White and Rosé Wines for Spring

wines

Next up is Philipponnat’s 1996 Clos de Goisses. Tasted from magnum, the 1996 is remarkably fresh, vibrant and powerful. This is a great bottle.Vinous Media | 97 VMOne of the greatest examples of the ’96 vintage, this wine has it all with elegance, intensity, subtlety and grace, not to mention buckets of unrealized potential that will enable this beauty to improve for at least another decade and perhaps longer. I can only imagine just how good this would be from magnum format! The nose is discreet, reserved and pure with lemon, green apple and layers upon layers of fruit framed by just the right amount of yeast influence that continues onto the exceptionally dry and tight flavors that are crisp and refined as well as superbly intense yet through it all there is this underlying sense of harmony, as though all of the elements are working in concert. The greatest wines, at least those cut from classical cloth, persuade through the subtlest means and so it is with the ’96 Goisses, which is indeed a great wine by any measure. While it is drinkable now, for my taste preferences a lot of potential would be left in the glass and I wouldn’t start in earnest on this for another 5+ years.Burghound | 97 BHAs I noted back in my feature on Clos des Goisses back in the autumn of 2014, the 1996 vintage here is a bit atypical, as its cépages is a fifty-fifty split of chardonnay and pinot noir, rather than the more customary two-thirds pinot. The wine has started to really hit its plateau of peak maturity since I last drank it four and a half years ago, as the musky floral tones and beautiful nuttiness of mature Clos des Goisses are really starting to be felt in the beautiful bouquet of pear, white peach, macadamia nut, brioche, chalky soil tones, a touch of citrus blossoms to go along with the more stridently musky floral overtones. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off beautiful, rock solid mid-palate depth, with lovely mousse, racy acids and laser-like focus on the very long and very complex finish. Though this is a bit of an outlier in the pantheon of Clos des Goisses, with its half chardonnay blend, it is one of my favorite vintages of this great wine and one of the best examples of the vintage, as there is no shortage of fruit here to stand up to the vintage’s snappy acidity. A great, great wine that is getting awfully good to drink, though still in climbing mode and has not yet reached its apex. This bottle was disgorged in June of 2010. (Drink between 2019 - 2060)John Gilman | 96+ JGOne of the most powerful wines of the 1996 vintage, Clos des Goisses grew at the famed walled vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. There the vines provide a direct connection between the limestone soil and the wine, the same kind of uncompromised connection that the riesling vines provide at Clos Ste. Hune in Alsace. The tension in the wine is palpable, even after it delivers a blast of flavor, a flavor that might be described as quince paste made of limestone, with so much acidity to balance it that the flavor intensity lasts for minutes and feels cool and clean. This ’96 may be best left in the cellar for another ten years before you pop the cork.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 96 W&SOffering up complex aromas of candied peel, warm biscuits, golden orchard fruit and toast, this perfectly preserved original disgorgement of the 1996 Clos des Goisses is medium to full-bodied, incisive but fleshy, its bright spine of vintage-typical acidity cloaked in lively fruit, and complemented by a pearly mousse. This is one 1996 Champagne that has finally arrived at full maturity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPWhile this is unexpectedly reticent on the nose, it’s generous and expansive on the palate, showing golden, honeyed flavours and a pronounced richness. Its acidity is equally as forceful, keeping the finish firm and taut, and while it’s not extremely complex, it’s alluring for its powerful presence and extroverted intensity. Disgorged: April 2006.Decanter | 93 DECHints of orange marmalade vie with whole-grain bread and roasted almond in this dry, mealy Champagne. Turns austere on the finish, but has intensity, so enjoy with food. Drink now through 2015. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A prodigious offering, the 2001 Climens’ light medium bold color with a greenish hue is followed by ethereal aromas of tropical fruits (primarily pineapple), honeysuckle, and flowers. It is a medium-bodied wine of monumental richness, extraordinary precision/delineation, great purity, and moderate sweetness. The finish seemingly lasts forever. This monumental effort is the stuff of legends. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.Robert Parker | 100 RPLoads of orange peel and dried apricots on the nose here. Full-bodied, with a wild and exciting palate. Sweet yet racy. Electrifying. Great class and elegance. One of the best Climens I have tasted. Best after 2010. 1,955 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2001 Climens has a well-defined, complex bouquet of dried honey, peach skin, quince and a light beeswax scent. Tight at first, it only takes a few swirls of the glass to get going. The palate is where the action is: very intense and concentrated with layers of botrytized fruit, lightly spiced with tangy marmalade, quince and nectarine notes, merging into saffron and gingerbread toward the very engaging, persistent finish. This is a magnificent Barsac that is only beginning to show what it is capable of.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Unfortunately there is only one new release from Dom Perignon on the market, but what a wine it is! The 2002 Brut Rose explodes from the glass with endless layers of huge, voluptuous fruit, A big, full-bodied wine, the 2002 is probably the most overly vinous, intense Rose ever made by long-time Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy. Layers of cool, insistent minerality balance the fruit beautifully on the crystalline, vivid finish. The 2002 will be nearly impossible to resist young, but take my word for it; the wine is extremely closed right now. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2032.