“A new prestige cuvée from Palmer, the debut release of the NV Brut Amazone is a blend of the 2012, 2010 and 2009 vintages, complemented by some 19% reserve wines drawn from a perpetual reserve, and it's equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, all from the Montagne de Reims. Offering up aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, freshly baked bread, crisp nectarine, oyster shell and subtle hints of the biscuity complexity to come, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and seamless, its fleshy core of fruit girdled by ripe but racy acids and complemented by a pearly mousse. Disgorged last year with six grams per liter dosage, it's an impressively complete, well-structured wine that will be even better with a few years on cork.”

“Pale peachy colour. Gentle charred complexity on the nose which shows fresh white fruit and baking spices. Beautifully toasty showing fragrant gunpowdery undertones. Soft and gourmand, light-weight, lively palate. Juicy and delicious with a long length of pure fruitiness. ”

“The 2009 Brut Rosé Millésimé Amour de Deutz is airy and gracious. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, mint, red flowers and vanillin are all nicely lifted throughout. The 2009 is quite pretty, but it is also a bit ethereal. Given the vintage, I expected more depth and richness. As it is, the 2009 is very attractive, but readers should expect a slightly nervous, clenched style.”

“The recently released 2009 Brut Rosé Millésime Amour de Deutz is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with a classy bouquet of citrus oil, crisp red apple, warm brioche, sourdough bread and dried rose petals. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and elegant, with racy acids, a pretty core of fruit, a delicate mousse and a deceptively long finish. Understated but displaying terrific finesse, this wine exemplifies the Deutz style.”

“Brut Gold’s strength is its easiness and quaffing character. At 10g/l dosage it is a soft, fruity and forward wine. The very first cuvée is by far the best but regrettably the oaky dosage wine they now use deducts from the purity and harmony. Soft, evolving nose of sweet vanilla, ripe apple and stylish gunpowder, but comes with a light oxidative note. Rich, linear structure with fine mousse. Long and fruity but rather straightforward. ”

“The NV Brut (Gold) opens with lovely matured brioche, toast and ripe fruit flavors. Fresh, pure and elegant on the palate, with beautifully matured flavors and an elegant creaminess I don't find in the other cuvées, the "Gold" is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier as well as the vintages of 2009, 2010 and 2012. The wine reveals good grip and mineral tension and drinks well as an aperitif or with seafood and fish.”

“The 2008 Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Speciale is a blend of fruit from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant. Deep, resonant and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2008 is super-impressive. I especially admire the way the wine fleshes out with a bit of air. Citrus, sage, menthol and dried flowers add nuance to what is a very powerful wine. The 2008 saw full malolactic fermentation, with some bâtonnage for added texture. This is a superb showing from the Rothschild family.”

“Medium-deep lemon colour. Fresh, gently toasty, strongly lemony nose. Cream, roasted nuts and white flowers. Zesty, linear palate. Balanced, energisingly sharp but comes with innate charm.”

“Full-on rich and ripe fruity nose with baked apples, baking spices and red fruit taking the lead role. Highly Pinot prominent also on the fleshy, structured palate that shows some mellowed evolution. Fine freshness and vivacity. ”

“The 2008 Brut Vintage is a delicious wine with which to explore the vintage, as it offers a lovely combination of richness, energy and early approachability. There is a sense of vibrancy that is so appealing. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, mint, spice and hazelnut all grace this enticing, impeccably rendered 2008 from Billecart-Salmon. Lovely. The blend is 65% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 35% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs done entirely in stainless steel. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. (Originally published in August 2020)”

“Disgorged with four grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra Brut Vintage hasn't appreciably evolved since I last tasted it. Offering up pretty aromas of honeycomb, crisp green apple, white flowers and fresh pastry, it's medium to full-bodied, tensile and incisive, with a tightly wound core, racy acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. I wouldn't open bottles from my own cellar for another five years, as this is evolving at a glacial pace.”

“Bright golden yellow, silver reflections; very fine, persistent mousse. Fine yellow tropical fruit with a hint of biscuit, fresh peach, nuances of meadow herbs and orange zest, fine mineral touch, pineapple and caramel in the background. tight-knit, compact, ripe white fruit, chalky-mineral texture, taut and very well-balanced. An elegant food wine with very promising ageing potential; very lively, dynamic style.”

“Mesnil, Avize, Cramant, Chouilly. No oak fermentation. Based on 2009 and a smaller proportion of reserve wines than the 45% in the Brut Réserve. RS 6 g/l. Feuille morte glass colour.
Bright, intense fruit on the nose. Broad, toasty and expansive. Very long. Elegant. Lots to chew on.”

“A delicate, fruity blanc de blancs with a straightforward floral-lemony-mineral character and stylish toasty edge. A classic mix from the celebrated Grand Cru villages of Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil aged on the lees for five years with 35 percent reserve wines bringing even further richness. Beautifully creamy, energetic mousse and a fresh, long, fruity length.”

“Light and zesty with tobacco notes. Fresh and lively. Again, a slightly fast fade.”

“The colour is invitingly glossy salmon pink and the nose full of charms. Almost two years of post-disgorgement time have ensured such openness and generosity. There is lots of delicious primary fruit like red cherry, strawberry, baked peach, lemon and blood orange. Age-derived complexity comes across in the form of spices, liquorice, and even leather, once given proper time in the glass to fully express itself. Still the most gorgeous feature of this cuvée is the phenomenally creamy texture. Billecart have for the first time used some oak barrels in the crafting of this cuvée (17%), which surely has aided in creating this appetising fleshiness, silkiness and caressing creaminess on the palate. Crisp by nature for sure, it isn’t too acidity driven due to that richness filling the mid-palate. Tannins are beautifully low-key yet the wine has beautiful structure to it. The carry is long and seamless with pure, fruity, palate-cleansing finishing notions. An exquisite Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon. The added bonus is that there will be magnums for the very first time”

“Disgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is one of the finest wines I've tasted from Billecart in recent years. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, mandarin oil, warm bread, red berries and petals, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with lovely mid-palate amplitude, terrific concentration and bright girdling acids. In what is quite a tightly wound vintage and from a house whose style is rather understated, this is a dramatic, fleshy wine that concludes with a long, flavorful finish.”

“The 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon explodes from the glass with a mesmerizing array of aromas, flavors and textures. Blood orange, cinnamon, mint and dried flowers. The 2008 is incredibly young, but it is also incredibly tempting. Patience will be rewarded. In the meantime, readers might enjoy adding a few bottles of the stellar 2007 to their cellars, as the nervy, taut 2008 needs time”

“Orangey bronze colour. Very luscious, strawberry fruit nose is really rather captivating! Then quite tight and refreshing enough on the palate to suggest there is no great hurry to drink this. Seriously long, throat-consoling finish. Well-judged mousse.”

“This deep salmon pink wine is a study in subtlety. It is gently fragrant and takes time to open up. At first, the nose is rather creamy, even lactic, but then, slowly, redcurrant and blood orange appear with an aromatic overtone of potentilla. The palate, with very fine mousse, exquisite texture and balance, then veers into a most Pinot-esque direction that reveals truffle and a dimension of earthiness and undergrowth. It shimmers with white pepper and has a touch of toasted hazelnut on the bright finish. A real treat.”

“This is a laser-guided Champagne with fabulous energy and intensity with a tight palate, racy acidity and super fine phenolics. It goes on and on. Fine bubbles. Light pine and praline character. One for the cellar. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. Disgorged 19 July, 2020. Wonderful now, but needs time to come together. Better from 2024 onwards.”

“The 2007 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is positively stellar. Elegant, polished and sophisticated, the 2007 dazzles with effusive aromatics and gorgeous balance. It's not an obvious wine, though, but rather a Champagne built for long, patient cellaring. The 2007 is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay taken from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Ambonnay, Verzenay and Verzy for the Pinots and Chouilly, Avize, Cramant and Mesnil for the Chardonnays. In other words, as good as it gets for villages. The wine was done mostly in tank with about 15% of the lots vinified in oak. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. ”

“Disgorged with six grams per liter dosage, the 2007 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François is showing very nicely, offering up aromas of fresh bread, citrus oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, white flowers, verbena, macadamia nut and hints of biscuity complexity to come. Full-bodied, chiseled but fleshy, its vinous core of fruit cloaks the vintage's brisk acids to achieve real plenitude in a year that's sometimes rather tautly austere. Long and penetrating and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse, this is a real success.”

“Pinot noir assumes a glorious lead in a magnificent display of red berry and cherry fruits, seamlessly fused to the bright lemon and pink grapefruit eut of magnificent chardonnay acidity”

“Deeper gold than the 2006. Very dense and firm with lots of further ageing potential.”

“100% grand and premier cru vineyards. Pinot Noir (60%) from Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne. Chardonnay (40%) from Côte des Blancs. Disgorged spring 2017. Dosage 4 g/l.
Tasted blind. The deepest colour of all these wines. Mid straw and persistent bead. Not particularly intense on the nose initially; needed time to open up. Quite noticeable autolysis. Bone dry. Some evidence of oak? Absolutely not a shred of simple fruit here – almost a metallic hint on the end but great, deep undertow. Very complex and uncompromising. Dry and distinctive.
Drink 2016-2030”

“Previous vintage was 1999, which has only just sold out. Disgorged early 2016. Needs a year in bottle prior to shipment. 12-15% oak barrels. This was decanted in the famous Billecart-Salmon decanter to age this ‘baby’ a bit.
Deep gold. And with real presence. Real grip and savour. Serious stuff. A certain richness underneath. Described by Antoine Billecart as ‘still a baby’. Rich start and not that frothy. Dense and savoury. Intellectual wine! Broad and grippy.”

“Very pale. Sophisticated, very sleek, well balanced nose. A remarkably youthful 2002. Clean, brisk chalky palate with a finish that is just slightly sudden. Quite exciting. This still has quite a bit to give.”

“A mesmerizing, thrilling Champagne, the 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is a great example of the vintage at its best. Silky and racy on the palate, yet a bit more restrained than many wines of the year, the Nicolas François Billecart remains vivid and remarkably nuanced. Brioche. apricot jam, wild flowers and honey are some of the many notes that blossom as the Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows off its voluptuous personality. The 2002 is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.”

“The Pinot feels particularly prominent in this vintage. Such a deep, rich, powerful red fruit nose with evolving characters and confectionary, nutty and perfumy tones. Not completely free of bruised notes but beautifully spicy and mellowing. Long-lasting and strong but truly refined palate.”

“The NV Extra-Brut Meunier is a 100% Pinot Meunier in Billecart's new Les Rendez-vous line taken from vineyards in Festigny, Vrigny and Le Venteuil. This first release is based on the 2014 vintage, with 33% reserve wines that spent 52 months on its lees. Creamy, layered and exquisitely beautiful, the No. 1 captures all of the savory and textured qualities of Meunier. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter.”

“Billecart’s first 100% Meunier comes from Leuvrigny, Festigny and Venteuil in the Vallée de la Marne. Lemon colour with golden tones. Clean and brightly fruity nose showing beautiful floral tones. Fermented in stainless stee only, the bouquet is appetisingl: jasmin, orangeblossom, lime and grapefruit. Ripe but cool and crisp fruitiness. The overt palate is fresh but comes with lovely rounded textural feel to it. The salivatingly mineral palate finishes with a pure and dry (4,5g/l dosage), fruity aftertaste. A lovely benchmark Meunier with both varietal typicity and deliciousness. ”

“Ethereal, delicate nose with the fruitiness of Meunier. And it's pretty delicate on the palate too. I wouldn't serve this with food. This is not too austere for an Extra Brut. It's really quite fruity and you wouldn't believe the dosage was so low. The impact is a bit like a feather stroking the palate. But I don't think there is much point in ageing this.”

“This pale-pink wine is stylish, crisp and relatively dry. Full of wild strawberry and citrus, it is lively, bright and lightly perfumed. The texture shows a touch of tannin as well as delicate minerality. Drink this well-balanced wine now.”

“(45% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage; L206454 17741): Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.”

“Tasted blind. Very pale greyish salmon. Rich rose-petal aroma with quite a bit of voluptuous sweetness. Crisp acidity. Brisk but satisfying. Slightly astringent end.
Drink 2018-2024”

“Very pale onion skin, and aroms that only whisper at red fruit. Spicy, delicate, bright. (RH)”

“Then it was time for the good James to enjoy one of the most magnificent champagnes in the 25th Bond film. An exclusive "Limited Edition" of the most delicious performance imaginable, where one in the sober text on the elegant bottle can discern the film titles in which Bond indulged in the Aÿ based house's unique elixir of life. The decision, in the usually somewhat thin vintage of 2011, to use Pinot Noir exclusively from the home village of Aÿ with its mighty fruit is nothing short of brilliant. As you might know, Bollinger's ungrafted rarity Vieilles Vignes Françaises comes from Aÿ. I have long argued that the greatness of the wine has less to do with the vines being pre-phylloxera than that they come from Aÿ's best locations aged in Bollinger's old oak barrels. This Bond champagne shows that I was right since the similarities are striking. Perhaps both we and James should wait about ten years until the wine has reached its peak and completely integrated its enormous fruit with the notes from the barrels, but the wine is already magnificent with its deep ripe aroma of Gravenstein apples backed by fresh wooden notes from a newly installed Finnish sauna decorated with fresh birch twigs. Very typical of the Producer and powerful, perhaps more as an energizing solo piece for cello than as a harmonious symphony with its direct and uncompromising power.”

“The 2012 marks the second La Grande Année vintage bottled in the new bottle shape, whose narrow neck is to induce something similar to the magnum effect. Upon launch, the 2012 has 10 months of post-disgorgement time and the wine is showing elegantly restrained and youthful. On the nose the old-oak character is less prominent than in most other Bollinger vintages and the deliberate oxidation is well under control and in a supporting role. The fine, cool and pure fruitiness is at the fore with lovely spicy and nutty notes supporting. Lemony fruitiness with yellow apple and ripe apricot as well as some tropical fruit emerging in the glass. On the palate the key word is balance, the wine is very complete with freshness, intensity, refined tension and chalky salinity. 8g/l dosage is spot on. Still young but has the building blocks of longevity. For me similar in quality to the 2008 but this will come around and peak earlier. ”

“Disgorged in July 2019, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année is showing well, offering up an incipiently complex bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, orange oil, toasted walnuts and dried apricot that's still quite reserved with less than a year on cork. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, the 2012 is blockier and broader-shouldered than its 2008 predecessor, with a weightier and even more concentrated palate built around a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish that carries appreciably dry extract. This isn't quite as elegant as the exquisite 2008, but it is a superb effort and obviously built to age.”

