Paul Bara Brut Reserve NV

Paul Bara Brut Reserve NV 'Paul Bara is a living legend in Champagne. Many major champagne houses have approached Bara to try and buy the 30 exceptional locations he controls in the village. Only the first pressing is used, the wines are aged for at least 4 years in the cold cellar, and the yield is maintained at the lowest possible level.......his champagne is world class.' Richard Juhlin, 4000 Champagnes. Located in Bouzy just to the east of Epernay in the Marne Valley, Champagne Paul Bara uses only their own estate grown fruit from 100% Grand cru rated vineyards to craft it’s small range of champagnes. Their superbly sited vineyard sites have over the years been sought after by many of the top Champagne houses, and while many other producers have been busily expanding, Paul Bara have remained producing the highest quality possible from these same 11 hectares for seven generations. Now managed by Chantal Bara, the beliefs and methods remain true to previous generations, producing very low yields of the best possible grapes from these superb vineyard sites. The great art in the champagnes of Paul Bara remains the same as it always has, it is the stunning purity and depth of 100 % Grand cru Bouzy fruit maintained with finesse and balance that is achieved by using such a high percentage of Pinot Noir in the blend. 'Routinely one of the great growers - The Bara Brut Reserve is a beautifully poised beast aromatically, with scintillating aromas of fresh bread, baking spice, red cranberries and spiced pear. Pristine in it's weight and shape, with yellow orchard fruits and wood spice soaring and showcasing the intensity of Grand Cru Pinot Noir framed and driven on the finish by tensile green apple acidity - this is an exceptional bottling of gastronomic, powerful Champagne.' "80 % Pinot Noir, 20 % Chardonnay. The current disgorgement (January 2025) is based on the 2020 vintage (50 %) with 50 % vin de reserve and a Brut dosage of 6 g/l. 'The Paul Bara Brut non-vintage is a terrific bottle of bubbly, with excellent complexity on both the nose and palate and a very elegant and refined mouth feel. On the palate the wine is fullish, crisp and focused, with excellent mid-palate depth, very refined mousse, bright acids and really outstanding length and grip on the complex finish. The Paul Bara is all refined elegance and great intensity of flavor. A truly superb bottle of Brut NV.'" - 92 Points, John Gilman.