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2002 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a tremendous example of this vintage at its very best. A Champagne of vertical thrust and intensity, the 2002 is rich, opulent and hedonistic from the very first taste. Readers should expect a Rosé built on a huge core of fruit. Rose petal, passion fruit and exotic flowers add shades of dimension to the wine’s decidedly flamboyant personality. What a wine!Vinous Media | 98 VMExtraordinarily powerful yet astonishingly beautifully constructed, the 2002 rosé is subtly different to its siblings, yet still seamless of architecture and impressive of length. Beyond the herbs and mellow autumnal berries there’s salinity at the back of the mouth. It’s perhaps a little unexpected from a rosé, but undeniably adds further layers to an already multi-faceted persona. Youthful yet wise beyond its years, this makes a wonderful pairing with the final wine, the 1990 P2 rosé. Drink with the most lavish crustacean dishes. Served from magnum. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DEC(Moët & Chandon Brut - Dom Perignon Rosé (magnum) Rosé) As it often is, this is quite aromatically discreet with its elegant and beautifully layered blend of soft yeast, cherry, raspberry, apple and rose petal. The still tightly coiled, intense and beautifully textured medium weight flavors possess an extremely fine effervescence before terminating in a clean, delineated and sneaky long finish that is markedly dry but not really austere. While the 750 ml version is drinking perfectly well now, in magnum format this striking beauty could still benefit from a few more years of keeping. (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 95 BH

Bright yellow. Powerful smoke- and ginger-accented aromas of poached pear, honey and white flowers, along with a suave mineral overtone and a hint of toasted brioche. Sappy and buttery on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering intense citrus and orchard fruit flavors underscored by a chalky mineral nuance. At once fleshy and energetic, finishing with outstanding clarity, thrust and smoky length. Cream-colored label, indicating a later disgorgement, in this case 2012, as opposed to the earlier disgorged black label version, which was disgorged in 2011. LHWCB9.Vinous Media | 95 VM(Ruinart, Dom Ruinart, Champagne, France, White) Dom Ruinart 2002 is a blessed creation with 72% Avize and Chouilly and more surprisingly 28% Chardonnay from Pinot villages like Sillery and Puisieulx. Painfully youthful but already completely harmonious. All the bits and pieces are there in small portions and time will make them stronger and deeper. (Drink between 2016-2028)Decanter | 94 DE(Dom Riunart Blanc de Blancs Brut (Reims)) The 2002 Dom Riunart Blanc de Blancs is a pretty good example of the vintage, but in their rarefied air of pricing, I was expecting a bit more. Perhaps the wine is just too young to be showing a lot in the mid-palate, as it is certainly quite structured today, offering up youthful scents of lemon peel, grapefruit, sourdough bread, chalky minerality and a touch of straw in the upper register. On the palate the wine is medium-full, tight and frothy, with a fien core, brisk, snappy acids and good length and grip on the primary finish that closes with a touch of bitterness from citrus peel flavors. This may just need cellaring to come into its own. (Drink between 2018-2035)John Gilman | 92 JG

Jacquesson’s 2002 Brut Ay Vauzelle Terme oozes class. A big, intense wine, the Vauzelle Terme is endowed with stunning depth. Pinot Noir seems inherently better suited to vinification in oak, and it shows in this vivid, kaleidoscopic Champagne. Seemingly endless layers of fruit built to a huge, creamy finish that satisfies all of the senses. Even with all of its density, there is plenty of underlying energy and finesse to ensure many years of fine, highly pleasurable drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPJacquesson’s 2002 BrutAy Vauzelle Terme oozes class. A big, intense wine, the Vauzelle Terme is endowed with stunning depth. Pinot Noir seems inherently better suited to vinification in oak, and it shows in this vivid, kaleidoscopic Champagne. Seemingly endless layers of fruit built to a huge, creamy finish that satisfies all of the senses. Even with all of its density, there is plenty of underlying energy and finesse to ensure many years of fine, highly pleasurable drinking.Vinous Media | 96 VMPale yellow with the barest hint of rosé, indeed it is not at all obvious that this is made from 100% pinot noir. Initially the nose seems unduly fruity and lacking in nuance but with just a few minutes of air it delivers one of the more remarkable transformations I have ever witnessed in that it takes on superb breadth and depth and this knockout complexity is entirely in keeping with the cool, pure, intense and utterly delicious flavors. There is excellent verve and a very fine bead to the gorgeously long and balanced finish where the stunning depth reinforces that found on the nose and mid-palate. To be sure, this is a very understated wine of finesse and not at all fashioned like some of the bigger and bolder luxury marque rosés. In terms of drinkability, it’s a tough call as this is already dazzlingly good but if one wanted to cellar this, it would certainly reward medium-term, and perhaps even long-term keeping. In sum, this is genuinely exquisite and its only fault is that there is so little of it available - if you can find it, don’t hesitate.Burghound | 96 BHA small plot of old Pinot Noir produces this superb wine. It has all the richness of wines from Aÿ, with its red fruits and hint of sweetness. But it is the structure, the complexity that sets it apart, the grapes ripe and concentrated from a great year. Age for at least another five years. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

This is showing incredible complexity with notes of preserved lemons, beeswax, chamomile, quince and porcini mushrooms. Salted caramel also. It’s full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with rich and salty layers. Fantastic freshness, too. Powerful and keeps going. This was disgorged in 2012. Ten years on the lees and ten years in bottle. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSTaittinger’s 2002 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is off the charts. I have tasted the 2002 now many times, and it has never been less than thrilling. A vivid kaleidoscope of pure Chardonnay aromas and flavors opens up in the glass. The 2002 is at once incredibly rich yet also totally weightless and impeccable in its balance. All the classic Comtes notes are there, but with a level of detail and nuance I don’t think I have ever seen before. The 2002 is breathtakingly beautiful today, but also appears to have the stuffing to age for decades. Personally, I would be looking to buy the 2002 in magnums if at all possible. Sadly, there is little wine to go around as 2002 was a very short crop. Readers who can track down the 2002 are in store for something truly great. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2042.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPTaittinger’s 2002 Comtes de Champagne (magnum) is one of the greatest Champagnes ever made. In magnum, it is especially explosive and heady, not to mention superb alongside Daniel Humm’s hors d’oeuvres, where the brilliance of the wine plays off the flavors and textures of the food brilliantly. What a great way to start this dinner.Vinous Media | 98 VM(Taittinger Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut) The 2002 Comtes has been a legend in the making since its first release, and at age twelve, the wine is starting to really stretch its wings and aim for the stars. The utterly brilliant nose is still a tad on the reticent side, but as the wine warms up in the glass, it offers up a stellar constellation of pear, delicious apples, complex chalkiness, brioche, apple blossoms, incipient notes of pastry cream, plenty of smokiness and a topnote of lemon peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with stunning focus and balance, unrepentant refinement, elegant mousse, zesty acids and stunning cut and grip on the endless and dancing finish. I am hard-pressed to think of a finer young vintage of Comtes de Champagne that has ever crossed my path! It seems to me that it is still infanticide to be drinking this wine today, as there is so much more to unfold with more bottle age, and I would not touch a bottle until it starts to close in on its twentieth birthday. Chapeau! (Drink between 2020-2075)John Gilman | 98 JGA rich base of toasted brioche and briny mineral supports flavors of poached quince, white peach puree, fleur de sel, pastry and smoked almond. There’s a quiet verve to this wine, with a fine, silky texture throughout. Drink now through 2025. 150 cases imported. — ANWine Spectator | 94 WS(Taittinger Brut - Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Red) A beautifully elegant and ultra-pure nose serves up attractively layered and mature aromas of spiced pear, white rose, citrus, brioche and hints of green apple. There is very good if not stunning complexity to the moderately vibrant flavors that are supported by an impressively refined effervescence before terminating in a balanced, dry, clean and lingering finish. For my taste this has arrived at its apogee though it should have no trouble holding for at least another decade. (Drink starting 2020)Burghound | 94 BHThe latest release of the legendary Comtes de Champagne comes from a great vintage. It has full, toasty bottle-age notes that give the wine depth of flavor, with a ripe, rounded mouthfeel and taut acidity. An almond note combines with the citrus-driven acidity on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Champagne, France, White) From a warmer year, which is also transcribed into the glass. It’s richer and more concentrated, with some dried apricot and brioche aromas. It’s complex on the palate, with intensity and focus, showing a hint of vanilla alongside generous brioche and leesy characters. It has power and concentration, with some fruit development apparent, and a long-lasting finish. It was one of the favourites at the tasting, but I favoured the more elegant styles. (Drink between 2018-2030)Decanter | 93 DE

Still a baby, the 2004 Cristal Rosé has begun to put on considerable weight over the last few years, which only serves to balance the focus and tension that have always been present. Even at eleven years of age, the 2004 Cristal Rosé remains tightly wound and a touch austere at times. Hints of orange peel, white pepper and cranberry add an exotic flair on the deeply expressive finish. Readers who can find the 2004 should not hesitate, as it is simply stunning by any measure.Vinous Media | 98+ VMFew of the noble wines of the world have the effortless grace of Cristal Rosé. The pinot noir for the blend, planted in the 1960s, grows in the center of the slope in Aÿ. Its flavors are more focused on the soil than fruit, as if the vines are bent on extracting the scent of fossilized seashells from the limestone their roots explore. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon blends the pinot noir with 40 percent chardonnay from Avize, creating a wine with flavors that reach the horizon line, and an ethereal fragrance that last for minutes after each taste, bright, weightless, elusive and grand.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 98 W&SWith red berry and currant aromas on the pure and salty, complex and delicately vinous nose, the 2004 Cristal Rosé is a juicy but structured, vibrantly fresh and energetic cuvée with very fine tannins, great lightness, finesse and elegance. Tasted in New York, November 2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2004 is the new release of Laurence Ployez’s Liesse d’Harbonville bottling. The wine is crafted this year from roughly seventy percent chardonnay and thirty percent red grapes, with the red grapes being equally split between pinot noir and pinot meunier in this vintage. All of the vins clairs were barrel-fermented and did not go through malolactic fermentation, as is customary for this bottling. It was disgorged in March of 2021 after nearly sixteen years aging on its fine lees. The bouquet is deep, refined and complex, wafting from the glass in a blend of apple, pear, brioche, just a hint of hazelnut, a complex base of chalky soil tones, a discreet touch of smokiness and a very understated framing of oak. On the palate the wine is vibrant, focused and full-bodied, with beautiful depth at the core, superb soil signature and cut, a lovely girdle of acidity, elegant mousse and a very long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is a great bottle of Champagne that is just starting to drink nicely and has decades of life ahead of it, with its apogee still at least ten years in the future. It is not quite as powerful in personality as the 2002 Liesse d’Harbonville, but perhaps even a tad more elegant in profile. In fact, it strikes me as the most refined young release of Liesse d’Harbonville that I have had the pleasure to taste and may well be my favorite vintage yet of this superb Tête de Cuvée. Like all releases of this wine, it is built to age long and gracefully and it is still very early days for the 2004 Liesse, but it is so beautifully balanced that it is already a great joy to drink. (Drink between 2023 - 2075)John Gilman | 96+ JGMinerally and linear in style, with the finely detailed mousse offering textural finesse as it carries well-meshed flavors of crunchy white peach and raspberry fruit, blanched almond and pink grapefruit zest. Mouthwatering finish. Disgorged October 2019. Drink now through 2029. 3,000 cases made, 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Is there a better way to start lunch than with Cedric Bouchard’s 2006 Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblée and a dozen oysters? I doubt it. The wine was absolutely beautiful, even a touch reserved, but the trademark Bouchard elegance was on full display. Bouchard’s Champagnes remain some of my very favorite wines on the planet. This bottle was stunning.Vinous Media | 96 VM

