Grace and Danger: 66 Vintage Champagnes 1997-2004

Introduction

Two years ago, I reviewed 50 vintage champagnes, 1995-2002. This time around, I’ve upped the ante to 66 Vintage Champagnes dated between 1997 and 2004. This means for the purposes of this tasting that two great vintages (1995 and 1996) have dropped off the radar, being replaced by the younger 2003 and 2004. 2001 is the missing year here – generally a poor year with mercifully few releases (though Boulard’s Les Rachais 01 is a triumph of biodynamics over adversity).

It is also interesting to compare those wines that were present at both shows, firstly to see how they have evolved, but also to see whether I have changed my mind about any of them. Fortunately, a comparison suggests that my thoughts are reasonably consistent!

Specific luxury cuvées aside, Vintage Champagne should be the highest quality expression of a specific year reflected by the Champagne House’s own style. Meanwhile, global warming seems to be enabling more vintage declarations, so there is more vintage Champagne about, though it is still only a small fraction of the Champagne market.

What to look for? Well, for me, Vintage Champagne is about grace and danger. The best wines should be elegant, graceful and poised yet offer a truly thrilling (and perhaps sometimes an edgy and challenging) ride.

Of course, this comes with the caveat that the youngest wines are generally not ready. There were also some great names not on show: Krug, Vilmart, Boulard, Selosse and Serge Mathieu were notable absentees.

 

2004

A vintage of considerable potential, with good levels of acidity. Plenty of it too.

Philippe Brugnon, Vintage Premier Cru. Rilly la Montagne
Rather a closed nose, some leesy character, a little apple and biscuit. Young and tight.

André Jacquart, Grand Cru Le Mesnil, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Super Blanc de Blancs. Very nice floral nose, some baked bread aroma, hint of coconut. Good rich palate! Complexity, quite soft, excellent balance and texture, hazelnut length. Excellent expression.

De St. Gall, Premier Cru. Avize
The Union Co-op, all Chardonnay again. Pale silver, very high acidity – blocked malolactic? Creamy sweet mid-palate. Well made enjoyable high quality wine.

Deutz, Vintage. Aÿ
Good mousse, focused, minerals but not much complexity yet. A little subdued but good quality here for longer term drinking.

Duval-Leroy, Authentis Clos des Bouveries. Vertus
Amylic nose, searing acidity, seems very unbalanced. Hard work – will it come round? Single vineyard and a hint of wood suggests expensive. Assume all Chardonnay. Isn’t this organic?

Gimonnet, Brut Gastronome. Cuis
Blanc de Blancs. Pale gold, green glints. Very slow bubble stream. Hints of coffee and smoke on the nose, good balance, nicely judged dosage, super mouth feel, satisfying length. I like this!

Larmandier-Bernier, Vieille Vigne de Cramant. Vertus
Biodynamic Blanc de Blancs, tiny dosage. Lively mousse. Plenty going on here. Flecks of green in the gold so typical of young Blanc de Blancs. Lovely toasty nose, Big Lemons! Leesy palate that still needs more time to unwind, hint of wood. Long and lovely. Exciting stuff.

Nicolas Feuillatte, Brut Vintage. Chouilly
40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. Pale silver, dumb nose. Citrus palate, little sign of anything else at present. Uninvolving co-op wine.

Péhu-Simonet, Grand Cru Vintage. Verzenay
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in equal parts, some barrel work going on. Lively mousse, brioche nose, slight vanilla. Bit short and tough right now but might come around nicely. Need to improve that label – not a looker!

 

2003

This Vintage is surprising. I was in Champagne during the devastating spring frosts that destroyed yields, while the summer that followed was fearsomely hot, meaning low acidity and high alcohol for some. So polarity with this year, with poor and excellent wines made. Regardless, most of them will be for earlier drinking than is usual, many drinking now.

Agrapart, Grand Cru Minéral. Avize
Blanc de Blancs. Pale gold, very ripe fruit, quite assertive, rich and leesy. Bold rather than elegant. Muscular.

Maillart, Extra Brut Franc de Pieds, Ecueil
A terrific discovery! Lots of information on the bottle: Ungrafted Pinot Noir vines (hence the Franc de Pieds) planted in 1973. Bottle number 140 of just 3,811. No filtration, wooden vats and lees stirring. Disgorged by hand in July 2007, no dosage at all. Pale gold, almost a pinkish tinge. Wonderful lift, big red berry aroma, brioche, biscuit and cinnamon. Palate is creamy yet with a sherbet tang. Super balance.