“I love the magical moment when I get the chance, as the first journalist, to lighten the cork of the latest vintage of Bollinger La Grande Année…….The wine is made from 21 villages with Aÿ and Verzenay in the driver's seat backed by elegance from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry. The wine is characterized by vitality and energy more than depth at present. The colour has a brilliant golden glow and the mousse is almost panting in its resilient youthfulness. The scent is beautifully house typical, dominated by apricot, almond, hazelnut and a smoky sophisticated intensity as from a newly lit outdoor fire. The attack is stunningly intense and the weight in the oral cavity leaves nothing left to wish for. Resilient energy and fullness are combined with greatness. Anyone who has patience will be rewarded with truffled flavour layers,chocolate saturated complexity and added exoticism of honeysuckle in the wine's bouquet.”

“65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay. 21 crus: mainly Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry for the Chardonnay. All base wines aged in old oak and riddled and disgorged by hand. Dosage 8 g/l. Disgorged in May 2019.
Bright crème pâtissière nose with notes of Cox's orange pippin apple and lots of development. Really quite arresting. Much drier on the palate than the nose suggests, with a certain steeliness. Bone-dry finish but lots of substance on the mid palate. More recognisably Bollinger on the palate than the surprisingly rich, flirtatious nose, presumably informed by the vintage. Low-key mousse. This is clearly a long-distance runner.”

“The 2012 Grande Année is vibrant and wonderfully nuanced. Citrus peel, orchard fruit, brioche, dried flowers and chamomile are all finely knit in a Grand Année built on energy and persistence more than size. Readers will find a restrained Grand Année in 2012. There is plenty of the textural richness that is such a signature of the house style, but I am also struck by the wine's freshness. Best of all, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate. It is quite expressive today, even in the early going.”

“The 2012 marks the second La Grande Année vintage bottled in the new bottle shape, whose narrow neck is to induce something similar to the magnum effect. Upon launch, the 2012 has 10 months of post-disgorgement time and the wine is showing elegantly restrained and youthful. On the nose the old-oak character is less prominent than in most other Bollinger vintages and the deliberate oxidation is well under control and in a supporting role. The fine, cool and pure fruitiness is at the fore with lovely spicy and nutty notes supporting. Lemony fruitiness with yellow apple and ripe apricot as well as some tropical fruit emerging in the glass. On the palate the key word is balance, the wine is very complete with freshness, intensity, refined tension and chalky salinity. 8g/l dosage is spot on. Still young but has the building blocks of longevity. For me similar in quality to the 2008 but this will come around and peak earlier. ”

“Disgorged in July 2019, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année is showing well, offering up an incipiently complex bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, orange oil, toasted walnuts and dried apricot that's still quite reserved with less than a year on cork. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, the 2012 is blockier and broader-shouldered than its 2008 predecessor, with a weightier and even more concentrated palate built around a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish that carries appreciably dry extract. This isn't quite as elegant as the exquisite 2008, but it is a superb effort and obviously built to age.”

“I love the magical moment when I get the chance, as the first journalist, to lighten the cork of the latest vintage of Bollinger La Grande Année…….The wine is made from 21 villages with Aÿ and Verzenay in the driver's seat backed by elegance from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry. The wine is characterized by vitality and energy more than depth at present. The colour has a brilliant golden glow and the mousse is almost panting in its resilient youthfulness. The scent is beautifully house typical, dominated by apricot, almond, hazelnut and a smoky sophisticated intensity as from a newly lit outdoor fire. The attack is stunningly intense and the weight in the oral cavity leaves nothing left to wish for. Resilient energy and fullness are combined with greatness. Anyone who has patience will be rewarded with truffled flavour layers,chocolate saturated complexity and added exoticism of honeysuckle in the wine's bouquet.”

“65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay. 21 crus: mainly Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry for the Chardonnay. All base wines aged in old oak and riddled and disgorged by hand. Dosage 8 g/l. Disgorged in May 2019.
Bright crème pâtissière nose with notes of Cox's orange pippin apple and lots of development. Really quite arresting. Much drier on the palate than the nose suggests, with a certain steeliness. Bone-dry finish but lots of substance on the mid palate. More recognisably Bollinger on the palate than the surprisingly rich, flirtatious nose, presumably informed by the vintage. Low-key mousse. This is clearly a long-distance runner.”

“The 2012 Grande Année is vibrant and wonderfully nuanced. Citrus peel, orchard fruit, brioche, dried flowers and chamomile are all finely knit in a Grand Année built on energy and persistence more than size. Readers will find a restrained Grand Année in 2012. There is plenty of the textural richness that is such a signature of the house style, but I am also struck by the wine's freshness. Best of all, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate. It is quite expressive today, even in the early going.”

“Mid gold, with a fine bead. Buttered brioche, mellow lees, with stone fruit and bruised apple. Great palate finesse with very subtle mousse, nice balance, and old-cream and brioche complexity. Long, with a vinous finish. Ready now and likely to drink relatively early.”

“Opened three weeks earlier and then re-stoppered. Disgorged June 2016. Tasted blind.
Quite complex nose and really dry and fully integrated. Hint of walnuts. Evolved yet with good fruit. This could be the RD… Complicated – requires lots of intellectual concentration. Very long.
Drink 2017-2024”

“Disgorged June 2016. Tasted blind.
Sweet and rich. I don’t think I’d guess it as Bolly on the nose. Then fairly dry on the end which might give it away. Lots of substance here. Firm and confident. Bone dry and rather demanding. Youthful. 12.5%
Drink 2016-2026”

“Deep, earthy-spicy, honeyed and nutty nose with dried fruit complexity. The oaky tones prevail underneath ample fruitiness. The evolved nose is complemented by a highly fresh, event tight palate with lovely nervosity and refreshment. The palate texture is silky smooth and vinous. Long lemony finish with notions of minerality. ”

“Bollinger's 2007 Brut La Grande Année is quite pretty. Elegant, restrained and understated in style, the 2007 is one of the more delicate young Grande Années I can remember tasting. Mid-weight structure and silky texture only reinforce that impression. Lemon oil, red berry, dried flowers and chamomile open up nicely, but it is the wine's overall feel that stands out most. Best of all, the 2007 will drink well with no cellaring. Disgorged: September 2016.”

“Magnum. Current vintage. 70% Pinot Noir, much from their own vineyards. Disgorged April 2017. Dosage 7 g/l. About 13 different villages. pH is under 3. The vintage was criticised by many people. The opening date of harvest was 20 August because of botrytis but at that stage the potential alcohol was only 9.3 or 9.4 degrees – too low! Bollinger waited until September.
Mid gold. Lots of acidity. Masses of energy and a bit more honey than some Bollingers. Apples and honey on the palate. Very fresh and even a lightly yeasty note on the palate. More refreshing than the Bolly stereotype. Maybe not that long but hugely flirtatious within the Bollinger idiom. This will definitely be an RD, I was told. Subtly mineral. Muscular.
Drink 2017-2030”

“Deep, earthy-spicy, honeyed and nutty nose with dried fruit complexity. The oaky tones prevail underneath ample fruitiness. The evolved nose is complemented by a highly fresh, event tight palate with lovely nervosity and refreshment. The palate texture is silky smooth and vinous. Long lemony finish with notions of minerality.”

“It might seem a bit surprising that Bollinger skipped the great vintage of 2006 for the more modest 2007. For me that choice is however quite logical since the Bollinger house style is much better suited to austere vintages than for fruit bombs. Here we have a classic and perfectly balanced Bollinger with deep layers and beautiful crisp apple acidity. Gorgeous balance between the dark and light as a perfect Ying and Yang marriage. Layers of dry cocoa, hazelnut fudge, dried apricots and juicy red apples dominate over a beautiful hint of forest aromas based on sous bois and mushrooms in the background. One of the three best champagnes from this vintage.”

“Disgorged September 2012. Tasted blind.
Looks, and tastes, relatively youthful. More mineral nose. Very fresh palate. Lots of zest, almost citrus. Long and satisfying. 12%
Drink 2017-2025”

“Red fruit dominant nose with pastry nuances. There is a beautifully Burgundian feel to it with an accentuated oaky note without too much of an oxidative ad-on. Dry, serious finish with its 7g/l dosage. Big and bold but not one of the most complex of vintages. ”

“Really interesting, complex nose with lots of age and development and polished autumn-leaf characters. Fascinating wine that is probably too interesting to throw back at a reception. Complete and compelling.”

“(disgorged January, 2013): Light, bright gold. Powerful orchard and pit fruit aromas are complemented by smoky lees, iodine, chamomile and buttered toast. At once fleshy and energetic, offering deeply pitched poached pear, peach pit and brioche flavors and a suave floral element. Finishes smoky and very long, with mounting spiciness and lingering floral and vanilla notes.”

“Disgorged September 2012. Tasted blind.
Looks, and tastes, relatively youthful. More mineral nose. Very fresh palate. Lots of zest, almost citrus. Long and satisfying. 12%
Drink 2017-2025”

“Red fruit dominant nose with pastry nuances. There is a beautifully Burgundian feel to it with an accentuated oaky note without too much of an oxidative ad-on. Dry, serious finish with its 7g/l dosage. Big and bold but not one of the most complex of vintages. ”

“Really interesting, complex nose with lots of age and development and polished autumn-leaf characters. Fascinating wine that is probably too interesting to throw back at a reception. Complete and compelling.”

“(disgorged January, 2013): Light, bright gold. Powerful orchard and pit fruit aromas are complemented by smoky lees, iodine, chamomile and buttered toast. At once fleshy and energetic, offering deeply pitched poached pear, peach pit and brioche flavors and a suave floral element. Finishes smoky and very long, with mounting spiciness and lingering floral and vanilla notes.”

“At this point of youthfulness the pink colour is rather rich and bright. Lovely clean and fruit-forward nose with fresh red berry aromas mixing with spice and orange notes. Quite shyly evolved with much more to surface on the complexity front. Today there is attractive exuberant fruitiness and perfect creamy freshness. Promising palate with power and persistence where an overall harmony enhances the feeling of sophistication.”

“The 2012 La Grande Année Rosé is airy, gracious and so wonderfully inviting. Crushed flowers, mint, white pepper and red berry fruit are all gracefully woven together. Today, the 2012 is naturally quite young and still shows the tension of a Champagne that was disgorged just a few months ago. Readers who prefer Champagnes with softer edges and a bit more flavor complexity will want to cellar the 2012. I have to admit, I very much like the wine today, in its youthful state, where its energy and focus are front and center. The 2012 is a blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay taken from 21 villages built around a core of Aÿ and Verzenay Pinot Noir and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry Chardonnay, crus that are quite complementary. Disgorged January 2020. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.”

“Disgorged with eight grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année Rosé is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums, orange rind, walnuts and fresh bread that only hint of the complexity to come. Full-bodied, broad and vinous, with fine depth at the core, a pinpoint mousse and racy acids, it concludes with a long and perfumed finish. The blend includes 5% red wine exclusively from Bollinger's La Côte Aux Enfants vineyard—which imparts delicate phenolic grip.”

“A blend of white Grande Année 2012 with some still red from Bollinger's Côte aux Enfants vineyard.
Quite intense salmon pink with a sort of bronze tinge. Tiny bead. Heady nose. Tastes a little drier than the current Bollinger NV Rosé with a little more grip on the end and more depth – also less evolution. Long and vibrant with a hint of strawberry juice and vegetables (cabbage?). Really rather explosive on the finish. I think for current drinking I might even choose the NV version.
Drink 2022 – 2029”

“For the first time ever, I enjoyed the rosé edition of La Grande Année in January 2020. Mostly, LGAR has felt a little heavier than the white version. This time there is an extremely charming uplifting juiciness and fruit that makes the wine a winner. My thoughts and comparisons guides me towards historical bottles with their wonderful notes of orange fudge, nougat and white chocolate. The colour is also slightly brighter than before and the added wine from one of the foremost parcels in Aÿ, Côte aux Enfants, gives a delicious elegance and silky texture. Although the base wine is identical to LGA and only 5% red wine has been added, they are as different as night and day. The Rosé has a creaminess and charm that appeals at the moment. It is also exciting to see that the rosé has a strong element of red citrus, with blood orange and red grapefruit as clear components of the harmonic symphony. It will be an exciting journey to follow both LGA and LGAR into the future, but if I recommend a storage of at least five years in my own cellar for LGA, I will start drinking my rosé bottles with great pleasure next weekend.”

“ "Marvelously powerful aromatics with delectable scents of toast, smoked hazelnuts and pastry, as well as top notes of mint. From the start, the palate is impressively vinous and concentrated but tightens in a way that tapers to a long, fine chalky finish. The hazelnut reappears along with white fruit and a touch of white flowers. This is an irresistible Champagne that expresses a combination of serious structure and real fruited charm. This is a welcome and successful new entry to Bollinger’s prestigious line-up, one that should perfectly suit a dish of quail, for example." ”

“A new premium non-vintage blanc de noirs with a sense of place. After a complex nose of spices, apple, yeast and brioche the palate surprises with its racy, saline, cool Verzenay fruitiness that is combined to generosity from Ay, Bouzy and Tauxières fruit. In the mouth it offers textured richeness from a big splash of reserve wines from Bollinger’s special, long-aged magnums. An exiting novelty that shows off with Bollinger’s Pinot Noir wealth and know-how. ”

“A brand new 100% Pinot Noir cuvée, the first new wine from Bollinger since it went into rosé in 2008. Based on the 2015 vintage with reserve wines back to 2009. The principal cru is Verzenay although there are also wines from Aÿ, Bouzy and Tauxières in the blend. Each new edition will focus on a different cru. Good information on the back label.
Very Bollinger (even more than Pinot Noir) on the nose, but livelier than the regular NV. Very fine texture and bead indeed on the palate. A little (not excessive) oaky note on the end. A very fine, elegant, well-integrated interpretation of Pinot Noir. Long peacock's-tail finish. Very accomplished. Though it's arguably too complex to be a suitable aperitif. A champagne for geeks?”

