| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Champagne |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Sparkling |
The 2004 Comtes de Champagne is at a glorious peak of early maturity where the first notes of aromatic and flavor development have arrived, and yet the wine remains fresh. Apricot, baked apple tart, pastry and touch of reduction all run through this super-classic Comtes de Champagne. Now showing the gentlest hint of patina, the 2004 is magnificent. The delicately saline finish is a thing of beauty. At the outset, many Chefs de Cave believed the 2004s would not age, since at the time, yields were the highest ever in Champagne. Time has proved otherwise for the top wines. This is a great bottle of the 2004, the best I have had yet.
Ripe lemon and hazelnut nose, very fresh and vibrant. The palate is stone and citrus fruit, lots of fresh lemon and a light creaminess adding to the body. Fine, persistent mousse and crisp acidity lead to a great mouthfeel. Subtle and refined, the wine is very well balanced and delicious. There is a mineral, steely, long finish of fresh fruit with that same creamy note adding to the texture and complexity. This is super-impressive.
A wine of cut and vigour, 2004s had an atypical pumped-up sweetness to the fruit on release (often with a flowery-herbaceous edge). Now fully mature, the wine possesses a quilty, toasty bouquet. The oily Chardonnay maturity on the finish combines with the wine's underlying richness to give that succulent lemon-sweetness aroma to die for (a common feature of 20th-century releases of Comtes, less so in the 21st!). It will hold at this sublime level for the next few years, but it is definitely at its peak! Drink from 2023-2032. Tasted: 15-Dec-22.
It's fascinating to taste the 2004 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne after the 2002, something I have been able to do on a few occasions. The 2004 is all about minerality, precision and tension. It doesn't have the sheer richness or power of the 2002, but it makes up for that with its crystalline purity and sheer energy. Bright hints of lemon oil, white flowers and crushed rocks are layered into the pointed, vibrant finish. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034.
