A good vintage I believe, although marked by summer hailstorms.

Alexandre Bonnet Brut 2006: A slightly yeasty-chalky nose here, gentle substance on the palate, with a crisp and delicate mousse. Somewhat fatter on the midpalate, quite attractive, with very fresh acidity. Stony fruit character, nice flesh too though, good harmony. Bright, yellow plum fruit and a vigorous finish. Really good. 16.5+/20

A tumultuous vintage weather-wise, with extremes of heat interspersed with heavy rain. The style of wine, softer and more fruit-rich than some other vintages, certainly suggests warmer temperatures. I don't think they will be to everybody's taste although generalising I do find them on the whole rather attractive.

Deutz Brut 2005: Quite an open pungent nose here, evocative and minerally, but also accessible with soft, ripe fruit. A very flattering palate, lots of fruit texture and a good acid cut too. A vibrant, gently foamy mousse showing its youth. Nicely composed but also very lively and full-on with a punchy finish. Impressive. 17+/20

GH Martel & Co Victoire 2005: rather more reserved style on the nose, although with sweet, candied lemon peel to the fore. A linear structure although a youthful and foamy mousse over the top of it. A very firm stance, feeling very raw in the mouth, with a direct style of stony fruit behind. Subtly textured edges, but a rather brutal finish. It needs time. 15.5+/20

Péhu-Simonet Brut Grand Cru 2005: Lightly creamed golden fruits here, sweetly ripe but with a firm and stony edge. Rather Saumur-like! Exotic fruit presence at the beginning, flattening out in the midpalate, lightening up and showing a more stony character in keeping with the vintage. A touch lean in terms of fruit here, although good flesh and texture. Approachable now, although there is a slightly raw finish that would probably soften with time. 15.5+/20

Philippe Brugnon Premier Cru 2005: A very clear and precise stony fruit character here, lightly polished pebbles and lemons. A clean style on the palate, lean but bright, fresh and crisp. It still has the rawness of youth, but also a touch of greenness to the fruit. There is some potential here though. 14.5+/20

Roederer Brut Rosé 2005: This is made by the saignée method, the Pinot fruit macerated for between 5 and 7 days before taking off and then blending in 30% Chardonnay. First fermentation is in steel. A very crisp and stony-fruited nose here. On the palate it has a lovely fresh and bright character, tinged with strawberry fruit. Good and broad style, quite primary still. It is somewhat loose-knit at present but there is good acidity behind it and the potential here is good. 16.5-17+/20

Ruffin Nobilis Millésime Grand Cru 2005: A rather watery fruit character on the nose, lean in style. Very soft on entry, a higher dosage here perhaps? Almost fat, certainly very textured, with a soft foamy mousse exacerbating this impression. Falls rather flat thereafter, and a short finish. Lacks composition and has some raw elements again. 13.5/20

Last year I was taken with the wines of this particular vintage, although I was less convinced his year. Different wines though; I think the top houses and growers have done well, though. A prodigious harvest, with volumes exceeding those brought in during 1990 and 1982, this year should give plenty of good drinking for many years to come.

Beaumont des Crayères Fleur de Rosé Brut 2004: A nice salmon-pink hue, with an element of slightly peppery red fruit on the nose. Very rich in terms of flavour, with lots of raspberry and redcurrant fruit, strawberry too, with a spicy-peppery edge. Softly textured, but lacking harmony at present. Unfocused. Nice flavours though. May integrate with more time in bottle. 14+/20

Canard-Duchêne 2004: Green fruit and coffee beans on the nose here, swirled together in a smoky haze. Unusual combination! Quite lean and direct style on the palate, nice substance in the middle, but lacking character and flavour. All very white-green. Raw finish too. 14/20

Chanoine Frères 2004: A lean and stony nose again, with some white fruit character. A nicely creamy mousse on the palate, firm, with a stony layer of white fruits matching the nose, all very well defined and fresh. Gently polished character, tight and rather youthful but it has harmony. Potentially very good. 16+/20

Henri Mandois Blanc de Blancs 2004: A rather striking nose of smoky marshmallow here. On the palate, green fruit in abundance, green nuts (pistachios I suppose!) too. A nice mousse, married with lots and lots of firm acidity culminating in a very green finish. This has a fleshy feel but overall it has too much bite for me. 14/20

