Laura and I were able to make it to the Theise Champagne tasting this year. It got really crowded, so it was tough to hit everyone, but Laura and I soldiered on and managed to taste all of the grower Champagnes. I took very abbreviated notes, so these are just impressions.
Aubry: a very enjoyable Brut NV that is fine value. I liked everything at this table, but the Dualis NV (blend of 50% 1998 CHardonnay and 50% 1999 Pinot Noir) was a true standout.
Pierre Callot: Well made wines that were a bit of a shock to the system due to higher dosage than most of the grower wines. The higher (or at least perceived higher) dosage was a benefit for the 2007 Brut which was a touch rounder than most 2007 (which were generally very lean/tart).
Lallement: Laura and I are very much focused on the red grapes of Champagne, so that biased us in favor of these wines. The Reserve Brut NV was our favorite at this table. The 80% Pinot Noir from 2009 made for a rich blend that gained focus from the 20% 2010 Chardonnay.
Pehu-Simmonet: Best showing in our experience for this producer. Loved the Blanc de Noirs Brut NV as well as the Rosé NV. The Rosé was one of the more succesful 2011 based Rosé wines, probably due to the solera-style reserve wines adding more depth.
Jean Milan: Poured a huge range of wines. The Spéciale Brut NV stood out among the earlier bottles in the lineup, with the 2008/2009 blend giving it an advantage over 2011 blends. The Blanc de Blancs Grand Réserve 1864 Brut NV was an incredibly interesting bottle, combining 2003 and 2004 vintages in a richer, more complex package. I liked this very much.
René Geoffroy: I always like these wines. I actually tasted these near the end of the day, and it was really crowded, so tough to get background info, but I was impressed by the Volupté Brut 2007, and both Laura and i singled out the Rosé de Saignée Brut NV for its depth and complexity. The 2004 Millésime Extra-Brut was also excellent.
Pierre Gimonnet: Another big range of wines. I was a fan of the Sélection Belles Années Brut NV, as well as the 2009 Cuvée Grastronome Brut. The 2005 Vintage Collection Brut was a very interesting wine. Didier Gimonnet decanted it from magnum, and that really helped it stand out. My palate was getting wrecked from Champagne after Champagne, and the decanting made this wine fan out on the palate, and gave it a more gentle impression.
Chartogne-Taillet: A predictable impressive table. Alexandre Chartogne is a magician. He has raised the basic wines to a much higher level than they used to be. The 2008 Brut Millésime was amazing, showing the depth and richness of 2008. The 2009 Cuvée Les Barres Extra-Brut was amazing, another in the string of great vintages of this 100% Pinot Meunier wine. The 2009 Cuvée Orizeaux Extra-Brut (100% Pinot Noir) just blew me and Laura away. The complexity of this young wine was the most impressive part of the entire tasting.
Gaston Chiquet: Solid! Really solid. The Tradition Brut NV was one of the best versions of the wine I have tasted in several years (this was my house Champagne in the early 2000s. Loved the 2004 Millésime Brut showed well, eclipsing the two Special Club bottlings (2005 and 2007) for me.
Marc Hébrart: Lots of Pinot Noir in most of these wines. The Rosé Brut NV was very "berry" with the high quantity of 2009 Pinot Noir showing through. Also really liked the 2009 Spécial Club, which had a lot of depth.
Egly-Ouriet: Tasted near the end of the day, and totally overshadowed. I will give them the benefit of the doubt, as I was tired.
Pierre Péters: First table we hit during the day, and along with Chartogne-Taillet the star of the event. The Cuvée de Réserve Brut NV showed a notable lime and green apple element that I really liked, though it might be controversial for some. I enjoyed the Réserve Oubliée Brut NV as well, but am not interested in the upcharge. The 2008 Brut Millésime was another standout, giving more ammunition to the 2008 vintage. Laura singled out the Rosé 'for Albanne' Brut NV as one of her favorites of hte day. The 2007 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons Brut was very linear, direct and in need of cellar time. It was the best 2007 we tasted on the day, but still beat out by the regular 2008 Vintage Brut here.
Goutorbe: We had never tasted teh Goutorbe range, and boy are we glad we did. These were across the board some really nice wines. The Rosé Brut NV was outstanding. This was (alongside the Péters) Laura's favorite Rosé of the day, likely due to the 10%+ of Pinot Meunier vin rouge that made of the blend. It made the wine really vinous and deep.
Moussé Fils: We both loved these wines. We love Pinot Meunier Champagnes, and that is the specialty of this producer. The Cuvée Noire Réseve Brut NV was very fruity, but also very dry. Lovely combination! The 95% Pinot Meunier (5% Pinot Noir) 2009 Millésime Brut was another favorite, and showed tons of depth and richness. So good. We loved all the wines here, as we have loved the bottles we have tried in the past.
A. Margaine: I have not paid much attention to this producer in the past, so this was a bit of an eye opener. The Cuvée le Brut NV was a favorite, and we really liked the Traditionelle Demi-Sec NV, which was not so sweet, just showing more mid-palate richness, and perhaps a slight impression of finishing sweetness. Very nice balance for a wine in a category that I have normally ignored. Could be a crowd pleaser for non-geeks, or an interesting companion to food for geeks.
Henri Billiot: Strong performance here. So glad to taste the wines, and have them show so well. The Réserve Brut NV was like I remembered it - all swirling fruit and sneaky depth. Delicious. The 2007 Vintage Brut was like a coiled spring. Give it time, but all the goods are here.
Varnier-Fannière: Last table we hit, so really sketchey, but I liked both the Cuvée Saint Denis Brut NV and the 2008 Grand Vintage Brut. Just didn't get any more impressions than my check marks.
Vilmart & Cie: Let's just say Vilmart and be done with it? Excellent stuff, but for me these always need cellar time. I am not generally a fan on release. That being said, the Cuvée Rubis Brut NV and 2009 Grand Cellier Rubis were both amazing, as they always are every single time!
Tasting 97 Champagnes is tough work. I think it's easier to taste 150+ German wines.
. About 10 of them anaesthetise my palate 
.
Great notes on many of my faves. A bottle or two always find their way into Jeannette's Christmas gifts.