TAITTINGER

(60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay; 17.5 g/l dosage; L4110HB00700): Bright yellow. Deeply perfumed aromas of poached pear, melon, nectarine and lemon curd are complemented by suggestions of buttered toast, anise and chamomile. Plush and broad on the palate, offering ripe citrus and pit fruit flavors with a touch of chalky minerality adding cut and lift. A floral quality builds slowly with air and carries through the spicy, sappy, gently sweet finish. I like this Champagne's balance of fruitiness and vivacity and there's no way that I'd have guessed that its dosage was so high. Rating: 90 Josh Raynolds, www.vinousmedia.com (Jan 2015)