This bottle bears testimony to the great vintage and this most talented producer. An infantile colour of bright straw green with streams of very fine, aggressive beading is followed by a lovely full nose of charred toast, gorgeous yeast autolysis, quite “biscuity” but with undertones of Chardonnay “florals” and freshly picked strawberries. The palate raises the bar to another level! Delivering a tightly-coiled, power-packed explosion in the mouth, this exceptional sparkler could easily pass as a prestige cuvee in a blind tasting. Wonderfully fresh with incredible reserves of crisp green apple, strawberry and green melon fruit tinged with more of that incredibly complex, yet subtle, autolysis character, one would expect this wine to live for at least a decade, more likely, two! A superb creamy mouthfeel, invigorating swirling mousse, plenty of residual acidity on a monumentally long finish provide the credentials for an exceptionally complete Champagne that ekes class, poise and controlled power. 96 points (equal to my take on the Dom Perignon!) Wow! I wonder how this house did with their 96 Grande Siecle?

Footnote - another bottle opened some weeks later was outstanding but no better than 93 points - just lacking some of the “wow” factor of the above bottle.

Recommended in Tom Stephenson’s 2007 Wine Report - Top 10 Greatest Quality Wines and Top Ten Best Bargains and selling for a tad over 60 bucks on special in case lot buys at a local wine store.

15 grands crus and 3 grape varieties (48% chardonnay, 48% pinot noir and 4% pinot meunier) 12% A/V

Medium straw with aggressive fine, persistent streams of bead. High quality nose of toasted brioche, redcurrants, citrus and figs with just a hint of vegemite. Fresh citrussy palate exhibiting a strong undertone of redcurrant, plenty of weight, creamy mouthfeel before a blast of exuberant crisp, cleansing acidity and excellent carry. A finely honed and particularly well balanced Champagne of some class. 92 points. Drink now-2013+