“A fabulous Champagne, the NV PN VZ 15 is a new wine from Bollinger and the first addition to the range in over a decade. As the name implies, it is a 100% Pinot Noir built on a core of fruit from Verzenay and based on the 2015 vintage. Bollinger’s most iconic wine is of course the super-rare and expensive 100% Pinot Noir Vielles Vignes Françaises. A few years ago, Bollinger set out on a path to exalt the unique characteristics of their Pinot. For this project, the four leads of the winemaking team headed by Cellar Master Gilles Descôtes and Deputy Cellar Master Denis Bunner were tasked with each creating a new cuvée. The conditions: the wine had to be non-vintage, 100% Pinot Noir and possible to offer at both an affordable price and with some scale. The four wines were tasted blind and the winner is the new PN VZ 15, the first in a series of upcoming releases that will explore the many shades of Pinot at Bollinger. I tasted it recently with Bunner and General Manager Charles-Armand de Belenet and was super impressed.

Bright and vibrant on the palate, the PN VZ 15 captures all of the Pinot richness that is such a Bollinger signature but with the freshness and verve that make Pinots from Verzenay so distinctive. Rich red fruit, mint, dried flower and spice notes play off bright acids and veins of saline-drenched minerals in a display of aromas, flavors and textures that dazzle all the senses. Think of it as a baby VVF, but with the tension of Verzenay. The blend is approximately 50% Verzenay and 50% Aÿ, Bouzy and Louvois, done about half in steel and half in oak. This release is based on the 2015 vintage (50% of the blend), with reserve wines that go back to 2009, including 20% from the reserve magnums Bollinger is so famous for. This bottle was disgorged in November 2019 and dosage is 7 grams per liter, about average for Bollinger today.

As I have written before, many of Champagne’s big houses have embraced the ambitious spirit of grower Champagne with their recent bottlings, wines that often place more emphasis on variety and place than the flagship blended cuvées that are the core of what Champagne has represented in the past. This is yet another example. The new PN VZ 15 is superb, and sharply priced as well, something that is not often the case with new grande marque Champagnes these days. Don’t miss it. ”

“Disgorged in January 2021, Bollinger's newly released NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN VZ16 offers up notions of pear, apple blossom, jasmine, orange zest and fresh pastry. Medium to full-bodied, precise and elegantly vinous, it's layered and charming, with racy acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, and it concludes with a sapid finish. It's based on the 2016 vintage, complemented by older reserve wines matured in magnum, and derives, once again, largely from the village of Verzenay.

”

“Soft, open-knit and wonderfully inviting PN VZ 16 is a worthy follow up to the sublime 2015 that launched this new Blanc de Noirs in the Bollinger range last year. Sweet red cherry, Mirabelle, spice, mint and dried flowers all grace this wonderfully translucent, expressive Blanc de Noirs. North-facing sites in Verzenay that confer tension and energy make up about half the blend, with wines from Aÿ, Bouzy and Louvois playing supporting roles. Vinification is done in equal parts steel and oak. This release is based on 2016 (50% of the blend), with reserve wines that go back to 2006, including 23% from reserve magnums. Readers who enjoy Blanc de Noirs will adore the PN VZ 16. I find the interplay of vibrancy and the creamier notes that are so typical of the house style to be incredibly appealing.”

“Very pale pink. Wonderfully pure Pinot Noir character on the nose. Very fine bead indeed. Tight in texture yet playful in flavour. A worthy successor to the 2015.”

“2007 is a rather scarcely declared vintage and not one recognized for its Pinot Noir, yet Bollinger have managed to create something so fresh and delicious from it. Its secrets are in rigorous selection and in unusually high proportion of crunchy Verzenay fruit (29%). Glossy evolving lemon colour. The coolly fruity nose comes with golden raisins, yellow apple, orange zest, juniper wood and ginger. The spiciness gets enhanced over time in the glass. The palate has rare energy and tension for an R.D. , really driven and pure. The palate is still tight and reserved, palate cleansingly dry. Seems like a really slowly ageing R.D. worth cellaring. A great call from the winemaking team to release this La Grande Année vintage as R.D. (bottle disgorged 10th July 2020)”

“Bollinger’s 2007 R.D. is superb, but it is also a wine that reflects the nature of a unique and challenging growing season. In most vintages the R.D. is marked by the distinct creaminess and breadth of Aÿ Pinot Noir. Two thousand seven, though, was a difficult year marked by very dry weather, rain at the end of the growing season and an early harvest in August, something that was not as common as it has become. Selection was essential. For the 2007, the blend is composed of just 14 villages compared to the more typical 18-25. Verzenay is the main Pinot component while Cramant plays the leading role in the Chardonnays. For these reasons, the 2007 is an R.D. driven by more focus, energy and tension than readers are used to seeing. Lemon confit, dried flowers, sage, mint, crushed rocks, almond and ginger are some of the aromas and flavors that give the 2007 its complex, multi-faceted personality.

The 2007 can be enjoyed now, but I would prefer to cellar it for a few years. It will age effortlessly for decades as it moves through the various phases of its life. I was reminded of the way Champagne can magically traverse time by magical bottles of the 1976 R.D. and 1996 Vieilles Vignes Françaises I tasted recently. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, 91% Grand Cru fruit and the rest Premier Cru. Bollinger fans will notice the return of the original label, with the disgorgement date clearly visible, a tribute to Madame Bollinger, who was a pioneer in so many ways. Disgorged: July 10, 2020. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.”

“Disgorged on July 10, 2020, with three grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's eagerly awaited 2007 Extra-Brut R. D. is beautiful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, citrus pith and white flowers mingled with hints of honey, orange oil, buttery pastry, English walnuts and delicately spicy bass notes. Full-bodied, vibrant and incisive, it's unusually elegant and structurally fine-boned for what is routinely one of Champagne's more muscular tête de cuvées, with a bright spine of acidity that's cloaked in vibrant, concentrated fruit, complemented by a pearly pinpoint mousse and concluding with an intensely sapid finish. Long and penetrating, this is a tightly coiled R. D. that will reward bottle age.

The fruit of an early harvest, beginning on September 1st, Bollinger's superb 2007 R. D. is an unusually delicate, fine-boned rendition of this habitually muscular cuvée. An additional seven years on the lees has brought additional textural and amplitude to the acid spine that was already evident in the 2007 Grande Année, and the slight loss of pressure during aging on cork makes for a more refined, pearly mousse that complements the wine's enhanced texture and amplified sapid nuance. Fermented in used oak cooperage, with tirage under natural cork and disgorgement without added sulfur dioxide (but now with jetting to ensure consistency), it's one of the few tête de cuvée bottlings still made very much as it was 40 years ago. While I don't tend to comment on packaging, Bollinger's decision to revive the tasteful aluminum label that graced this cuvée's debut 1952 rendition, when the redoubtable Madame Lilly Bollinger still presided over this house, does underscore what is a real and not merely superficial commitment to artisanal traditions.”

“A hint of hazelnut praline clings to the creamy notions on the nose, aligned to a pleasant smokiness and a hint of dark peony. More air adds notions of white pepper and toasted cumin. The palate is exquisitely creamy – the Bollinger hallmark – but with 2007 this texture is presented with exquisite poise. The bright freshness that underlies all this keeps a subtle but constant presence, lending structure. Beautiful depth lends a kind of solidity that anchors this in chalky soil, a class act and a very grown-up wine that says one thing only: enduring elegance.”

“Bollinger’s 2004 R.D., tasted from magnum, is all class. Silky and understated, the R.D is super-expressive and inviting today. In 2004, the R.D. is decidedly light on its feet and more perfumed than tends to be the norm at Bollinger. Candied lemon peel, mint, apricot, pastry and yellow fruits are all laced together in a Champagne that delivers the goods. The 2004 is 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay picked between September 25 and October 8. Disgorged: November 21, 2017.”

“Tasted blind. Tense, dense nose. Savoury. Lemony with marked acidity and lots to chew on. Bone-dry finish, rather a demanding nature. Intellectual wine. Quite long. One of the more evolved. A little like white burgundy plus carbon dioxide. Long. Krug or Bolly?”

“Disgorged 17 May 2017. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay (usually more like 30%).
Incredibly intense aromas – baked apple, cinnamon, freshly baked bread. Conventional and recognisably champagne, but to a greater, more intense degree. Some creamy coffee on the palate and wonderfully savoury salinity on the finish. Very, very long persistence. Champagne to the power of ten. (RH)”

“The most remarkable thing about the 2002 Extra Brut R.D. is how tense and structured it is. Despite having been disgorged over two years ago, the 2002 is very much tightly wound. After several hours, the power and resonance of the vintage start to come through, along with the natural richness of Pinot from Aÿ. Whereas most 2002 Champagnes are quite ripe in profile, the 2002 R.D. has plenty of depth, but it is depth through concentration as opposed to elevated ripeness. The low dosage style further adds to that sensation. Hints of chamomile, sage, dried flower and red fruits emerge over time, but only with reluctance. I would prefer to cellar the 2002 for at least a few years. If that is not possible, readers should open the wine at least a few hours in advance. Even so, the 2002's best drinking lies somewhere in the future. My sense is that the 2002 will be at its best between the ages of 20 and 30. Disgorged: September 11, 2015.”

“Current vintage. Disgorged January 2017. 40% Chardonnay (high for Bollinger). Extra Brut. Dosage 3 g/l.
Deep straw gold. Start of that woodland-mushroom Bollinger aroma. Masses of character. Not quite as tense as some 2002s – more Bollinger style with the dry overlay. Very, very Bollinger.
Drink 2017-2026”

“Disgorged October 2014. RS 4 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. From Bollinger's UK agent Mentzendorff.
Tasted blind. Dark gold. Mushrooms (a mature Bollinger trademark), savour and density with a dry finish. Definitely Bollinger RD. Some refinement too. Reminds me a little of a fine sake – umami?”

“Big names do not help if you are not familiar with a certain house style, and so I can understand everyone who dislikes Bollinger's 2002 RD Extra Brut, which at first sight reveals a matured if not an old wine displaying toffee, floral (hyacinths, narcissus, sage), vegetal and spicy aromas (oak, cannabis, frankincense, black bread) -- but almost no fruit (at least no fresh fruit). This wine was disgorged in March 2014, but just needs a lot of time in the glass to develop its complexity. On the palate this is a very pure, fresh, lively, firmly structured and almost ascetic wine with complexity, but almost no sensuality. Very distinctive style.”

“Expressive and richly textured Pinot Noir. Profound.
”

“Disgorged October 2014. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. RS 4 g/l.
Tasted blind. Pinkish gold. Very slightly oxidised but not dangerously so on the nose. Then great energy on the end. This is almost Krug-like in how complex and tight knit it is. Savoury. Impressive. Energetic. Unusually dry finish.”

“It has been a long wait for R.D. fans since the 1997 vintage, which was followed by only minuscule amounts of 1999 and 2000 coming in large formats only. Now there is a chance to celebrate 50 years of R.D. with the outstanding 2002 vintage. It is a bold, fresh and seamless vintage of R.D. with the higher than usual Chardonnay content bringing an extra layer of elegance. I enjoy the drive and linearity the wine has despite the huge concentration. The October 2013 disgorged bottle has been the best with super-stylish with its mineral restraint and autumnal. Apple and spice fruit profile with an under-control oxidative undertone. Perfected, super dry 3g/l dosage.”

“(Bottle) Tasted blind. Disgorged October 2014.
A little less fruity on the nose, as though it is a little evolved so seemed clearly from a bottle rather than a magnum - confirmed. Again very dry end.”

“(Magnum) Tasted blind. Disgorged October 2014.
Big and broad on the nose. With a hint of putty. Edge of cream-of-mushroom soup. Bone dry and even a little chewy on the end. It seemed as though it had to be a magnum and it was. ”

“Magnum. Lots of minerality on the nose and underlying fruit. Tense-issimo. Almost austere!”

“Light gold. Powerful, mineral-laced scents of orange zest, pear skin, iodine and chamomile, with a hint of anise in the background. On the palate, vibrant orchard and citrus fruit flavors unfurl slowly, picking up toasty lees and mace nuances that build on the back half. Sappy, tightly focused and stony, finishing with excellent thrust and building florality. This is showing an extremely youthful profile for its age and while I know that the received wisdom is that R.D. wines should be drunk soon after release, I'd let this one get some more years on it. ”

“Bollinger's 2002 R.D. is striking in its beauty. Silky and caressing on the palate, the 2002 impresses for its exceptional balance and harmony. In 2002 so many Champagnes are ripe and explosive in style, but the 2002 R.D. is quite restrained by comparison. Hints of apricot pit, smoke, almonds, spices and pears ring out on the super-finessed, inviting finish. The 2002 is going to be nearly impossible to resist in its youth, but it should also age impeccably. All the elements are in the right place.”

“Very firm, savoury nose with Bollinger's trademark fungi. Very powerfully so but with excellent acidity and lift on the palate. This is touted as a 50th anniversary offering because the first RD (Recently Disgorged) vintage released on the UK market was the 1952, in 1967 (so it was three years older than this 2002). It was launched at the same time as the 1953 on the French and Swiss markets and the 1955 on the American and Italian markets. A nod to British taste for seriously mature champagne? This wine should not be served too cool. It has real weight - though does not taste heavy. I loved it on first release as Grande Année and it is less austere now. A bit mellower and more open though still with the deep throat salve sensation on the finish.”

“Super fresh, this is striking given the 10 years in the cellars; it has a fine citrus nose - plenty of lemon, grapefruit, yellow chalky notes, some lighter floral elements too. The palate is super dry (dosage at 3-4g) and there's a silky, sherbet-like texture, smooth, fine and long. The citrus flavours give way to the driving surging acidity, thunderous acidity, really driving and powerful. The finish twists very slowly through to light-toasted cashew fruit flavours, but lemon citrus prevails. This is thrilling Champagne.”

