Andre Clouet - Versailles Diamant | Champagne

Singly the finest Coteaux Champenois blanc I have ever tasted, a cuvée that exemplifies the exuberance and tension of a warm Champagne terroir, presenting the presence of Bouzy chardonnay with exacting precision and poise. Lemon, lime and white peach fruit flow with grace and grand persistence, accented by magnificent nectarine exoticism and rounded eloquently by the vanilla of classy French oak. Inimitable fine chalk mineral definition and taut, profound Champagne acid line provide tension to the finish without any suggestion of austerity. It would sit confidently alongside a respectable premier cru white Burgundy from a good domaine. It will be exceedingly long-lived, and will appreciate some time to soften and for oak and acidity to integrate, having hardly moved in the nine months between my three tastings.