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Written by
Jancis Robinson
1 Dec 2016
Tasting 2002 champagnes blind
See also 2002 champagnes and other fizzes.
One thing I find very difficult, as really astute visitors to this website may have noticed, is to
host a tasting and also give the wines shown the attention they deserve. (Those planning to
attend tomorrow night's wine tasting in aid of Cancer Research UK in Hampshire are hereby
warned.) It's a question of giving priority to keeping the pace and patter going and forfeiting
those moments of deep concentration that any decent assessment requires. This is a particular
problem when the tasting is blind, and when it is also necessary to fiddle with one's smartphone
throughout. This is also the reason for the lack of suggested drinking dates in my reviews of
those wines.
All of which preamble is my excuse for a lamentable performance at The Finest Bubble's latest
champagne tasting extravaganza at 67 Pall Mall in London. It was a tasting of 15 great wines,
prestige champagnes from the great 2002 vintage that is drinking beautifully now. I correctly
identified only four of the wines. And then the whole thing was rather skewed by particularly
puzzling performances by Salon 2002 and Cristal 2002. But then no one got more than nine
right and that, I am delighted to report, was a fellow wine writer, Giles Fallowfield (smiling below
in one of the photographs taken by Matt Martin), who specialises in champagne.
The way it worked was that we all knew which wines would be included, and that the first six
would be Blanc de Blancs. For each wine we all provided a score and an attempt at identification
via our smartphones. After each pair had been served and scored, I was handed a bit of paper
that revealed the identity of those wines. This means that towards the end, the odds shortened
on identifying the wine correctly – except that even with such a famous wine as Krug 2002 when
it had to be one of the last five shown (the final flight was a trio), only one single taster nailed it.
Below is me laughing hysterically at one of the cribs handed to me at the end of a flight.
What was particularly interesting was to compare the scores that people gave liquids that they
thought were wine X (score on expectation in orange) and the scores they gave when actually
tasting wine X (score on tasting in blue). As you can see, wines such as Lanson Noble Cuvée,
vintage Pol in magnum, Gosset Celebris, Philipponnat Clos des Goisses, Pommery Cuvée Louise
and Bollinger RD performed much, or even, better than expected, while most of the most
famous names disappointed expectations.
Below are the average scores given by the group to each wine and they pretty vividly
demonstrate the underperformance of the Salon. What's very interesting is how very much
better the magnum of regular vintage Pol did than the bottles of its much more expensive big
brother Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, inspiring Nick Baker of The Finest Bubble to consider
putting on a blind comparison of regular vintage champagnes with their de luxe counterparts in
top vintages, which sounds completely up my boulevard. NB the provenance of the wines is
given as part of the background information in italics in the tasting notes below.
Two weeks before this tasting at 67 Pall Mall, three of us met at Finest Bubble HQ for a much
more peaceful blind tasting of 2002 champagnes, a mix of regular vintage wines (Pol in bottle
and magnum) and prestige cuvées. The results were relatively similar but it was so much
calmer, and easier to take a measured stab at identifying them. Again, the Cristal was
disappointing, but unlike the others had been bought from a broker in this case. More of a
mystery was that yet again, the Winston Churchill did not show particularly well, even though it
came straight from Pol Roger UK. We opened a total of three bottles in search of prestige
champagne quality, and overall much preferred the regular Pol 2002 vintage. The blind
comparison of bottle v magnum of the latter went according to expectations (unlike every pair
in this earlier bottle v magnum champagne tasting) with the wine in the bottle tasting much
older than the one in magnum.
The other groups of tasting notes among the grand total of 60 listed below are of assorted
champagnes and a ragbag of non-champagne sparkling wines tasted recently with my FT article
recommending fizz for Christmas (to be published on Saturday) in mind. And finally there is a
clutch of champagnes, mainly from small houses, currently on offer from Justerini & Brooks.
All wines are listed in the order tasted but you can re-order as you like.
Order by default ▼
BLIND TASTING OF PRESTIGE 2002s
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Perrier Jouët, Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged 31 October 2012.
RS 8 g/l. From Jouët's UK stock.
Tasted blind. Pale straw. Very steady bead. Tight, dense, tight-knit almost chalky nose. And
then a little bit of nuttiness. Perrier Jouët?Drink ??-??
18
Ruinart, Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged September 2012. RS
6.5 g/l. Supplied by Moët Hennessy UK.
