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Lanson

The story of Lanson Champagne begins in 1760, the year when François Delamotte began making and selling his own brand of Champagne, under the impressive title of Delamotte Père et Fils. The firm remained with the Delamotte family for at least another generation, as evinced by the recruitment of his two sons, Nicolas-Louis and Alexandre, in 1786. These two ran the house together for several decades until Alexandre's death, after which Nicolas-Louis changed the name of the business to Louis Delamotte Père et Fils and he took on a new partner, a gentleman by the name of Jean-Baptiste Lanson.

In 1837 Nicolas-Louis died, and the name of the business was changed again, this time to Veuve Delamotte-Barrachin, in honour of Delamotte's widow. One has to wonder what political manoeuvrings lay behind this latest rechristening, however, as at the same time Lanson brought more of his family into the business, in the shape of nephews Victor-Marie and Henri. It was upon the death of Madame Delamotte-Barrachin in 1856 that the Lanson family gained full control of the business, and the name was changed - for the last time - to Lanson Père & Fils.

The Lanson Era

Victor-Marie and Henri Lanson gradually took on the mantle of running the firm and were in full control in the early decades of the 20th century. It was during the 1930s that they changed up a gear, with an ambitious program of vineyard acquisition, eventually building up an impressive portfolio of vineyard holdings. The expansion brought innovation, as described in The Finest Wines of Champagne (Aurum Press, 2009) by Michael Edwards, who writes that he was one of the first merchants based in Reims to take advantage of the "unsung but excellent Pinot Noirs of the Aube" in his blends. These vineyards would stand Lanson in good stead for many years, but eventually they would also threaten to be its downfall, as other gigantic Champagne houses would come to view them with envy.

With time Champagne in general began to attract big business and big investors, and the Lanson family were no exception. The first significant external investment came in 1970 when the family sold 48% of the business to Ricard, the famous manufacturer of Pastis. This investment brought financial clout, as evinced by the Lanson take-over of Massé in 1976, but allowing such a huge chunk of the family business to go to one single investor is risky; although the Lanson family held onto the majority, it would only take a small portion of the business to come to the external investor for them to take full control. And this is almost exactly what happened to Lanson, although the transfer of shares was in a reverse direction. The Gardinier Group took control of the firm in 1980, combining the 48% which they purchased from Ricard, at a price of 65 million francs, with those acquired through the marriage of Pierre Lanson to Hélène Gardinier.

Big Business Takes Control

The business subsequently changed hands again, shortly afterwards, when in 1983 the Gardiniers sold both Lanson and Pommery, which they had also acquired, to the food-manufacturing group BSN. At the time many Champenois were concerned at the involvement of a food conglomerate in the running of such a prestigious grande marque; what they did not realise at the time, however, was that the real tragedy still lay ahead for Lanson. This began in 1990, when the business was acquired by the luxury products group LVMH, and came fully to fruition just four months later when LVMH sold the house on to Marne et Champagne (which then traded as Lanson International), having stripped it of its vineyards. This was asset stripping Champagne-style, the 208-hectare vineyard portfolio built up by Victor-Marie and Henri in the early 20th century proving just too good to resist to LVMH, which saw the opportunity to acquire vineyards worth millions of francs, no doubt to secure and bolster the production of its own Champagnes, such as Moët & Chandon. What the Mora family who headed up Lanson International acquired was buildings, Champagne stocks and a winemaker, Jean-Paul Gandon. Incredibly they paid exactly the same that LVMH had paid, despite there being no vineyards in this transaction! One can't help feeling they had the wool pulled over their eyes at the time.

It is a curious thing that in Champagne, although owning your own vineyards can bring advantages, in terms of the level of control you have over viticultural practices, harvest and so on, and it can also protect you from fluctuations in the price of harvested grapes, it is not absolutely necessary to own any vineyards in order to make Champagne. Most houses buy in some grapes, some more than others, and this was now the reality that faced Lanson, a broken Champagne house with no vineyards and few contacts to provide them with grapes. Naturally this raised concerns regarding the likely quality of Lanson Champagne, these fears were in my opinion not realised. Subsequent vintages of Lanson remained of high quality - 1995 and 1996 in particular - although the latter vintage has always demanded time in the cellar. Much of this success in the face of adversity must be down to Gandon.

