Prestige Cuvee Vintage 2006 Collection

Private Tasting Experience
This is an opportunity to taste six prestige cuvees from the highly rated 2006 at your house or at a location of your choosing with an option to be tutored through the tasting. Nick our founder presents most of these tastings.

A Prestige Cuvée, or tête de cuvée is the very best Champagne a house produces and symbolises the ultimate in luxury. This prestige cuvée collection allows you to taste the excellent 2006 vintage. An exceptionally hot and sunny June and July with grapes in fine fettle but a dank August left producers fearful of under-ripeness. Fortunately, warm, bright conditions in September redressed the balance. Wines are supple and expressive and many brands have made fantastic champagnes. Louis Roederer Cristal 2006 showcases what can be achieved; a complex, powerful and fruit-driven delight.

Included in this collection:
Clos Lanson: Clos Lanson is a 1-hectare pure-Chardonnay plot entirely surrounded by walls. 2006 is the very first vintage. A pale golden colour with a stream of fine bubbles. Initially on the nose there are hints of lemon and roasted apples. On the palate it is very delicate: lemon and ripe fruits are abundant, leading to a mid-palate of toasted biscuits and vanilla. The length of flavour is long at the finish and there is so much fruit in this champagne you just can't believe it has such little dosage.

Dom Pérignon: Beautifully balanced champagne that is already showing hallmarks of a superb vintage, with great richness and elegance. Similar weather conditions as 2002 and the longest harvest on record have created a wine full of complexity and creaminess.

Louis Roederer Cristal: Between 20-30% of the wines are vinified in oak barrels and the final blend is matured for six years in the cellars and rests for twelve months after disgorgement. A rich colour with light amber highlights characteristic of 2006, a year of very fine ripeness. There is a rich bouquet with citrus fruits such as lemon and orange. A few hints of tatin tart and Danish pastries add a final touch to the already complex range of aromas. The texture is incredibly concentrated, giving the impression of biting into a ripe, fleshy fruit. The palate is enveloped by this depth of juicy, silky fruit which soon makes way for a pure, sharp and graceful freshness.

Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill: The grapes are all from Grand Cru vineyards which were under vine during Churchill's lifetime. A vivid golden colour with the fine stream of bubbles classic to the Churchill style. A slightly held back nose but the flavours on the palate a full of hazelnuts and almonds with an abundance of fresh fruits, citrus and balanced acidity combine to create a well rounded champagne with a great length at the finish.

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne: Loïc Dupont, head winemaker at Taittinger commented: "I think the recently released 2006 vintage is possibly the closest stylistic comparison to emerge since the 2002." Light and refreshing, this is at once intriguing on the nose with mature notes of ripe fruit and raisin. Well-balanced on the palate with incredible complexity, the dosage of 9 g/l is evident in the full-bodied yet sweet richness. This is an exceptionally pure expression of Chardonnay that is delicious now but promises exciting development over the coming years. One of the best Comtes we've ever tasted!

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame: Veuve Clicquot's prestige cuvée, it is an exclusive blend of eight of their historical Grand Crus and is a mineral and fresh expression of the Veuve Clicquot style. Light gold color. Complex nose, revealing stone fruit fragrances, dried fruits, pastry discreet touch, gingerbread and mocha. The mouth marries vinosity precision and freshness. Nice length. This is an opulent vintage from a warm harvest: a great Grande Dame

Prestige Cuvee Vintage 2006 collection includes six 75cl bottles as described.