From ungrafted vines and one of the truly exceptional wines from Tarlant, the 2006 Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Vigne d’Antan Brut Nature is expressive in its bouquet of honeysuckle, toasted brioche, lemon curd, and white peach. Full-bodied, it fills the palate with wonderful depth and purity, offering ripe fruit and fantastic freshness. A complete wine, it has a refined mousse with refreshing acidity and wonderful salinity on the finish. This exceptional wine is my favorite from Tarlant once again, and it will be a treat to revisit over the coming decades. Drink 2023-2043. Disgorged June 2022.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA dense and almost chewy Champagne with a richness and length with cooked apple and hints of strawberry character. Lots of pie crust and savory cookie undertones. Some mineral and iron, too. From a single vineyard of chardonnay, ungrafted vines. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Impressively balanced, with the fruit rich, intense with a golden glow. The acidity is as important as the freshness, giving a delicious lift to the core of dry, concentrated botrytis. Obviously a great wine for long-term aging in a great Sauternes year. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA blend of 90% Semillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, with 139 grams per liter of residual sugar and a pH of 3.7, the 2008 Yquem is pale to medium gold in color. It leaps from the glass with vivacious notes of lemon marmalade, quince paste, and kiwi fruit, leading to suggestions of lemongrass, wet slate, almond croissant, and fallen leaves. The palate is completely coated with citrus and tropical fruit layers, supported by fantastic tension and a satiny texture, finishing long and electric.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIBright light gold. Ripe cling peach, fresh apricot, spices, coconut, minerals and white flowers on the nose, with a note of vanillin oak emerging with air; subdued but wonderfully pure and precise. At once thick and light on its feet, showing an utterly seamless texture and compelling sweetness but also lovely inner-mouth tension thanks to its suave acidity and underlying minerality. The new oak element is in harmony with the wine’s fruit already. Really dusts the palate on the back end and builds inexorably. The explosive finish leaves behind a perfumed spice character. The clear star in my 2008 tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2008 d’Yquem reveals a complex, elegant bouquet with aromas of pineapple, exotic fruits, quince and orchard fruits, followed by both a balanced and medium to full-bodied palate, seamless and layered texture and a penetrating, fresh and delicate finish. With 139 grams of residual sugar, this is a classic d’Yquem that has real potential to improve in the cellar over the next 10 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPBeautiful lemon cream, chamomile and fried pineapple notes, with a refreshing, almost floral edge running along as well. Creamy coconut and green plum notes fill in on the finish, which has admirable length. A restrained, lighter style, with lovely precision. Drink now through 2035. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Easily the best Champagne I had all year, first tasted at a château lunch. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and eventually bought a bottle for my husband’s 50th. Just so much power and precision, while still having the delicacy, easy glamour and the most moreish delivery of fresh acidities and fleshy citrus.Jane Anson (Formerly of Decanter) | 100 JAThe 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. (Originally published in May 2021)Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2008 Dom Pérignon is the first time the estate has released a wine out of order (the 2009 was released before the 2008) but the estate loved the wine so much they felt it warranted additional aging. This is a rich, powerful wine that still shows incredible purity and elegance, with a stacked, concentrated feel on the palate. It’s rare to find such a mix of ripe, pure, concentrated fruit paired with this level of purity, focus, and precision. This is a legendary Dom that surpasses all the great vintages of Dom I have experience with, including the 1990, 1996, and 2002.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDeep and generous, yet driven, with delicious salted-butter and salted-caramel notes underneath the initial lemon and chalk. Really expands on the palate in all directions. Lemon cream and shortcrust. Creamy, yet underpinned by a sharp backbone of acidity throughout. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSDom Perignon 2008 will leave memories in the minds of wine lovers. A powerful, toasted style, the bouquet expresses aromas of almonds, candied lemon and a slight smoky touch that gives it an additional richness. The palate is powerful with a vinous character and an almost fleshy texture. Of course, time in the cellar will allow it to express itself fully, but it’s still possible to enjoy this now.Decanter | 97 DECUnquestionably the finest Dom Pérignon of the decade, the 2008 Dom Pérignon is drinking brilliantly today, wafting from the glass with notes of citrus oil, ripe orchard fruit, peach, buttered toast, pastry cream, iodine and smoky reduction. Full-bodied, rich and fleshy, it’s vinous and layered, with a deep core of sweet fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish. The 2008 is aging very gracefully.