Despite this success, however, there was still trouble in the back room. In 2004 the Mora family were forced to sell off a 44% stake to French bank Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne due to financial difficulties, but in 2005 this stake was once again put up for sale. Things looked gloomy, as no buyer was immediately apparent, and serious financial difficulties seemed very real as the market - in the UK at least - saw two waves of Lanson Black Label NV on sale at rock-bottom prices, a desperate attempt to generate cash flow. Eventually a buyer did appear; in January 2006, Champagne Boizel (headed up by Bruno Paillard) struck a deal with the two main shareholders, the Mora family and Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne, taking control of Lanson for the princely sum of 122 million Euros. This seems like peanuts compared to the Taittinger deal, another Champagne house which at the time was being juggled by family, investors and banks, and which eventually changed hands for 660 million Euros. Boizel claimed, however, to also be taking on a whopping 400 million Euros of Lanson debt.

Under Boizel the mantle of running Lanson has fallen to Philippe Baijot, Boizel high-flyer and creator of the Chanoine Champagne brand, and if my own recent tastings and the reported Baijot-led innovations - more of which below - are anything to judge by, Lanson is once again secure in safe hands.

The Lanson Champagnes

For many people, what makes the Lanson style difficult to understand is the uncommon practice of blocking the malolactic fermentation, which thus prevents the conversion of malic acid to softer lactic acid (see my glossary entry on malolactic fermentation for more information). There is also a strong role for Pinot here, predominantly Pinot Noir of course, this variety dominating many of the Lanson wines, the obvious exception being the Noble Cuvée Blanc de Blancs. The end result is a full-flavoured but bracing, fresh and acidic wine which needs time in order to shed its malic armour and show its richness and finesse. This is something all critics would do well to remember before dismissing these wines.

This certainly goes for the Black Label NV Brut Champagne, which is usually 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, a wine which often repays extended periods of cellaring; certainly I have had examples in my cellar for over five years and they have still not been ready to drink. Of course, tracking and differentiating one non-vintage cuvée from another can be difficult, although I have noticed some very recent releases have the disgorgement date stamped on the rear label, so if this practise continues the wines will be easier to follow. As for their true potential, I have heard anecdotal reports of Black Label drinking very well after more than a decade, so these are certainly not wines to 'pop and pour' as some say.

Although the non-vintage cuvée is perhaps the house's most widely-known Champagne, the single vintage Gold Label (above) is perhaps the most iconic, and also the best value. This wine is blended from roughly equal proportions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, although the exact quantities vary according to the vintage. Quality has been maintained despite the Lanson upheavals, and following on from the aforementioned 1995 and 1996 vintages, the 1998 is again of a very high standard. I have featured it as my wine of the week, and have added a very good quantity to the cellar, particularly as - like the 1989 and 1990 vintages in years gone by - I managed to uncover stocks available at a very good price indeed.

Less commonly seen cuvées include the non-vintage Rosé and also the - in my opinion less successful - demi-sec Ivory Label. Like so many houses there is a prestige cuvée, and here at Lanson it is the Noble Cuvée, sourced only from grand cru vineyards, which is a reserve blend typically of 60-70% Chardonnay and 30-40% Pinot Noir. The flagship wine in a triumvirate of Noble cuvées, the wine is joined by the 100% Chardonnay Noble Cuvée Blanc de Blancs and a Noble Cuvée Rosé. For years this has been the full extent of the Lanson portfolio, but it is good to see that as the company recovers and settles under new management there is also innovation once more, this time in the shape of Clos Lanson, a wine sourced from a single hectare of Chardonnay vines in the only clos within the city of Reims which was once owned by Massé, which Lanson acquired in 1976. I look forward to my first taste of this new cuvée from the revitalised Lanson. (9/3/04, updated 9/6/06, 2/12/09)

