The 2018 Champagne Starck Brut Nature exhibits notes of lemon and citrus oils, but the stone fruit has a silkiness, not the tannic side you sometimes see. It also has hints of savory toast, but it remains very elegant. This 2018 is the first vintage that included a small amount of Pinot Blanc to add more depth to the mid-palate. Medium to full-bodied, it has a fleshy texture without being too bitter. With the extended time on lees, the Pinot Blanc is almost more perceptible in the blend – and if it isn’t now, it will be – because it complements the style with that ideal, almost aesthetic almond or fresh hazelnut character. It brings an oily, not overly fleshy quality, and none of the oxidative side you sometimes get from Pinot Blanc. Disgorged in October 2024, the second batch is scheduled for disgorgement this coming October for release next year.
95 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (Dec 2025)
A mouthwatering Champagne, with generosity to the flavors of juicy pear, nectarine, preserved lemon and grilled nuts. This is sleek and well-meshed, with a satiny mousse, plus an underlying streak of salinity that drives the racy finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2043. 75 cases imported.
94 points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator (Dec 2025)
Berries and dried grapefruit with hints of salty biscuits, toast and flint on the nose of this dry Champagne. Very savory yet rich, broad shouldered and textured, too, with a firm,chalky finish. From lieu-dit La Riviere in Cumieres. Drink now or hold.
93 points, Claire Nesbitt, James Suckling (Jul 2025)
A touch of yellow pear flashes up on the nose, immediately signalling both ripeness and the sense of juiciness that pervades the entire wine. This is accompanied by some ripe Mirabelle plum and only restrained hints of creaminess. The palate is pure, and even juicier than the nose, shining with as much clarity as roundness. The absence of dosage pushes both ripeness and structure centre stage and underlines a sense of clarity, while the finest phenolic frame corrals the fruit. Harvested from a south-facing, concave hillside in the village of Cumières that slopes down to the river Marne, this is clearly ripe, but also still embryonic. Beautifully juicy and clear right now, this will gain with further bottle age.
93 points, Anne Krebiehl, Decanter (May 2025)
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