Baron Fuente, Millésimé Brut. Charly-sur-Marne
Very pale, fruity nose, sweet shop.

Charles de Cazanove, Tradition. Reims
Unfocused, diffuse nose. Dull and short, blowsy.

H. Blin, Vintage. Vincelles
White blossom and smoke nose, leesy notes. Good co-op wine.

Louis Roederer, Brut Vintage. Reims
Grande marque excellence. Blimey, the acidity is high – and in 2003 too! Bit of a shock to the system like a splash of cold water. Biscuit, autolysis and not yet loveable, but I bet will be.

Moët & Chandon, Grand Vintage. Épernay
Dull beyond my wildest imaginings. Comes on like a cheap NV. Bet it’s not priced like one. Duff?

Moutard, Cuvée aux 6 Cépages. Buxeuil
Another five star award for individuality and brio! From down in the Aube comes this mix of all six champagne grapes –the usual Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are accompanied by the old timers: Petit Meslier, Arbanne and Pinot Blanc. 12,798 bottles made, disgorged September 2008. Very forward assertive nose, smells of salinity and seashores with hints of hazelnut. Palate a rich creamy mix of bitter orange, macaroon, minerals, greengages, apple, citrus. Big and bold. Grace and danger!

 

2002

The vintage is said to be a great one, the best since 1998, with soft acidity, complexity and balance. Many Blanc de Blancs on show, and jolly good they are too.

Guy Cadel, Millésimé. Mardeuil
Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Golden, slow bubbles. Rich, broad and mouth filling, creamy palate. Slightly amylic, but good biscuit length and balance nonetheless. Good.

Canard-Duchêne, Vintage. Ludes
White flower nose, hint of white chocolate and grilled nuts perhaps. Interesting.

Cattier, Brut Vintage. Chigny-la-Rose
Pale silver with golden flecks. Citrus, a bit short. Disappointingly functional, passive.

Chanoine Frères, Vintage. Reims
White currants! Berry and leaf on the nose, reprised on the palate, just like the white currant bush in my garden! Slightly built, floral and with marzipan note on finish. All Chardonnay. Enticingly different, very gamine.

Comte Audoin de Dampierre, Sommelier Réserve. Chenay
Closure is hand-tied with hemp, very traditional. Light yellow, bitter oranges with creamy mousse, elegant. Nutty and a little honeyed thing going on at the end. Quite different and well worth investigating.

De Castellane, Brut Millésime. Épernay
Floral and slightly vegetal nose, pale lemon colour and flavour, going nowhere backwards.

Gardet, Rosé Charles Gardet. Chigny-la-Rose
Pinot’s Noir and Meunier in equal parts, one of the few vintage Rosé on show, made by saignée (bleeding) method. Orange tinted and almost brownish. Palate is a strange mix of redcurrant and autumn leaves. Premature aging?

Heidsieck & Co., Monopole Silver Top. Épernay

The one that sounds like it ought to be delivered by the milkman. Lees and smoke, good balance and length. I’d be happy to have this on my doorstep every morning.

Jacquart, Brut Mosaïque. Reims
Lemony with silver flecks. Lifted nose, coffee! Really interesting chewy palate, yet fresh and well balanced. Excellent!

Jean Milan, Millénaire “Symphorine” Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. Ogier
Blanc de Blanc, a spécial Chardonnay. A terrific nose – honeyed white flowers and spices. Nothing harsh on the palate, rather soft and pillowed, this is subtle insinuating stuff. Choux pastry, hazelnut, citrus and a honeyed back palate. Seductive. More please!

Le Mesnil, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru. Mesnil sur Oger
A delicious co-op wine. Super-fine nose, elderflower blossom. Very graceful and refined.

Moutardier, Vintage. La Breuil
80% Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay. First bottle - cheesy. Second bottle far better, apples and a touch of oxidation. Big fruit, slight spice note. Interesting wine, drink it before that oxidation goes too far.

Pannier, Vintage. Château Thierry
Heady and leesy, yet feels green and unripe on the nose and palate. Very lean.

Jacky Charpentier, Brut Vintage. Villers-sous-Châtillon
Chardonnay and both Pinots. Very ripe, traces of oxidation. Bold bruiser for drinking now.

Philipponnat, Réserve. Mareuil–sur-Aÿ
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. High acidity, low dosage. Very tightly wound, dense and firm. Needs much more time to fill out and reveal itself. Come back again in five years, high expectations.

Taittinger, Brut. Reims
Assume the usual 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Not ready. Brioche nose, Palate is still dominated by citrus and apple fruit. A big mouthful. Very classy.

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Brut. Reims
No hard edges, another big mouthful that needs more time. Needs to be less polite.

Veuve Fourny, Vintage. Vertus
Blanc de Blanc. Dominated by high acidity, minerals to the fore. Not great.

 

2000

The vintage was decent enough, though many declarations were made to cash in on the magic millennium number. The best are very good.

Thiénot, Vintage. Reims
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Darkish lemon colour, slow bead. Pastry and baked apple. Spice complexity, knitted together. Showing much better than their 1996 did, drinking now.

Ayala, Perle d'Ayala. Aÿ
Deep glistening lemon colour. Superior depth. Very classy elegant wine – as usual.

Beaumont des Crayères, Fleur de Prestige. Mardeuil
Disappointing showing from this co-op. Short on class, long on asperity. Their Nostalgie is so much better than this...

Besserat de Bellefon, Cuvée des Moines. Reims
Full on and it really is a bit relentless. Amylic, autolytic. OTT-ic.

Billecart-Salmon, Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart. Mareuil–sur-Aÿ
Nose of white fruits, Mirabelle. Lovely firm acidity. Buttered toast. Nutty – hazelnut and walnut complexity. Leave alone for another couple of years. Breathtaking.

Boizel, Brut Millésime. Épernay
Pinot dominant blend. Disjointed palate, leesy apple and biscuit flavours, fairly bold – some oak lurking here?

Bollinger, La Grande Année. Aÿ
The latest release lives up to expectations. A big bold wine yet has that classy elegance too. Not a particularly expressive nose but the palate packs a real punch. A Rolls Royce, where the power is always described as “sufficient”. Like being wafted along. Drinking this before their 1999?

Demoiselle, La Parisienne Vintage. Reims
A silly, fat, clear glass bottle. All fur coat and no knickers.

Piper-Heidsieck, Vintage. Reims
Deep citrus, hardly any bubbles, so slow moving, but bags of flavour – a hazelnut in every bite. Topic! Very good.

Charles Heidsieck, Vintage. Reims
Gold with green hint. Fully ready, toasty, lemony, good long length. Drinking very well now.

Devaux, D de Devaux. Bar-sur-Seine
Big full flavours, honeyed notes and a great advert for the Aube region. Perennial favourite delivers as usual. Redcurrant leaf, hints of toast and coffee, nicely fresh.

Drappier, Grande Sendrée. Urville
55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. Drappier’s best cuvée is right up there with the finest. Aube-tastic. Not ready yet, more time to knit together required. This wine will amply reward the patient and the faithful.

J. Dumangin et Fils, Millésime. Chigny la Rose
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Very fine and delicate nose, filigreed. Nice golden colour, vinous palate, apples and nuts, toast. Well worth checking out.

Pierre Moncuit, Cuvée Millésimée Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. Le Mesnil sur Oger
For me, one of the great Blanc de Blancs. Drink now – this seems just as ready as a recently enjoyed 1996. Etched quality, lovely balance. Chalky, hazelnuts, spices, delicacy.

René Geoffroy, Premier Cru Millésime. Cumieres
Extra Brut style – high acidity, little or no dosage. Amylic, very oxidised and unhappy.

 

1999

The vintage produced ripe grapes that lacked acidity. Nevertheless, some very good wines were produced by some and they are showing well now in many cases.

Henri Giraud, Fûts de Chêne. Aÿ
Power, an onslaught on the palate, ginger spices, oaked effects. Oxidation in a nice way, as an underpinning touch. Individual, a real bruiser of a wine, yet strangely alluring. Seems much more ready than their 1998.

Bruno Paillard, Brut Assemblage. Reims
Very rich, distinctive, subtlety here and rather intellectual. Interesting texture. Good stylish wine with a way to go yet.

Delamotte, Blanc de Blancs. Les Mesnil sur Oger
Good balance, nice acidity, fruit, toast and grilled notes and lots of subtle citrus and grapefruit. Not showy. Drinking now.

G.H. Mumm, Vintage. Reims
Pale colour, plenty of bubbles. Stinky reduced nose. The components seem only distantly related to one another.

Gosset, Grand Millésime. Aÿ
With the lovely green label. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Golden, fast bubbles. Real precision and focus, minerals, herbs, acacia and refreshment. Cinnamon, ginger spice and vanilla complexity. Exciting stuff, I like the Gosset style.

Joseph Perrier, Vintage. Châlons-en-Champagne
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Pale gold, all of a piece, hard to dissect. Leesy, a little oxidation, pear fruit, pastry, spice finish. Very good.

Laurent Perrier, Brut Millésimé. Tours sur Marne
This is still Chablis with bubbles, very understated and lean, for quiet reflection rather than celebration.

Pol Roger, Vintage Brut. Épernay
Very fine and nuanced nose. Hints of peach. Still a bit tight but a weightless balance, effortless poise. Leave it alone for a couple of years at the very least. All the excellence you would expect.

 

1998

Good vintage, thought to be slightly less good than 97 or 96, but some stunners made, though they are taking their time to develop.

Arlaux, Vintage. Vrigny
Crunchy green apple, narrow focus, clumsy and rather tiring.

Alfred Gratien, Millésime. Épernay
Well made, soft apple character, fruit rather than complexity. Big wine.

Henriot, Vintage. Reims
51% Pinot Noir, 49% Chardonnay. Very good! Brioche and herb nose. Apple, pear, citrus complexity. Good depth, not showy, just stylish.

Lanson, Gold Label. Reims
High acidity, very lean and bone dry. Lemon, grapefruit plus a little baked apple the hallmark high acid (blocked malolactic) Lanson style. That means it is built for ageing and this wine is only now showing well, but it’s still worth keeping longer to develop more complexity. Lanson only rewards those prepared to wait.

Perrier-Jouët, Vintage. Épernay
White flowers, chalky minerality. Does all the right things except stand out, no rough edges or elbows. Very good but could be more assertive.

Tarlant, Vintage. Oeuilly
65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir. A baked apple beauty! Cinnamon spices, gentle wood effects, rounded acidity, drinking very well. A favourite.

Pommery, Grand Cru. Reims
Disjointed, sulphurous, sweaty and hard-edged metallic finish. So was a second bottle.

 

1997

A terrific vintage.

Jacquesson, Millésime. Dizy
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, just 8,086 bottles made. Baked apple, brown spices and some oak effects. Liqueur like character, honey, caramel and nuts. Very long. A food wine. Cracking stuff.

 

Conclusions

Overall, a very high quality showing. Of these 66 wines, 15 or so really stood out, from which my final top six are drawn, a very personal choice where I’ve tried to choose something from each vintage. Of the Grande Marques, Bollinger and Pol Roger just missed out. Here they are:

Gimonnet, Brut Gastronome 2004
A Blanc de Blancs with much more to come, yet delicious already. Armit, £134.00 for a case of 6 in Bond (VAT and Duty to pay, so around £30.00 each).

Larmandier-Bernier, Vieille Vigne de Cramant 2004
Biodynamic Blanc de Blancs, sensual stuff. Lea & Sandeman £42.50

Moutard, Cuvée aux 6 Cépages 2003
Selected to represent the Aube, has all six grapes and included for sheer brio! Noel Young Wines, £30.49

Chanoine Frères, Vintage 2002
Another Blanc de Blancs! Very slightly built, majors on delicacy and finesse. £151.14 for a case of 6 (equivalent to £25.19 each) from Everywine.

Billecart-Salmon, Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 2000
Billecart-Salmon does it again; their 1998 NF was a top selection two years ago. Berry Brothers, £58.70.

Gosset, Grand Millésime 1999
Umm, Gosset does it again too! This time with exactly the same wine – how consistent is that? Reserve Wines, Didsbury, £46.99

Lanson, Gold Label 1998
High acid classic just starting to drink well. Majestic have it for £29.99 if you buy two, or The Four Vintners, £28.99

© Paul Howard, April 2009