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Wine Description
The Story
A glittering, golden Champagne, twinkling with amber highlights and an endless cascade of shimmering, festive bubbles.
The wine shows depth and refinement on the nose, revealing an exquisite bouquet of perfectly ripe fruit (pears and Mirabelle plums) and crystallized citrus (lemons and mandarins) blended with delicate hints of almonds, sweet pastries, honey and caramel.
These flavours linger deliciously on the palate, highlighting the wine's dense substance and length. There is a fine balance of fullness and freshness as subtle notes of butter and spice create a wonderfully mellow flavour. A lasting, mineral component, a signature characteristic of this Champagne, underlines the wine's radiance and purity to create a lingering palate profile.
When France was still a monarchy, ‘échanson’ was the title bestowed on the court official charged with serving wine at the king’s table. As the officer of the royal cellars, the échanson was also responsible for selecting, tasting and generally promoting the appreciation of wines. This cuvee is dedicated to his modern-day counterparts : the sommeliers who are the ambassadors for our Champagnes and have helped to establish Les Echansons as the jewel in our crown for nearly half a century.
Vintage 2002
A cold winter and a mild late spring cued for a perfect June allowing early and fast flowering. Outstanding weather conditions prevailed and the season went on without dramatic turns. Rains in August raised concerns regarding gray rot, but finally sunshine and dry conditions throughout September resulted in an abundant crop of largely healthy fruit (11,930 kg/ha). Dehydration due to wind further aided in achieving perfect ripeness and additional concentration. This, and the cool nights, helped in retaining fresh acidity and, despite the ripeness (10.3% potential alcohol), the wines did not suffer from heaviness or a lack of life. A near-perfect vintage, which produced balanced Champagnes consistently around the region. The best show an impeccable combination of freshness, power, structure and finesse. However, some have matured aromatically quicker than expected and are already past their peak. 2002 produced an abundance of spectacular champagnes, such as Dom Pérignon (the entire range), Krug Vintage and Clos du Mesnil, Piper-Heidsieck Rare, Louis Roederer Cristal and Cristal Rosé, Ruinart Dom Ruinart and Dom Ruinart Rosé, Salon Le Mesnil and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, to name a few.