2008 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs

The finest young wine I've encountered from Delamotte, the 2008 Blanc de Blancs unfurls in the glass with an expressive bouquet of freshly baked bread, lemon oil, green apple, oyster shell and mandarin. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, textural but incisive, with superb concentration and depth at the core and a long, penetrating finish. Less autolytic in style than the 2004, some 60,000 bottles were produced, around a third less than in an average vintage. This bottle was disgorged a year ago with seven grams per liter dosage. 2020-2040

All six Côte des Blancs grand crus for the first time; 60% Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Avize, 40% Cramant, Oiry and Chouilly; aged 9 years on lees (the longest yet, usually 7 years); 6.5g/L dosage; cork; 60,000 bottles (usually 90-95,000) In the hallowed, towering shadow of Salon, Delamotte vintage has ascended to great heights over recent releases, and the scintillating 2008 season has predictably given birth to the finest yet. Capturing the essence of this stunning harvest, this is a cuvée of brilliant purity and promise, projecting a radiant, luminescent straw-green hue. It leads out with a touch of reductive complexity of grilled toast, underlining concentrated preserved lemon and pear fruit. Nine years on lees has brought a creamy texture and not inconsiderable layers of toasted lemon meringue, brioche, vanilla cream, marzipan and dried pear. The fine, frothing salt minerality of all six grand crus of the Côte des Blancs is sensational, exciting and all-consuming, marking out a long, frothing and focused finish of great energy and precise 2008 acid drive, promising a magnificently enduring future. One bottle showed gherkin and vinegar-like oxidation. The next from the same shipment was sublime.

A complete stunner from this challenging vintage in Champagne, the 2008 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs is entirely sourced from Le Mienil. The bouquet is highly musty and gratifying, with toasty brioche, cardamom and suggestions of both green apple and apricot which contines to bring you back to the glass. The mouthfeel is exceedingly rich and seductive, with Challah bread, wild mushroom, mulberry and Gravenstein apple flavors all marvelously woven together. A stunning Champagne, which should cellar marvelously for many years to come.

Cool and restrained aromas of citrus, soft yeast and green apple precede delicious and equally yeasty flavors that are supported by a relatively fine mousse before culminating in a moderately dry and sneaky long if only acceptably complex finish. I normally really like this cuvée but in a great vintage like 2008, I honestly expected more. This has arrived at a stage where it could easily be enjoyed now though I would be inclined to cellar it for another 2 to 5 years in the hopes that more depth will develop. 90/2020+ .

Beautifully expressive and complex nose with yellow-citrus and stone-fruit aromas, delivered in a subtly toasty shroud of nutty complexity. The palate is nicely delivered in a layered, fresh-lemon and grapefruit style with a smooth and elegant, soft-pastry finish. Drink now.

Drawing on fruit from the Côte des Blancs, this wine is concentrated and still young. Density comes from the strong minerality that is balanced by a lemon flavor. Textured and taut, this wine needs time in the cellar. Drink from 2020.