Tasted blind. Pale gold. Less obvious nose than the Belle Epoque it was served with but it
opened out and became broader. Very frothy and savoury. Some sweetness. I don’t
immediately recognise this but I like the length. Very tense and tight. More obvious acidity
than the Belle Epoque led me to wonder whether it was Lanson. Drink ??-??
17.5
Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged March
2012. RS 9 g/l. From Taittinger's UK agent, Hatch Mansfield.
Tasted blind. Very pale greenish straw. Very, very fine bead. Dense and tight with layers.
Comtes or Salon? Very tightly laced with a tiny little bead. Very fine. Comtes?Drink ??-??
18
Jacques Selosse, Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru 2002 ChampagneDisgorged 23 February
2012. Supplied by Jacques Selosse's UK agent, Define Wine.
Dark gold. Completely different from the champagne norm! This is surely the Selosse. Tastes
like raisins macerated in old white burgundy. You’d be mad to serve this without food! There’s
even a hint of wood and an edge of apple juice. This is a hugely distinctive wine that would
probably be quite divisive. Drink ??-??
17
Lanson, Noble Cuvée Blanc de Blancs Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged June 2015. RS 6 g/l.
Supplied by Lanson UK.
Tasted blind. Great energy. Real interest on the nose and pretty high acid still on the palate
(which should have led me to Lanson). A little astringent on the end. Slightly loose textured.
And not that long. But it improved in the glass. According to The Finest Bubble’s scorekeeper, I
gave this wine 18 but I was too busy to keep a record of it on my laptop.Drink ??-??
18
Salon, Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged June 2014. RS 7 g/l.
Supplied by Salon's UK agent, Corney & Barrow.
Tasted blind. Very pale. Seems dense, and layered, with some real intensity. Racy. Very
appetising. But slightly astringent on the end. Bottle variation. Not ‘ravishing’, as promised by
the Salon literature.Drink ??-??
17.5
Dom Pérignon, Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged July 2009. RS 6 g/l. 51% Chardonnay, 49%
Pinot Noir. From Moët Hennessy UK.
Tasted blind. Very alluring nose. Very complex. Heady nose. Rich and really rather beautiful.
Very complete. Rich but not sweet. Love the reverberation. Long and throbbing. Rich but
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appetising. Winston?Drink ??-??
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Pol Roger, Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged November 2012. RS 8 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir, 40%
Chardonnay. Magnum. Direct from Pol Roger UK.
Tasted blind. Some acidity and not that dense. Quite delicate. But loose and sweet. Not as
outstanding as when tasted blind a week or two earlier. Pommery?Drink ??-??
17.5
Gosset, Celebris Extra Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged August 2013. RS 5 g/l. 52%
Chardonnay, 48% Pinot Noir. From Louis Latour Agencies UK.
Tasted blind. Some oak? Severe and dry on the end. Bollinger or Clos des Goisses? Lots of
raciness and very dry (which should have led me to this, one of only two Extra Bruts in the
tasting). Almost severe.Drink ??-??
18.5
Pol Roger, Sir Winston Churchill Cuvée Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged January 2014. RS 8 g/l.
Assemblage a family secret but likely 70-80% Pinot Noir, 20-30% Chardonnay. Direct from Pol
Roger UK.
Tasted blind. Sweet blackcurrant fruit on the nose. Sweet fruit and rather flattering and easy.
Upmarket lemonade. Pommery Cuvée Louise?Drink ??-??
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Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged June 2011. RS 4.5 g/l. 70%
Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. From producer's UK stock.
Dark pinky gold. Very rich and interesting. Bit of a wild card. Philipponat? Really interesting
wine (rather than champagne). Tastes of toffee apple. Really interesting with a hint of wild
flowers. Long.Drink ??-??
18.5
Krug, Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged Autumn 2014. 40% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay, 21%
Pinot Meunier. From Moët Hennessy UK.
Tasted blind. Pale gold. Oak and coconut. And masses of acidity. Very dry and Bollinger-esque?
A bit uncompromising. Only one taster, Nick Baker of The Finest Bubble, guessed this wine as
the lauded Krug 2002.Drink ??-??
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Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged 2009. RS 10 g/l. 55% Pinot Noir, 45%
Chardonnay. From UK stock of Bordeaux Index.
Tasted blind. Pale, loose, sweet. Candified, and just a bit ordinary. Cuvée Louise? This was a
real disappointment – and it’s not the first time this vintage of Cristal has disappointed, as you
can see from our tasting notes database.Drink ??-??
17.5
Pommery, Cuvée Louise Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged 13 September 2013. RS 5 g/l. 60%
Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir. From EU stock of Pommery's European agent.
Tasted blind. Mid straw. Tense and tight with a long way to go. Lychees and lots of fruit.
Refined. Really long and reverberant. Lifted. Quite a revelation.Drink ??-??
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Bollinger, RD Extra Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged 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?Drink ??-??
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CALMER BLIND TASTING OF 2002 CHAMPAGNES
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Laurent-Perrier, Millésimé Brut 2002 Champagne50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir. RS 8 g/l.
Tasted blind. Deeper gold than most. Quite broad and even oaky – sort of Bollinger style. Quite
evolved aromatically with a hint of cheesiness. Bone dry on the end. Seems as though it is just
losing a bit of fruit in the middle. Falls off very slightly on the end, but compared with the
others there is good energy and I ended up upgrading it from 16.5. Very slightly bitter
finish.Drink 2008-2015
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Pol Roger, Brut 2002 ChampagneTasted blind. Magnum. Mid gold. Savoury and well knit. Lots
of complexity on the nose. Very rich with lots of dosage but far from unpleasant! Is this Pol?
Very substantial with a high pleasure quotient but at the opposite end of the spectrum from
grower’s Extra Brut! Lemon cream and good for current drinking.Drink 2010-2019
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Bollinger, RD Extra Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged 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.Drink 2012-2020
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Pol Roger, Sir Winston Churchill Cuvée Brut 2002 ChampagneDisgorged January 2014. RS 8
g/l. Tasted blind.
First bottle: Greenish gold. Not much nose – surprising! – much less than most. Very mouthfilling. Sweet and a bit simple. I’m not that impressed by this. Messy finish. 15.5 Drink 20102015
Second bottle: Fresher nose and this lasts a bit longer but it’s still sweet and a bit ordinary. 16
Drink 2011-2017
Third bottle: Very dull. Bit sweaty. What a disappointment! 15.5 Drink 2012-2018Drink 20112017
15.5
Taittinger, Millésimé Brut 2002 Champagne50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay.
Tasted blind. Greenish gold. Very sweet and firm on the nose – Veuve Clicquot? Moët? A bit
astringent. Solid. Doesn’t really follow through. Some bruised-apple character in the middle
but not an ethereal whole. Ticks boxes.Drink 2009-2018
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Bollinger, La Grande Année Brut 2002 Champagne60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Disgorged
November 2011. RS 6 g/l.
Tasted blind. Savoury and cheesy and interesting on the nose. Very distinctive. Exciting and
very deep flavoured. Very confident and multi-layered. In the prime of life. Not heavy –
sufficiently racy. Clean and neat. A firm cast-iron framework. Impressive. Very long.Drink
2014-2021
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Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut 2002 Champagne55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay. Dosage 10 g/l.
Disgorged 2009.
Tasted blind. Impressive bead. Sweet and lemony nose. Floral. A bit chewy. Not that
persistent. Almost works but overall it’s a bit simple – still simple on re-tasting. Bit of a fast
fade, but middle of the road overall.Drink 2011-2019
16.5
Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 2002 Champagne100%
Chardonnay. Disgorged March 2012. RS 9 g/l.
Tasted blind. Very well mannered. Not at all showy, but all seems to be in the right proportion.
Racy and energetic. Really very much in the spirit of 2002. Lots there but such pace! Marked
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acidity but great fruit too. Long. Youthful.Drink 2012-2022
18.5
Louis Roederer, Brut 2002 Champagne70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay.
Tasted blind. Deep gold. Burnished metallic notes – lots of evolution. Mouth-filling and broad
but fully evolved. Bit chewy on the end. Sweet start. No great persistence though.Drink 20102018
16.5Pol Roger, Brut 2002 Champagne60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Disgorged November
2012.
Tasted blind. Deep gold. Very oxidative on the nose. Racy with a bit of ginger beer. Not one of
the noblest, but not too old. Yeasty. Some apple skins. Serviceable rather than haunting.Drink
2010-2018
16.5
VARIOUS CHAMPAGNES
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De Castelnau, Réserve Brut NV ChampagneMade at the Reims co-op. 40% each of Chardonnay
and Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir.
Good texture and tiny bead. Big, aged nose but a bit lacking concentration on the palate more bruised apple.12.5% Drink 2016-2017
£25 The Wine Society, also Spirited Wines 15.5
Joseph Perrier, Cuvée Royale Brut NV ChampagneBased on 2012 (75%) with reserve wines
from the previous three years. Disgorged 4 July 2016. Dosage 7.5 g/l. New rather bulbous
bottle they are very proud of.
Very vigorous bead. Notably developed on the nose. Big and bold on the nose but a bit diffuse
on the palate. Brisk but without aggressive acidity. Straightforward but no great persistence.
Nothing to object to; nothing to get excited about.12% Drink 2016-2018
£30 RRP Cambridge Wine Merchants, Field & Fawcett, Frazier’s Wine Merchants, Hennings
Wine, Hercules Wine Warehouse, Jeroboams, Nethergate Wines, Stainton Wines, Talking
Wines, Tanners, Weavers 15.5
De Castelnau, Waitrose Brut 2005 ChampagneMild autolysis on the nose. Decent enough
balance. Some grip and evolution. A tad tired and beery. And then slight sweetness on the
end. Rather put together instead of organically grown. 12.5% Drink 2016-2018
£24.99 Waitrose 15.5
Artéis & Co, Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2004 ChampagneDosage 4 g/l. Very intense. Tautly
textured with some autolysis but overall very light and fresh. Very bright fruit with a hint of
smokiness. With great drive, this would make a superior aperitif - though those more used to
the famous old names might find it a bit aggressively dry.12% Drink 2015-2022
£90 RRP 17
Artéis & Co, Brut 2002 ChampagneAged 11 years before disgorgement in April 2014. The
blend is 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir with 65% of the fruit from grand cru vineyards
and the balance from premier crus. The Chardonnay grapes come from grands crus Bouzy and
Ambonnay (50%) and premier crus Vertus and Bisseuil (50%). The Pinot Noir grapes come
from grand crus Bouzy and Ambonnay (80%) and premier crus Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Vertus
(20%). Dosage 4g/l.
Fully mature nose with notes of toffee and cooking apples. Some might find this even a bit too
mature on the nose. Very delicate texture. This tastes like wine that happens to have some
pretty fine bubbles rather than a standard-issue champagne. Very long and with excellent
bead. For those who like a bit of obvious age on their champagne. 12% Drink 2014-2019
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£44 RRP reduced to £29.99 over Christmas 2016 Roberson 17
Artéis & Co, Brut 2007 Champagne41% Chardonnay from grands crus Chouilly and Avize, 49%
Pinot Noir from grands crus Mailly, Verzenay and Verz and premiers crus Avenay and Mutigny.
10% red Pinot Noir from Avenay and Verzy. Disgorged March 2014. Dosage 6 g/l.
Very very pale salmon pink. Very pretty floral nose that smells neither too old nor too young,
Lovely gentle (but not soft) texture. Very long. Bone-dry strawberry juice. 12% Drink 20142019
£57 RRP 17
Joseph Perrier, Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blancs NV ChampagneBased on 2012 with 15% reserve
wine from 2011. Disgorged 7 July 2016. Dosage 7.5 g/l.
Brisk, rather demanding level of acidity with some green vegetation on the nose. A bit
astringent on the end. Fine attempt to catch up with the kids but the texture rather lets it
down.12% Drink 2017-2020
£38 RRP Cambridge Wine Merchants, Field & Fawcett, Frazier’s Wine Merchants, Hennings
Wine, Hercules Wine Warehouse, Stainton Wines, Talking Wines, Weavers 15.5
Joseph Perrier, Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2010 ChampagneIn the fancy new bottle. Disgorged
2 May 2016. Dosage 5 g/l.
Neat, tiny bead. Rather tender and fragile on the nose and extremely refreshing on the palate
even if it's light but it's successful and very delicate. Possibly too delicate to serve with food
any more assertive than oysters or sushi but it makes a really rather entrancing aperitif - and
by no means austerely dry. Neat and well balanced.12% Drink 2016-2020
£50 RRP. Cambridge Wine Merchants, Field & Fawcett, Frazier’s Wine Merchants, Hennings
Wine, Hercules Wine Warehouse, Jeroboams, Stainton Wines, Talking Wines, Weavers 16.5
Joseph Perrier, Cuvée Royale Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature 2008 ChampagneDisgorgement date
on the back label: 20 April 2016. All Pinot Noir and zero dosage.