Contact details:
Address: 12 boulevard Lundy, 51100 Reims
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 26 78 50 50
Fax: +33 (0) 3 26 78 50 99
Internet: www.lanson.fr

Lanson - Tasting Notes

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Lanson Gold Label Brut 1998: Lanson is a frequently misunderstood and under-appreciated grande marque if ever there was one, in part because of the fresh and bracing character of the wines which do not undergo malolactic fermentation. This wine has an attractive, pale straw hue in the glass, and a fine bead. The nose is certainly interesting, starting off with fleeting moments of cheese and funk, but with a little exposure to the air it soon settles down to focus on an intense and linear provision of honey-roasted nuts, and in all honesty I find it extremely desirable. The palate is fresh and crisply defined, full of that brilliant acidity that comes with all Lanson wines, although I recall the acidity seemed less prominent when tasted at the 2009 annual Champagne tasting. It continues with great flavour, linear and bright but with a sappy texture. It finishes long but punchy, and although this just demands to be left in the cellar, perhaps for many years, it is just delicious now. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 17.5+/20 (November 2009)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1998: An interesting nose, lean and lemony, minerally and a touch detached I think. The palate is attractive, harmonious and yet firm, sappy with fine vinosity. There is a good grip to this wine, and a very tangible fruit texture. Lots of good substance here. A firm wine from Lanson although not the hard acidity they often show in their youth. Good potential. From the 2009 annual Champagne Tasting. 17+/20 (March 2009)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1998: A very lean character here, minerally and stony in style. The palate is very typical of Lanson, showing a huge core of acidity cutting through all characteristics of the palate. Underneath, however, there is substance. A nicely rounded mousse. This is quite reticent and unapproachable now, but should be very good indeed with time. From the 2008 annual Champagne tasting. 16.5+/20 (March 2008)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1997: Not a very expressive nose here, rather green, but closed down. Very firm acidity on the palate, a huge structure, very nicely set up for the cellar. Almost painful. Firm mousse, brutally youthful. This needs years. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 17+/20 (March 2007)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1996: The first bottle was corked, which was disappointing. The second, fortunately, was sound. A soft, golden hue with a fine bead, very bright on the nose, with some evolving deep and brioche-like aromas alongside more herbal freshness. Fine and full on the palate, with a more creamy presence than I recall from my CIB tasting last year, although there is still very firm acidity; this remains very youthful, showing a lot of naked structure, and still needs many years. But I have bumped the score up a not inconsiderable notch. From a 1996 Champagne tasting. 17.5+/20 (August 2007)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1996: Expressive, rather surprising nose, demonstrating some peachy stone fruit that is atypical for Lanson. Again, does this represent recent disgorgement? The texture is rounding out a little, but overall it is still terribly tight, with very firm acidity. Lovely fresh mousse though. This needs years. From the annual Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16.5+/20 (March 2006)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1996: A pale lemon hue. A stylish nose, with very pure lemon edged fruit, with little nuances of nut and marzipan, opening out to reveal smoky, mineral notes. A very youthful palate, dominated by acidic fruit on entry, but with a fair amount of richness and fatness poking through towards the endpalate. Rounded and creamy if held in the mouth, with a fresh, elegant mousse as well. More green apple and citrus fruit acidity evident on the finish. There is fine quality here. Needs four to eight years in the cellar. 17.5+/20 (March 2004)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1995: A deep, rich, golden hue with a rather sparse, fairly finely-sized bead. The nose, although initially very closed, soon opens up to reveal delightfully mature and yet also very fresh aromas, with nuances of pistachio, Brazil nut and mushroom, all laid over a layer of crystalline fruit. Crisp, with notes of orange peel, nutmeg and a touch honeyed. Full and vibrant in style, with great acidity, lively mousse, great definition and just a hint of cream at the edges. A very punchy style, although there is mushroomy maturity on the palate as well as the nose, and a wine that works best with food even now. Hugely refreshing but also contemplative. Lovely wine. No rush to drink if you have any, plenty of years left in this one yet. All gone for me though. 17.5+/20

