(2023) From Les Ricys, this is 90% Pinot Noir, with 10% Chardonnay. Aged a minimum of three years on the lees, there's lots of biscuit and yeasty freshness overlaying a light umami character and hints of red fruit ripeness. The palate has a sweet attack and very fine, rolling, cushioning mousse. There is a mouth-filling breadth to this, quite sumptuous, then the excellent acid code pushes through, extending the finish.
(2023) Lallier's cellarmaster is Dominique Demarville, whose C.V. is impressive, having held that position at Mumm, Perrier-Jouët and Veuve Clicquot. This blends 55% Chardonnay with 45% Pinot Noir, and was bottled with a modest dosage of 8g/l. The mousse is fine, with small persistent bubbles. Biscuit and brioche overlays a fruity opening, notes of lemon sherbet and green apple are crisp and appetising. On the palate it is a very finely honed Champagne, delicate and filigree weight and flavour is etched by fine chalky acidity, but there's a hint of peach and sweetness from the dosage that gives lovely balance.
(2021) From the second-oldest, dedicated Champagne house founded in 1730, this is 48% Pinot Noir (mostly from Les Riceys), 39% Chardonnay, the balance Pinot Meunier. Coming from a cool year, but now with seven years under its belt, there is some gold to the colour and an attractively creamy, nutty and bruised apple fruit quality. On the palate the dosage is apparent, giving a sweet attack, but a fat and juicy lemony fruit corew and acidity sweeps through. The finish shows a little salts and minerals, in an easy drinking and stylish vintage Champagne. £24.99 as part of a mixed six at Majestic at time of review.
(2020) Pommery doesn't enjoy the greatest of reputations among Champagne afficionados, but I really rather enjoyed this wine, made with around 9g/l dosage and with around 30% reserve wines in the blend. Bready and lightly toasty on the nose, the bubbles are tiny and rise steadily in the glass, and the palate it taut with a lemony thrust of fruit and acid, but a certain peachy sweetness on the mid-palate, with a reasonably long and nicely balanced, tangy finish.
(2020) The wine is based on the 2014 vintage (60%) with reserves from 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 making up the other 40%, and aged five years on the lees, this bottle disgorged in October 2018. Very delicate, ethereal nose, fresh-sliced apple and a touch of something jasmine-like and floral, then some biscuity autolytic notes come through. In the mouth it is ripe and quite sweet. The dosage was not revealed for this wine, but it has some residual sweetness as well as fruit ripeness I think, but all beautifully refined and poised, fresh and with a touch of saline into the finish.
(2020) A touch of gold to the straw colour and lovely, streaming small bubbles. On the nose there is brioche and hazelnut, but a delightfully bready yeastiness, golden delicious and a crisper note of Asian pear and citrus. That focus tighten up even more on the palate, despite a great sweetness and ripeness to the fruit, and a healthy level of dosage, the rounding of waxy lemon and apple skins also gives bite, with beautifully judged acidity into the finish. A terrific wine from one of Champagne's best recent vintages.
(2020) You don’t sense the 10% oak fermentation aromatically, although you do feel it in the creamy, textural finesse. Zesty notes of grapefruit lead into lush, slightly tropical notes, a weighted Champagne without heaviness. More broadly structured than 2008, with less angularity (certainly less toasty), the vintage 2012 is already showing the first flush of fruity generosity (and perhaps lacking a bit of complexity because of that). Fine potential as one expects, yet eminently approachable, I suspect many will struggle to keep their hands off it (I know I will). Enjoy from now until 2028.