Some very brief notes from an enjoyable evening last night. I’m not sure what to think overall about ageing Lanson brut vintages. They can clearly age for a very long time but several seemed marred by excessive sulphur, not just on the nose, but also in the wine itself. Still, some great wines and I would happily drink the 76 magnums again any time…
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1995 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Disgorged September 2009. Creamy, white bread. Soft green apples. Hint of sea shell on the nose plus a little mushroom. -
1995 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum disgorged June 1999. Crisper, leaner than the later disgorged, 75cl bottle. Hint of oxidation and honey on the nose. Clean in the mouth. Very nice. -
1996 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum, disgorged June 2008. Some sulphur on the nose that mutated to matchstick/gunflint. Lovely, creamy, cleansing mouthfeel. Toasty and noticeably sweeter attack than the 95s. Very young and very promising but sulphur worries me. -
1988 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum, disgorged November 2008. Still quite biting acidity. Very young/dry in the mouth but with a hint of oxidisation/mushrooms/oyster shell on the nose. Lovely balance but so young. -
1985 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum, disgorged June 2006. The first wine to offer a noticeably softer, more resolved, creamy mousse but obviously younger than the earlier disgorged 75cl bottle served alongside it. Starting to get some dark caramel and oxidised notes on the nose. -
1985 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Disgorged in 1989. Approaching full maturity but still remarkably light colour and still vibrant mousse. Lovely honey, cream palate with some dark caramel. -
1982 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum, disgorged June 2006. Very young colour. Soft and clean on the palate but way too much sulphur, even in the mouth. -
1979 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum, disgorged October 2007. Slightly oxidised nose with some honey. Cleansing palate but a bit disjointed/unruly. Spicy/Floral profile like a gewurztraminer but with tons of acidity and honey on the finish! Hard to tell whether this will settle down and become great or remain a bit disjointed. -
1976 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum, disgorged October 2008. Most complete/integrated wine so far. So precise and delicate. With air it became all about the dark caramel in the mouth. -
1976 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (12/10/2009)
Drunk at Christie’s Master Class with Tom Stevenson. Magnum, disgorged in 1999. Gorgeous, creamy mousse. Lovely hint of honey on the attack and, like the later disgorged mag served alongside, with air, it became all about the dark caramel in the mouth.
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