Champagne Paul Bara 2016 Special Club Champagne 750ml

Bara's 2016 Brut Special Club is a fine choice for drinking today, as it offers a good bit of aromatic and flavor complexity to match its mid-weight personality. Dried pear, crushed rocks, mint, dried flowers, spice and red-toned fruit meld together. Brisk acids pull it all together on the finish. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: February 2024.

Score: 93 points -- Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 2024

Like all of Paul Bara’s releases, Pinot Noir is the back-bone of their Special Club. Production is strictly old-school, with only free run and first press juice used, fermentation in small cement tanks, and aging and riddling in cold, extremely deep cellars for several years. Nothing is released until ready. Each year, the Special Club represents the pinnacle of the Bara process and style. Superlatives seem to be insufficient when describing the experience of savoring a glass of this Champagne. It simply has it all—refined hazel-nutty, toasty notes, bright acidity, some of the most delicate bubbles ever created, and a finish that lasts and lasts (sometimes longer than the bottle does).

-- Cark Z. Terry, kermitlynch.com