2008 Cédric Bouchard (Roses de Jeanne) Brut La Haut Lemblee Blanc de Blancs

Disgorged in April 2012, Cédric Bouchard's 2008 Blanc de Blancs La Haute Lemblé is drinking brilliantly today, soaring from the glass with a blaze of dried white flowers, pear, citrus rind and warm biscuits, complemented by a delicate top note of petrol as the wine unwinds. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and incisive, with an ample and enveloping core underpinned by a racy spine of acidity and concluding with a long, expansive finish. Unfortunately, this cuvée—produced from a 0.12-hectare parcel planted with five different massal selections of Chardonnay—is one of the domaine's rarest, but this is a superb effort at the peak of its powers. It's almost frightening to think that when they reach maturity, the wines Cédric is producing today will be even better.