Jean Milan Cuvée Symphorine Grand Cru de Blancs 2004: A very grand-sounding name here for this cuvée which has a very distinctive character on the nose, a strange combination of yellow plums swirled with notes of ash and mustard. Yes, mustard! A softly textured entry, perhaps a touch acetic here, with more yellow fruits. Rather flat mousse. This one doesn't have any appeal for me I am afraid. 12.5/20

Jean Moutardier 2004: Chalky fruit here, with a slightly grapey element at the side with a crunchy sweetness. A lean and fresh style on the palate, with lots of grip and a hard core of acidity. The finish is rather hard too, but some of these elements may well soften with time. There is some promise here in terms of fruit and definition. 15+/20

Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne de Cramant Grand Cru Extra Brut 2004: This cuvée is sourced from 75-year-old vines at the very centre of the Cramant terroir (the best part, says Pierre Larmandier). Harvested at 55-60 hl/ha (low for Champagne - that's Pierre again), dosage 2 g/l. Fresh, mineral-stone fruit nose. Nice style on the palate, very appealing, broad and rich, almost voluptuous, a paradoxically refined and yet very accessible wine. Gentle, brightly defined although with lovely soft edges, this is really good. Still rather tight though - give it time! 17+/20

A difficult vintage characterised by torrid heat-waves that swept across the vineyards of France, and wines low in acidity with unusual flavour profiles. I have never had much success in finding any decent wines from this particular year.

H. Blin Brut 2003: Not so characterful as the other wines from the 2003 vintage on show here (not necessarily a bad thing!) with a very soft and forward mousse. Underneath it all a hard structured palate, austerity beneath the frothy upper part. Hard and spiky in the finish. Lacks harmony. 14/20

Agrapart Minéral Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 2003: Lemon custard and toffee on the nose here, and yet despite that on the palate it seems very bland indeed. Softly composed, the palate falling away in the middle, revealing only hard acidity and obvious alcohol. Disjointed. No appeal for me here. 12/20

Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2003: Smoky, plump yellow fruit here, toast and marshmallow and plenty of sulphur. The palate has a nice feel to it, with soft and creamy fruit, well poised, but it lacks backbone and the fruit does have this slightly sweet, fruit pastille edge. And plenty of sulphur too. 13.5/20

Roederer Brut 2003: A smoky, marshmallow nose here, a still a little sulphur too. A full and plump style on the palate, roasted fruits, coffee elements too, still a trace of sulphur at this point too. Will it ever come together and shake off this odorous cloak? It seems very mature already. Whether or not it does, it is a decent effort for the vintage...although I am certainly not rushing out to buy. 15.5+/20

Taittinger Brut 2003: Sulphur and stones on the nose. It has a nice textural quality on the palate, fleshy substance but backed up by a bright composition. On top of this decent and balanced acidity - rare in this vintage -and a crisp mousse. Firm finish. Certainly one of the better wines of this difficult vintage. 16+/20

A highly successful vintage, increasingly recognised as one of the best of the last few decades. There is always plenty of pleasure to be found here, both wines for current drinking and for laying down for future fun.

Drappier Grande Sendrée 2002: A very reserved nose here, showing just some polished, minerally fruit, with light notes of caramel biscuit. The palate has an appealingly soft and harmonious composition, fresh and yet substantial. Good balanced acidity, and a very subtle pin-prick mousse, and a supple mouthfeel.. Really good wine. 16.5+/20

Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Silver Top 2002: Rather crunchy fruit on the nose here. An appealing style on the palate, nicely textured, rather stony with good firm acidity. Lean fruit character, a touch sherbetty perhaps, but otherwise this is a very decent effort. 15.5+/20

Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale 2002: An appealing although rather developed nose, with elements of honey and nut alongside the fruit. A nicely composed palate, softer towards the finish. A good mousse, integrated acidity, quite a harmonious feel. My only issue is that it does feel a touch flat in character. But there are good points here. 16+/20

Philipponnat Cuvée 1522 Grand Cru Brut 2002: A blend of fruit from the Montagne de Reims and the Côte de Blancs, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, disgorged September 2008. Dosage just 4 g/l. Supple, polished, rich yellow fruit here, Brazil nuts and wood, with a firm and defined style. A nice presence on the palate, defined and bright evolving fruit character, a gentle mousse too. Well composed, a firm finish, still a bit tight but with good potential. 16.5-17+/20

Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2002: A rather austere style here, with a herby fruit nose. The palate is approachable and appealing, with a creamy mousse and gently polished fruit. In the midpalate the acidity seems more apparent, giving it a tighter and incisive finish. Slightly grainy with notes of whisky barrels. Nevertheless this is potentially very good wine. 17+/20

