2009 Pierre Peters Cuvee L'Espirit

The bright citrus colored 2009 L'Esprit Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru from Mesnil sur Oger offers a dense and inviting nose of ripe and slightly cooked apples, citrus flavors, chalk and minerals. Medium to full-bodied on the palate this is a dense, firmly grasping, intense and elegant Blanc de Blancs full of finesse but with a persistent mineral and salty finish. A great, precise and feather-light aperitif with an enormously delicate mousseux but this great Blanc de Blancs can also be served with seafood. A Best Buy indeed.

The 2009 Cuvée L'Esprit de 2009 wraps around the palate with gorgeous depth and pure vintage 2009 opulence. Apricot, yellow stone fruits, spices and light floral overtones flow through to the rich, resonant finish. This is a wine of tremendous near-term appeal. In some markets, including France, the 2009 will be released before the 2008. Disgorged January 15, 2013.

The 2009 Brut Cuvée L'Esprit is another wine with huge early appeal. Here the warmth of the vintage adds an extra contour of softness that is rarely present in the Péters Champagnes when they are young. Peach, apricot and a bevy of yellow stone fruits flesh out in this exotic wine. Stylistically, the 2009 is creamy, textured and generous, to the point Peters added only two grams of dosage per liter. That is but a mere technicality, though. The 2009 Esprit is dazzling, and will provide immense pleasure right out of the gate.