Finesse and purity take precedence over power, intensity, and structure in the wines of the 2004 Champagne vintage, says Essi Avellan MW, after a tasting shared with Simon Field MW and Joanna Simon.
If you browse through wine websites, you’ll see that the 2004 Champagne vintage does not rank very highly on most vintage charts. Nor does it fare particularly well on secondary markets, with much more interest always being given to the instantly impressive 2002 harvest year. Yet these 2004 Champagne wines have surprised positively since their arrival on the markets—and keep on doing so, while remaining surprisingly overlooked. Since the onset, their fortes have included a certain featherlight elegance and pristine purity. Twenty years after harvest, the teenagers have grown into adults, the complexities are out for show, and the maturation capacity is estimable—thus it is time to put the 2004 Champagne vintage to the test.
2004 Champagne: High quality from high yields
The 2004 Champagne harvest year is remembered for its massive yields, by far the largest on record at the time. The prelude to the 2004 yields was played back in 2003, when a dramatic frost and severe drought cut the yields down to a mere 8,100kg per hectare. Therefore, in the following spring, the vines’ root systems were full of unused sugars ready to feed the vine. After a favorable spring, the potential crop levels revealed themselves, and consequently, quality-conscious producers went on dramatically limiting the yield by debudding and green-harvesting. Despite the efforts, the average agronomical yield rose to more than 20,000kg per hectare, with 30,000 or even 40,000kg/ha not unheard of. Miraculously, after a nerve-rackingly murky August, fine September weather managed to ripen such a humongous crop. Average potential alcohol ended up being 9.8%, supported by an average total acidity of 7.3g/l.
Remembering the much-repeated wine mantra that a small crop is necessary for producing high quality, expectations were not high in the area, despite the excellent health of the grapes (average gluconic acid 0.04g/l). Finally, the official yield was set to 13,990kg/ha—exceptionally high but far from what was hanging on the vines. Fortunately, this discrepancy gave further tools for managing quality. Some concentrated on the best sites and left the lesser sites untouched. The second and equally qualitative strategy was limiting the volumes at the press, so keeping only the heart of the pressing, the coeur de cuvée. With excellent grape health and opportunities for strict selection, the Champenois saw early on that there was something special to the vins clairs. Most producers therefore decided to vintage the 2004.
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Impressive results 20 years on
Together with Simon Field MW and Joanna Simon, I blind-tasted a sample of 20 Vintage and prestige cuvées from the 2004 Champagne vintage. Of two wines, we tasted two different disgorgements. Overall, we rated the wines very highly, our average score reaching 93. Joanna’s average was highest at 94, mine summed up to 93, whereas Simon’s was a little lower at 92. There was an abundance of high scores. Joanna gave 95 or more for ten wines, and I for nine wines, whereas Simon was more prudent, with three. Joanna was expecting even more of the wines, as she explains in her verdict. I, however, was—once again—happily surprised by the wines, their spectacular state of youthfulness and the low number of disappointing wines. This was even more impressive when you consider that we were missing some of the most famous cuvées, as Joanna mentions.
Reductive styles and Chardonnay-led cuvées did particularly well, with Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires Blanc de Blancs, Pommery Cuvée Louise in magnum (not tasted by Joanna), and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs rated equally high. Overall, the wines seem to have kept their seductive and refined reductive qualities well, with very few oxidized wines, apart from some intrinsically oxidative styles.
It was intriguing to compare an original disgorgement of the Lanson in magnum to a recent one from 2023. Simon wasn’t really into either of them, whereas Joanna and I found true greatness in the sweetly fruity, nutty, and textured 2012 disgorgement. The two Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Collections were disgorged only six months apart in 2020, yet the earlier disgorgement got an average score as much as two points higher. (I gave it four points more, Simon two, and Joanna one.) This exemplifies very well that every disgorgement is different and that at this age are there may be no perfect wines, just perfect bottles.