“Disgorged September 12. pH 2.99. TA 9.4 g/l.
Dark gold. A little bit of oxidation. Then the mushrooms and lots of dried fruit. Classic RD? Probably not to everyone’s taste but very true to the house style. Broad and still very good, fine mousse.”

“Deep gold. Just wonderfully complex, well-integrated nose. The very special quality of this wine just leapt out of the glass. Minerals and enormous depth. Great substance and delicacy too. Absolutely archetypal Bollinger: solid, dry, yet complex and ethereal on the nose. Masses of acidity – still tense. It would be a crime to drink this wine thoughtlessly at a reception; it really does demand concentration, and applause.
Disgorged 7 March 2011. Rainy, late season. 72% Pinot Noir. 17 villages. 66% grands crus. Yield 9,000 kg/ha, initial potential alcohol 9.2%, initial TA 9.4 g/l, pH 2.9, final TA 5.6 g/l, final alcohol 12.1%.”

“Mature and nutty in character, this 1988 exhibits a firm texture and an elegant stature, a fine backdrop for the roast coffee, hazelnut and citrus flavors. Dry style.”

“Classic Bollinger aromas of baked apple, toffee, coffee, nuts and brioche. Then superrich, highly concentrated and penetrating, with impressive chewy extract. Uncompromisingly dry and just beginning to unfold. Really saturates the palate. Remarkably young for a 12-year-old Champagne-but then the best '88s are evolving slowly. Finishes with superb length.”

“Tasted blind. Tense, dense nose. Savoury. Lemony with marked acidity and lots to chew on. Bone-dry finish, rather a demanding nature. Intellectual wine. Quite long. One of the more evolved. A little like white burgundy plus carbon dioxide. Long. Krug or Bolly?”

“Disgorged 17 May 2017. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay (usually more like 30%).
Incredibly intense aromas – baked apple, cinnamon, freshly baked bread. Conventional and recognisably champagne, but to a greater, more intense degree. Some creamy coffee on the palate and wonderfully savoury salinity on the finish. Very, very long persistence. Champagne to the power of ten. (RH)”

“The most remarkable thing about the 2002 Extra Brut R.D. is how tense and structured it is. Despite having been disgorged over two years ago, the 2002 is very much tightly wound. After several hours, the power and resonance of the vintage start to come through, along with the natural richness of Pinot from Aÿ. Whereas most 2002 Champagnes are quite ripe in profile, the 2002 R.D. has plenty of depth, but it is depth through concentration as opposed to elevated ripeness. The low dosage style further adds to that sensation. Hints of chamomile, sage, dried flower and red fruits emerge over time, but only with reluctance. I would prefer to cellar the 2002 for at least a few years. If that is not possible, readers should open the wine at least a few hours in advance. Even so, the 2002's best drinking lies somewhere in the future. My sense is that the 2002 will be at its best between the ages of 20 and 30. Disgorged: September 11, 2015.”

“Current vintage. Disgorged January 2017. 40% Chardonnay (high for Bollinger). Extra Brut. Dosage 3 g/l.
Deep straw gold. Start of that woodland-mushroom Bollinger aroma. Masses of character. Not quite as tense as some 2002s – more Bollinger style with the dry overlay. Very, very Bollinger.
Drink 2017-2026”

“Disgorged October 2014. RS 4 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. From Bollinger's UK agent Mentzendorff.
Tasted blind. Dark gold. Mushrooms (a mature Bollinger trademark), savour and density with a dry finish. Definitely Bollinger RD. Some refinement too. Reminds me a little of a fine sake – umami?”

“Big names do not help if you are not familiar with a certain house style, and so I can understand everyone who dislikes Bollinger's 2002 RD Extra Brut, which at first sight reveals a matured if not an old wine displaying toffee, floral (hyacinths, narcissus, sage), vegetal and spicy aromas (oak, cannabis, frankincense, black bread) -- but almost no fruit (at least no fresh fruit). This wine was disgorged in March 2014, but just needs a lot of time in the glass to develop its complexity. On the palate this is a very pure, fresh, lively, firmly structured and almost ascetic wine with complexity, but almost no sensuality. Very distinctive style.”

“Expressive and richly textured Pinot Noir. Profound.
”

“Disgorged October 2014. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. RS 4 g/l.
Tasted blind. Pinkish gold. Very slightly oxidised but not dangerously so on the nose. Then great energy on the end. This is almost Krug-like in how complex and tight knit it is. Savoury. Impressive. Energetic. Unusually dry finish.”

“It has been a long wait for R.D. fans since the 1997 vintage, which was followed by only minuscule amounts of 1999 and 2000 coming in large formats only. Now there is a chance to celebrate 50 years of R.D. with the outstanding 2002 vintage. It is a bold, fresh and seamless vintage of R.D. with the higher than usual Chardonnay content bringing an extra layer of elegance. I enjoy the drive and linearity the wine has despite the huge concentration. The October 2013 disgorged bottle has been the best with super-stylish with its mineral restraint and autumnal. Apple and spice fruit profile with an under-control oxidative undertone. Perfected, super dry 3g/l dosage.”

“(Bottle) Tasted blind. Disgorged October 2014.
A little less fruity on the nose, as though it is a little evolved so seemed clearly from a bottle rather than a magnum - confirmed. Again very dry end.”

“(Magnum) Tasted blind. Disgorged October 2014.
Big and broad on the nose. With a hint of putty. Edge of cream-of-mushroom soup. Bone dry and even a little chewy on the end. It seemed as though it had to be a magnum and it was. ”

“Magnum. Lots of minerality on the nose and underlying fruit. Tense-issimo. Almost austere!”

“Light gold. Powerful, mineral-laced scents of orange zest, pear skin, iodine and chamomile, with a hint of anise in the background. On the palate, vibrant orchard and citrus fruit flavors unfurl slowly, picking up toasty lees and mace nuances that build on the back half. Sappy, tightly focused and stony, finishing with excellent thrust and building florality. This is showing an extremely youthful profile for its age and while I know that the received wisdom is that R.D. wines should be drunk soon after release, I'd let this one get some more years on it. ”

“Bollinger's 2002 R.D. is striking in its beauty. Silky and caressing on the palate, the 2002 impresses for its exceptional balance and harmony. In 2002 so many Champagnes are ripe and explosive in style, but the 2002 R.D. is quite restrained by comparison. Hints of apricot pit, smoke, almonds, spices and pears ring out on the super-finessed, inviting finish. The 2002 is going to be nearly impossible to resist in its youth, but it should also age impeccably. All the elements are in the right place.”

“Very firm, savoury nose with Bollinger's trademark fungi. Very powerfully so but with excellent acidity and lift on the palate. This is touted as a 50th anniversary offering because the first RD (Recently Disgorged) vintage released on the UK market was the 1952, in 1967 (so it was three years older than this 2002). It was launched at the same time as the 1953 on the French and Swiss markets and the 1955 on the American and Italian markets. A nod to British taste for seriously mature champagne? This wine should not be served too cool. It has real weight - though does not taste heavy. I loved it on first release as Grande Année and it is less austere now. A bit mellower and more open though still with the deep throat salve sensation on the finish.”

“Super fresh, this is striking given the 10 years in the cellars; it has a fine citrus nose - plenty of lemon, grapefruit, yellow chalky notes, some lighter floral elements too. The palate is super dry (dosage at 3-4g) and there's a silky, sherbet-like texture, smooth, fine and long. The citrus flavours give way to the driving surging acidity, thunderous acidity, really driving and powerful. The finish twists very slowly through to light-toasted cashew fruit flavours, but lemon citrus prevails. This is thrilling Champagne.”

“Bollinger's NV Special Cuvée 007 is not a re-release of the 1969, which James Bond famously mentions in the film 'Moonraker,' but it is a pretty wine that captures the essence of the house style nicely, attractively packaged to coincide with the latest Bond movie. It offers up scents of orchard fruit, baked apple tart, brioche, spice and dried floral notes, all in a profile that holds plenty of near term appeal.”

“Disgorged in May 2021, the latest rendition of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of ripe orchard fruit, citrus oil and peach, mingled with hints of walnuts and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a generous core of fruit, lively acids and a pillowy mousse, it's seamless and complete, concluding with an expansive finish.”

“Refined nose with stylish restraint. Richness of spicy-earthy notes carefully intertwined to the lemon, apple pie, baked pear, cinnamon and vanilla tones. Super mild oxidative character beneath the intense fruitiness. Seamless structure on the generous palate. Long, mineral, dry finish. Built to last, so deserves additional post-disgorgement ageing. ”

“60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier. Bollinger don’t talk about which wine their non-vintage blends are based on because reserve wines constitute a good 50% of the blend. This was bottled in 2013 and disgorged in 2016 so 2012 is the youngest vintage. 150+ different wines in the blend. Maybe six or seven different vintages.
Very firm, Bollinger savoury style on the nose with a bone-dry finish and lots of chewiness. Dried apple-skin flavours. Really long. A fan of flavours on the end. Very distinctive.
Drink 2016-2020”

“Disgorged in May 2021, the latest rendition of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of ripe orchard fruit, citrus oil and peach, mingled with hints of walnuts and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a generous core of fruit, lively acids and a pillowy mousse, it's seamless and complete, concluding with an expansive finish.”

“Refined nose with stylish restraint. Richness of spicy-earthy notes carefully intertwined to the lemon, apple pie, baked pear, cinnamon and vanilla tones. Super mild oxidative character beneath the intense fruitiness. Seamless structure on the generous palate. Long, mineral, dry finish. Built to last, so deserves additional post-disgorgement ageing. ”

“60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier. Bollinger don’t talk about which wine their non-vintage blends are based on because reserve wines constitute a good 50% of the blend. This was bottled in 2013 and disgorged in 2016 so 2012 is the youngest vintage. 150+ different wines in the blend. Maybe six or seven different vintages.
Very firm, Bollinger savoury style on the nose with a bone-dry finish and lots of chewiness. Dried apple-skin flavours. Really long. A fan of flavours on the end. Very distinctive.
Drink 2016-2020”

“Bollinger’s 2009 Vieilles Vignes Françaises is tightly wound and reserved, which is quite surprising given the warm, dry weather of the vintage. That won’t be a problem in time, of course, but readers should plan on being patient. With a few hours of air, apricot, plum, spice, dried cherry and candied orange peel start to appear, but the 2009 remains rather taut. In some years, VVF can be quite opulent, 2002 and 2010 come to mind. The 2009, on the other hand is much more vibrant. I wouldn’t plan on opening a bottle anytime soon. VVF remains one of the most compelling wines – still or sparkling – in the world. It emerges from ungrafted Pinot Noir vines in Aÿ’s Chaudes Terres and Clos St. Jacques lieu-dits and is vinified and aged in barrel. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.”

“The 1996 Salon is just dazzling. It needs a good bit of air to fully open up, but the 1996 Salon is simply a mesmerizing Champagne that sizzles with energy, cut and total precision. A second bottle later in the week was every bit as compelling. When the 1996 Salon is on, it is just about as great as Champagne gets. ”

“This bottle of the 1996 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut was drinking superbly and represents the apotheosis of Blanc de Blancs, unfurling over the course of three hours with a stunningly complex bouquet of citrus oil, confit lemon, dried white flowers and oyster shell, with hints of praline and pastry cream becoming more pronounced as the wine opens up in the glass. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, defined by the incisive spine so typical of the vintage that, here, is cloaked in layers of crisp fleshy and chalky extract. The finish is long, penetrating and saline. Unfortunately, since the 1996 Salon has been traded so zealously over the last decade, finding a bottle that hasn't travelled too far can be a challenge. But from a perfectly stored bottle, this is just the beginning.”

“The combination of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger’s raw power, Salon’s inox-fermented non-maloed winemaking and the extremities of the 1996 vintage suggest a masochistic experience. But miraculously the result is one of all times finest Salons (given that you love the sensation of acidity, a prerequisite of any Salon fan). This is truly razor-shard and driven, aging painfully slow for the impatient. ”

“The 1996 Salon is just beginning to enter the early part of its plateau of maturity. Time in bottle has softened some of the razor-sharp focus the 1996 had when it was first released, but all of the energy it had as a young Champagne remains. A host of candied lemon, almonds and wild flowers punctuate the sculpted, persistent finish. Readers who own the 1996 can look forward to another two decades or more of exceptional drinking. This is the ultimate expression of Champagne as wine.”

“Launched in 2018. Based on 2012. 25% Reserve and aged 5–6 years on lees. Mainly Vertus and Oger. Renewal of what they did before Remy Cointreau took over the company. Very small volume: 20,000 bottles. Now available in magnum.
Pretty powerful nose. Putty nose and then quite rich on the palate. Really firm and fine. Broader than the average blanc de blancs but very well made and pleasing. Ambitious.”

“This brand new wine follows the Charles Heidsieck non-vintage blanc de blancs tradition that was initiated back in 1947. The aimed style is sumptuous as one can expect from the house but cellar master Cyril Brun has also wanted to highlight freshness of youth in it to make a clear difference to age-mellowed and concentrated the Blanc des Millénaires. Pure and pristinely fruity, coffee and cream laden nose with ample lemony floral fruitiness with a touch of pepper. The palate expresses more minerality and salinity increasing towards the back palate. The wine hides its 10g/l dosage feeling perfectly balanced and fresh, even a little tight at this point. Stunningly creamy texture with minuscule gently bubbles waking up the palate. Long, driven palate with impeccable precision. ”

“Based on the 2012 vintage and disgorged in 2019, Heidsieck's NV Blanc de Blancs continues to show nicely, exhibiting aromas of lemon oil, dried white flowers, green apple and walnuts. It's medium to full-bodied, taut and chiseled. If anything it exhibits a more reserved, austere profile than it did last year. Based on this showing, it's evolving more slowly than I anticipated, and I'd be inclined to counsel readers to wait another year or two before popping corks.”

