2008 Palmer & Co Brut Reserve

Exclusively made up of premiers and grands crus from the Montagne de Reims area. 50% Chardonnay premiers crus (Trepail and Villers-Marmery), 40% Pinot Noir grand crus (Verzy, Verzenay, Mailly) and 10% Pinot Meunier. Lees ageing for 7.5 years. Disgorged August 2016. Dosage 8 g/l. Tasted blind. Richer, more concentrated nose [than the 2009 tasted alongside]. Broad and substantial – quite savoury. Even a little cheesy. Lots of acidity. (JR)

All premiers and grands crus from the Montagne de Reims area. 50–55% Chardonnay, 40–45% Pinot Noir, 5–10% Pinot Meunier. Bottles aged on lees for six to eight years, magnums for 10 to 12 years. Dosage 8 g/l. Date on label suggests it may have been disgorged 7 September 2016. Intense lemon colour. Very slightly cheesy, in a fruity, melted-cheese kind of way. Citrus peel. Soft bubbles, which fill the mouth without frothing up then retreat to a restrained, on-the-edges position. Savoury, so very savoury, yet with some sweetness and a blade of citric acidity drawing start to finish. A swirl in the mouth of dried citrus peel and dried white currants and pithy bitterness and hazelnuts, and still that persistent undertow of something that just makes me think of a lovely rich, sharp Cheddar bubbling on toast under the grill. Which is probably the perfect thing to eat with this wine! (TC)

Very light nose and bone dry and racy. Quite an elegant style. Good balance and just about ready. (JR)