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Originally, dilution due to the high yields was expected to be the weakness of the 2004 Champagne vintage, but 20 years on we can state that it didn’t end up being so. Even if you find expressions like “intense,” “weight of fruit,” and “vinous gravitas” in our tasting notes, the most repeated terms would be “finesse” and “elegance.” The year’s best wines share an airy, ballerina-like lightness, a dancingly vivacious nature. These might not be Champagne’s most monumental or structured wines, but it is hard to beat them for delicacy and refinement—two ever-rarer qualities in our warming climate.
Simon Field MW’s verdict
SF: This was a fascinating tasting from a vintage that did not attract the selectors’ eyes in the early years, so anxious were they, perhaps, about the idiosyncrasies of 2003 and the munificence of 2002. Well, we knew from the start that 2004 was a large harvest and one that, unusually, was able to combine quantity and quality. The vines had significantly underperformed in 2003, so had a lot more to give in 2004. But give what? Usually, volume and fruit quality make uneasy bedfellows. And so it was felt initially: an average vintage; nothing especially worrying, structurally speaking, but little to recommend itself in terms of entering the pantheon. Better wait for 2008. But hindsight is a valued friend, and just as it looks set to elevate the reputation of 2013, a late and rather reticent year, on the evidence of this bijou tasting, 2004 is also ready for another look 20 years on from the vintage.
The two key features evidenced were, first, an absence of tiring oxidative notes, and second, and as a result, an aromatic integrity and genuine freshness on the palate. An exhilarating set of Champagnes, then, happy in their own skin, be they oaked or unoaked, early or late disgorged. The significant numbers of the latter probably reflect the commercial realities of what is available, but on the evidence of this tasting, it may well be worth digging a little deeper to unearth a few gemstones.
Joanna Simon’s verdict
I went into this tasting with high expectations, and my high average score (94) would seem to suggest that these expectations were well met—all the more so if you remove my lowest-by-far score from the calculation. And yet I reached the end feeling just a tiny bit disappointed, even though I had just given the penultimate wine, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, my highest score, and the final wine, Dom Ruinart Rosé (the only rosé present on the day and the only wine I was sure I recognized), my second highest.
Why the very slight niggle? The problem is mine. I went in with expectations that were too high (children and Christmas come to mind), born of the twin prospect of mature prestige cuvée Champagnes and of the 2004 vintage. It’s a vintage I have rated increasingly highly over time. At the outset—meaning the harvest, the vins clairs, then the release of the first Vintage wines from dependable producers—2004 was greeted enthusiastically and, equally, with a huge sigh of relief after 2003 (pitifully small; stricken by frost, hail, and extreme heat). But it was not considered one of the greats, like 2002, and was slightly overshadowed by it. (2002 deserved its accolades and was sorely needed after a run of years lacking any outstanding vintages.)
The 2004 vintage had another slight handicap: its size. The huge volume was more than welcome, but it was in an era when higher yields were thought to preclude top quality. The more cuvées that were released, however, the more obvious it became that there was no lack of concentration in the Champagnes and they were as intense as they were fresh and elegant. They also developed more slowly than I, for one, expected—the blanc de blancs and Chardonnay-dominated styles especially.
This brings me back to the tasting. I noted that two—Philipponnat Clos des Goisses and Dom Pérignon—still had “plenty of life” in them, but my impressions from this slightly limited selection (absentees included Krug, Cristal, Salon, Bollinger RD, Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, and Pol Roger Winston Churchill) are, first, that 2004 prestige cuvée Champagnes have mostly reached a comfortable plateau, encompassing a balance of attractive tertiary aromas and flavors; and second, that decline, albeit gentle and graceful, is going to set in for most within three to five years (the Comtes de Champagne and Dom Ruinart rosé being notable exceptions). This is sooner than I would have expected a few years ago.
Two final observations. For me, Chardonnay came out on top—just—with my highest score, 97, for Comtes de Champagne, and two of my five 96s for Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires and Clos des Goisses (70% Chardonnay). As for disgorgement comparisons, I preferred the Lanson Gold Label Le Vintage disgorged back in early 2012 to that disgorged in 2023; and of the two Moëts disgorged only six months apart in 2020, we all preferred the earlier disgorgement.