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThere’s power to this graceful Champagne, with the vivid acidity swathed in a fine, creamy mousse and flavors of toasted brioche, kumquat, pastry cream, candied ginger and poached plum that dance across the palate. An underpinning of smoky mineral gains momentum on the lasting finish. *No. 5 Top 100 Wines of 2018, CollectiblesWine Spectator | 96 WS(Dom Pérignon Brut Millésime (Épernay)) I had not tasted a bottle of the 2008 vintage of Dom Pérignon since my interview with Richard Geoffroy at the abbey in Hautvillers just a few months before Monsieur Geoffroy retired. I was very happy to see it generously added by John Chapman to our lineup for the second Vega Sicilia vertical that I reported on in the previous issue, as it is a wine of the same superb quality as all those great old Únicos. As I noted in my feature on Dom Pérignon, the 2008 is an absolutely classic vintage for this wine, which means it is structured, structured, structured, and at twelve years of age, still an absolute infant! The primary bouquet offers up a promising blend of apple, lime peel, menthol, superb minerality, a touch of young DP botanicals and tons of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with brisk acids, refined mousse, bruising backend mineral drive and a very long, very pure and seamlessly balanced finish. I scored this a touch lower than the bottle in Hautvillers, but I suspect that this is just the result of context and the wine has not lost any of its luster- it has only hidden its essence even further behind its electric girdle of acidity. This is years away from its apogee, but has utterly brilliant potential. (Drink between 2030-2075).John Gilman | 96+ JG

The 2008 Brut Grand Cru Millésime was eventually disgorged with only five grams per liter dosage, as Francis Egly and I had discussed last summer, and the wine has turned out just as magically as I anticipated. I have already drunk five or six bottles, and on every occasion, the 2008 has immensely rewarded time in the glass, as it’s as tightly wound as one would expect a great Ambonnay Champagne in a great vintage to be. Blossoming with inviting aromas of orchard fruit, citrus oil, pralines and freshly baked bread, much as I observed last year, it’s full-bodied, deep and layered, with immense depth and concentration, racy acids and elegantly muscular structuring dry extract. Long and penetrating, this will really reward further aging; indeed, Egly mentioned that he intends to keep back some of the 2008 for re-release at a later date, a decision which means more consumers will have the chance to experience the wine at the true peak of its powers. But even at this early stage, it is already a monument to what Champagne’s grower revolution has achieved over the last 30 or so years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP(Egly-Ouriet, Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France, White) A timeless, benchmark expression of Ambonnay. Primary fermentation in barrique, no malolactic fermentation. Aged 10 years on its lees and bottled with 5g/l dosage. A stunning, complex nose of candied walnuts, cherry pits, nougat and red apples. The palate has boundless energy, leading with a punch of apricots, golden raisins, almonds and orange zest. The length of the finish is extraordinary, oscillating between airy weightlessness and muscular power. The combination of Francis Egly’s meticulous nature and the sturdy clarity of the 2008 vintage is a thing to behold. A wine to enjoy over the next four decades. (Drink between 2020-2060)Decanter | 99 DECJust being released now, the 2008 Brut Millésime Grand Cru is quite possibly the most elegant, most refined Champagne I have ever tasted at Egly-Ouriet. Francis Egly captures the freshness and verve of 2008 as expressed in his vineyards in Ambonnay. That interplay yields a Champagne that is deep, resonant and pulsing with tremendous energy. The Pinot really comes through on a finish that just expands with superb resonance. In a word: brilliant! Disgorged: July, 2019.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

The 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDisgorged October 2016 and will be the first Cristal to be released ten years from harvest when it is offered in 2018. 35 parcels used from a possible 45 in this vintage. The assemblage is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. This is so fresh and tense and mineral with extremely exuberant chardonnay notes on the nose of white peach, lemon and yellow grapefruit, and hints of almost brambly sous bois aromas. The yeast characters are also super fresh, and there are subtle woody notes, with a hint of vanilla bean and light spices. The palate is super long, and very pure, powerful and focused. It drives deep and taut. Pinot noir is a strong core and the chardonnay sits at the edge offering lemon and white nectarine sorbet flavors. Staggeringly concentrated, yet the balance makes it seem airy and light. Acidity is perfectly positioned, and the power is intense and long. This is an ultra precise Cristal, finishing with a mere suggestion of savoriness and warmth to come. Impressive on release, this will be at its best drinking from 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSThis latest incarnation of the famous brand is a superb wine. It is on par with, maybe even better than, the already legendary 2002. Its balance is impeccable: Apple and citrus flavors working with the tight minerality to give a textured yet fruity wine. Produced from Roederer’s own vineyards which are mainly biodynamic, the wine has its own intense purity and crispness. It has amazing potential and is likely to age for many years. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEThe 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.”Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThe 2008 vintage in Champagne is one of the most interesting of the last decade, and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has made an outstanding Cristal. It’s a blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) from 36 plots in Grand Cru terroirs, with a dosage of 7.5 g/l. Fresh, delicate and lively, the bouquet is complex and shows elegant aromas of citrus, flowers, mirabelle and spices. The palate is chiseled and precise, with a powerful mid-palate and plenty of freshness supported by a chalky and saline finish.Decanter | 99 DEC(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Millésime (Reims)) As I mentioned in my feature on Maison Louis Roederer a couple of years ago, the 2008 Cristal was the first vintage here to spend fully ten years in the cellars in Reims prior to release. It is a great, great vintage of Cristal and I was very much looking forward to revisiting it this past November, as it is now due for its re-release from the maison. Readers may recall that this is the “rare bird” of Cristal vintages that included some vins clairs that went through malo, as about sixteen percent of the blend underwent its secondary fermentation prior to blending and bottling for aging sur lattes. The wine is brilliant on both the nose and palate, with time not really seeming to have touched it much since I last tasted a bottle. The bouquet is deep, complex and still properly youthful in personality, wafting from the glass in a fine blend of apple, pear, a touch of fresh almond, complex, chalky minerality, incipient notes of caraway seed, citrus peel and lovely floral tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still fairly primary, with a rock solid core, lovely cut and grip, laser-like focus, refined mousse and a very, very long, very pure and still quite youthful finish. As I have noted in the past, twenty percent of the vins clairs for the 2008 Cristal were barrel-fermented and the wine was finished with a dosage of 7.5 grams per liter. It was disgorged in September of 2017. (Drink between 2030-2095)John Gilman | 99 JGDisgorged in September 2017 with 7.