A lower dosage (4g/L), after a lengthy tirage (disgorged in May 2014). Inspirational in so many ways and it certainly makes one wonder 'when' rather than 'whether' a late-disgorged LGD will be formalised, such is its appeal. Vinous, fresh, seductive and long, with aromas of late summer meadows. The nose recalls gunflint and warm, autumnal evenings; thereafter, hints of hazelnut and even pistachio, a gently honeyed descant providing an eloquent framework. The wine, four decades on, combines powerful architectural depth with adamantine freshness on the impressively long finish.

The 1979 Brut La Grande Dame is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with a rich bouquet of orange rind, clear honey, coniferous forest floor, wheat toast and hints of black truffle. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's textural and concentrated, with lively acids, a pinpoint mousse and a long, saline finish. This is a muscular, intense Grande Dame at the peak of its powers.

The 1979 La Grande Dame is one of the more exotic wines in this tasting. Kirsch, rose petal and Mirabelle plum all give the 1979 an intensely aromatic, perfumed profile that is nicely balanced by underlying veins of acidity that give the wine its freshness and energy.

Disgorged early 2018. Jacques Peters joined Veuve Clicquot in 1979. Picked early October. 67% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay. Light and crisp year. Bigger crop than 1989. Dosage 4 g/l. Coppery gold. Full mirabelle nose. Pungent, vibrant palate. Long. Heady and tense. A little less exuberant than the 1989 Grande Dame but certainly still appetising. Still lots of chew and freshness. Coming up on the outside lane. Really grew in the glass. (JR)