2009 Champagne Lanson, Le Clos Lanson, Blanc de Blancs, Brut

From Lanson's special one-hectare Chardonnay vineyard in the middle of Reims. Vinified in oak barrels – no malo – and aged for 12 years before disgorgement in May 2022 with a dosage of 3 g/l. Very heavy bottle! I hope they are now using lighter ones …

Pale straw. Really intense nose and a most unusual mix of the high acidity of youth with a very mature nose 2009 was of course very ripe). Very interesting wine with more than a hint of white burgundy, even a vague suggestion of Corton-Charlemagne. Really rather delicious! A great wine at the table, I should imagine. Very distinctive. And really exciting on the finish. Really spreads across the palate.

Drink 2023 - 2031

The 2009 Brut Blanc de Blancs Clos Lanson is showing beautifully, mingling aromas of pear, green apple and citrus oil with hints of fresh pastry, sourdough and nutmeg. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's deep and incisive, with lovely tension and chalky back-end grip, concluding with a long and penetrating finish. 2009 marks the third vintage of biodynamic farming for this small, one-hectare vineyard.

Drink 2020 - 2040

This year, a new addition to the Place de Bordeaux from the 1ha-walled Chardonnay vineyard in the centre of Reims. A gorgeous toasted buttery nose filled with hazelnuts, lemon rind, orange skin and acaia - all subtly combined but giving complexity and nuance. Instantly salivating on the palate, buttery yet delicate in power and heaviness. Generous, with a velvet sensation to the bubbles and a slightly chalky finish. Bright and lifted - a joyous combination of citrus - lemon and orange acidity, honeysuckle flowers and stone fruits, balanced by a touch of bitterness and a hint of salty minerality.

Such complexity and overall enjoyment are to be found here - utterly charming and confident simultaneously. The flavours envelop the mouth, yet the general expression is finessed and elegant. Drink now in a wine glass) to savour the fresh zestiness or cellar for decades. Limited production of 7,000 bottles. Aged 12 years on the lees. Disgorged May 2022. 3g/l dosage. The cooler 2008 vintage will be released after this.

Drink 2023 - 2050

Clos Lanson is unusual for making a vintage every year because this 1ha pure Chardonnay plot is in a warm, early-ripening location. Even visually it looks wonderfully bright, greengage/pale silver in colour, with a silky texture and fresh aromatics of apricot blossom and citrus zest. On the palate, you get quince, apricot pit, stone fruits, citrus, white truffle and honeysuckle, just gorgeous layers with grip, tension, and a natural richness that allows them to keep dosage on the low side.

Full of generosity and finesse, this will easily last at least another decade. As it opens, walnut, frangipane and flaky pastry notes appear, and it grips on. First time on the Place for this wine. Tasted twice. Winemaker Hervé Dantan. 3g/l dosage, disgorged May 2022, so this will benefit from another year in bottle. They are releasing the 2009 before the cooler 2008 vintage. Vinified in Agonne-forest barrels the only Lanson cuvée to do so), no new oak, 12 years ageing in cellars.

Drink 2023 - 2040