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2002: This is sourced from vineyards in Mailly, Avize and Cramant, this is 100% grand cru, 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and - for historical reasons as much as anything else - 5% Pinot Meunier. The dosage is 9 g/l. A very bright, clean and lemony nose with a touch of mineral. Very well defined, vivacious, cleanly styled, crisp and dominated by Chardonnay character (despite it only accounting for half the blend). Floral, but with good substance, vigorous and overall very convincing. A great effort here. 18+/20

Roederer Cristal 2002: This is generally a blend of about 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay, the exact numbers varying with the vintage but Pinot always has the upper hand. A very finely defined nose with ethereal white fruit and floral elements. The palate is very harmonious, broadening out beautifully from a crisp, floral beginning. Very nicely composed, expressive yet firm and upright. I've heard criticism of this vintage but this is showing very well here - but it warrants some cellar time. Really a superb effort which will drink beautifully for years. 18.5-19+/20

Waris-Larmendier Cuvée Empreinte Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2002: A rather dressy bottle, adorned with gold ribbons. The wine doesn't quite match the gaudy nature of the packaging (what wine could?). The nose has lean fruit style, cleanly cut, with a rather crunchy feel to it. Good balance on the palate, a gentle mousse and supple texture. Bright fruit, rather minty, with a whisky-tinged finish. 15.5+/20

A washout vintage, cold and wet. So far my limited experience of the vintage cuvées (to be fair, there weren't that many wines made) tells me it is a year to avoid at all costs.

Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée 2001: This has a very strange nose, a mix of whisky and fruit pastilles. The same unappealing character dominates on the palate, with an unusually forward sweetness relating to a heavy dosage, perhaps? No appeal here at all. 12/20

Sadly for the Champenois, this magic number didn't coincide with a magical vintage. All the same there were plenty of good wines made, although warm weather did lower the acidities somewhat. So perhaps not a vintage likely to be associated with longevity, these are more likely to be vins de plaisir.

Ayala Cuvée Perle d'Ayala 2000: This has a clean and precise nose, showing good minerally fruit. There is still a slight trace of sulphur but this will not be a problem given a little time. Very nicely styled on the palate, which has good definition and harmony. Lots of substance, still rather tight, but a lovely gentle integration tells me this should be really good. 17+/20

Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 2000: Very tight lemony fruit, leanly presented, on the nose here. Good substance on the palate though. An understated style, polished with supple stone-lemon fruit, firm and with a crisp acid structure. Lovely potential here, and this will certainly benefit from time in the cellar. 16.5+/20

Bollinger La Grande Année 2000: Bright and vibrant fruit here on the nose of this cuvée with which I am becoming increasingly familiar. A fine, harmonious, very complete style, with an impressively supple texture to go along with it. Deeply flavoured. Still quite tight at the finish, but overall an excellent wine. 18+/20

Dumangin Brut 2000: Not a lot of character on the nose, but there are some appealing notes of polished wood suggesting some nice evolution here. A supple composition on the palate, a softly integrated style with firm acidity in the middle. A slowly fading finish. This is good overall. 16+/20

Jacquesson Brut 2000: A very clean nose, harmonious, a gentle tinge of polished wood over some crisp fruit, with elements of yellow plum and smoke. Less evolved on the palate though, showing a hard shell of woody fruit with a very firm integration. Really good potential here but this does need time. 16.5+/20

Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2000: This is sourced from the famed Clos de Goisses, the south-facing slope which overlooks the Marne canal near Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. It is a 5-hectare clos with a steep 1 in 3 slope. This wine is 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay, fermented in oak and disgorged in August 2008, with a 4.5 g/l dosage. There is still a little sulphur on the nose, although it has a lovely polished oak style in evidence. Rather forward and vibrant fruit on the palate, soft and creamy yellow plum tinged with smoke. The fruit is rather plump in style but there is good structure underneath it. Still a very young wine. Good potential though. 17.5+/20

Piper-Heidsieck Brut 2000: Notes of sherbet and sulphur here on the nose. Nevertheless a softly appealing palate, rather feminine, gently structured but approachable. It has a rather flashy style that should have broad appeal; for me only the trace of sulphur detracts. Once it has shed this then it should drink well.16.5+/20

Pol Roger Brut 2000: This wine has an elegant composition with a fresh and crisp delineation beginning on the nose but carrying right through onto the palate also. Very broad in terms of impact, but it is also well framed. Fine substance and depth. I find this to be very approachable now, although it will certainly improve in the cellar given time. 17.5+/20

René Geoffroy Extra Brut 2000: Crisp and lemon-stone fruit on the nose, a supple and very integrated palate, nicely textured. Nevertheless some atypical aromas dominate, elements of rubber and whisky. This is actually quite flashy and rich for an extra brut but I don't find the flavours appealing. 15.5+/20

A 'nearly' vintage, a fine summer and potentially great harvest hampered by heavy September rains. Nevertheless, there are some really good wines here, not least the first taste for me of Pol Roger's Cuvée Winston Churchill in this vintage.

