The first decade of the twenty-first century seems to have favoured the even years in Champagne vintages, with 2006 no exception. Mailly has crafted an outstanding wine, the blend favouring, as usual, 75% Pinot Noir over 25% Chardonnay. Rich ripe and savoury flavours are displayed on a bed of orchard fruit with a generous mousse and crisp, cleansing acidity completing a very satisfactory assemblage.
Simon Field, MW - Wine Buyer

Taittinger is one of the few family-owned, independent Champagne houses in Reims. Its top Champagne is Comtes de Champagne. First produced in 1952, it is made from 100 percent Chardonnay grapes from six Grand Cru sites in the Côte de Blancs. This is finely aromatic, rich, creamy blanc de blancs at its best.

The 2006 epitomises Taittinger’s famed purity and elegance. This is a wine of the very highest calibre. The nose is beautifully poised, clean and pure with waxy lemon notes and the merest hint of biscuit. The palate is effortless, so fine, yet has no shortage of complexity or length. Citrus-laden, a tiny hint of white chocolate comes with the creamy texture. Tasted alongside the 2004 it is clear that the 2006 is going to develop in a similar, fine, fashion and I suspect, given the precision it displays now, the 2006 is likely to surpass that fine vintage in time.

Dom Pérignon was the 17th century Benedictine monk who has gone down in history as the person who “invented” Champagne, and the name Moët & Chandon uses for its prestige cuvée, which was first released in 1937. A rigorous selection process in both the vineyard and winery ensures that only the best grapes go into Dom Pérignon.

This is tightly wound at the moment, with small, crunchy red berries and lemon pith on the nose. Taut across the palate as well, with a very delicate mousse and saline, mineral finish and some stone-fruit fleshiness. Very complete and recognisably Dom Pérignon, this will benefit from a couple of years in the cellar to fatten up. A hybrid of the 2002 and 2004, this sits very neatly in the line-up of recent releases from this esteemed brand. Drink now to 2030.

Louis Roederer, a wonderful family-owned Champagne House founded in 1776, has a tremendous reputation for quality. In 1876 the House created the now famous Cristal, at the request of Alexander II. This once intensely sweet wine is now one of the most luscious, deeply flavoured Champagnes available.

From the warm 2006 vintage, this has arich bouquet with hints of zesty fruit, lilies and light toasted hazelnuts. As it develops in the glass the fruit aromas become more intense and complex. The palate confirms the delicate fruit with a deep, ripe flavour and silky texture, finishing crisply with a pure, mineral balance. As a young wine this is already deliciously balanced and charming, and promises to be a magnificent Champagne in full maturity.

A burnished gold colour and persistent mousse are the initial impressions from this new release from one of my favourite Champagne houses. A delightful nose of fresh baking bread, honey, candied apples and straw make for a delightful bouquet. The palate is just as intriguing with oodles of ripe autumnal fruit, honeyed tones and hints of salinity which are all kept in check by crisp acidity. Long and delightful on the finish, another great vintage Pol to add to their long list of great vintage wines. Hard to resist now, but another year or two may bring the complex, disparate notes into complete harmony.
Chris Pollington - Private Account Manager

This is a vintage Pol Roger which is immediately very, very likeable, positively luxurious in its weight and complexity. On the nose it is showing layers of character, soft peach and ripe, almost autumnal apples with a frame of fresh honeycomb. The palate is no different, the weight of fruit in the mid-palate means that this could even be enjoyed once it has been shipped, the white pear, crisp apple and spicy white pepper tapers to a taut close with the finishing acidity is simply trademark Pol Roger.
Gary Owen - Private Account Manager

Magnificent volume with fruity first aromas leading into rich substance, accented with a slight tannic presence. Its texture is precise and generous on the palate, combining freshness and fruitiness. Incredibly persistent, complex flavour.

Pol Roger is perhaps best known as Winston Churchill's favourite Champagne. The House remains family-owned and has a reputation for producing Champagnes of finesse and elegance which age very well.

This is a vintage Pol Roger which is immediately very, very likeable – positively luxurious in its weight and complexity. On the nose it is showing layers of character, soft peach and ripe, almost autumnal apples with a frame of fresh honeycomb. The palate is no different, the weight of fruit in the mid-palate means that this can be enjoyed now. The white pear, crisp apple and spicy white pepper notes taper to a taut close with finishing acidity which is trademark Pol Roger.

2006 was an excellent year for Champagne, producing wines that are supple and expressive. Gosset Cellar-Master, Jean-Pierre Mareigner: "The year was particularly favourable to Pinot Noir which shows here a good maturity, with a lot of fruit and body.

Lemon gold appearance with a delicate creamy mousse. The nose is rich and complex showing soft floral tones with citrus and orchard fruit entwined with hints of vanilla and hazelnut. The palate is fresh with an abundance of lemon and apple, a rich nuttiness with a hint of salinity balanced with inviting acidity and a rounded smooth finish. A delicious wine which will develop beautifully over time.

Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine producer in Champagne, dating back to 1584. Situated in the tiny Grand Cru village of Aÿ, 5km from Epernay, Gosset has some rather famous neighbours, including Bollinger.  Gosset’s blends come from some of the best villages across the Marne Valley encompassing both Grand and Premier Crus. It may not be the most famous of the Grande Marques simply because they don’t produce vast quantities, making only 1.3 million bottles a year, yet the quality of production here is at a very high level.

With this small production, Gosset concentrates on the quality of its wines rather than the quantity. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Gosset style comes from their decision to create most of their cuvées without the use of malolactic fermentation; this preserves the purity of the fruit in the wine. This is evident in the 2006 Gosset Grand Millésime.  Having spent eight years maturing in the darkness of the Champagne Gosset cellars in Epernay, this 56 % Pinot Noir and 44 % Chardonnay wine is an excellent expression of the 2006 harvest (disgorged in spring 2015).  With a “low dosage” and no malolactic fermentation this is a very precise Champagne, with a move away from the brioche, toast notes one often finds in some of the Grande marques, instead showing notes of “hawthorn, lilac and pear…grapefruit burst
Stephanie Barlow, Private Account Manager