2004 Champagne: The tasting
Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2004 (12% ABV) |96
EA | Bright, lemon-toned color with depth. Refined nose of fine, toasty profile. Lots of layers: charred tones, roasted coffee, custard cream, pencil shavings, lemon, and yellow apple. The palate has a lovely, silky flow to it, the bubbles feeling small-sized and lazy. The finish lasts long, showing pristine fruitiness, perky freshness, and a playful energy to it. This initially felt like it had some more complexity to gain but it evolved rather quickly in the glass, suggesting otherwise. A refined, lively, and silky, immediately impressive whole. 2024–29. | 96
SF | Straw green-gold, limpid, and with demonstrable grip on the side of the glass. Subtle aromatic: verbena, Braeburn apples, and a hint of white pepper. Pure and finely rendered. The palate is equally seductive, finely structured, and with excellent balancing acidity and impressive length. Appreciable mid-palate weight, nougat, and sourdough sit adroitly next to the citrus fruit. Generous on the finish, without compromising a fundamental structural elegance. Oak seems to have been finely managed here, and the build (nutmeg, walnut, and the like) continues to impress after half an hour in the glass. Rich and magnificently textured. Bravo! | 95
JS | Mid-primrose, with just a hint of green. Fairly gentle mousse. Biscuity, sweet brioche and buttered toast, with luminous spiced-apricot and apple-pie fruit and intensity. A cashmere-
soft texture, with chalky/mineral underpinning and precise, fine-boned acidity. A wine of depth and intensity, framed in the lightest of molds. Perfect now, but it probably won’t be the longest-lived. | 96
Pommery Cuvée Louise Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV; magnum) |96
EA | Bright lemon color, showing only little evolution. Beautiful reductive toastiness impresses on the elegant, remarkably youthful nose. Sweetly and pristinely fruity nose, with floral fragrance and sweet orchard fruit meeting brown butter and roasted coffee in the most elegant of ways. The palate comes with a fine, dancing airiness, its energetic mousse and fine acid line carrying the wine to its long, honey-toned finish. This complete, delightfully delicate and hugely enjoyable wine is now in its prime. 2024–33. | 96
SF | Green-gold, and a delightful, evolved nose of autumn leaves, macadamia, and white truffle. The palate is seductive, too, lovely, nutty, rich, and ripe, the acidity harmoniously rendered—a firm, persuasive peroration, by turns lyrical, nostalgic, and pleasingly youthful. A beguiling enigma, 20 years down the track. | 95
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |96
EA | Medium-deep lemon color. Gorgeous, toasty nose, with such sweet charm: vanilla, coffee with cream, cotton candy, and lemon meringue pie. Full-on, sweet, and expressive palate, with fine intensity and a degree of refinement. Still perky by bubbles and perfectly energetic, the creamy palate carries long. A complete and instantly impressive whole, with no signs of weakening or negative aromatic development. A very strong wine, with further improvement potential. 2023–33. | 97
SF | Pale gold, with modest bubbles; an elegant and precocious nose, verbena, mid-season apples, mirabelle plum, and a touch of spice. Delicious on the palate, the fruit seemingly a little riper (hints of guava, mango, and fig) but without compromising grip or autolytic authority. Sweetness is born of ripeness rather than too much dosage; the finish is long and persuasive. Very elegant. Very impressive. | 94
JS | Mid-primrose. Fragrant honeysuckle and evolved, honeyed-toast aromas. Succulent fruit (quince, peach, and ripe lemon) entwined with grilled-nut richness and toasty depth, lifted by floral freshness. Finest, chiseled acidity, fine chalk-dust texture and a long, elegantly smoky, saline, slightly spicy finish. | 97
Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |95
EA | Bright lemon color. The nose is gorgeously expressive, with refined toastiness of fireworks and toasted bread running the show. Very healthy aromatically, with no oxidative tones. The palate is equally satisfying, with a lot of width and fleshy deliciousness. The texture is lacy, with an impression of lightness and airiness. The mousse is caressingly soft yet vivacious, adding to the wine’s air of youthfulness and vibrancy. No hurry to enjoy this very sound wine, which gives instant pleasure today. 2024–30. | 97