Alfred Gratien Brut 1999: Good smoky fruit on the nose here. Nice palate, possessing good flesh, harmonious and rounded, with a supple layer of complex fruit. Really attractive integration, gritty and characterful. It needs a little time but is certainly impressive. 17.5+/20

Duval-Leroy Brut 1999: Rather reticent on the nose, showing just a little ripe but peppery fruit. A soft and plump texture on the palate, although there is a nice chalky grip beneath. Quite open and seems fairly mature, with elements of Brazil nut and coffee. Softly focused. A rather flat finish detracts somewhat though. 16/20

Mumm 1999: This is one-third each of the three principal varieties. Smoke and plumply ripe fruit on the nose here, backed up by the suggestion of minerality. A good structure, bright and crisp. It has vigour, but also a softness in the midpalate. Crisply defined with fresh citrus fruit flavours, with a mildly tight finish. Very approachable now but will continue to open out over the next few years I think. Very good! 17+/20

Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: An evolved nose here, polished wood to the fore, although with good solid fruit beneath. The palate continues this impression, with elements of Brazil nut and fine oxidative wood and polish flavours, although with a bright and fresh structure. A very expressive wine, a good quality and clean composition although with a very distinctive character. 17.5/20

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1999: An austere and rather stony nose, not unexpected for Lanson, and then a very typical direct attack on the palate also. There is substance underneath though, persistent and naturally well framed by the firm structure. This really appeals, but it will need a few years to show its best. 17+/20

Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill 1999: A refined style on the nose, lightly honeyed with polished fruit and a wisp of smoke. Very elegantly composed. Great harmony, grippy and quite primary and yet still very harmonious. A lovely style, fine composition, clearly tip-top quality. This is wonderful to experience now, but it should be given time in the cellar to reveal its true magnificence. 18.5-19+/20

Meteorologically an unexceptional vintage, until a sunny August and September - just tempered by some early rains in the latter of these two months - saved the day. The top houses and growers made some excellent wines.

Henriot Brut 1998: A lively although honeyed-fruit nose here, fine and delineated, with crisply framed evolving fruit. Smoky too. Finely defined palate, good substance, with a fresh and acidic underpinning. A very appealing style here - I really like these Henriot wines. 17.5+/20

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1998: This is one-third each of the three principal varieties, with a dosage of 9 g/l. A slightly smoky nose here, bright and firm fruit and good substance on the palate. Full texture, although firm and delineated, fresh and substantial. Broad and well-framed, white fruit, a touch minerally, still very primary and with a tight finish. Good potential though. 17+/20

Mumm Cuvée R Lalou 1998: This is a 50-50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from grand cru vineyards, from 8 of 12 candidate plots. Kept on the less for eight years before disgorgement. The dosage is 6 g/l using 50% Cramant Chardonnay and 50% Bouzy Pinot Noir. A refined, nutty precision, polished in style. A lovely definition here, clean yet evolved, supple, but bright and crisp too. Good flesh, but balanced and elegant. Impressive! 18.5+/20

Tarlant Brut Prestige 1998: A nose of soft and talcy fruit here, with touches of white flower petals. Softly structured, creamy but still a little loose-knit. Evolving rather polished secondary characteristics coming through, touches of Brazil nut, overall nicely composed but not the harmony I would really like. 16+/20

A great vintage of course, mostly now all sold through and tucked away in the cellars, save for a few exalted cuvées and late releases. Having said that, the single wine tasted here wasn't 100% convincing.

Bruno Paillard Brut Blanc de Blancs 1996: Rather a lactic nose here, in fact rather cheesy too. Certainly 'interesting'! The same character comes through on the palate too. Underneath though, a very fresh structure despite these unusual elements. Good substance, still rather tight, with finely vibrant acidity. It's difficult to know how to judge this; if the flavours evolve away from where they are now this could be really excellent. Leave well alone for the moment if you have any. 17.5+?/20