (The Champagne Guide): "(2013 base vintage; disgorged October 2017; 33% chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and Étoges, 45% pinot from the Montagne de Reims and from Les  Riceys (not always in the blend but especially in cooler years), 22% meunier from the north of the Montagne de Reims and the first 15km of the Vallée de la Marne, from Hautvillers to Festigny; 35 villages; only the first pressing; 20% fermented in old barrels; reserve solera dating from 1985, including 35% of the previous year’s blend; aged 3 years on lees; 5g/L dosage). Bruno Paillard describes his entry cuvée as ‘a synthesis of the three varieties, an assemblage in the noble sense of the term’. It’s a wonderfully jubilant wine that celebrates the fleshy personality of pinot first and foremost in wonderful red cherry and strawberry fruits, bringing tension with the citrus zest of chardonnay. The whole accord is given wonderful brioche and bitter almond complexity and creamy texture thanks to a portion of barrel fermentation, three years lees age and not least very deep and sensitively deployed reserves. In time, hints of marzipan emanate. It concludes long and linear, with beautifully fine chalk minerality. A benchmark Bruno Paillard and testimony to both a wonderful base vintage and the exacting craft of this small house. (2020-2021)"

94 points James Suckling: "Lemon bush and lemon zest with pure strawberries, mirabelles, white pepper and a hint of shortbread. Fine mousse with good concentration and full body and zesty, lemony acidity. Tight-knit structure with a super-polished finish. 45% pinot noir, 33% chardonnay and 22% pinot meunier. Disgorged in 2023. Dosage 5.5g/L. Drinkable now, but it will achieve more complexity with aging. (7/17/24)"

94 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2024).

93 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "To my palate, Champagne Bruno Paillard’s Première Cuvée is one of the finest three or four non-vintage Brut bottlings made by any of the Grandes Marques. The 2010 base year version of Première Cuvée was disgorged in June of 2014, with the wine composed this year from a cépages of fifty-five percent pinot noir, thirty-three percent chardonnay and twenty-two percent pinot meunier. The wine is drinking beautifully well today, offering up a bright and complex aromatic constellation of apple, pear, wheat toast, hazelnuts, chalky soil tones, caraway seed and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and precise, with a lovely core, fine soil undertow and grip, elegant mousse and a complex, seamlessly balanced and very long finish. This is simply great non-vintage Brut! 2024-2050. (May/Jun 2024)"

93 points Sarah Mayo (The Wine Independent): "The Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée NV is an assemblage of 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 22% Pinot Meunier made from 2018 base wine, of which 20% is barrel fermented in aged oak barrels. Accounting for 60% of the house annual production, this cuvée always includes a good proportion of reserve wines from a perpetual reserve started in 1985, with this specific bottling including 32% reserve wine. Aromatically rich and heady, it opens to notes of ripe apricot, lemon pulp, butter biscuit and hints of coconut macaroon. Medium-bodied, the palate has attractive energy from refreshing, lively acidity that mingles with ripe citrus flavors and toasty notes on the long, saline finish. It is an Extra Brut with 5.5 grams per liter dosage that is well integrated and balanced. The bottle tasted was disgorged in May 2022. Lot: LZA6B2Q05. Alcohol 12%. Drink: 2023-2035. (11/8/23)"

92 points Yohan Castaing (Wine Advocate): "A blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 22% Pinot Meunier, Paillard’s NV Extra-Brut Première Cuvée (disgorged in June 2022 with 5.5 grams per liter) expresses an elegant and fresh bouquet with aromas of citrus oil, lemon, spring flowers, pomelo and pastry touches. Medium to full-bodied, crystalline and vibrant, it’s complemented by a delicate mousse and chalky finish. Enjoy it over the next three years. Drink: 2023-2026. (Apr 2023)"

91 points Tom Hewson (TimAtkin.com): "45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Meunier. Full of expressive red fruit, this is a burnished and nicely opened-up style with some green stone fruit and almond pastry richness. You feel the apricot succulence of the Pinot Meunier through the middle, with a nice anise/fennel herbal detail. Measured breadth. This may show even better in an easier vintage for Chardonnay. (Dec 2022)"

92 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The NV Extra Brut Première Cuvée is bright, aromatic and nicely lifted. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper, slate and citrus fruit are all beautifully delineated. Brisk acids pull it all together on the close. This airy, nuanced Champagne from Bruno Paillard is a delight. The blend is 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 22% Meunier, with 32% reserve wines that date back to 1985. Disgorged: September 2022. Drink: 2024-2030. (Mar 2024)"