SF | Pallor, more than most, belies a richer, oak-dominated palate, yet carefully controlled oak, courtesy of expert winemaking. Intimations of youth and the inevitability of middle age provide no impediment to a pleasing evolution so far and, on this evidence, with more to come. The vanillin weight informs the palate but does not detract from a crystalline albeit distinctive purity of expression. Incense, red fruit, and a spicy peroration all underwrite an inherent quality, which is set fair for further development. Sui generis, even if more and more are making wine in this style these days. This one maybe has a head start. | 92
JS | Bright pale to mid-primrose, with just a hint of green. Delicate mousse. Alluring, expressive, biscuity, toasty, evolved aromas overlaying a floral fragrance and fresh peach. The palate adds pain d’épices, toasted hazelnuts, and honey on toast, all the while maintaining the fresh floral notes and the succulent peach. Buttered-toast richness, sweet fruit, and softly supporting acidity. | 96
Pommery Clos Pompadour Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |95
EA | Pale lemon color. Fresh, attractively fruity nose, with some gunpowder and toasty whiffs over a lime and yellow-apple base. The palate is perky and fresh, with lightweight fruit to it. The carry is medium-long and lemony fresh, leaving the palate clean and ready for more. A little dilute, judging by its feel in the mouth, but there is charm to its lightness and vivacity. Keeping young, but the fruit intensity is only moderate, so extensive aging is not recommendable. 2023–28. | 95
SF | Lively mousse behind the evolved, green-gold color; a hint of luminosity, too. Incredible youthful vigor for a wine of this age, more noticeable on the nose and even more so on the palate. A Dorian Gray characteristic, which seems to defy received wisdom. Citric fruit, almond, figs, and the slightest whisper of evolution. Lovely, athletic mid-palate character, plenty of vim and vigor thereafter, and a finely rendered, satisfying finish. | 94
JS | A fragrant, fresh, floral, lightly creamy nose that defies its age. Peach and raspberry follow the floral notes, and there’s a hint of crème brûlée, but this is more defined by its gossamer texture, layered elegance, and refined toasty length. | 96
Ruinart Rosé Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |95
EA | Deep, orange-toned color. The expressive nose is showing some wild, evolving Pinot tones of dark spiciness and pencil shavings alongside reductive, smoky aromas. Peachy fruit, with strawberry jam and red apple. The palate shows some more restraint, being firm and structured, with a touch of drying tannin at the back palate. Seems surprisingly youthful for its age, though there is not that much flesh on the bone for truly extensive aging. 2024–34. | 95
SF | Evolved color: ochre damask; the bead persists, however. Attractive, savory aromatic: rosehip, peach, gunpowder, and sloe; hints of suede and nectarine. The palate rehearses a tension between the fruit character, an incipient leathery, gamey development, and the finely rendered foundation matrix that juxtaposes fresh acidity, a not-inconsiderable weight of fruit, and gentle phenolic support. All in all, highly successful. | 95
JS | Copper-pink. Strawberry, smoked almond, and a touch of toast on the nose. Powerful and intensely flavored palate: dry but sweet-fruited apricot, as well as strawberry, with gingerbread, nutmeg, and coffee. Chewy and nicely phenolic. Not subtle, but it has great depth and presence. A good rosé for food. | 96
Delamotte Collection Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2004 (12% ABV) |94
EA | Pale lemon color. Soft, elegantly toast-lined nose, with pristine white fruit. Lime, white flowers, cream, and interesting, waxy evolution. There is yeasty softness on the elegant satiny palate. The mousse is calm, adding to the soft appeal of the wine. Healthy evolution, drinking very well now, with age-derived complexity and mellowness. Can take further evolution. 2023–33. | 96
SF | Appealing green-gold; smoky, rich nose of almond and spice, resin and fig; a touch of evolution. Elegant fruit character, a touch of pepper and spice, nice grip on the finish. Tapered and elegant, refined and precise. | 91
Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Grande Cuvée Rosé Brut Champagne 2004 (12% ABV) |94
