Comtes de Champagne 2014

The 2014 Comtes de Champagne is a pristine, brilliantly sketched, and breathtakingly vibrant masterpiece that effortlessly straddles the line between hyper-linear tension and enrobing mid-palate luxury. In the glass, it presents a brilliant, pale golden-yellow color with a soft, powdery, and pillow-like mousse of microscopically fine, persistent bubbles.

The bouquet is a masterclass in classic Blanc de Blancs sophistication, opening with a gorgeous reduction of gunsmoke and flint before giving way to a pure core of lemon curd, confit citrus, and crunchy orchard fruits like mirabelle plum and fresh pear. As it sits in the glass, the extensive 10-year lees maturation beautifully unfolds, introducing rich autolytic waves of burnt buttered toast, warm brioche, roasted hazelnuts, and a delicate perfume of chamomile, mint, and spring blossoms.

On the palate, the wine delivers spectacular volume and an enrobing, seamless texture. True to the cooler character of the 2014 growing season, it exhibits a rigid, racy spine of electric acidity that drives the wine forward with incredible speed and laser-like precision. A touch more mid-palate creaminess and a hint of stone fruit sweetness from the dosage perfectly balance the structural tension. It is deeply layered, building a powerful chalky inflected weight before narrowing into a monumental, penetrating finish. The finale is endlessly long and pure, defined by mouthwatering saline minerals, citrus zest, and light tropical overtones.

Drinking Window:

While it is more open for business and complete upon release than the tightly coiled 2012 or 2013 vintages, this refined Comtes has a spectacular structural framework. It is absolutely delicious and complex to drink today, but it possesses the immense phenolic potential to age gracefully in a cellar over the next 30 to 40 years. Peak drinking window: 2026–2055+

This Comtes de Champagne opens with crystalline fruit; lemon meringue, pear, fruit drops, candied lime, and a hint of mint. Sweetly fruity yet marked by cool restraint, with a toasty nuance beginning to emerge. The palate is crisp and crunchy, glowing with sweet fruit appeal. An immediately rewarding Comtes that will gain more toasty glory with time. Disgorgement date:2024. Dosage:9g/l