2002 Lanson "Gold Label" Vintage Brut Champagne

A finely meshed Champagne, with a creamy mousse and citrusy acidity framing the flavors of pastry dough, baked cherry, chopped almond and singed orange peel. The lingering finish is richly smoky. (AN)

I had last tasted the 2002 Lanson Brut Millésime a year ago and found the wine blossomed beautifully in the glass. One year further on had allowed it to more fully reach its apogee and the wine is now drinking with plenty of style and complexity. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a mélange of apple, gentle leesiness, a nice dollop of nuttiness, sourdough bread, classy soil nuances and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and focused, with plenty of mid-palate depth, bright acids, elegant mousse and a long, complex and wide open finish. I really like the combination here of the ripeness of 2002 and the non-malo spine that is the Lanson house style. As I failed to note last year, this is a blend of fifty-three percent pinot noir and forty-seven percent chardonnay and spent nine years aging sur latte prior to disgorgement. Fine juice. (Drink between 2016-2035)