Quite a deep gold. Tiny bead. Savoury autolysis on the nose and very tight on the palate. Edgy
and lively. Quite substantial for such a dry wine. Tight but sufficiently broad and
satisfying.12% Drink 2016-2022
£50 RRP Cambridge Wine Merchants, Field & Fawcett, Frazier’s Wine Merchants, Hennings
Wine, Hercules Wine Warehouse, Stainton Wines, Talking Wines, Weavers 16.5
Joseph Perrier, Cuvée Royale Brut NV ChampagneBased on 2012. 75% Pinot Noir, 20%
Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier. 12-13% of the Pinot Noir is AOC Cumières Rouge. Disgorged
25 July 2016. Dosage 7.5 g/l.
Very pale greyish pink. Steady bead. Very broad, almost rudely broad, fruity nose. Rather
astringent finish. Green notes. 12% Drink 2017-2020
£38 RRP Cambridge Wine Merchants, Field & Fawcett, Frazier’s Wine Merchants, Hennings
Wine, Hercules Wine Warehouse, Nethergate Wines, Stainton Wines, Talking Wines, Tanners,
Weavers 15
Jamart, Cuvée de Réserve NV Champagne80% Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay. Dosage 7 g/l.
25,000 bottles made in St Martin d'Ablois outside Epernay.
I found this very youthful and rather green. It did not provide much nourishment and seemed a
bit light and austere.Drink 2016-2018
£25 RRP 15
Jamart, Volupté NV Champagne100% Chardonnay, 10,000 bottles made. Dosage less than 7
g/l.
Very difficult to extract the cork. Rather sluggish bead. Not exactly voluptuous but certainly
has more to it that the Cuvée Réserve. Light smokiness on the nose, very frothy on the palate,
with strong citrus acidity on the finish. Adequate but not thrilling.Drink 2016-2019
£27 RRP 15.5
Pol Roger, Brut 2002 ChampagneMagnum. Mild and relatively rich nose. Quite effusive mousse
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and a drier finish than some Pols. Quite lively though not especially long.Drink 2014-2022
16.5
Bollinger, La Grande Année Brut 2005 ChampagneMagnum. Relatively deep gold. Mushroomy,
weighty, very serious with a dry finish. Very Bollinger. Lively and admirable. Quite long.Drink
2014-2028
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VARIOUS SPARKLING WINES
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Miguel Torres, Cordillera Blanc de Noirs Pinot Noir Brut NV CuricóBased on the 2013 vintage,
apparently. Carries a sticker advertising that this wine was deemed a World Champion in Tom
Stevenson's Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships. RS 6 g/l.
Pretty good price for a traditional-method wine, and there does seem to be a suggestion of
autolysis here. Quite frothy with a hint of vegetal aromas and not that much obvious Pinot
character but very well made. Very brisk and refreshing. VGV12% Drink 2016-2018
£13.50 RRP Taurus Wines, Telford Wines, Polygon Wines, Dronfield Wine World 16
Denbies, Chalk Valley NV EnglandVery very frothy. Almost water white. Quite big bubbles. This
doesn't smell like Pinot and Chardonnay on the nose. More like hemp and hedgerow. Quite a
bit of sweetness and astringency. Not one of the finest examples.12% Drink 2016-2017
14.5
Philippe Michel Chardonnay 2013 Crémant du JuraExtraordinarily smart packaging for the
price. A impressively steady, tiny bead. Smells quite pungent and smoky. Assertive green
apples but no aggressive astringency. You can smell the Jura Chardonnay and the whole is a
thoroughly satisfying marvel at this price. There's even a bit of persistence and the finish is
clean and dry. No excess of flavour, but in this sort of wine, that's a compliment. VVGV12%
Drink 2016-2018
£7.49 Aldi 16
Mas de Daumas Gassac, Rosé Frizant 2015 Vin MousseuxPale strawberry colour. Slightly
messy froth. Strong strawberry notes on the nose. Tough, aggressive finish. More like pop than
wine. Sickly finish. Sweet-shop stuff?11% Drink 2017-2017
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J&B CHAMPAGNES
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Forget-Brimont, Brut Premier Cru NV ChampagneLight and fresh – not that concentrated but
very good for the money. Blossomy nose. Masses of acidity. A tad astringent. Light and a little
sweet though far better than a supermarket loss leader.Drink 2016-2018
£185 per case of 12 ib Justerini & Brooks 16
Forget-Brimont, Rosé Brut Premier Cru NV ChampagnePale tomato pink. A bit uncomfortably
sweet and astringent on the end.Drink 2016-2017
£210 per case of 12 ib Justerini & Brooks 15
Pascal Doquet, Horizon Blanc de Blancs Brut NV ChampagneMassal selection vines. Blend of
67% 2011 and 33% 2010. Disgorged Feb 2014 with RS 7 g/l.
