A fab French fizz (pronounced foo-yay - with apple and pear aromas, a light dry, floral, fruity palate and hints of almonds and hazelnuts. Persistent fine bead. A good value French.

Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Particuliere is premium bubbly and a painstaking blend of some 200 base wines. Best of all, it’s available by the half bottle. Sydney Morning Herald

Quite a big, slightly sweet style. Complex style with aromas of freshly basked bread. Very nutty, toasty palate with good acid balance. Winestate

Receiving in the first week of January an email that says ‘Christmas and New Year are so last year...think Valentines’ I have to admit made me smile. The focus was Nicolas Feuillatte ‘Reserve Particulière’ Brut NV, and the clear message was ‘celebrate Valentines with a bottle or two’. I have to admit my bottle didn’t last until the day but was enjoyed well enough after the tasting was over. Deeper gold than most NV Champagne and a greater intensity on the nose, with hints of mushroom coming across. Both the above indicate the inclusion of some older base wine. Good weight and holding a true line to the end. Wonderful finish with plenty of secondary flavours emerging from the back palate. Around $55. On the Bench; The Key Report - Tony Keys

A classy, elegant style of Champagne with a tart, steely structure and firm, tight flavors. Very dry and a bit closed down, but the length and concentration suggest some wonderful development ahead. This style of Champagne would benefit from cellaring; at least four or five years would be optimal. 90 points, Wine Enthusiast

A pale golden hue with varied tinges and a fine cordon of bubbles. Powerful aromas of grilled hazelnut, green apple, quince and fig, this is a perfectly balanced, fruity yet dry Champagne which draws its strength from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards. Complex subtle hints, with a dominance of white fruit such as apples and pears. Clear-cut and well balanced, appley in the mouth with pressed figs, strawberries, buttery truffles and a mild sensation of overflowing tropical fruit platters. Good with a variety of dishes and at its best with white meat or a Monkfish blanquette with mushrooms. “Thick in texture, with intensity to the apple, citrus and dough flavors, fresh and lively! Wine Spectator

For anyone wanting to mark Bastille Day in a thoroughly French fashion today, the current-release Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Particuliere Non-Vintage Brut is an excellent option. Its base wine is a blend of 40 per cent pinot noir, 20 per cent chardonnay and 40 per cent pinot meunier and it is green-edged straw in the glass. It has small, persistent bubbles and aromas of croissant, marzipan and pear. Elegant citrus and green apple flavours come through on the front of the pala te and yeast y , creamy, toasted cashew characters chime in on the middle palate. Crisp steely acid shows at the finish. It would be good with antipasto, smoked salmon blinis or wonton wrapped prawns.  Daily Telegraph

I opened this last night in a mixed bag of local sparkling and Champagne and found it to be excellent. I reviewed it a year or so ago with less enthusiasm, so either I’m inconsistent or this particular batch/blend is much improved. Perhaps a combination of the two. Writing notes on NV champagne is a lottery anyway – what with cork, transportation and storage issues, not least the fact that you might be buying a completely different wine to the one I’m reviewing. Anyway, sad to say the Australian sparklings were yet again characterised by their coarse grating acidity. Ho hum. Spicy cinnamon dough, a sort of dustiness and rich spicy strawberry accented fruit. It has a gentle foaminess and lovely balance – not too sweet but not too dry and difficult. Made for drinking and pleasure with witty conversation, of which I might add, I contributed more than my fair share. Rated : 92 Points Tasted : Oct09 Alcohol : 12% Price : $60 Closure : Cork By Gary Walsh; The Wine Front