EA | Deep, orange-toned color. There is a lot of evolution on the orange-peel and marmalade nose. Underneath, dried apricots and baking spices lift their heads, but there is also a slightly rubbery tone to the fruit. Elegant and medium-bodied still on the palate, despite all the in-built vinous gravitas. The structure is still firm, and there is ample fruit left, so while the wine is mature, it will continue to drink very well for years to come. 2024–29. | 94
SF | Soft-copper; onion skin. A slightly vegetal, cooked aromatic: notes of smoke and raspberry. Quite savory, almost sweet; umami and charcuterie. A food wine. Impressive evolution here, 20 years down the track. | 94
Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |94
EA | Pale, youthfully lemon color. The nose shows as equally youthful, with pristine white fruit meeting heaps of delicious torrefaction aromas: freshly roasted coffee beans, apple compote, pear, and crème brûlée. The plush, fruity charm continues on the soft, cushiony palate, which does finish a little short after having shown so much promise. Perfectly intact, with lots of toasty charms of the reductive kind. Highly enjoyable and expressive today, but this could still be kept. 2024–30. | 95
SF | Light straw gold, with a lively mousse and small bubbles. Fascinating nose of wheat, spring flowers, verbena, and a touch of beeswax; behind that, petrichor and nectarine. Measure without being austere; teasing without being cruel. The effervescent effect is more conspicuous than anticipated on the palate, any notion of nuanced subtlety washed away in a surge of bubbles… Slightly unusual, so let’s give it a little time to settle down. After a few minutes, it is not clear if this will settle—too exuberant for its own good, maybe. A flourish of poached pear, mango, and lemongrass, the structure, which seems reasonably robust after all this time, somewhat compromised by this apparently youthful joie de vivre. All very peculiar—something to do with the pressure in the bottle, maybe? Hard to tell. Hard to love… at first, at least. To be fair, though, coming back a half-hour later, it does seem to have settled down, albeit without having entirely forsaken this youthful exuberance. | 91
JS | Very pale and luminous. Lasting pin-prick mousse. Fresh and floral entry, then honey-and-spice biscuits. Elegantly toasty on the palate, with sweet-apple fruit; lovely chalkiness and finesse. Effortless, flowing acidity. Long and very graceful. | 95
Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |93
EA | Medium-deep color, with some evolution. Yeast-enriched nose, with hay and cream alongside sweet appley tones. Some oxidation overlaying the fruit, with even a cheesy whiff to it. Rich, sweetly fruity palate, with lots of volume and the softest, airiest mousse. Aromas show quite a lot of oxidation, but the palate comes with fine vivacity and fruity volume. Quite the contrast there. 2024–27. | 91
SF | Gentle straw gold, with hints of green; persistent mousse. Sophisticated nose of verbena, quince, nectarine, and yellow plum; behind that, gunflint and hints of beeswax. The palate defers to riper, more generous notes, peaches and cream, and more grip than anticipated. Exuberant and expressive; layered and yet precisely defined, the forward character betraying natural ripeness rather than dosage, and inherent fruit quality rather than any ill-advised artistry. | 93
JS | Immediate, appealing nose, both fresh and nicely evolved: honeysuckle floral notes, clotted cream and scones. More developed on the palate, with honey, peach tarte tatin, smoked almonds, and a hint of coffee, but all articulated by a creamy texture, wrap-around crystalline acidity, and a long, mineral, salty finish. | 95
Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |93
EA | Lemon color of some depth. Sweetly fruity nose, with floral charms and candy tones. A whiff of toast and pencil shavings adds to the wine’s complexity. Promising on the nose. The palate feels light and fluffy, with plenty of energy from the perky mousse and vibrant acidity. The intensity could be better, but nevertheless the wine shows both the energy of youth and the complexity from its longer time on lees. 2024–29. | 93
SF | Soft straw color, lustrous at the core yet fading to pale, appreciably at the rim. Nose of tilleul, cashew, and yellow plum; flowers and cinnamon, too; nutmeg and crushed almond. Complex, in other words. The palate repays the compliment and adds an edgy, slightly raw note, which actually works well, given the evolution that is also evidenced. There are notes that approximate tertiary development, and a composed, spicy backdrop; Pinot bite and the allure of long élevage on its lees. Maybe just lacks a little tension. | 91