A bit of evolution on the nose. Lightly frothy. Not desperately serious and very transparent, but
a very pleasing aperitif. GV Drink 2015-2017
£105 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16.5
Pascal Doquet, Le Mont Aimé Blanc de Blancs Brut Premier Cru 2005 ChampagneFull, rich
nose. Big – although it’s a Blanc de Blancs there is less chalk here. Pretty good and very
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serious and savoury. Long and vibrant.Drink 2016-2020
£170 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 17
Pascal Doquet, Vertus Brut Premier Cru 2004 ChampagneSome aged honey and savour on the
nose. Quite chewy and serious – a food wine rather than an aperitif with lots of chew – but an
admirable attempt.Drink 2016-2021
£175 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16.5
Pascal Doquet, Anthocyanes Rosé Extra Brut Premier Cru NV ChampagneLots of sweet
development even though it’s Extra Brut. Masses of fruit here! Well done. Not sickly just well
done.Drink 2016-2019
£175 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16.5
Diebolt-Vallois, Blanc de Blancs Brut NV ChampagneA bit frothy and lemony. Not much grip
but pretty and evanescent. Drink 2016-2019
£110 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16
Diebolt-Vallois, Prestige Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru NV ChampagneNot the freshest.
Smells as though the fruit were slightly smashed. Masses of acidity and tight tension.
Ambitious but I’m not sure I approve of the direction of the ambition. Pretty frothy. And then it
fades a little bit.Drink 2017-2021
£135 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16
Diebolt-Vallois, Fleur de Passion à Cramant Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru 2006
ChampagneDense and racy. Massively fizzy – almost uncomfortable. Just a bit too aggressive
for me. Drink 2018-2020
£310 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16
Philipponnat, Blanc de Noirs Brut 2008 ChampagneQuite a bit of age on the nose and with
great integrity. I swallowed this. Great elegance and – I was going to write integrity again.
Transparent but far from light. Really energetic. GV Drink 2016-2022
£220 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 17.5
Philipponnat, Cuvée 1522 Brut Grand Cru 2004 ChampagneRich nose and rather sweet and
frothy on the palate. A bit astringent and still a bit raw – sweet and sour?Drink 2018-2024
£265 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16
Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses Brut 2007 ChampagneVery lively and sinewy on the nose.
Nicely tight bead and almost medicinal. Real character and starting to drink well. Drink 20162028
£566 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 17.5
Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses Brut 2005 ChampagneMuch more open than the 2002 for
instance with a hint of wet wool. Not one of my favourite Clos des Goisses.Drink 2015-2023
£465 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16.5
Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses Brut 2003 ChampagneSomething very aromatically medicinal
on the nose. Falls away a bit on the end. Rich but past its peak, I’d say, even though there is
lots of pleasure to be had. Quite long.Drink 2013-2018
£575 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16.5
Egly-Ouriet, Tradition Brut Grand Cru NV ChampagneVery savoury, serious nose. Big and
broad. Makes a massive statement. Nicely dry but with masses of character and nothing in
excess. Very neat, persistent finish.Drink 2016-2020
£245 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 17
Egly-Ouriet, Millésimé Brut Grand Cru 2006 Champagne8 years on the lees. Barrel
fermentation.
So deep a gold I thought it might have been a rosé at first. A tad cheesy and too old on the
nose for me – almost fragile. Should appeal to those who like their champagne really old.Drink
2014-2017
£425 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 16
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Egly-Ouriet, Millésimé Brut Grand Cru 2005 ChampagneTense and savoury with weight and
intention. Just a little hint of Meursault! Very rewarding and fresher than the 2006. Long.Drink
2015-2020
£360 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks 17