It’s so nice when legends live up to expectations. I had six bottles of this, as payment for judging the Roederer awards a few years ago. But my teenage kids broke into a locked wine cupboard and had necked four bottles with their friends before I discovered the loss! So just two bottles left, and my last night in the UK for a while seemed a good excuse to open one, with my recent birthday another excuse. It’s a really lovely wine, and will age beautifully in bottle over the next decade, or perhaps even longer.

Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal 2006 France
This is just beginning to show what it’s capable of. Fresh, linear and citrussy with some fine toasty, nutty notes. There’s lovely fruit expression here with a lovely crystalline citrus fruit character and subtle hints of almond and marzipan, as well as some salty notes. Has a real drive to it and should age beautifully. Rich and vinous but fresh at the same time. Fine waxy, bready notes on the finish. 95/100

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