2006 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Brut

Moët's 2006 Grand Vintage Brut blends 42% Chardonnay with 39% Pinot Noir and 19% Meunier. This cuvée opens with ripe and pretty intense as well as elegant and remarkably pure Chardonnay aromas; additionally, there are floral and refreshing chalky lemon and herbal flavors, and subtle notes of brioche and bread. This Champagne is full-bodied, intense and powerful, yet really fine and refreshing on the palate; it has nutty flavors and a lot of tension and chalky flavors. This is a dry and firmly structured cuvée of great expression, finesse and elegance. Still very young. Date of disgorgement was May 2014. Dosage is five grams per liter.

Current vintage on the market. Next will be 2008. Sunny and dry in July, grapes ripened quickly. Cold and rainy August with some disease pressure, especially on the Meunier – but the yield was quite high so they could be selective. Needed precision in harvesting. 7 years on lees (increase from the previous practice of 5 years – hard to persuade the accountants), dosage 5 g/l (lower than before), disgorged Oct 2013. First sample was completely lacking in mousse – maybe it was the glass. Second one better. Clean, pure and citrusy, very direct, lean and dry-tasting. A little creamy, straightforward. Full and creamy in the mouth, fresh and with a slight grip on the finish. Good length and slightly nutty on the finish. (JH)

Perfumed and Pinot-like. Not bone dry but certainly not disconcertingly sweet. Reasonable structure. Solid effort. (JR)