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Cristal was produced from 37 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in this cuvée—some 40% of which were farmed organically back in 2008—and it’s a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The finest young Cristal in decades, the wine wafts from the glass with a pure and vibrant bouquet of crisp orchard fruit, clear honey, warm brioche, citrus zest and white flowers. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, intense and incisive, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. Pristinely balanced, there are some 500,000 bottles of this legend-in-the-making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThere’s a sense of focus and vibrancy to the overall structure, while the palate is all grace and charm. A fine, lacy texture carries a tapestry of ripe white cherry, toast point, blood orange zest, honey and ground ginger notes, with a minerally, mouthwatering finish. A stunning Champagne with a long future ahead of it. Drink now through 2033.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Louis Roederer Brut - Cristal Champagne/Sparkling) An ultra-elegant, pure and already highly complex nose speaks of yeast, brioche, Meyer lemon, quinine and green apple. There is equally excellent depth to the utterly delicious and highly sophisticated flavors where the supporting effervescence is very firm yet quite fine while the strikingly long if compact finish makes it crystal clear (pun intended) that this beauty is definitely built for the long haul. I was very impressed with this though with that said, I would observe that it’s presently so firm that at least another 5 years of cellaring will be necessary before this begins to unwind. In a word, excellent. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 95 BH

Like a stallion out of the gate, this shows an initial explosion of power, in the form of mouthwatering flavors and fine texture, before quickly settling into an elegant gait. The racy acidity is seamlessly knit, buoying the lacy mousse and flavors of cassis, toasted brioche and tangerine, with accents of candied ginger, hazelnut and fleur de sel lingering on the long, creamy finish. Drink now through 2035. 2,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2008 Champagne Rare is luxurious with aromas of graham cracker, honeysuckle, quince, and orange zest. It is round and opulent, with a fine and pillowy mousse, and retains freshness throughout, with apricot and yellow flowers. It is impressive and long, and fully luxurious. Drinking well now, it is sure to hold its own for years to come. Drink 2022-2044.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA lively first nose of candied lemon, guava, also a hint of lime. With aeration, notes of almonds and almond flowers come to the fore. On the palate, there is a nervy tension that energises its fine, crystalline texture. This is an upright and elegant Champagne whose long, airy finish is mouthwatering. After some time in the glass, it evolves towards notes of smoke, flint and vanilla. A sumptuous Champagne. Disgorged: November 2019. Dosage: 9g/L. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe newly released 2008 Brut Cuvée Rare is very promising, unwinding in the glass with a youthfully reserved nose of citrus oil, crisp green apple, freshly baked bread, iodine and oyster shell, as well as some rather herbaceous characteristics that depress my score a little, even if I suspect that they will resolve with a bit more bottle age. Medium to full-bodied, incisive and tightly wound, if the 2006 vintage was gourmand and demonstrative, the 2008 is slower to show all its cards. Built around racy acids and complemented by a pillowy mousse, this rendition of Cuvée Rare will reward a few years more on cork.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

One of the great Champagnes both for its richness and its longevity, this latest incarnation is superb. The wine's richness is linked to the ripe fruit and the dominance of Pinot Noir in the blend. It also shines in the perfect balance between the texture, the minerality and the integration of the fruit. It can be enjoyed now, but it will be better from 2020 and then for many years to come.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEI love the balance between weight and agility in this wine with a dense and compact palate. Yet, there’s brightness and creaminess that melts into the glass. Lots of brioche, pie crust and strawberry tart. Serious balancing act here. Drinkable, but better with a few years of age.James Suckling | 97 JSReleased in October of last year, Pol Roger's 2008 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with a complex bouquet of waxy citrus rind, dried white flowers, freshly baked bread, iodine and honeyed yellow apple. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, powerful and vinous, with a deep and multidimensional core, broad structural shoulders and considerable concentration, girdled by tangy acids and displaying a youthfully frothy but incipiently fine mousse. The finish is long and intense. This is a terrific rendition of this reliably superb cuvée and well worth seeking out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis lovely, elegant version is more about restraint and finesse than power, caressing the palate with a silky mousse and a finely woven range of ripe Asian pear, biscuit and star fruit flavors, accented by elderflower, ground ginger and almond skin notes. Lightly mouthwatering, expanding on the chalk-tinged finish. Drink now through 2033. 