JS | Umami seaweed notes on the nose. Dry and, at first, intensely savory on the palate, with salty, almost Marmite flavors and smoked almonds, then a deep layer of just-ripe, green-apple and pear fruit. Chalky, dry, and then finally biscuity and sweet on the finish, which is carried by the freshness of the acidity. There is plenty of life in this still. | 94
Lanson Gold Label Le Vintage Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV; magnum; disgorged March 2012) |93
EA | First bottle corked. Pale-lemon color. Refined nose, with pristine fruit purity and yeast-derived complexities playfully intermingling with the fruit. Lots of peachy fruit, with vanilla and white flowers mixing with a twist of gunpowder and a whiff of woody spiciness. The light yet intense palate is bright and vibrant, with a radiant quality to it. Beautifully airy, soft, and elegant on the dancingly vivacious palate. Only positive evolution to date, therefore promising still more goodness to come. 2024–33. | 97
SF | First bottle corked. Second bottle is better, but there is still something slightly worrying, a little leafy on the back palate. This compromises the structure and gives the acidity free rein to “jut out,” without much respect for the other components, which is unfortunate. | 86
JS | Second bottle. Sweet, toasted, honeyed-hazelnut aromas, with sweet, red-berry fruit and a rich umami underlay—a touch of bacon fat. Intense, powerful, and textured, with the sweetness of fruit, nuts and toasted spices set against a cashmere texture and a persistent line of acidity. Complex and long. | 96
Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |93
EA | Clear lemon color. The restrained nose is softly appealing, with torrefaction tones to the fore. Bonfire, lemon meringue pie, and freshly roasted coffee beans intermingle. The palate has a certain vinosity to it, with the mousse appearing lazy. There is good, fleshy volume on the smooth palate, which ends with a long, aptly dosed finish. Lightweight and fresh, drinking perfectly today, but little further potential is notable. 2024–29. | 93
SF | Pale gold, lustrous, with a hint of luminosity; gentle mousse, playful in the glass. The nose is somewhat anonymous: stone fruit, peat, and hints of soft spice; late-season apples and a hint of quince; behind that, incense and the faintest whiff of white pepper. The palate is broad, just a little indulgent, nougat and crushed almond, a citric undertow, and a broad vista of potential, maybe a little unknit on the finish. Not dilute per se, but maybe lacking the focus of both its peers and of its initial structural impression. Or is it a touch of sweetness on the finish that arouses suspicions? I am in two minds, which is not an ideal place to be, but at least it proves that the wine is thought-provoking! | 90
JS | Mid-pale primrose. Refined, gentle nose of sweet toast, honeysuckle, and tarte tatin, with a hint of freshening dill. The palate brings in ripe apricots and apples—a summer orchard—underscored by briny minerality, grilled nuts, buttery toast, and a chalky texture. The acidity seems low-key but is perfect for the task and combines with a final flourish of spicy orange zest. | 95
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Brut Champagne 2004 (13% ABV) |93
EA | Deep color, with peachy evolution. Evolved nose, on the appley side, with leafy/herbaceous notes rising alongside a spicy twist and red-fruit tones. The palate has volume to it, the overall impression verging on the winey side, with a calm mousse adding on the impression. The finish is cut off a little short by a dry sensation. There is some austerity and oxidative tones to it. 2024–27. | 88
SF | Buckwheat yellow, a persistent mousse. Nose is fairly closed: nectarine, green apples, and poached pear, then behind, soft spice and just the faintest hint of vanillin. The palate is clean, once again youthful, given that it is not far from its third decade; nuanced and subtle, a delicious apéritif lure, a civilized and graceful example, pure and simple—although, on second thoughts, maybe not that simple! It takes a lot of artistry to construct a Champagne that will age with such dignity. On retasting, the richer, oakier character comes through; the very fact that this is an example of pleasure deferred stands in its favor. | 94
