September 22, 2023 - Round, velvety, sweet, plenty of butter, honey, citrus, hints of coffee very Burgundian; extremely sexy drink.
#preParsley
August 3, 2018 - intense, concentrated bright fruit and aromas of the sea with lots of life still ahead. Surprisingly good.
March 11, 2018 - Not quite the bottle my last one of these was. There's an earthy mushroomy quality that pushes around the clean, more delicate chardonnay notes. It's surprisingly light or medium-bodied, and in a bit of an awkward stage. I suppose if that mushroomy quality appeals to you, it's worth holding as I expect it to get even more pronounced. Good acidity, but it's framing a wine without great concentration, which makes it come across as a bit out-of-balance. Enjoyable, but nothing more and a bit of a disappointment.
February 9, 2018 - Lunch at La Trompette (La Trompette, London): Blind. Mid straw, persistent stream of very fine bubbles. Some maturity here but also a vibrancy. Good acidity. Screams Pol Roger, so maybe a good bottle of the 96. Turns out to be 98 BdB. Quite nuanced but every changing from classic buttery, to bitter orange, to slightly darker, more sour fruit. Hold up well and shows confidently but not showily. ****
December 30, 2017 - undoubtedly fully mature but full of character and develops nicely as it warms in the bottle over an hour or so - delicious!
March 11, 2017 - fully mature
August 16, 2014 - Oxidative and, dare I say, a bit flabby, with none of the toasty precision of the 99
June 19, 2014 - Wow this is really rocking! Mature aromas reminiscent of being at sea in an old wooden boat on a hot day. Medium bodied with piercing but well behaved acidity give good lift on the palate which is shows powerful fruit and roasted red meat. Light mineral finish. Was a little tight on opening but opened up after an hour in the decanter. This might improve for a very long time yet as it feels like it is really just starting to blossom. One of the very best 98s.
May 25, 2014 - Still showing some real freshness and youth with terrific energy and edgy, tight bubbles. There are notes of vanilla and buttered toast on the nose and palate. Powerful champagne that is really full in the mouth. Probably could stand some more years, but I quite enjoyed it last night.
March 15, 2014 - Served a bit too cold and perhaps that was why it seemed a bit out of sorts, metallic and reserved