We served this Champagne during the Connoisseur Week in 2022 also, and the last year has seen it deepen and gather complexity. If you have been holding on to it, I strongly suggest taking another look, as everything has pulled together, with the quince and brioche character more pronounced, along with smoked almonds and bright citrus. A Blanc de Blancs made entirely from Chardonnay grapes sourced from entirely from Grand Cru vineyards in Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. 9 years on the lees, disgorged April 2021, 9 g/l dosage.

2011 is a year that continues to surprise. Warm and dry conditions from March into May set up an early harvest, but the growing season was cool and wet, dashing grower’s hopes. Despite the dreary summer, however, some lovely wines were made. The Comtes is voluptuous and almost dense, with aromas that blend green apple and nectarine with floral notes and a hint of toast. A slightly lower dosage, fresh acidity, and a touch of bitterness bring balance and length to this wine. Much better than I dared hope.

The 2011 Champagne Blanc de Blancs Comte de Champagne is from all the Grand Crus of the Côte de Blancs except for Oiry. With a kiss of toasted brioche, caramel apple, and a hint of saline, this wine gets more savory as it opens, although it has a bit of greenness. The palate is full, with a fine mousse and a dusty feel of chalk, as well as fresh and pithy citrus. It has a reasonably long finish, although perhaps not up to par for the tête de cuvée. It is drinking well now but is likely best for relatively early drinking. 2022-2033.

The 2011 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne has generated a certain amount of controversy in critical circles, with appraisals ranging from the condemnatory to the ecstatic, so I was curious to revisit a bottle with some more time on cork. Since I tasted it last year, the wine has tightened up a little, integrating its dosage and showing more of a structural backbone. Exhibiting aromas of crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, freshly baked bread and hints of fresh hazelnut, it's medium-bodied, pillowy and racy, with an impressively seamless palate and delicate but penetrating finish. It isn't a powerhouse, but I continue to think that it's a genuine success in a challenging year.

100% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. Only produced in exceptional years. 5% of the wines used have been aged for 4 months in new oak barrels (a third of which are renewed every year). The Champagne is aged for 8 to 10 years. Winemaker: Alexandre Ponnavoy. TA 6 g/l , pH 3, RS 9 g/l . Bottle weight 950 g. So restrained and alluring. Struck-match character on the nose. Like a fine burgundy with a delicate but persistent mousse. Plenty of acidity on the palate to balance the ripe, almost tropical/exotic-fruit notes. No shortage of purity with exuberant freshness to finish. Flavours build in the glass – biscuity, very precise. (AWH)