JS | Mid-yellow. Powerful nose, with toasted development and rich, ripe, red apple. Full-bodied, powerful palate, with scented jasmine overlaying the toasting walnuts, baked cinnamon apples, and saline length. Rich texture underscored and freshened by still-youthful acidity. There is still plenty of life in this. | 96
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |93
EA | Bright lemony color. The nose has gained a lot of tertiary layers, with vanilla, coconut, dried flowers, and even toffee overlaying the pristine white-fruit melange. A similar sweet and rich profile continues on the medium-weight palate. The back palate comes with some dark, earthy-spicy notions. There is plentiful aromatic evolution already, not all of it positive. Vinous and smooth on the palate, which is showing some signs of weakening fruit at the finish. 2024–28. | 92
SF | Green-gold, with pallor at the rim; gentle bubbles. The aromas are closer to the citric than to the red-fruit end of the spectrum. Behind that stone fruit, smoke and a touch of spice. Maybe just a little “soapy.” All quite restrained, however. The palate shares this deference to the essence of blanc de blancs: acidity preserved, fruit elegant, and impact restrained yet also quietly assertive; the essence of fine Chardonnay Champagne, which is approaching its third decade. Elegant on the finish, too. | 93
JS | Pale primrose; persistent, very slightly larger bubbles. Madeira-cake and cream aromas; evolved notes of bacon fat rubbing shoulders with fresh almond, apple, quince, and attractive salinity. Chewy, chalky texture, with a ballast of acidity. Seems slightly conflicted at present but may yet resolve itself. | 93
Jacquesson Dizy-Corne Bautray Dégorgement Tardif Extra-Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |92
EA | Evolving lemon color. The nose comes with leesy complexity and a spicy undertone to it. Lemon confit, apple jam, and coconut shavings. Both fresh fruit and maturation aromas intermingle. The mousse is cushiony and overall impression light and airy. The fruit is showing some signs of withering on the palate, but the wine is still drinking very well, without too many oxidative tones. Time to drink up. 2023–26. | 89
SF | Green-gold, stucco, and a touch of wheat. A bold mousse; persistent, after so long. An attractive nose marries lemongrass, spring flowers, and crystallized lemon. The palate is broad and expansive; a Copland concerto, acidity shard-like and precise, flinty majesty and the protective veil of careful, reductive winemaking. Aeration cedes apricot and a hint of honeysuckle; the palate has gingerbread and yellow plum and, if one digs deeper, evidence of a little oak in its construction, so maybe not that reductive after all. Elegant of construction and still far from any signs of tertiary development. | 93
JS | Luminous pale straw; fine bead but delicate mousse. Floral notes, pears, and soft, buttery shortbread aromas, then a suggestion of acacia honey. Citrus-leaning palate, turning to pears, peaches, and redcurrants, with delicate butter-biscuit notes and a salty oyster undertow running the whole length. Understated creamy texture, supported by a fine backbone of acidity. Refined, balanced, graceful. | 93
Jacquesson Avize-Champ Cain Dégorgement Tardif Extra-Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |91
EA | Deep color with golden hues. Soft nose of creamy and yeasty richness. Vanilla, white flowers, and even mild, lactic, yogurty tones. Gentle toastiness lines the maturing nose. The palate is wide and smooth, with a calm mousse adding the impression of softness. Fresh and lively, but the aftertaste finishes short and is developing some light mousy tones. 2024–26. | 88
SF | Pale gold, with little sign of development; a minute and elegant mousse, balletic bubbles, neatly choreographed by the shadow of autolysis. The nose betrays a little more evolution: sourdough, quince, and hints of ginger. The fruit character tilts toward the red end of the spectrum; hints of redcurrant and Braeburn apple, spice and petrichor. A touch more development thereafter, with hints of toffee apple and nectarine. Structurally sound and maturing nicely; balanced acidity and a deft mouthfeel, evanescent yet lingering. | 92
JS | Pale primrose, a hint of gold; persistent mousse. Opening on a wave of butter, vanilla patisserie, zesty lemon curd, and then red apple. The palate is dry, honeyed, intense, and layered, with walnuts, dried pears, and almond cream. Buttery, silky, and well articulated by acidity. Well sustained. | 93
