2004 Paul Bara Brut Cuvée Special Club Grand Cru

Disgorged in late June 2014 after alomost ten years on the lees, Bara's straw-yellow colored 2004 Special Club Grand Cru from the coteau de Bouzy offers a clear, bright, rich and complex bouquet of ripe fruits along with some spicy flavors. Full-bodied, rich and well structured, this is a truly expressive, fresh and vivid if not still (too) young Champagne that will polish its edges over the next couple of years. Compared with the purity and finesse of, say, the 2004 Lanson Gold Label, Bara's Special Club is not only bigger but also more tight and powerful. The length is impressive and thrilling.

The 70-30 Pinot-Chardonnay 2004 Brut Special Club was notable among the Paul Bara wines I most recently tasted for its creaminess of texture and downright delicacy, characteristics that suit the metaphorically cooling character conveyed by high-toned herbal and raw almond inflections to a juicy, ripe pear and apple matrix. The finish here soothes and satisfies, even if its sheer persistence is but moderate. I would plan on enjoying it over the next year or two, although I am certain there will be an interesting if oxidative subsequent phase that some Champagne lovers will appreciate. Chantale Bara’s wines served as the Bouzy reference point for many of us wine lovers on account of not only their solid quality but also their long-standing U.S. availability. Sourced from an unusually high percentage of old vines, these wines never undergo malo-lactic transformation, and it has struck me in recent years that this might be one reason that they occasionally – notably in their lower price echelons – come off as slightly rustic or brusque. (The “basic” Brut Reserve and Brut Rose bottlings I tasted from Bara on this occasion were modestly recommendable; but since neither a lot number nor disgorgement date was indicated on their labels or bottles, I have refrained from rating them.) Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Disgorged in late June 2014 after alomost ten years on the lees, Bara's straw-yellow colored 2004 Special Club Grand Cru from the coteau de Bouzy offers a clear, bright, rich and complex bouquet of ripe fruits along with some spicy flavors. Full-bodied, rich and well structured, this is a truly expressive, fresh and vivid if not still (too) young Champagne that will polish its edges over the next couple of years. Compared with the purity and finesse of, say, the 2004 Lanson Gold Label, Bara's Special Club is not only bigger but also more tight and powerful. The length is impressive and thrilling. eRobertParker.com.November, 2014