2005 Gaston Chiquet Special Club

Pale gold. Buttery citrus and orchard fruits on the fragrant nose, with hints of jasmine and vanilla adding complexity. Smells like there's some oak in play here, but there isn't. Lush and creamy but lively as well, offering smoky pear and nectarine flavors and a hint of bitter lemon pith. Turns firm and minerally on the penetrating finish, with repeating smoke and citrus notes. Disgorged in September, 2013.

Chiquet's 2005 Brut Spécial Club is soft, creamy and ideally suited to drinking over the next few years. The open, resonant fruit is already quite expressive. I don't see the 2005 improving much over time, but it is quite beautiful right now. I very much like the sense of immediacy and generosity here, but the limits of the 2005 vintage are impossible to escape. Still, this is a solid effort for the year. The 2005 is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir from vineyards in Mareuil, Aÿ and Hautvillers, all done in steel. This bottle was disgorged in September 2013. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.

The 2005 Brut Spécial Club has a lovely immediacy to it, but lacks mid-palate depth, pliancy and complexity, all pretty evident in this otherwise stellar lineup. The 2005 is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, disgorged in September 2012 and bottled with dosage of 8 grams/liter.