2000 Gaston Chiquet Special Club

The 2000 Brut Special Club is another beautiful wine from Chiquet. In this vintage, the Special Club is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, both from Ay. Warm, radiant fruit caresses the palate from start to finish. The aromatics are a touch forward, which leads me to believe the Special Club won't be terribly long-lived, but there is enough freshness for this to drink very nicely for a number of years. This is Lot L-SC00-10, disgorged: February 9, 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018. A Terry Theise Selection, imported by Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

(70% chardonnay and 30% pinot noir; disgorged February, 2010) Vivid yellow-gold. Ripe orchard fruits, orange rind and a whiff of acacia honey on the nose. Fat, broad and sappy but with enticing floral and spice character to the chewy pear and nectarine flavors. Finishes with a faintly phenolic edge and resonating spiciness. This will age but the fruit is pretty compelling right now.

The 2000 Brut Special Club is even better than the 2000 Brut Millésime. Here, the Chardonnay also comes from Aÿ, which adds an additional dimension of weight and density. The wine offers up an exotic array of pineapple, passion fruit and dried apricots, with incredible depth, creaminess and nuance. Menthol and wild flowers linger on the long and deeply satisfying finish. The 2000 Special Club is firing on all cylinders today; in fact it is one of the finest wines I have ever tasted from Chiquet. Disgorged Dec 11, 2008