“The sixth creation of Blanc des Millénaires combines fruit from four grand cru villages (Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant and Avize) with Chardoonnay from the premier cru of Vertus. True to the sunny and warm year 2006, the wine comes with deep golden hued colour already upon launch. The nose is distinctly tropical with Charles Heidsieck’s hallmark toastiness emerging quickly in the glass. Beautiful coffee tones alongside candied lemon, baked pineapple and complex floral tones. The fruitiness is laudably clean and bright. The palate is round but soon after the initial feeling of richness, the wine’s minerality and high acidity kick in. The finish turns out to be long, pure and seemingly dry. An instantly open and generous Blanc des Millénaires with more complexity arising over time.”

“Recently disgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2006 Brut Blanc de Blancs Blanc des Millénaires is expressive and charming, in keeping with the sunny, demonstrative style of the vintage. Offering up aromas of toasted brioche, honeycomb, yellow apples and preserved citrus, it's full-bodied, fleshy and textural, with a rich core of fruit, ripe acids and an attractive pinpoint mousse. It's already drinking well, and I'd be inclined to approach it sooner than the more tightly wound 2004 rendition.”

“This is the last vintage of Charles Heidsieck to be sold in the old standard bottle shape rather than the snazzy new one introduced in 2007. Made by Thierry Roset to the usual recipe: four grands crus from the Côte des Blancs plus Vertus – 20% each. 'The easiest wine to make', according to Cyril Brun, who sees the 2006 as a complete contrast to the austere 2004. Though of course they have to decide which vintages are worth it. See the vertical included in this article. Dosage 9g/l. Disgorged spring 2019.
My bottle showed remarkably sluggish mousse (which doesn't bother me). This was unlikely to be because of the glass because the 2012 had just been very lively in the same glass. Tastes a little bit round and rich, but according to Brun, 'after time in bottle the role of the ingredients takes over the role of the vintage'. Very lively and flirtatious. Transparent and mineral – very Côte des Blancs. Definitely lively champagne rather than one of those champagnes that tastes more like a white burgundy with bubbles. Spreads across the palate. There's a rich undertow but only at the very end after the ethereal, filigree aspect that heralds this wine.”

“The 2006 Blanc des Millenaires is a rich, punchy Champagne that captures all of the radiant intensity of this warm year. Apricot, lemon confit and tropical accents bring out the more extroverted side of Chardonnay. Warm, toasty brioche notes add to its considerable appeal. This is a terrific showing. Best of all, the 2006 will drink well right out of the gate.”

“When 2004 was released back in early 2018 it was showing very differently to 2006. The 04 had plenty of fruit on the palate, but the aromatics were still very closed, if you taste it now it is just starting to show its potential, but only just, it needs time and over the next few years it will start to drink well, rewarding your patience. The BdM 2006 is quite different, like most 2006’s it captures the dominant sunny summer sunshine and radiates the vibrance of the long warm summer. Many of the Prestige Cuvee’s from 2006’s are champagnes to drink before the 2004’s and this Chardonnay rewards us straight from release. This doesn’t necessarily mean it wont age, as having tasted all seven of the Blanc de Blancs from Charles back to 1981 they are all still showing very well. As always store your champagne well, in the dark at 10-12 Celsius and it will reward you for decades.”

“Both intense and discreet. Extremely tightly woven. Not as dry as some but certainly not simple. Tastes more youthful than many 2012s. Subtle and not flamboyant. You feel you could drink this in quantity!”

“Disgorged in 2019 with eight grams per liter dosage, the 2012 Brut Millésimé offers up aromas of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers and clear honey, complemented by hints of toasted bread, citrus zest and linden. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly fleshy and nicely concentrated, with lively acids and a pinpoint mousse, it's more generous and demonstrative than the 2008, but it will nonetheless reward a bit of bottle age.”

“60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, from a season that until August was very challenging for a wide range of reasons. The wine has apparently gone down well enough in the UK to provoke a second order from importer Liberty Wines. They have shipped some to the US but there is still some 2008 to work its way through the distribution channel there. Cyril Brun sees 2012 as having the richness of 2006 and the austerity of 2008 and is very keen on the increasing levels of ‘noble bitterness’ on which he is banking to balance wines now that acid levels are plummeting in Champagne. It had six years on lees and was disgorged in May 2019. The back label promises it will drink well until 2035! This wine was made by his predecessor Thierry Roset (Brun joined in time for the 2015 vintage). He imagines that Roset deliberately chose some Pinot from north-facing vineyards on the Montagne de Reims to combat warmer summers. Dosage 8 g/l; experiments continue to show that a fairly high dosage suits the Charles Heidsieck house style.
A very savoury Charles Heidsieck champagne at the moment – extremely tight and youthful with some smoky reductive notes as well as one of lime cordial. Real undertow; an exciting combination of producer and vintage with real potential.”

“'A dangerously drinkable wine' according to chef de cave Cyril Brun, and I wouldn't contest that. I adore it for its inviting approachability, pure fruitiness, vibrancy and impeccable balance. The colour is intense with golden tones. The nose is not short of nuances: stunning smoky toastiness and rich biscuit notes are complemented by generosity of fresh and dried fruits ranging from apricots to tropical fruits and zesty lemony layers. It sits between reductive and oxidative styles, leaning safely towards the former. On the palate, the marriage of Charles’ hallmark velvety texture, the invigorating tension and the tiniest bubbles is disarming. Highly creamy and generous but ending on a fresh note of stylish bitterness at the back palate, probably partly due to the drier than usual style, dosed perfectly at 8g/l. A classic blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay with Grand & Premier Cru sourcing from the Montagne de Reims and Côte de Blancs. The key villages are Aÿ, Oger, Vertus, Chouilly, Ludes and Cuis for Chardonnay and Ambonnay, Tauxieres and Avenay for Pinot Noir. ”

“Disgorged March 2017, embargoed until they sell in October 2017. They’ve done it the other way around from the vintage rosé releases. Cyril Brun thinks he would have released the 2006 before the 2005. But it had never been done… Dosage 10 g/l. Only grand cru and premier cru fruit. 61% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay.
Quite deep gold. Quite creamy nose and round and quite rich on the palate. Welcoming with a candied-walnuts flavour. Lots of appeal, even if softer than some.”

“Deep golden colour. Highly creamy nose with emerging toasty opulence. Full of luscious, ripe fruit. Opens beautifully in the glass. There is impressive generosity on the mouth-filling, oily palate, boosted by concentrated, age-mellowed fruitiness. Long, almost chewy but appropriately fresh finish. Finely balanced at 10g/l dosage. ”

“Disgorged 2016. Greenish gold. Intense and brooding with the merest hint of coconut (apparently a Charles Heidsieck trait). Very tense but rich and dense too. Dry finish. Would ideally be released now but in fact it’s coming to the end of supply. Should perhaps have been held back?
Drink 2017-2027”

“This seems to have been around a long time! Deep gold. Very fine persistent bead. Lots of autolysis and substance on the nose. Real lift on the finish. This tastes like wine, with all its complexity, rather than a constructed champagne. Still quite a bit of grip on the end. Very satisfying indeed.”

“The nose is surprisingly reminiscent of the Bollinger 2005 tasted immediately before. Solid and complex with a wild floral note. Bone dry and with a bit more focus and lift than the Bollinger.”

“The 2005 Vintage Brut – a classic mix of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – is a very ripe and concentrated Champagne with a bit of bitterness in the finish. "2005 was austere as a young wine, but since 2015, it shows very well and promises a very good aging potential," finds chef de cave Régis Camus. The wine opens deep, pure and fresh on the nose, with very clear white fruit aromas, spiced bread and a very clear definition. Light, fresh and finesse-full on the silky-textured palate, but also round and intense, this is a very elegant and refined vintage Champagne. It has a pure and fresh finish, and a long and intense aftertaste.”

“The 2005 Brut Vintage is an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next few years. Brioche, pastry, baked apple and apricot are some of the notes that flesh out in the glass. Supple, expressive and inviting, the 2005 offers lovely balance, especially for the year. Warm, toasty notes meld into the resonant, enveloping finish. This is quite lovely. Disgorged: May 6, 2014.”

“Still very young, this holds great potential. Rich, full-bodied and densely structured, it is a wine first, sparkling second. Ripe apple and peach flavors partner with a strongly mineral texture.”

“This was recently tasted in jeroboam only. Deep golden colour. Rich honeyed nose with roast coffee, vanilla and fudge. Aged but perfectly healthily so. Concentrated, round velvety palate with still plenty of fruity length. Long, winey, firm finish. Such a pleasurable gastronomic wine today, the essence of Charles. ”

“Deep, mature golden colour. Slightly mushroomy but otherwise healthy coffee-toned rich, sweet nose. Fresh vibrant palate where the fruitiness is fading but there is still plenty left. A mature wine showing ageing depths. Long with dried fruit profile. ”

“This 2016 based Brut Réserve is the first release to include a small proportion of oak-vinified wines. The proportion of reserve wine has crept up to 46%. Its softly and deeply fruity nose comes with refined, subtle toastiness and sweet coconut, vanilla and candied fruit aromas. There is still tightness on the fresh and vivacious lemony palate that harnesses both power and richness, but its best feature is the already caressingly smooth texture.”

“Based on the 2016 vintage. 40% Pinot Noir, 19% Pinot Meunier, 41% Chardonnay. Dosage 10 g/l. This is the first MEC that has some oak influence: 6% barrel-aged for texture. 46% reserve wine, the oldest is Cramant 1996. Average age of reserve wines is 10 years. Disgorged January 2020 and the first vintage to be bottled using the jetting technique and Diam Mytik closure. Full malo as on all these wines, though current winemaker Cyril Brun is keeping some no-malo reserve wines as a weapon against climate change.
Subtle lemony nose. Stony, too, with the merest hint of white blossom, holds up really well in the glass. The smoky, reductive character is very slight but highlights the mineral/stony aspect. The citrus fruit and peel are ripe but there is masses of tension. The mousse is fine and gentle and also lasts really well in the glass. Becomes a little more toasty with air. Deep yet extremely refined, pulling in to a precise finish.”

“Age-complexed, plentiful coffee and cream, vanilla-laden super toasty nose with dried fruit sweetness. Yeasty fullness charms on the mellow, complex and concentrated palate. Velvety without losing its vitality. Blockbuster style with immaculate freshness and seamlessness. Beautiful. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser and many-fold award-winner - Gold at the 2014 CSWWC.”

“For the fourth year myself and my colleagues presented our Ultimate Champagne Evening that truly was an embarrassment of riches with magnificent wines like the Krug Grand Cuvée, the Cristal 1995 and the Dom Pérignon P2-1998 just brilliant. But as each costs £100 or considerably more, I've plumped for my value for money star of the evening: with up to 40% of old reserve wines, the nose is mature and nutty, with so much toasty brioche richness and a fat, ripe nectarine fruit too, but then the palate shimmers with elegant and delightful acid balance. A great Champagne.”

“A rich and toasty style that’s framed by vivid acidity, this shows lovely integration and an expressive palate of coffee liqueur, baked peach and roasted hazelnut.”

“Rich and creamy, this harmonious Champagne is expressive, with brioche, crystallized honey, black currant and toasted marshmallow flavours, accented by hints of verbena, baked peach and chopped nut. Vibrant and focused through to the lasting, saline tinged finish.”

“2010 base. Disgorged March 2017, to be released at the end of 2017. No 2009 base was made so they jumped to a 2010 base.
Extremely powerful nose powers out of the glass! A certain sweet creaminess on the nose. Really quite rich. Very much more rounded and welcoming than the blend based on 2008. Not that many houses have a seven-year-old NV on the market! Real bullseye for the Charles style. Tastes readier than the 2008 base – a real standout.
Drink 2017-2022”

“From a hundred or so villages and 40% reserve wines Daniel Thibault makes one of the very best non-vintage champagnes produced by a large house. With a couple of years extra storage in the bottle it develops a high-class nose of toasted bread and a long complex fruitiness with a smooth aftertaste of toffee.”

“Blended with a high percentage of matured reserve wines, this NV Brut Reserve is based on 2008 and was disgorged in 2014. Clear and complex on the nose, this is a round and elegant, highly finesse-full and lifted cuvée with a silky texture ,and delicate nougat and herbal flavors. The minty finish reveals a remarkably good structure.”

“Light, bright orange. Intensely perfumed scents of raspberry, orange zest, white flowers and chalky minerals. Juicy and precise in the mouth, offering vibrant red berry and blood orange flavors and a complicating hint of brioche. The floral quality comes back strong on the very long, incisive finish, which features a subtle anise quality and smoky minerality.”

“Complex nose and very well balanced palate. Seems definitely ready.”

“Fresh and fruity while also rich and full in the mouth, this is a superbly balanced nonvintage selection. It is not quite dry with its apple and citrus fruits both given some softness. Disgorged in 2012, it already has two years bottle age that has rounded out the wine.”

“Beautiful light gold. Endearing nose intermixing fruity, brioche and biscuit notes. Fleshy, full and melted palate showing lovely refined bubbles and freshness. Closely-integrated and harmonious. A nicely crafted dry Champagne.”

“A fresh, floral wine with attractive pear and apple fruit, and an accessible personality”

“Strikingly opulent and rich, full of cream-laden coffee character and delicious candy floss notes. The winey, velvety palate shows graceful evolution, the best bottles are perfectly crisp and lively still. Peaking beautifully now but there is no hurry. ”

“Grilled almonds, sweet acacia honey, fruits compote and vanilla on the complex, beguiling nose. It is only the light mushroomy note that deducts from the appeal. Rich and vinous on the palate with the finish slightly drying out. I have encountered encountered better bottles, less troubled by the mushroomy note. ”

“Magnum. Disgorged 2019.
Creamy, savoury nose. Soy sauce on the nose, but sweeter than the bottle size on the palate initially, and a little less tense. Surprising! Caught up a bit in the glass.”

“Disgorged 1990. 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay. Six years on the lees. Dosage 10 g/l.
Bright coppery gold. Vegy top note. Very racy and youthful! Drier than the Blanc des Millénaires 1983. Strong tangerine notes on the palate and so fresh! Looks old but doesn’t remotely taste old. Long and crisp and really drills down on the palate. Citrus notes. Less dense than the 1981.”