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1995: Another pale, lemon-straw, but slightly golden colour with a sparse, fine bead. The nose here is marked by cinder toffee and praline, with a little mushroom and seashell minerality and a nuance of autolysis. The palate is really quite elegant, fresh but edged with toffee, praline and toast, another forcefully flavoured wine with lots of complex roasted fruits coming in through the midpalate, and also a slightly confected edge here. Appealing though, quite typical firm acidity, still lots of potential for the cellar here. Very enjoyable. From a 1995 Champagne tasting. 17-17.5+/20 (August 2007)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1995: A mid-gold colour, and a fine but sparse bead. A nose of autolytic yeast derived aromas, with rich, nutty notes. The palate has richness to match the nose, with fine, elegant acidity, a creamy texture, and a firm, succulent mousse. Lemon and nut flavours. Delicious wine, with an almost opulent creaminess, which is just about arriving at its drinking window. 17/20 (March 2004)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1994: Yeasty and biscuity on the nose, with plenty of fruit. Fantastic depth of flavour on the palate, a creamy note to the texture, with some nutty complexity to the flavour. Rich, with balanced acidity. From an Oddbins tasting. 16.5+/20 (November 2001)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1989: A moderate golden hue. Unsurprisingly a tight, sparse bead. Pretty well locked down on the nose at first - served just a little too cold. As it warms it offers up nutty, marzipan aromas, but still cut through with the trademark Lanson note of acidic green apples. A fresh, vigorous mousse on the palate. Creamy, with nutty flavours. Mature, slightly biscuity, with a good mouthfeel. Brilliantly fresh for its age. 17/20 (March 2004)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1989: A deep and rich golden hue, with a wonderful bead. Good mature aromas, almond nuts, coffee, toasted brioche, a suggestion of oxidation. Good weight and good flavour on the palate, creamy richness sitting very well with a fine, gentle mousse, which creams up nicely on the finish. Coffee and almond flavours. 17/20 (April 2002)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1989: A moderately deep golden wine. The nose is serious, rich and yeasty, with almond marzipan overtones. A superbly fresh and somewhat obvious mousse. The palate has an excellent combination of acidity and a creamy, yeasty richness, leading into a good length. 17/20 (January 2001)

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1989: An overpowering yeasty and nutty nose. On the palate it is biscuity, yeasty, with pleasant citrus-lemon acidity. Quite dry. Good length. This is one of many unfortunately brief notes from a 1989 Champagne tasting. 16/20 (June 2000)

Lanson Noble Cuvée 1989: Surprisingly fresh on the nose, with just a buttery edge to the lemon-fresh fruit. A superb palate, again amazingly fresh, with apple and lemon flavours predominating, but with a honeyed, mealy richness in the background. There's just a slight creamy edge to the texture. I feel this wine has the potential to one day be a great Champagne, and I would continue to cellar for another five years at least. From an Oddbins tasting. 18/20 (November 2001)

Lanson Brut 1983: I can't call this 'Gold Label' because back in the early 1980s the labels were red! A good colour that doesn't cause any great concern. Still quite a good bead. The nose is bready, doughy, with some typical green apple aromas from blocked malolactic fermentation which give a big clue as to the identity of the producer. There's also some evidence of oxidation on the nose, which is matched on the palate, which has a touch of sweetness. Still has good acidity and is certainly drinkable. From a 1983 vintage twenty years on blind tasting. 15.5/20 (April 2003)