700 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2008 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is one of the most reticent and tightly wound wines of the vintage. To be sure, all the 2008s offer tremendous brightness and punch, but most are also a bit more approachable in the early going. The 2008 Churchill is totally closed in on itself at present. Vibrant floral, citrus and saline notes add an attractive upper register to a core of persistent Pinot-inflected fruit as the wine gradually opens up. The 2008 is a total knock-out, but I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle anytime soon.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Pale gold in color, the 2009 Doisy Daëne features expressive notes of honeyed lemons, dried mango slices, apricot tart and Seville orange marmalade with a touch of shaved almonds. The palate delivers mouth-filling stone fruit and citrus preserves layers with great purity and a lively backbone, finishing wonderfully zesty and youthful.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPQuite high-pitched now, with lots of green plum and green almond notes laced with bright honeysuckle and heather. The background shows more lemon shortbread, grapefruit pâte de fruit and persimmon, while the finish offsets the sweetness with a lively quinine note. Distinctive, but will need time to come together. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2015 through 2030. 4,509 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA fresh and aromatic bouquet sets off this light, dancing style of wine. It has acidity and a lemon curd flavor, proving to be sweet and citrusy at the same time. It’s developing well.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 2009 Doisy-Daëne is missing a little cohesion at the moment. Scents of dried honey and caramelised pears with nice definition but I would like more energy. The palate is better than the nose: fresh on the entry with honeyed, mango, quince and spice, well balanced with good botrytis on the finish. If the aromatics improve it will merit a higher score. This may be going through a dumb phase. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM(Château Doisy-Daëne (Barsac)) Doisy-Daëne has been on a real tear for this entire decade and the 2009 will be yet again another outstanding bottle of wine and one of the great steals from the vintage. The bouquet is deep, pure and classy, as it offers up a lovely mélange of pears, pineapple, orange blossoms, gentle notes of honey comb, spring flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and racy, with great focus, fine mid-palate depth and excellent length and grip on the bouncy and light on its feet finish. A terrific vintage of Doisy-Daëne. (Drink between 2016-2040).John Gilman | 90-92+ JG

The 2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a sexy, racy wine that captures all the radiance of the year. Kirsch, blood orange, mint, spice and dried flowers unfurl in the glass. Soft, plush contours wrap it all together. Readers will find a Dom Pérignon Rosé endowed with tremendous textural depth and resonance. The 2009 is a total hedonistic turn-on. That’s all there is to it.Vinous Media | 98 VMPeaches, fresh crushed strawberries and roses on the nose. Full-bodied and generous. Fine tannins that frame the wine beautifully and set it up for a fresh finish. Some fruit tea and cedar undertones. Enticing finish with hints of bitterness. Savory. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSA lovely rosé Champagne that waltzes gracefully across the palate, belying the concentrated range of macerated raspberry and strawberry, candied blood orange peel, toast and saffron notes carried on the elegant, satiny mousse. Long and fresh, with minerally smoke and oyster shell accents on the focused finish. Drink now through 2035.Wine Spectator | 96 WSIn comparison to the charming, pure 2008 Dom Pérignon Rosé, the 2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé possesses a ripe, dense bouquet with aromas of dark berries, licorice, dried white flowers, toast and pastry, enhanced by delicate, racy smoky hints. Full-bodied, broad and rich, it’s dense and phenolic due to the approximately 15% still red wine sourced from grapes planted in the villages of Hautvilliers, Aÿ and Bouzy, culminating in a protracted, sapid and chalky finish. Although already thoroughly enjoyable, it should age well over the next 10 years. This blend of 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay was disgorged in March 2022 with a dosage of five grams per liter.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPWith a 13% red wine addition, this is slightly less vinous than the 2006 (which saw 20%), yet still lays closer to this bold, sunny vintage than the nervier 2008 release. It’s a Dom Pérignon rosé in full stride today, showing a beautiful maturing Pinot Noir savour of dried strawberry and black tea starting to evolve over fresher notions of cooked citrus, mandarin and pomegranate. There’s a flowing ease here, the mousse ultra fine and the drama of the red Pinot Noir settled beautifully.Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

The 2009 Dom Ruinart has been absolutely fabulous on two separate occasions. Chef de Caves Frédéric Panaïotis turned out a brilliant edition of this tête de cuvée that offers a compelling balance of richness and vibrancy. Citrus, mineral, spice and dried flowers are all beautifully delineated throughout. In 2009 Dom Ruinart has a bit less fruit from the Montagne de Reims and more from the Côte des Blancs (specifically Cramant, Avize, Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger) than has often been the case. This approach gives the wine more tension and steeliness than readers might expect in a vintage known for generally forthcoming Champagnes. I would not be in any rush to open the 2009, as it very clearly needs time. The only question is how much. Superb. (Originally published in May 2021)Antonio Galloni | 97 AGAn expansive and luxurious blanc de blancs Champagne with incredible depth of toasty and creamy character from long contact with the yeast. Flows over the palate in a single, great wave that extends into the enveloping and energetic finish, making you forget all the troubles of the world. Subtle floral, peach, candied-citrus and spicy notes. Spot-on balance and so lively, it surely has many years ahead of it. 80% of the cuvée is from Avize, Chouilly, Oger and Le Mesnil, plus 20% Montagne de Reims. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSIt was monk Dom Thierry Ruinart who, three centuries ago, inspired his nephew Nicolas to create what is widely held to be the oldest Champagne company. This cuvée is a creation inspired by only the most exceptional vintages of Chardonnay. The first Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs was created in 1959. Simon Field MW: Bright and persistent mousse. Has finely grained acidic structure, deferential to the ripe and generous fruit, holding everything together with real gusto. Alan Bednarski: Marvellous, crisp and still fresh, getting into slightly ripe and dry stone fruits with a scent of dry herbs, orange peel and yoghurt pie. Tim Hall: A struck-match style but nevertheless crowd-winning appeal here. A triumph of pure and well-wrought texture, spice, developed fruit and length. Very good in its style. Drinking Window 2021 - 2027.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2009 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is showing very well out of the gates, wafting from the glass with aromas of stone fruits, wheat toast, blanched almonds and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and incisive, with an ample core of fruit, bright acids and chalky grip, it's complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. This is a charming, generous Dom Ruinart, yet it's also quite structured for the vintage and should enjoy a long life.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThere's a lovely, buoyant vibrancy to this round and harmonious blanc de blancs, with well-honed acidity wrapped in the fine mousse. Flavors of baked pineapple, ripe apricot, candied ginger and lemon thyme expand on the palate through to the minerally finish of chalk and smoke. Disgorged March 2018. Drink now through 2031.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Pale to medium lemon-gold color, the 2010 d’Yquem has retreated into its shell at this youthful stage, offering spritely suggestions of lemon curd, lime cordial and green mango with wafts of honeysuckle, spice cake, sea spray and beeswax plus a hint of gingerbread. The palate really comes through with super intense, tightly wound citrus, savory and mineral layers carried by a laser-precise backbone of freshness, finishing with crazy persistence that lingers a full three minutes and then some. This is going to be a very exotic, opulent Yquem!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP(Château d’Yquem (Sauternes)) The 2010 Château d’Yquem is an utterly stunning young wine and a very worthy follow-up to the magical wine produced at this estate in 2009. The bouquet is deep, complex and flat out brilliant, as it soars from the glass in a celestial mélange of pineapple, tangerines, a touch of passion fruit, honeycomb, beautifully complex and chalky soil tones, spring flowers and a very gentle touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, suave and utterly seamless, with great mid-palate depth, bright acids and surreal length and grip on the dancing and very intensely flavored finish. The 2010 d’Yquem is not quite as ethereally complex at this stage as the hauntingly beautiful 2009, but in terms of sheer quality, it seems likely to be every bit as profound. (Drink between 2020-2100)John Gilman | 98+ JGA pure, racy, floral style, with bright white peach, heather and honeysuckle notes driving along. The core of fresh orchard fruit is unctuous, the finish long and lacy, with marvelous cut and finesse. This shows the balance and elegance of a cooler year with a longer harvest period.—Non-blind Yquem vertical (July 2014). Best from 2015 through 2045. 8,334 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe purity of Botrytis in this wine is so impressive with dried fruits such apple and mango. And then spicy character. Full body and very sweet but it is incredibly fresh and lively. Such class and elegance. Perfectly manicured wine. Everything in the right place. This shows a delicacy and intensity that are spellbinding. Drink in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JSStunningly rich in character, a wine with great power to go with its acidity and sweetness. It is dense, powerful and concentrated powered by honey and by spice from the wood. The finish has dried apricots, very aromatic.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2010 Yquem has an attractive bouquet with marmalade, caramelized pear, orange pith and light puff pastry notes. It just needs a little more delineation. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced and impressive focus. Like the aromatics, I would have just liked a little more precision on the finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94 VM

I love the botrytis spice character to this wine with dried apricots and tropical fruits. It’s full bodied, medium sweet with a long intense finish. It’s very layered. Sweet wine of the vintage.James Suckling | 95-96 JSStructured firm, very spicy, while also showing fresh pineapple acidity. Concentrated and packed with botrytis.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA muscular version, with dacquoise and marzipan notes leading the way for creamed orange, white peach, ginger, mirabelle compote and tangerine accents that pump through the piecrust-filled finish. Has the vintage’s raw oomph, as well as range and cut for balance. Best from 2018 through 2035. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2010 Rieussec is similar to the previous bottle a couple of years ago. It has since opened with saffron-tinged honeyed fruit, dried honey and almond shavings. This example is more vanillary and oaky than previous ones, and that actually distracts from the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied; again, the new oak feels more prominent than previous bottles, prompting me to lower my score. It’s utterly seductive but articulates more of the winemaking than I would like...Neal Martin, Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Rieussec (Sauternes)) Château Rieussec has turned out one of the most elegant and refined examples of the 2010 vintage and this wine is an unqualified success. The nose is a bit less obviously botrytized than many of its neighbors this year, as the wine offers up scents of tangerine, pineapple, bee pollen, lovely, chalky soil tones and a very suave base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and dancing, with fine mid-palate intensity, excellent focus and a really impressive lightness of step on the long, complex and tangy finish. In a vintage prone to heavy-handedness, the ethereal quality of the 2010 Château Rieussec is most impressive. (Drink between 2015-2035).John Gilman | 93 JGPale to medium lemon-gold in color, the 2010 Rieussec is evolving at a good clip, boasting roasted nuts, toffee apples and dried apricots scents with hints of beurre blanc, manuka honey and candle wax. The palate is a powerhouse of sweetness, with soft acidity and loads of savory/nutty layers, finishing on a praline note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP