Long have we awaited the dawning of another grand vintage to follow the legendary 1996 Pol. Now 2002 has arrived, and, my, has it been worth the wait! All the tension of this incredible vintage is on full show, epitomising both the inherent concentration and the scintillating structure of the season. The confidence of pinot […]
From 12 vintages all the way back to 1995, all oak fermented, it might appear that this recipe could play havoc with purity and focus. To the contrary, and to the credit of the genius of Erick de Sousa and the all-conquering presence of Avize chalk, this is a wine of remarkable purity. Its minerality […]
This accurate and enticing edition of the generous and rounded 2000 vintage was impressive on release a couple of years ago, and has since evolved to an even more comfortable demeanour. Juicy golden peaches have become baked peaches, dried fruits and figs, with a rising background of butterscotch, patisserie, woodsmoke, toast and even truffles. Its […]
Doquet’s oldest plots stand proud on three magnificent sites in one of Champagne’s most thrilling villages. Vines date from 1929 and average 49 years of age, with roots plunging deep into solid Le Mesnil-sur-Oger chalk. This great terroir is translated with pinpoint exactness in an undercurrent of chalk minerality that is at once deep-set, while […]
The magnificent 2008 base vintage is the first Bollinger Rosé to land in its ultrasophisticated 1846 bottle, adorned with a breathtakingly stylish new label and neck label, making this new blend’s arrival impossible to miss. Working its magic again, 2008 brings electric acidity, charging it with great freshness of structure and grand chalk mineral presence. […]
This wine is a paradox of the highest order, a salute to the genius of its maker and the depth of its old-vine sources. How a 100% Côte des Blancs rosé from an elegant east-facing Vertus site can land mid-way between a graceful champagne rosé and an expressive red cherry pinot noir is truly astounding. […]
For a house once led by pinot noir, Pol Roger is increasingly focusing on chardonnay in its vintage wines, and recent vintages of its Blanc de Blancs demonstrate why. Testimony to the molecular precision of Pol Roger’s exacting regime, the propensity of this cuvée to age is astonishing, and the past few vintages seem to […]
Drawing vibrant energy, mineral-laden texture and impeccable control from vast, expansive fruit of old-vine Bouzy magnitude calls for quite some wizardry. Paul Bara uses a strong dose of chardonnay to counter pinot noir’s exuberance, making for a refreshingly pale medium straw hue for a champagne almost a decade old. It’s a powerful hit of gingernut […]
Les Chétillons 2004 articulates its mineral birthplace with greater expression than I have tasted anywhere in Champagne outside the thundering single vineyards of Krug itself. Two years after release, perfectly honed lemon zest and preserved lemon are transfixed in time like an ice man, supported by a slowly rising undercurrent of honey, brioche and nougat, […]
Gosset’s splendid mandate of beautifully ripe fruit in tension with the electric zap of malic acidity is exemplified in 2004, a wine of inherent internal harmony, grace, poise and superb balance. A warm richness of white peach, fig, honey, brioche and nutmeg contrasts with refined lemon freshness, at every moment unswervingly pure and lively. Tense […]