“Mis en Cave 2001 - This wine is based on the 2000 vintage, which was magical for Charles Heidsieck`s vintage cuvée. The aroma profile is distinctly on the tertiary side, with less prominent toastiness than usual. Charles` typical dried apricot and honey aromas are well represented in this fully mature wine`s sweet deliciousness, along with mushroomy and woody notes. The charmingly voluptuous palate, however, is full of life, with compact, healthy fruitiness and a refreshing acid line.”

“Charles Heidsieck 2000 - This wine is a serial winner, having conquered nearly every pedestal in the wine world, amongst them FINE Champagne '100 Best' winner in 2013 and Gold at 2014 CSWWC. Super luscious, sweet apricot, coffee with cream, wheat, brown butter, ginger and honeycomb nose with toasty richness in opulence. So deep, complex and soft. Caressingly smooth, even velvety palate with plenty of fruit and leesy richness. Power but comes with elegance. Matured to perfection. Ready to drink but there is no hurry. Note for 2012 disgorgement.”

“MeC 2001 - Based on 2000. 37% Pinot Noir, 21% Pinot Meunier, 42% Chardonnay. Dosage 11 g/l. Lower percentage of Pinot Noir than in most MEC. 2000 was a great year in which the vintage wine was considered one of the best they had made. 34% reserve wine. Disgorged 2006.
Mid gold, super-fine mousse. Remarkable at this age. Less toasty than the 2008, still ripe in its fruit profile, a little more toasty with air and remains surprisingly delicate – at least it gives that impression but it is powerful underneath. A hint of torrefaction. Just a tiny hint of mushrooms. And with marked reductive struck match on the palate. Tastes incredibly youthful and has amazing length. Still so sharply defined, great balance between the richness and freshness. Very impressive. ”

“Mis en Cave 1990 - Deep golden colour. The stunning nose charms you with its opulent brown-butter richness and sweet dried-fruit complexity. Still markedly fruity on the glorious nose but also going strong on the vibrant, velvety, round palate. Magnificent - and promising to keep on this level for quite some time.”

“MeC 1990 - Based on 1989, which had the third-largest yields in history, apparently, and a protracted harvest after uneven flowering. 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay. Not such a good year for reserve wines – just 29% – as 1989 and 1988 were too young and 1987 and 1986 both so-so vintages. Dosage 11 g/l. Disgorged 1993.
Slightly deeper gold than the 1993. Stony and smells really dry, much less rich in fruit aroma at first but opens up to really toasty breadth. More mushroom on the palate and the acidity very marked. Not quite as well balanced as some in this vertical tasting of MEC. Fatter but the acidity is marked. It actually tastes younger than the 1996 because of the high acidity. Magnum was brilliant and more crisp.”

“Disgorged 2016. Dosage 10 g/l.
Pale to mid salmon pink. Very lively and flirtatious. Lifted and berry fruit. For white meat and shellfish. Seems much lighter and sweeter than the 2005 vintage rosé that won't be released until spring 2018. Pretty.
Drink 2016-2022”

“Mid coppery pink (same hue as the Dom Pérignon Rosé 2005) with a fresh strawberry aroma, even with a hint of strawberry jam. Enough acidity and nice balance with a very fine bead. Far from bone dry but with a light savoury thread running through it. Very nice texture.”

“Seductive smoky, flinty aromas wrap around pretty red fruits and gentle oriental spices. A harmonious palate with a creamy texture, lovely strawberry and red currant fruits and a touch of spice. The finish is generous, yet subtly restrained, supported by fresh chalky minerality.”

“Charles Heidsieck have decided to launch the Vintage Rosé 2006 before the 2005, which to them still needs time. Opulent raspberry, fresh peach and caramel nose with stylish spicy complexity but only emerging toastiness. The palate is highly youthful, plump, almost oily in its richness. The finish is tight with pencil shavings notes and slight phenolic feel to it. The dosage has been decreased to well-balanced 9g/l. A generous year suiting perfectly to Charles’ style but should be given time to develop its toasty and coffee complexity typical for Charles Heidsieck.”

“Charles Heidsieck's 2006 Brut Rosé (with 10% Pinot Noir red wine) has been launched before the 2005. Disgorged at the end of 2014, the wine offers a delicate and intense wild strawberry flavor with some lovely spicy aromas on the nose. Ample, full and round, this is a lovely matured Rosé with a super intense and aromatic Pinot character (sweet cherries, red berries). The finish underlines the great complexity, purity and finesse of this vinous Rosé. There are cherry aromas again in the long aftertaste. An impressive Rosé.”

“This is a pale-colored wine with a finely wrought texture and great fruit. It is tight and mineral on the one hand, but balanced with the crispest red-currant flavors that offer a bright line in acidity. Delicious hints of age round out the final fresh aftertaste.”

“Heidsieck's 2006 Brut Rosé Vintage offers good immediacy and plenty of intensity, both of which make it quite appealing. Still a bit tight, the 2006 could use another year or more in bottle to soften. Although light in color, the 2006 packs a pretty serious punch. Hints of orange zest, chalk and white pepper add an attractive upper register on the finish. With time in the glass, the 2006 softens nicely, hinting at a bright future. Disgorged: October 28, 2014.”

“With a pale hue in the glass, this has a savory nose that delivers a very nicely struck toasty edge with chalky pastry and faint red fruits. The palate's sophisticated and fine texture is mesmerising, and this really dances. It leaves a trail of red berry fruits in its wake through to a long, pure, fresh and spicy finish. Drink now.”

“Pretty, orange hued onion skin colour. Deliciously toasty nose with sweet red and white fruit mix with peaches, spiciness, coffee, ashes and fruit cake aromas. Full-on rich and round palate speaks sunshine with real vinosity and muscular structure. Soft, seamlessly integrated acidity that carries on until the sweetly beguiling finish. Already monumental and bound to grow in richness and complexity. ”

“This bottle of the 2005 Brut Rosé was disgorged in 2017 with ten grams per liter dosage. It's a lovely wine that offers up complex notes of red apple, mandarin, white cherries, brioche and nutmeg. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and vibrant, with a fleshy core of fruit, brisk acids, a refined mousse and lovely chalky grip on the finish. This is a serious, vinous rosé that numbers among the challenging 2005 vintage's successes.”

“Disgorged July 2017 and embargoed until ready to sell in late spring or early summer 2018. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. 10% red (half from Montagne de Reims). Cellarmaster Cyril Brun loves the 2005 Pinots. Dosage 10 g/l.
Cyril Brun admits it’s still a bit locked and severe. Quite dark salmon pink. Cool but not much else on the nose at present. Massive and tight and designed for the table – even game. Really quite burgundian, especially on the nose. Mushrooms and game spectrum of red burgundy. Really very distinctive! Full-bodied and brooding. Positively throbs.”

“The latest rendition of Delamotte's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is drinking very well out of the gates, offering up aromas of crisp orchard fruit and citrus zest mingled with hints of fresh bread and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and precise, with bright acids and chalky grip, concluding with a dry finish, this is a classy, seamless wine that will offer a broad drinking window.”

“(8 g/l dosage): Light yellow. Mineral-tinged peach, melon and pear aromas display excellent clarity, picking up a subtle floral quality with aeration. Supple and seamless on the palate, offering vivid honeydew and pit fruit flavors accented by a vibrant lemon zest quality. Finishes very long, silky and precise, with an echo of juicy melon and strong mineral lift.”

“Mostly 2012 with 25% reserve (2010 and 2011).
Wonderfully fragrant - smells white and pure but there are delicate notes of yeasty autolysis and scented lemons and white peach. Perfect balance here, finesse and elegance and no lack of flavour intensity and length. Fine and persistent mousse. (JH)”

“Le Mesnil, Avize, Oger, ‘300% grand cru’. Base 2013 plus 30% reserve wines. Disgorged September 2017. Just released. No info on back label. Dosage 6.5–7 g/l. This wine is very successful in Japan apparently. 30–35% of Salon and Delamotte’s business is in Japan. ‘Italy and Japan are very similar markets for high-quality products’.
Fine and firm – tight-knit, tiny little bubbles. Fine bead with a tiny bit of softness but still a little chewy on the end.”

“One third of each, Le Mesnil, Cramant and Oger, make up for the lovely smoky-mineral yet pure fruity essence of Delamotte non-vintage blanc de blancs. Lemon curd, butter, pastry and charred wood nuances on top of a highly mineral backbone. Lean, long and mouth-watering as it should be.”

“Delamotte's just-released 2014 Blanc de Blancs has turned out very well indeed, opening in the glass with scents of citrus zest, crisp orchard fruit, fresh bread and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and incisive, with excellent depth at the core, racy acids and a chalky finish, this isn't as muscular as the 2008 or 2012, but it has real cut and persistence and should age very gracefully indeed.”

“The 2014 Blanc de Blancs is seriously impressive. Ample in feel, Delamotte is especially rich in 2014, and yet there is plenty of freshness to balance things out. This is an especially savory style for Delamotte, and one that works so well. Dried lemon peel, pastry, almond, dried herbs and chamomile open in a beautifully translucent Blanc des Blancs that marries power and finesse. I can’t wait to see how it ages.”

“Such a consistent wine from vintage to another, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs brings together the six Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs. Pristinely crafted, the wine is squeaky clean and radiant, with cool, crunchy lemony fruit at centre stage. Beautiful reductive smoky tones lining the intense fruitiness. The racy palate is pleasantly creamy and silky with a lingering long finish. ”

“A pretty Blanc de Blancs with aromas of white grapefruit, lemon pith, dried honeysuckle and white peach. Silky and creamy with bright acidity and
an elegant finish.
Drink now.”

“From the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger on the Côte des Blancs, this well-textured Champagne shows a crisp apple freshness underlined by strong minerality. At seven years past vintage, the wine is just starting to lose its initial freshness and develop attractive toasty elements. Drink now”

“A finely-meshed, linear Champagne, with racy acidity and a citrusy overtone driving flavors of poached apricot, biscuit, candied lemon peel and a toasty hint of brioche. Fine and creamy.
Drink now through 2026”

“Offering up an elegant yet bright bouquet, this 2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs opens in the glass with orchard fruits, verbena, lemon zest, pastry, and slightly reductive aromas. Chiselled and perfectly balanced, the palate is lively and intense, and expresses clearly the fruit and the straightforward nature of the 2014 vintage. Should age well for a decade or so.”

“Quite impressive richness and gently toasty aromas on the nose here with almond, savory and sweet, bready autolysis notes. The palate has a fresh, succulent and smooth feel with soft, citrusy fruit flesh. Holds long. Drink now.”

“The 2010 Blanc de Blancs is a very pretty, finely-knit wine with striking Chardonnay purity but also the textural depth that makes the best wines here so compelling. Lemon confit, white flowers, vanillin and spice all open up nicely in the glass. This is an especially generous, fleshy style of Blanc de Blancs, although brighter, chalkier notes emerge with time in the glass. All the elements are in the right place. Disgorged: February 24, 2016.”

“Deutz's 2010 Blanc de Blancs Brut (LR114D05516) opens quite clear, fresh and fruity on the open, elaborate and very fine nose from which I pick up some popcorn, burnt milk, toast and yeasty notes but also stewed seed fruit and a possibly a hint of botrytis. On the palate, this is a round, finessed and elegant Chardonnay with a firm, mineral structure, grip and good length. Tasted June 2018.”

“Charming and expressive, Deutz's 2014 Brut Millésimé bursts from the glass with aromas of fresh peach, citrus oil, ripe green apple, clear honey and pastry cream. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly fleshy and fine-boned, it's bright and lively, with a pinpoint mousse and a long, nicely defined finish.”

“Smells very much more youthful than the Taittinger 2014. Not to say restrained. Very dry and bracing, and still pretty young. I’d ideally keep it for a while before broaching. Marked acidity but lots of fruit.”

“The Deutz 2012 Brut is a lovely entry-level vintage Champagne from Deutz. The white orchard fruit and floral notes confer freshness. Medium in body and light on its feet, the 2012 is a terrific choice for drinking over the next handful of years, while the flavors remain fresh. This is a very pretty wine from Deutz.”

“Deep gold. Deeply savoury and almost white burgundy-like on the nose. Very broachable and well balanced. No suggestion of excessive youth. Brisk but not tart.”

“Notes of both Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples fill the nose with their respective ripeness and freshness. The palate is slender, almost delicate, and vivid with the fresher rather than the riper apple notes. The mousse is fine and lively, supporting and underlining the fruit-driven yet-elegant style of this wine. The wood influence is beyond subtle and beautifully handled. An ideal, understated and refreshing aperitif.”

“Bright yellow-gold. Ripe orange, poached pear and vanilla on the deeply perfumed nose. Fleshy and open-knit, offering pliant orchard and pit fruit flavors braced and lifted by juicy acidity. At once rich and lively, with the vanilla note repeating on the smooth, toasty finish. Just over one-third of this blend is barrel-fermented reserve wine.”

“In keeping with Devaux's dry style, this crisp rosé is bone dry, with a strong mineral edge as well as red-currant flavors that are now shining through. With a little bottle age, it is now softening while retaining all its fruitiness.”

“Classic lemon-zest and tension nose that I associate with Dom Pérignon, but with extra weight and depth. And quite marked phenolics on the end which suggest this will have a remarkably long life. And, as Vincent Chaperon readily admitted, will definitely show up as a P2 star. Clean and neat and with light smokiness on the finish. Dom P always plays the reduction card. Hugely impressive persistence. Still a baby.”

“In a near-perfect year, following a truly challenging growing season, Dom Pérignon ended up being equipped with an amazing choice of exciting and versatile building blocks for the cuvée, especially on the Pinot Noir front: Aÿ, Verzenay, Bouzy, Hautvillers... Some other vintages were vinegrowers vintages but with this one the chef de cave really wore the blender’s hat. The 2012 was a vintage of both freshness and density. At Dom Pérignon they really played the density card, effortlessly compacting together so much delicious, crunchy, perfectly ripe fruit. The nose is welcoming, harmonious and deeply fruity with Dom Pérignon’s hallmark fragrant smoky layeres. But the elements of surprise catch up with you on the palate. At first the wine feels deceptively light but then comes the fruity power and sheer volume. The wine’s most unique feature is the scintillating or tingling sensation that takes over and energises the rich, round and compact palate. It is almost as electrically charged as this nervousness and vibrancy bring such an exciting dynamism on the long, deliciously succulent palate. Dom Pérignon have made it again, they surprised me by playing on their fortes of incomparable resources and audacious winemaking.”

