BEST OF CHAMPAGNE PRESTIGE CUVÉES

99 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT 2013

An immediate sense of creaminess and unusually intense perfume of fruit, a pure sense of ripe, juicy Mirabelle plum. This segues effortlessly into a creamy chalkiness. The palate strikes with immediate presence and inherent balance. Concentration and freshness complete each other, heightened by finest, foam. Luminosity, body, and a salty depth draw you in. The elegance is extraordinary. •••••

97 HENRIOT

CUVÉE HEMERA 2006

The scent of freshly baked, buttery shortcrust fills the nose, air adds an iodine edge of oyster shell and fresh navel orange peel. The palate hits a sweet spot between body, freshness and depth, each sip is like a salty nugget of liquid gold, enhanced by •••• super-fine foam.

96 CHAMPAGNE RARE MILLÉSIME 2008

Lemon zest frames creamy richness on the nose that has hints of chalk, coconut macaroon and depth that evokes summer rain on limestone. The palate has all the precision of 2008 but encapsulates a truffle-like complexity at its core: a floral hit of peony, milk chocolate ganache and more of that virile and pervasive ••••• lemon freshness. Amazing.

98 GOSSET

CELEBRIS ROSÉ 2008

The nose opens with a slightly floral but exquisitely fragrant nose of orange cake, evocative of golden crust, with air a hint of iron-oxide appears. The palate presents ripest apricot on a generous, rounded and full-fruited but precise body. Supremely creamy mousse underlines the ••••• soaringly brisk freshness.

96 DOM PÉRIGNON VINTAGE BRUT 2012

A powerful nose opens with grilled nuts, richness, hazelnut praline, and a smoky richness. There is something inherently generous, savoury, bold and rich. It expresses itself in the salty body with its smouldering hints. The bright streak of zesty lemon only serves to accentuate the richness. The finish is wonderfully long, salty, savoury and really generous. •••••

96 BILLECART-SALMON ELISABETH SALMON ROSÉ BRUT 2008

A study in subtlety. At first, the nose is rather creamy, but slowly, redcurrant and blood orange appear. The palate, with very fine mousse, exquisite texture and balance, veers into a most Pinot-esque direction that reveals truffle and undergrowth. It shimmers with white pepper and has a touch of toasted hazelnut on ••••• the bright finish. A real treat.

98 PHILIPPONNAT CLOS DES GOISSES EXTRA BRUT 2012

A most subtle sublimation of power. The nose opens with apple mellowness and an immediate sense of creaminess. The palate is intense, bold yet measured, there is power and beautifully defined, flexed muscle. The mousse is supremely fine, the salty, peppery verve of fresh ryebread crumb is highlighted by a profound vein of chalky ••••• freshness. Sublime and timeless.

96 TAITTINGER COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE BLANC DE BLANCS 2011

Exquisite candied lemon and blossom honey play on the nose before green apple and freshly toasted white bread appear. The body is slender but concentrated, a shimmering, silvery thread of freshness is woven thoughout. The bubbles are creamy. An aftertaste of liquorice and chalkiness pervade the zesty, smooth finish. A citric highway of ••••• beauty.

96 BOLLINGER R.D. EXTRA BRUT 2007

Hazelnut praline, creaminess, smokiness and a hint of dark peony on the nose. More air adds white pepper and toasted cumin. The palate is exquisitely creamy – the Bollinger hallmark – but 2007 adds exquisite poise. Bright freshness lends structure. Beautiful depth anchors this in chalky soil, a class act of enduring ••••• elegance.

96 DRAPPIER GRANDE SENDRÉE BRUT 2010

Red Delicious apple flesh and the crumbs of oven-fresh rye bread open the nose. Air brings hints of rich shortbread and mellow apple flesh and a slight flickering of liquorice. The palate reveals a core of ripe Mirabelle edged by purest lemon. Creamiest bubbles smooth the way to a long, long finish. This is subtle, rich but defined and supremely •••• elegant.

97 BRUNO PAILLARD NEC PLUS ULTRA 2008

A most serene nose of vanilla flan with hints of smoke and fresh mushroom duxelles comes with a salty edge. The palate is creamy yet absolutely taut. This is incisive and presents a profound impression of chalk that slowly spreads across the palate. Incredible depth, laser precision and absolute definition unite into deliciousness. A landmark ••••• you can drink until 2050.

95 POL ROGER CUVÉE SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL BRUT 2012

Creaminess on the nose segues into a lovely note of dry corn husk and salty shortbread with an echo of ripe Mirabelle. The palate continues with the same creaminess, smooth, billowing, almost mellow, but then there is the lovely and bright freshness that is sunny but brisk. It is the saltiness and a hint of oyster shell that keeps pulling you back to this understated ••••• but really complex wine.

96 RUINART DOM RUINART BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT 2009

The first whiff is softly floral, think narcissus and entirely creamy – perfumed and intense. This is followed by insistent notes of wet chalk and pure lemon freshness and almond paste. The palate is joyful and generous, luminous and fresh, sinuous and poised. The intense concentration reveals profound flavour, savoury saltiness and cool, chalky, lemony ••••• depth. Astonishing length.

96 BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD RARE COLLECTION ROSÉ 2012

Subtle redcurrant and raspberry notes have a saline edge on the nose. The palate comes alive with a sense of tart berry and gentle white pepper spice while lemon freshness tingles with brightness. There is something playful about this: it is a wine with a knowing smile. It gives you berry notions but at its core it is brisk, saline, taut, fresh, citric. This is all sleekness and poise - precision ••••• is its middle name. Lovely.

95 PERRIER-JOUËT BELLE ÉPOQUE 2013

A perfumed nose opens with freshly baked shortcrust pastry, a floral creaminess, a touch of toasted brioche. The palate immeditely presents a lovely harmony. This has the resonance and body of Pinot Noir, but it stays on that lemony side of Chardonnay while presenting ripe, juicy peach with exquisite balance - a totally serene, calm wine of real ••••• beauty.

96

AYALA LA PERLE 2012

The nose opens with freshly cut Golden Delicious apple flesh, pervaded by both lemon zest and salted shortbread. More air reveals a hint of wet oyster shell. The palate is exquisitely brisk and vivid: lithe in its soaring lemon freshness but anchored in deepest, coolest, most salty soil that lends richness and vertical dimension. The mousse is fine and lively, the balance is striking, precise ••••• and absolutely pure.

96 DEUTZ CUVÉE WILLIAM DEUTZ MILLÉSIME 2008

If there were such a thing as salty red apple flesh, this would be it. There is an exquisite combination of fruit and chalkiness, of generosity and stone that is immediately evident on the nose. The palate has all the poise of 2008, all of the freshness and sense of eternity. Air allows notions of salted, roasted cashew to appear while the finish speaks of precision, linearity and ••••• depth. A class act.

95 VEUVE CLICQUOT LA GRANDE DAME 2012

Vanilla and creaminess on the nose evoke fresh pastries with a slight overtone of smoke. The palate reveals chalky depth and lovely generosity but in a very streamlined, direct and fresh fashion. There is something beautifully driven at its core, something stony, chalky and ••••• direct. The finish is dry and salty.