There follows a wealth of tasting notes on the non-vintage Black Label cuvée, which has acted like a house fizz for me from time to time. Given an appropriate length of time in the cellar - perhaps three to five years - it drinks very well. Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried in each case to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005, so in the cellar for four years. Crystal clear, lemon-gold hue, with a moderate bead. Still very crisp, remarkably youthful, with crystalline fruit on the nose, although with little touches of mushrooms and honey too. The same character on the palate, exuberant in terms of structure, lively and full-on mousse, crisp fruit acidity, fresh and vivacious rather than relaxed, seductive or evolved. The last bottle seemed more ready (and rather un-Lanson in style) but this seems more typical, and still has years to go. Remarkable longevity here - and another half case in the cellar yet I think. 16.5-17+/20 (December 2009)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005, so four years in the cellar for this one. A very fine, lemon-straw hue, youthful with a few streams of very fine bubbles. The nose also seems very youthful at first, with a dry citrus and mineral character. But then you notice the traces of maturity, in particular a very firm hazelnut aroma, with honey-tinged notes on top of the fruit. The palate is fresh, full, stylish and broad, opening out in the midpalate to show maturing nutty flavours mirroring the elements found on the nose. Lovely, full and quite prominent mousse, especially considering how gentle the bead is in the glass. Sappy fruit, beautiful style, and a good length too. Balanced acidity, although it does contribute a lot to that sappy character. But tasted blind, you would never guess this was Lanson - that's bottle-age for you! Very good indeed. (September 2009) 17.5+/20

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005, so a little over three years in the cellar here. It has a good clean colour still, and a few streams of moderate-sized bubbles. A lovely nose, showing maturity, notes of coffee cream and baked herbs. But on the palate an immediate and crisp freshness, filling out to a gentle coffee-tinged and mushroom creaminess, with a delightful mousse throughout. It has a fresh acid backbone, appealing thyme-tinged midpalate, and a slightly bitter finish. A little short here, but immensely enjoyable and great value. And still room for improvement, I think. 16.5+/20 (December 2008)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Current release. Iodine and seaweed on the nose again, a very firm and youthful style. The palate has bright acidity but it is more flashy in the midpalate, where it shows more rounded creaminess and a soft mousse. Lots of promise here. It has the firm acidity of Lanson, but also a touch more softness than I would normally expect. Does this reflect new ownership, or the base vintage? From the 2008 annual Champagne tasting. 16+/20 (March 2008)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005. It has only been about six months since I last took a look at this wine. Tonight I didn't pay great attention to it as it was a mere prelude to dinner with guests. Nevertheless, it is developing nicely, with some good maturity showing through towards the end of the palate. Still a lively bead and plentiful mousse, though, although it is all a touch more harmonious than I seem to recall from my last tasting. Really very good indeed, still clearly on the way up, and although very drinkable now I would like to see what another six months does. A 2007 Christmas wine. 16.5+/20 (December 2007)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005. A clean, lemon-golden hue. Very fine, tiny bead. Lemony, nutty, fresh, quite fine, moving ever more towards a mature style, as indicated by fleeting nuances of mushroom, nut oil and creamy coffee. Very nice indeed on the palate, which has a full, creamy style cut through by wonderfully fresh acidity and a fine, pervasive and persistent, well formed, gently prickling mousse. Lovely depth on the finish. Overall this is very good indeed, and keeps getting better. I think I still have a case to work through. 16.5+/20 (May 2007)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005. Another bottle of this bulk purchase - it has been fascinating to watch the minute developments with every tasting. A pale straw gold with a minimal bead, but still a moderate size. It has depth, and notes of lovely, smoky, minerally, crunchy oat biscuit. Freshness in abundance. There is a little appealing biscuity apple fruit apparent at first, belying the wines Pinot heritage, then more depth, and a creamy base, with citrus fruit swirled in. A full creamy mousse gives a hedonistic, full-on creamy-cappuccino finish. Slightly brutal on the finish, showing this will yet improve, but this is certainly ready, and is even better for drinking than the last time just a few months ago. 16.5+/20 (March 2007)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Current release. Bright, steely, herbal and mineral, and still showing just a little sulphur. Very sharp, laser like precision, well defined palate. Firm, lovely mousse coating it all though. Another typically sharp non-vintage style from this house. Has good potential for the cellar. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16+/20 (March 2007)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005. The first bottle was corked. The second has a lovely, hazy, pale straw colour, with a moderate bead. On the nose there are pleasing, forward notes of honey and straw notes, and little hints of richness. Alongside the full and fresh mousse there is plenty of interest, with mineral and seashell tones alongside more exuberant peachy notes, with an unusual slightly sandy-salty feel, wrapped up in an impressive, vinous mouthfeel. This wine doesn't have the dominating malic acidity that occurs in young Lanson BL although only cellared for just under a year. This delightfully fresh, cleansing, well defined wine is maturing nicely. It is ready to drink now, but should improve over next 3-5 years (if not more). 16+/20 (July 2006)

