1998 Billecart Salmon Blanc de Blanc

Disgorged in March 2008 with a dosage of 7.7 grams per liter, the 1998 Brut Blanc de Blancs, derived from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant, Avize and Chouilly, is now at full maturity, leaping from the glass with aromas of dried fig, orange oil, pastry and pear, mingled with roasted almonds and a top note of cardamom. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, intense and harmonious, offering an enveloping yet incisive profile propelled by racy acidity and enlivened by a pinpoint mousse, culminating in a long, precise finish. It is drinking superbly today and clearly has the edge over the 1999, even if it presents as slightly less incisive than the 1996 rendition. The wine was vinified largely in neutral tanks.