A certain amount of serious champagne tasting in October and November this year hints at various vintage characteristics (for the best wines only, of course). The three verticals were not blind but the first collection noted below was served blind (and judged perforce rather too rapidly to make copious notes but I stand by the overall impressions).
A few conclusions first:
- 1979 is a very fine vintage that has lasted well and can provide particularly elegant drinking now
- the 1990s need more time than the 1989s
- 1988s are beginning to open out (see last year's notes on Krug, etc)
- most...