2006 Diebolt-Vallois Vintage Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru

The Diebolt-Vallois' 2006 Brut Blanc de Blancs - sourced above all from Cuis, though with contributions from Chouilly, Epernay and Cramant - has an especially strong following in the U.K., they tell me, and I have to wonder whether that accounts for the more toasty, "biscuity" character in the nose here as compared with that of other cuvees tasted alongside. There is a subtle and downright seductive creaminess as well - testimony to quality time on the lees, and complementing an expansive yet buoyant mid-palate impression - and the primary fruit of apple and pear is somewhat muted, in favor of liquid floral (honeysuckle, lily-of-the-valley) character, toasted grains and nuts. Soothingly persistent, this impeccably-balanced if not notably complex or dynamic bottling should drink well for at least 3-4 years, though I as yet lack direct experience of older exemplars that might support further prognostication. Jacque Diebolt represents the third generation of this family of Alsacienne origin to estate-bottle, a lineage that goes all the way back to the turn of the dawn of the 20th century. He and his wife Nadia nee Vallois have established an enviable reputation and been highly influential in inspiring others to estate-bottle and consumers to appreciate Champagne as a great wine. Well-sited vineyards and a predominance of old vines and selections massales in Cramant, Chouilly, Cuis and Epernay are certainly instrumental in those achievements. Vinification here is typically at low temperature in jacketed stainless steel - which the Diebolts believe conduces to "the expression of minerality" - though certain wines see time in foudres or barriques; and with one exception they routinely undergo malo-lactic transformation. Although most of the wines I tasted had seven grams of residual sugar in common, Madame Vallois-Diebolt sought to assure me that they conduct bench trials in one-gram increments. She added that they bottle a non-dose version of their "tradition" but only at the request of an insistent Belgian client, and I wasn't able to encourage her sufficiently to let me taste it. (This is, incidentally, one of an increasing number of top estates to officially become negociants - trading the little letters "RM" on their labels for "NM" - as a means of expanding their production, but without sacrificing one iota of viticultural control: they merely purchase the fruit from vineyards they now farm that are in the extended family, in this case Nadia Vallois' paternal estate.) Imported by Martine's Wines, Inc., Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400; Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644; and Vintage 59 Imports, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966-9218