Lanson Gold Label Le Vintage Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV; magnum; disgorged October 2023) |91
EA | Golden hues to the intense color. The pronounced nose of sweet apple fruit almost jumps out of the glass. There is a woody notion to the yeast-complexed nose. Fruit drops, apricot pie, and dried peaches. The palate is fresh, yet the mousse is a little frothy and aggressive, even after all this time in bottle. Rich and fruit-forward palate, pleasant if a little one-dimensional. Long, juicy finish. 2024–29. | 91
SF | Pale straw, with a conspicuous fade at the rim. An odd, slightly confected nose: reduction gone wrong, oak not quite integrated. One is inclined to cover all the bases, however apparently contradictory. Probably reductive, on reflection. The palate certainly points us in this direction, its stark, rather brutal acidity marshaling the citric fruit with energetic dexterity. The result is enigmatic, given the putative age, all signs of development apparently concealed, all integrity challenged. Nothing inherently wrong with this, but it almost seems to be trying too hard, which may well not be necessary. | 87
JS | Mid-primrose—that is, slightly deeper than most. A nose that combines the sweetness of viennoiserie with toasted sourdough, orchard fruit (peach and apple), and a meat-broth/umami character. A powerful nose and an intense, dry, powerful expression on the palate; green-apple fruit, salted almonds, chalky-rich texture lifted by laser acidity. Has time on its hands. | 94
Lanson Noble Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |91
EA | Deep, gold-toned color. Soft, creamy-toned nose, with baked-apple, yeast, and baking-spice notes. A touch of oxidation lurks behind the sweet but slightly one-dimensional fruit. The aged characters become more evident on the palate, which is losing fruit. The mouthfeel is round and viscous but finishes short on the slightly unfresh nose. 2024–26. | 88
SF | A luminous hue, with rather diffuse bubbles dancing around, with little by way of choreography. The nose is oaky and savory; rather attractive summer fruits and blossom, hints of honey and soft spice; a lot of appeal. Oak influence and vanillin; acidity holding its own magnificently, and the coconut/vanillin matrix is deftly challenged by crystallized lemon and red-berried fruit, brioche, and gunpowder. Long on the finish, powerful, and seductive. Delicious but almost too much of a good thing. Probably near to the end of a very agreeable story. | 92
JS | Evolved, biscuity, bakery, buttery aromas open the nose; the orchard fruit hides underneath. An enveloping, creamy-rich texture and intense crystallized-citrus, green-apple, and lemon-curd palate finishes with a savory, stony, oyster-shell layer. The nose and palate seem to be slightly disparate but come together for the finale. | 93
Jacquesson Aÿ-Vauzelle Terme Dégorgement Tardif Extra-Brut Champagne 2004 (12.5% ABV) |87
EA | Developed, peach-toned color. There are woody notes on the nose, which is showing bruised-apple tones of oxidation. The spiciness and yeastiness dominate the aromatics, with some fruit-drop, toffee, and pear-juice notes. There is a fine, smooth mousse on the very dry palate, of good volume but also austerity, drying the mouth toward the end. Aromatically, this is on the oxidized side, but the palate is holding up better. 2023–28. | 87
SF | Sandstone color, evolution betrayed. Generous bubbles, persistent. A savory aromatic of Marmite, lavender, and Everton mints; a hint of oxidation, for sure, but pleasing oxidation, vestigial vanillin and spice evidenced. A Pinot-dominated, red-fruit undercurrent; hints of raisin and molasses. The palate is smoky and layered, with hints of gunflint and autumnal apples. A taper to the finish. Somewhat abrupt thereafter; elegiac, skeletal beyond age’s concealment. | 88
JS | Medium-pale gold, a deeper color than most. Persistent stream of bubbles. Opens with oxidative, toasted aromas; some orange blossom follows in its wake. The palate is dry and unyielding, with acid sharpness. There’s some welcome chalkiness to the texture, some toasty smoked coffee and almond notes, then grapefruit rind and seaweed, but I’m struggling to find the appeal. Oxidative development and high acidity not in harmony. Slightly bitter finish. | 85 ▉
