2008 A.D. Coutelas Vintage Brut Champagne

I've been a big fan of the Coutelas wines since we started bringing them in several years ago. The Cuvee Victor was always one of my favorite to recommend to enthusiasts who wanted their Champagne with a little more esoteric edge since it undergoes a bit of a solera processing with all the reserve wines married together in perpetuity. The Victor is always a real complex stunner for the money. You'll notice it is also one of the most consistently well reviewed wines by our staff. So what about the 2008 vintage bottling from Coutelas? Superb as well. The tension in the vintage shows through with beautiful apple and pear aromas and hints of ginger on the palate. The weight is there for sure but the structure of acidity is focused and pure. I love the low dosage too as the wine has beautiful body so it doesn't warrant any rounding out. A great Champagne for now but a few years would do no harm here and just add a few new layers of complexity, if your'e into that sort of thing. It just so happens that I am.

This absolutely beautiful 2008 vintage Brut is another great release from the Coutelas family. It has the linear, chalky aspect one expects of this vintage but, there is also a golden apple, lemon meringue and toasted hazelnut aspect that adds interest and uniqueness. Light toast rounds it all out and the finish lingers. Probably the greatest value of the 2008 vintage that I have tasted to date. Damien and Angelique have given us yet another gem!