Vintage Champagne Exploration

Bottles individually purchased: £520

One winemaker. One Maison. One expression. One year. If you want to truly understand what the essence of a Champagne is and the critical role climate plays, then start with a vintage. 

Spanning six different years between 2008 and 2018, each wine displays its own distinctive characteristics, whilst remaining wedded to the weather of the year it embodies.

Notes on each vintage:

2010 – A tough year with great variability results, largely based on location, processes and timing.

2012 – One of the great vintages of the last few decades – fruit forward and well balanced. 

2013 – An initially underrated harvest that is now considered to be truly excellent and reminiscent of Champagne from a bygone cooler climate. 

2015 – A vintage remembered for its high ripeness and dry, hot weather.

2016 – Weather hazards tested the mettle of the growers but, ultimately, perseverance yielded rich, fruit-forward wines with vibrant acidity.

2017 – A poor year which rewarded only those with patience and excellent selection.

Caillez Lemaire Jadis 2010

A brilliant blend from Hachette's Champagne vigneron of the year. Fresh and perfumed on the nose with a touch of sweet toast. The palate is lovely and layered – complex, salty and dense with a huge level of concentration. Really serious; especially on the finish, which shows loads of fresh lemon peel.

Louis Brochet HBH 2012

Moving on another couple of years we find ourselves at one of the best vintages of the century and it's represented by a wine that is only made in the very best years (the previous iteration being 2008). A blend of 50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, there is a touch of stone fruit on the nose, but still the rich notes of butter and pastry. As a younger vintage it remains fresh and clean on the palate with exotic fruit in the mix.

J.L. Vergnon Hautes Mottes 2013

Heading onwards to the Côte des Blancs, we move on one year to a vintage that harks back to cooler climates that were commonplace in Champagne many decades ago. This Blanc des Blancs from a wonderful single-vineyard balances the freshness of the vintage nicely with lovely secondary notes obtained from oak vinification. 

Paul Clouet Bouzy Vintage 2015

Coming from the esteemed Grand Cru village of Bouzy, this pure Pinot Noir has a lovely ripe nose and opens with a surprisingly soft front end. Then the vinosity builds as expected with plenty of plump, juicy red fruits and a creamy texture on the palate. The finish has a crisp nature but isn't in any way harsh and links up nicely with the warmth of the vintage.

Bonnaire Terres des Buissons 2016

We return to the Côte des Blancs for the 2016 vintage and a brilliant new single-vineyard Chardonnay. Vinified in oak and aged on cork, there's plenty of complexity and it's only going to improve with age.

Georges Remy Le Mont de Tauxieres 2017

For our final wine we show just how good a 2017 can be when handled by a brilliant winemaker. This Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend from Georges Remy is hugely powerful, deep, dark and intense. One for fine food and contemplation!

Please note: Occasionally, due to stock availability, we may need to substitute bottles. In this situation, the replacement cuvées will be in the same style, and of the same or greater value.