“The 2012 Dom Pérignon is a dense, powerful wine. I am almost shocked by its vinous intensity and raw, unbridled power. The 2012 reminds me of the 2003, but with more finesse and not quite as pushed. Mildew, rain and frost were challenges and resulted in low yields, something that was further compounded by warm, dry weather that concentrated the fruit even more. Those qualities result in a dense Dom Pérignon endowed with real phenolic intensity. It is one of the most reticent young Doms I can remember tasting, I wouldn’t even think of opening a bottle for at least a few years.

”

“The 2012 Dom Pérignon has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with notes of Anjou pear, smoke, toasted nuts, freshly baked bread and crisp stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's still tightly wound, its incipiently fleshy core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky grip, complemented by a classy pinpoint mousse. A touch drier and a touch less reductive than the 2008 out of the gates, these two vintages are clearly destined to be compared for some time to come; but at this early stage, my instinct is that the 2012 will have the edge in the long term. 2023-2050”

“Wonderful elegance and balance to this Dom Pérignon with cooked apple, lemon and hints of white pepper and salt. It’s medium-bodied with really fine bubbles and balance. Spicy at the end. So wonderfully fresh, linear and long. Racy and elegant. A Dom Pérignon that invites to drink right now. All about finesse. Tension, too, with precise phenolics and bright acidity on the back palate. Subtle energy. Drinkable now, but will develop beautifully in the bottle.”

“The 2008 Dom Pérignon is a huge, powerful Champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This is one of the most reticent bottles I have tasted. So much so that I am thinking about holding off opening any more bottles! The 2008 has always offered a striking interplay of fruit and structure. Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must.”

“The 2008 Dom Pérignon is once again stunning. More than anything else, I am surprised by how well the 2008 drinks given all the tension and energy it holds. Then again, that is precisely what makes 2008 such a unique vintage – namely that the best wines are so chiseled and yet not at all austere. Lemon peel, almond, mint, smoke and crushed rocks are all finely sculpted, but it is the wine’s textural feel, drive and persistence that elevate it into the realm of the sublime. The 2008 will be even better with time in the cellar, but it is absolutely phenomenal even today, in the early going. Three recent bottles have all been nothing short of magnificent. ”

“Really complex nose. Tight and layered. Very much a 2008 with very high acidity but much more undertow and embroidery than the Grande Dame 2008. Still very youthful. I’d be tempted to decant this, almost!”

“There is a striking easiness to this seductively fruity and soft vintage of Dom Pérignon that from first sight might come across obvious. Overt, inviting nose of pristine, sunkissed fruit with exotic fruit nuances. At this early stage it comes with a delicately toasty undertone with ripe peach, lemon sorbet and yellow apple. Plush, rounded and succulent palate with caressing mousse. Plenty of appeal on the intense, crisp-enough, wide open palate that is beautifully textured. At a closer look there is in-built power underneath the first impression of a charm and warmth. Highly enjoyable already now with many more nuances waiting to be revealed over time. ”

“This keenly-anticipated wine has deliberately been held back to be released after the Dom Pérignon 2009 and in fact will not be released commercially until towards the end of 2018 (although it already seems pretty good to me). Geoffroy reminded me that the growing season was no picnic - in fact he described all but the end of it as 'miserable' because it was so overcast and the disease pressure was so high. Fine weather at the end finally ripened the grapes though acid levels were notably high. I wondered whether, since the grapes were harvested just as the global financial crisis was beginning to bite, they reduced the quantity made of Dom P, but no. 'We made lots!', he assured me.
Brisk, tiny mousse. Notably rich nose - very Dom P! There's a hint of something marine on the nose (Michael Broadbent's oyster shells?) and then extremely tight and lacy - it somehow reminded me of a sponge because of springy texture. Masses of energy here, as well as the usual flirtatiousness. It will continue to open out, I'm sure. I tasted it very cool and then went back to it at almost room temperature a couple of hours later and it stood up extremely well. The official Geoffroy description of this vintage is 'athletic' and 'vertical'. 'All 2008s are bright in terms of fruit; we want ours to shine white light. We have deliberately warmed it up a bit, working on the muscle to better integrate the acidity.'”

“The 2008 Dom Pérignon is fabulous, but quite remarkably, it was even more open when I tasted it a year ago. Bright, focused and crystalline in its precision, the 2008 is going to need a number of years before it is at its best. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint and white pepper give the 2008 its chiseled, bright profile. Several recent bottles have all been magnificent. What I admire most about the 2008 is the way it shows all the focus, translucence and energy that is such a signature of the year, and yet it is also remarkably deep and vertical. In other words, the 2008 is a Champagne that plays in three dimensions.”

“Richard Geoffroy lost sleep this year that was characterised by rain then sun. A terrible August was rescued by a fine September – a little like 2008. Worryingly high pH. The vintage could easily have been written off. Released after nine years on the lees. M Geoffroy says it needed at least six or seven years ‘and the wine was nowhere before that’.
Some evolution on the nose with real interest. Smells so much older than either the 2008 or the 2009. Flirtatious. Clean and fresh. Very zesty in flavour but with a lovely creamy texture.
Drink 2016-2024”

“Powerful, dense and tightly wound, the 2006 Dom Pérignon is fabulous today. To be sure, the 2006 is a broad, virile Champagne, but I find it compelling because of its phenolic depth and overall intensity. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August was quite cold and wet, and that ripening only happened at the very end of the growing season. Although numbers alone can never explain a wine, I find it interesting that the 2006 has more phenolics than the 2003. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2006 is easily the most reticent Dom Pérignon in the years spanning 2002 and 2009. I am confident the 2006 will have its day, but in its youth, it is not especially charming or easy to drink.”

“One of the real surprises in this tasting, the 2006 Dom Pérignon comes across as very tightly wound and intense, which is probably a very good thing for its potential longevity. The sensation of tannins is quite present today. Ripe and intense but also held in check by its tannic heft, the 2006 is in no mood to show all of its cards. Stylistically, the 2006 is similar to the 2003 in its phenolic intensity, but more finessed. Readers should be in no rush with the 2006, a Champagne that has closed down quite a bit since it was first released.”

“Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy is at ease, even exited about Champagne’s warming vintages for Dom Pérignon. He is not shy to demonstrate a broader scope of vintage expressions being increasingly comfortable at extremes. The 2006 is a bold and ripe Dom Pérignon full of exuberant tropical fruit and vanilla notes, topped up with the hallmark fragrant, gunpowder and toast character. It has a broad, rich mid-palate and a truly dry, salient finish with a phenolic touch of a ripe year. The fruitiness is polished and bright and there is fine, balanced freshness to it. This vintage is built to last, it is still tight but packed with fleshy fruitiness. 94 points today with potential for 96 points.”

“Stylish glittering pale gold with tiny flowing bubbles. Chardonnay scents lead into citrus fruits with floral lilac and snow drop aromas. The Pinot Noir is starting to stir amongst the ripe pear and peach flavours that are healthily tight. A fine acidity in a year lacking some. As always you need to be patient with Dom Pérignon, the supreme reductive style. This is still a baby with much potential.
”

“Back label says this is the ‘First Plénitude’ of Dom P, having been aged for nine years. 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay.
Bright pale slightly greenish straw. Rich, very tightly laced nose with many layers and great density – on the nose. Real excitement here with some tension. Some unashamed richness underneath but excellent freshness too. Something quite electric about this. Almost unfurled. You could certainly drink this with pleasure already but there is clearly lots tucked away here for future development. Impressively long and reverberant. 12%”

“The 2006 Dom Pérignon comes from a very rich vintage with an early ripeness that brought a lot of aromatic maturity. The white-golden prestige cuvée contains a bit more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir and opens with a deep and seductive, pretty accessible nose with intense yet fresh fruit aromas of pineapples, with peaches and tangerines. Lively and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, unusually aromatic and fruity DP with a long and tension-filled expression.”

“A genuinely outstanding effort with the sometimes over-rich 2006 vintage, the light-gold DP is classy, fresh, refined and floral, with an intense, vivacious, darting palate with a weave of green lime and sea-shore pungency through it. Not many 06s can truly be said to be ‘chalky’ but this, weighed and filtered on the tongue, does indeed suggest the powdery dust which falls from the blackboard as you wipe it. Perhaps pure-steel handling helps the drinker perceive this? ”

“The 2006 Dom Pérignon is a beautifully balanced, harmonious Dom Pérignon that strikes an incredibly appealing stylistic middle ground. Rich, voluptuous and creamy, the 2006 shows off fabulous intensity in a style that brings together the ripeness of 2002 with the greater sense of verve and overall freshness that is such a signature of the 2004. Bass notes and a feeling of phenolic grip on the finish recall the 2003, as the Pinot Noir is particularly expressive today. After an irregular summer that saw elevated temperatures in July followed by cooler, damp conditions in August, more favorable weather returned in September, pushing maturation ahead and leading to a long, protracted harvest. The 2006 falls into the family of riper, more voluptuous Dom Pérignons, but without veering into the level of opulence seen in vintages such as 2002.”

“Tasted blind. Pale greenish gold. Intense youthful nose. Dense and tense. Youthful with some sweetish creaminess. Slightly chewy on the end. 2006? ”

“The 2006 is a bold and ripe Dom Pérignon full of exuberant tropical fruit and vanilla notes, topped up with the hallmark fragrant, gunpowder and toast character. It has a broad, rich mid-palate and a truly dry, salient finish with a phenolic touch of a ripe year. The fruitiness is polished and bright and there is fine, balanced freshness to it. This vintage is built to last, it is still tight but packed with fleshy fruitiness. ”

“Tasted blind. Notably sweet – icing sugar? – nose. More serious on the palate. Great tightly drawn texture suggests Dom P. But not enormous undertow, just a little loose. A 2004?”

“Another stellar wine, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is just starting to show the first signs of aromatic development, as well as a bit of added weight it did not have as a young wine. The 2004 remains a bright, mid-weight DP built on persistence and length more than overt volume. I have always had a soft spot for the 2004. This tasting does nothing to dampen that enthusiasm.”

“Three-litre Jéroboam. A vintage described by Richard Geoffroy as ‘a no-brainer – you just had to be wise enough to step back’. The biggest ever vintage – still.
Real richness of age on the nose – even a suggestion of crème pâtissière. This is a real classic with massive edge and excitement. Lovely neat, saline finish.
Drink 2015-2030”

“A wine of nuance, precision and understatement, the 2004 remains all grace. Time has softened some of the contours, but the flavors remain fresh and vibrant. Medium in body, the 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for several decades. This is a gorgeous showing from the 2004, a wine that has been captivatingly beautiful from the first time I tasted it years ago. There is something effortless about the 2004 that is hard to capture with words. The 2004 doesn't quite have the obvious breeding of the 2008 and 2002, nor the obvious power of the 2003 or 2006, and yet it is harmonious, sublime and totally sensual. ”

“One of the stars in this tasting, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is starting to express the potential it hinted at as a young wine. Specifically, the 2004 has gained quite a bit of volume and overall depth within the last few years. The first signs of aromatic nuance are starting to develop, which suggests the 2004 will soon enter its first plateau of maturity.”

“Elegantly toasty sweet patisserie nose with coffee, perfume and flowers. Lively, mineral, racy, crisp palate with great fruit purity. On the reductive side but beautifully so. Still young with tight, compact palate. A ballerina. A classic, super fresh and delightfully light Dom Pérignon with a green note and a cool breeze to it. I will love to follow up how this one ages. Very much a DP and very much a 2004.”

“The 2004 Dom Pérignon is from a classic vintage and a very generous year in terms of yields. White-golden in color, the clear, discreet and subtle nose gives way to dried white rather than yellow fruits, raisins and hazelnuts, as well as to floral and herbal aromas. Less generous and concentrated in the mouth than the 2005 and austerely dry at the moment, the 2004 shows its great finesse and characteristic minerality. There should be a better point of time to praise its class, so trust and keep it!”

“Elegantly toasty sweet patisserie nose with coffee, perfume and flowers. Lively, mineral, racy, crisp palate with great fruit purity. On the reductive side but beautifully so. Still young with tight, compact palate. A ballerina. A classic, super fresh and delightfully light Dom Pérignon with a green note and a cool breeze to it. I will love to follow up how this one ages. Very much a DP and very much a 2004.”

“Tasted blind. Very minerally nose. Excellent acidity. Very well structured. Still a little bit of framework here as well as fruit. Quite a youthful wine. But broad and exotic on the nose. 2004? ”

“Racy, silky and vibrant in the glass, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is all about energy. Here the flavors are bright and delineated throughout, with veins of acidity and minerality that give the wine its sense of drive. Mint, rosemary and yellow-fleshed fruits linger on the finish with the classic DP reductive overtones that are such a signature. Once again, the 2004 Dom Pérignon truly shines. The 2004 Dom Pérignon is a wine to treasure over the next thirty or so years.”

“This tasting only serves to highlight just how great the 2004 Dom Pérignon is. A wine that has totally blossomed in bottle, the 2004 is firing on all cylinders right now. Rich, ample and beautifully nuanced, the 2004 has it all; expressive aromatics, deep fruit and more than enough structure to age well for decades. I have been tasting the 2004 since before it was released and it just keeps getting better and better. Today, it is stunning. It is amazing to consider that in 2004, yields were the largest ever recorded in Champagne.”

“Vivid yellow. High-pitched, mineral-accented aromas of pear, Meyer lemon, quince and jasmine, with smoke and toasted grain qualities adding bass notes. Spicy, penetrating and pure, boasting impressive vivacity to its fresh orchard and citrus fruit flavors. Gains weight and breadth with air while maintaining vivacity, picking up a gingery nuance that carries through a long, smoky finish. I'd bet on this taut, youthful Champagne rewarding many more years of patience.”