Lanson Rosé Label NV: Barely pink, and rather dirty on the nose, showing heavy-handed sulphur. Despite this the palate holds together well, has a creamy mousse and an attractive balance. There is firm acidity, and a decent red fruit character. Nevertheless, the nose has it. Not a great wine. From the annual Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 14/20 (March 2006)

Lanson Ivory Label NV: Current release. Probably one of the more widely distributed cuvées here. Rather simple perfumed fruit on the nose. Full, creamy, sweet and slightly foamy mousse. This lacks character, but certainly has an approachable structure. Bitter finish. Not the best demi-sec here! From the annual Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 13.5/20 (March 2006)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2005; so this bottle fresh off the shelf! Lemon gold hue, with a fat, youthful bead. Fresh, acidic white fruits with plenty of bready, yeasty notes alongside a lemon streak; typically Lanson. Full palate, unintegrated, firm and full-bodied. It shows firm acidity, although somewhat less green than previous early tastings of the Black Label, but this is still very much an adolescent. Should be fine with 2-5 years in the cellar. 16+/20 (October 2005)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Summer 2003. The last bottle of a six-pack which I seem to have demolished in record time. This bottle showed best of the lot. Lovely colour, pale gold, but showing the barest hint of coppery onion skin. Fine, herbal, baked bread nose with a touch of honey and nut. Gorgeous, almost creamy aromas, if that's possible! Full, bright, delightful palate, showing great style but also with a creamy, nutty, coffee-edged richness. Great finesse here, balanced with fine acidity and a texture on the more hedonistic side for Lanson. I would have never thought it the NV if tasted blind. Delicious. 17/20 (April 2005)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Summer 2003. Elegant, pale, lemon-gold hue. Good, fine bead. The nose shows aromas of fresh, acidic green apples, reflecting the malic acid present in the wine, the result of blocking the malolactic fermentation which is the policy of this house. Also developing more secondary, nutty aromas. Very fresh on the palate. That green apple acidity shows first, with maturing coffee and nut nuances on the midpalate. Nice creamy edge to the mousse. With more aeration this shows some rich, bready, coffee toffee notes, which owe their presence to the maturity of this lovely wine. 16.5+/20 (March 2004)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Spring 2001. This wine still has a fine, pale, lemon-gold hue, with a fine bead. The elegance carries through onto the nose, which has some secondary nut and coffee characteristics alongside classic Lanson green apple aromas. The palate has great acidity, which carries emerging secondary coffee and nut characteristics from the midpalate through to the finish. Great pleasure comes from the creamy mousse. Finishes with some richness, displaying hints of more obvious maturity to come. A delicious non-vintage Champagne which often offers great value for money. From a tasting of aged non-vintage Champagne. 16+/20 (May 2003)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: A tasting of the NV cuvée on the market at the time of writing. A lovely nose, crisp and fresh, with some yeasty fruit. Strong mousse on the palate, with the sharp, crisp acidity so typical of Lanson. Medium bodied with a good depth of flavour. From an Oddbins tasting. 15.5/20 (November 2001)

Lanson Black Label Brut NV: Purchased Summer 1999. Two bottles consumed within a few weeks of each other. The first has a delightful lemon-gold colour, and a plentiful bead. A lovely fresh, lemony, mineral nose. The palate is clean, with revitalising acidity and some complex biscuit and bread nuances. Delicious stuff. The note for my next bottle also describes a lemon-gold hue, moderately fine bead. Herbaceous nose, with citrus and peach fruit, background toasty brioche. On the palate a somewhat over obvious mousse although this settles with time. Lovely creamy texture, superb balancing streak of acidity, more citrus fruit, again a hint of ripe peach, and a hint of marzipan nuttiness. Delightful finish, with a savoury note that makes it difficult to put the glass down. Suggestive of some development since last tasted. The second note is from an English sparkling wine and Champagne tasting. 16.5/20 (August 2000)