2013 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Brut

41% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, 21% Pinot Meunier. Dosage just 5 g/l. The back label also tells us 'the date mentioned hereafter is the disgorgement date' but there is no date on my back label – perhaps it's an early sample. Pale lemon yellow. Attractive evolution on the nose without its being at all heavy aromatically. Pretty aggressive mousse but nicely judged blend that is quite elegant and certainly not aggressively sweet. Though this of course belongs in a completely different bracket from the army of fine and more idiosyncratic single-estate champagnes. (JR)

Disgorged with five grams per liter dosage, Moët's 2013 Extra Brut Grand Vintage is a real success, wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, fresh bread, Meyer lemon, nougat and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and fine-boned, with an enveloping core of bright, vibrant fruit and a pretty pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a precise, penetrating finish. Incisive but not austere, it's an impressive effort, reflecting good levels of maturity in this cool, late harvest. It's as fine a rendition of this cuvée as I can remember tasting.