2014 Champagne Barons de Rothschild Rare Vintage

Rounded citrus, elderflower and lime zest, soft gunsmoke, fresh acidities that widen and deepen through the palate, grilled oak notes gently add layers. Excellent, easy to recommend. 3g/l dosage, Guillaume Lété winemaker, Frédéric Mairesse director.

Barons de Rothschild’s prestige cuvée is focused entirely on the house’s favoured Côte des Blancs, unfolding in the crisp, approachable and serene 2014 vintage with layered, classical maturing Chardonnay characters of dried lemon, roasted pineapple, nuts in honey and sweet tart pastry. It’s all delivered on a gliding, smooth palate with a fine sense of the driving intensity possible in the grand cru villages of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant, Avize and Oger. Nevertheless, it isn’t an imposing or difficult new release, but rather fragrant and giving (compared, at least, to the more chiselled 2013), despite a clear capacity for further development.

This has attractive aromas of orange blossom, honey, toast, walnuts and grapefruit. It’s silky and voluptuous on the palate, with very fine bubbles and a long, lightly honeyed and delicious finish. Drink or hold.