“Lily-of-the-valley perfume and scents of lightly toasted brioche and almond rise from the glass of Moet’s 2004 Brut Dom Perignon, along with hints of the apricot, pear and grapefruit that then inform a luscious and creamy yet strikingly delicate as well as consummately refreshing palate. Sweet-saline savor of scallop – also already intimated in the nose – lends compulsive saliva-inducement to a ravishingly rarified and persistent finish, joined by alkaline, nutty, liquid-floral, and nori seaweed notes for a performance of head-scratching subtlety and intrigue. (In case my description hasn’t already made clear, we have here inter alia a fantastic sushi wine.) This will be worth following for at least the next 6-8 years, in the course of demonstrating that iconic status as a luxury brand, and elevated (albeit secret) production numbers by no means preclude a wine of understated as well as profound beauty.”

“There’s a sense of tension paired with grace in this deftly balanced version, with a rich and smoky vein of minerality underscoring the flavors of poached apple, honey, financier and sun-dried black cherry, showing hints of roasted almond, coffee liqueur and ground spice. Drink now through 2029”

“Very pale straw gold with surely the most discreet bubbles in the champagne world. Very different from the 2003. A much more recognisable Dom Pérignon sort of nose with fairly intense classic toastiness. Minerals and raciness rather than fruit and body. Marked acidity and even a little lean but very fine. There are notes of iodine and bitter orange peel. This wine really gets saliva flowing. The finish is not massively persistent but overall this is a very well mannered wine. A Chablis of a champagne - which 2003 definitely wasn't! (It was more of a Pouilly-Fuissé.)”

“The 2004 Dom Pérignon continues to develop beautifully. A vibrant, focused Champagne, the 2004 clearly reflects the personality of the year. Freshly cut flowers, white peaches and pears are woven together in a Champagne that impresses for its focus and energy. Chiseled saline note support the crystalline finish. I imagine the 2004 will always remain relatively bright and linear, but at the same time, each time I have tasted it over the last two years the 2004 seems to have a little more body and broader shoulders. The 2004 will appeal most to readers who find the 2002 and 2003 too exuberant. There is a lot to like in the glass.”

“Magnum. Richard Geoffroy thought initially it was a bit blah and lacking density – too obvious, perhaps. Disgorged nearly 10 years earlier than the P2 2000.
Much more evolved nose than the P2 2000 just tasted. Fully mature, nutty nose. Round and approachable. Difficult to spit.
Drink 2008-2023”

“Mild, soft nose with subtly emerging toastiness and plenty of smoky minerality, ground chalk characters and a touch of vegetal notes. Round, wide palate with soft acidity and stylish effervescence. Mellow and round vintage with medium-term potential. Does not possess the usual racy classiness of DP but a completely different, full and calm expression.”

“Served not blind immediately after 2002 through to 2006 (which were all served blind), so of course it seemed particularly beautiful. Pale creamy minerally savoury nose. Really lively and punchy. Some smokiness. A hint of honey. Very good bottle. ”

“An absolutely fabulous, great, broad-shouldered costume with juicy exotic fruitiness and an almost 76-like sensation of essence and fullness of body. A real fruit bomb that is going to give pleasure to many generations of wine-lovers. The funny thing is that this wine does not have even a trace of Dom Pérignon's typically toasted character as yet, despite its sweet mellowness. The most important explanation for this is probably the brief time since being disgorged, but also, paradoxically enough, the wine's gorgeous oiliness that makes it difficult for the toasted aromas to elbow their way out.”

“Mild, soft nose with subtly emerging toastiness and plenty of smoky minerality, ground chalk characters and a touch of vegetal notes. Round, wide palate with soft acidity and stylish effervescence. Mellow and round vintage with medium-term potential. Does not possess the usual racy classiness of DP but a completely different, full and calm expression.”

“These four vintages of Dom Pérignon provide a fascinating snapshot of how the house has performed in recent years. The 1999 Dom Pérignon is a little flabbier than the 2000. Smoke, toastiness, tar and ripe fruit emerge from the glass in a generous, expansive style. The 1999 offers more body than the 2000 but the aromas and flavors are less well-articulated. This is a relatively simple Dom Pérignon, yet the wine possesses outstanding balance and plenty of harmony. According to Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy the warm vintage also resulted in relatively high yields, and the low-acid style is most reminiscent of the 1976.”

“A totally breathtaking wine, the 1995 Dom Pérignon Rosé P2 is a fitting conclusion to this tasting. Crushed flowers, sweet tobacco, cedar and dried cherry give the 1995 fabulous aromatic complexity and nuance. Deceptive in its ethereal feel, the 1995 has lovely palate presence and tons of class. It is both mature and timeless, in the way only Champagne can be.”

“Rich and round. Very slightly toasty with great drive. More like 1996 rosé than it resembles the 1995 and 1996 whites.
Drink 2016-2025”

“Vibrant gold colour with russet twinkles. Everything here speaks of a warm summer, gaining perfectly ripe grapes (especially the Chardonnay). Scents of white flowers and citrus. The mousse in the mouth suggests less pressure than usual, making it taste more like a great white wine than a Champagne. Superb quality of fruit and potential vinosity, with quite a lot in reserve for another decade +. Not for everyone, but for those who like white Burgundy, this is an alternative jewel for roast turbot with girolles, or milk-fed veal.
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“There is a timeless feel to this beauty, which is unmistakeably Dom Pérignon in its pristinely pure, smoky mineral character. Beautiful Pinot aromas, underwood, cherry, spice and chocolate. Tight and first in the glass but builds up over time into an excuisitely refined yet endlessly layered whole. Seamless is the right word for this wine that has rested on its yeast lees for over 15 years bringing such harmony to it. Velvet-smooth, linear palate full of energy. Positively vinous, intense and lingering. Great exuberance of fruit. Even if the 1995 was a rich vintage, its Dom Pérignon Rosé P2 is a particularly elegant wine, which will go on and on.”

“This has just been released, in tiny quantities like all P2 rosés – for the moment anyway. Although I suppose this could change if the house decides to increase the production of Dom Pérignon rosé.
The colour is pale rose pink with just a hint of blue – in fact it almost looks younger than the 2004 first release tasted alongside it. Still reasonably vigorous bead. Haunting, warm nose - super-complex with rose petals and a hint of dill pickle - that gives way to a rather coy, super-fruity palate that ends bone dry. Smells of warm vegetables - tomatoes?! Masses of appetising development. Great, throat-warming finish. Delicate. Lacy texture. Very fine, though so delicate that it would need careful food matching. Very pretty and complex with strawberry notes. Textured and intellectual.”

“The just-released 1995 Dom Pérignon Rosé P2 is stunning. Young, delicate and vibrant in the glass, the 1995 has it all; expressive aromatics, crystalline fruit and fabulous overall balance. Cranberry, mint, hard candy, cinnamon and dried rose petals are laced into the super-expressive finish. The 1995 P2 is sweet and layered, but with lovely veins of chalky minerality that give the wine its sense of energy. A delicate, floral finish rounds things out nicely.”

“This vintage is the one Richard Geoffroy is the proudest of as it was such a challenging and unprecedentedly hot year. There is nothing heavy in Dom Pérignon of the year. The nose is stunningly toasty with sweet, vanilla laden fruit, hay, cookie dough and cream. On the palate it is exuberant, round and textured with a touch of firming phenolics on the back palate. Finely bubbling energetic palate finishing on a pure mineral freshness. ”

“The notoriously daring vintage of Dom Pérignon at 18 years old in recently disgorged form. Rich, broad nose with notes of candied mandarin – not instantly recognizable as Dom P on the nose. Toasty palate entry and still quite rich on the palate, thanks to lower than usual acidity presumably. Again, there was no fear of phenolics when making this wine as the logic was that the phenolics would make up for the softness of the acidity. This is now a gentle wine with very much its own personality. Soft and smoky at the start and then saline and refreshing on the finish. It's more like a bit of told-you-so evidence than, necessarily, the one Dom P you would choose from the current range available. But, boy, does it persist!”

“This is a very thick, dense Dom Pérignon with layers of ripe fruit. Dried apple, pineapple and pie crust with some nougat undertones. Dense and layered with chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Umami undertone. This has the highest percentage of Pinot Noir ever. 15 years on the lees in bottle. 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay.”

“The 2003 Dom Pérignon P2 takes all the natural intensity of the first release and turns the dial up to eleven. Power, generosity and volume are all exalted. The P2 balances richness with a greater sense of creaminess that comes through extended time on the cork. Readers should expect a ample, heady Champagne that is very much built for the dinner table. I can't say I am especially surprised by how well the P2 shows, even in this freakishly hot, dry year, as the first release continues to be terrific.”

“50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay. Disgorged April 2013.
Deeper straw than the regular 1996 vintage Dom P. Much more expressive on the nose, although with lots of evidence of age. Complete and fresh on the palate – much more youthful than the regular 1996. For perfection I’d choose the nose of this and the palate of the regular! Masses of acidity still in evidence. Exuberant, creamy wine with no hurry to drink it. 12%
Drink 2016-2030”

“This bottle seemed to have broadened out and to taste almost rich - although admittedly it had spent a year or two in slightly warm storage conditions. Some crème patissière quality though with lots of acidity too. Even a hint of marzipan. To drink rather than hold, I think.”

“The 1996 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque has really turned a corner over the last six months or so. When it was originally introduced the 1996 was hard as nails, today it is an exquisite Champagne that captures the essential brightness and energy of the year. Lemon, slate, oyster shells and white flowers stain the palate in an intense, beautifully sculpted Champagne of the highest level.”

“Deluxe Brut Blend. 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay. The densest wine we tasted at this presentation of World Champions. So dense it's almost rigid! Yet it is wonderfully racy. Beautiful balance, very vibrant and reverberant with the most extraordinary persistence. Lovely lacy texture. Bravo! Dosage was apparently 6.5 g/l.”

“Superbly toasty, highly expressive nose packed with sweet gunpowder, aromatic wood, ginger and mineral notes. Long and linear structure coming with super high, perfectly lined acidity. Lean, zesty and expansive. Highly youthful still, full of unreleased energy. Constantly improving. At CSWWC we awarded it as the World Champion Deluxe brut. I have come across several corked bottles, which makes me recommend this less whole-heartedly as I would based on a perfect bottle.”

“The 1996 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque has really come around since I last tasted it some months ago. Up until recently, the 1996 was hard as nails. Over the last few months things have developed for the better, as the fruit is now much more expressive, within the context of the year, of course. The 1996 Oenothèque remains compact, but today there is great beauty to be found in the yellow stone fruit, slate, white flowers and lightly honeyed overtones that grace the finish.”

“This shows amazing freshness and depth of fruit while remaining agile and very clean. Full body, dense and layered on the palate. Goes on for minutes with each sip. Lots of mineral and chalk character too. A fabulous Champagne. A blend of half Pinot Noir and half Chardonnay.”

“The 1996 Dom Pérignon Œenothèque offers up layers of pastry, lemon, smoke and toastiness. At first deceptively understated, the wine turns positively explosive and layered on the palate, showing remarkable tension, elegance and power, all wrapped around a seriously intense frame. The balance between fruit and acidity is awesome. This is a marvelous DP Œeno. The Œeno is the same juice as the regular Dom Pérignon, except the Œeno is aged on the cork while the regular DP is aged in crown-sealed bottles. Once disgorged, the Œenos get a slightly lower dosage than is typical for the original release DP. This bottle was disgorged in 2008.”

“Its complexity was immediately apparent on the bouquet, offering butterscotch, toast and mineral elements. An extremely well-balanced ’96, without the high-acid profile of the vintage, the flavours evoked candied citrus, seashore and smoke, reminding me of a great Corton-Charlemagne”

“A magnificent Champagne, one that is light, delicate, yet packed with character. It is beautifully balanced, with a bone-dry character, just softened by the toastiness that is developing. Expect this to age for many years”

“A wine of pure and total pleasure, the 2004 Dom Pérignon Rosé is explosive and hedonistically rich, with tons of pure texture from the 28% still Pinot in the blend. In this tasting, the 2004 Rosé is especially fine. I imagine it will reward readers lucky enough to own it with several decades of exceptional drinking. In a word: sublime.”

“They wonder whether they included too much Pinot in this wine.
Cheesy nose, much more obvious acidity than the 2005 with a strong rose-petal aroma. Tight and tense. Very focused. Much more youthful than the 2005.
Drink 2017-2030”

“The 2004 DP Rosé is just as charming as one would have expected. The elegance and vivacity of the vintage take a leading role sublimely complemented by exuberantly toasty, smoky notes. Lovely pinot depth, spicy and vanilla-laden. Tight and linear, tense palate with satiny texture and refined, extensive length. A super elegant Dom Pérignon Rosé, in a classic cool style.”

“The 2004 Dom Pérignon Rosé has put on remarkable weight over the last year or so. A rich, voluptuous wine, the 2004 Rosé hits the palate with stunning depth and resonance. The flavors are bold, rich and beautifully resonant from start to finish. Raspberry, cranberry, smoke, spice and crushed rocks build to the stunning, powerful finish. Vinous and ample, the 2004 Rosé will drink well for decades. The 2004 just keeps getting better with time in bottle.”

“Mid to pale orange rose (as in the flower) colour. Apparently the proportion of red wine was the highest ever, 27% of the blend. Notably opulent rose-petal nose. Very broadly fruity and deep flavoured with massive palate impact that surely has the power to mend sore throats. Beautiful smooth satin texture. ‘We squeezed everything out of this vintage', said Richard Geoffroy, ‘we really worked hard on it'. This is a great wine that happens to be pink. It’s not remotely sweet but is beautifully round and complete. I have suggested it was probably delicious two years ago but in fact it has only just been released.”

“Relative to many other recent vintages, the 2004 Dom Pérignon Rosé comes across as quite delicate, feminine and graceful. Floral notes are woven throughout, adding to a very appealing and attractive sense of lift. It will be interesting to see if the 2004 puts on weight in bottle. At the moment, the 2004 is a bit understated, but I will not be surprised if at some point it takes off given the extremely positive way in which the 2004 blanc has developed over the last few years.”