Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2022 Coteaux Champenois Hommage à Camille Charmont (Rouge) rolls out with expressive notes of black cherries, black raspberries, and violets, giving way to hints of cracked black pepper, wild sage, and wood smoke. The light-bodied palate is tightly wound and energetic with fine-grained tannins and a crisp backbone, finishing long and savory with a compelling touch of seaweed.

The 2018 Cristal is a blend of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay with 7 grams per liter of dosage. No malolactic was performed and 28% of the base wines were vinified in French oak. Still very youthful, it emerges slowly from the glass with delicate scents of crunchy yellow apples and juicy pears, giving way to an undercurrent of honeysuckle, chalk dust, and white pepper with a hint of allspice. The palate has impressive orchard fruit richness accented by subtle nuances of floral notes and baking spices, and offset by a crisp backbone and very fine, persistent bubbles, finishing long and chalky. Although 2018 was a riper vintage, Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has been very clever with harvest dates and winemaking, maintaining freshness and vivacity while capturing the opulence of the year. The result is magnificent.

The 2020 Coteaux Champenois Hommage à Camille Volibarts (Blanc) is a mind-blowing Chardonnay of incredible greatness, and yet it would be impossible to place in a blind tasting. The nose whispers of grapefruit, juicy pears, and whipped cream, with touches of struck match, lemongrass and fresh ginger. The light-bodied palate is delicately knit, refreshing, intense, and with a texture that is both satiny and chalky, finishing with incredible length and depth. This is Grand Cru Chablis with the chalkiness turned up to eleven. Winemaker Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon says to get that singular texture, he crushed the grapes on the stems and leaves them to cold macerate for a few hours before pressing. Genius.

The 2008 Cristal Rosé Late Release is a blend of 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay with 8 grams per liter of dosage. 16% malolactic was performed and 17% of the base wines were vinified in French oak. Pale salmon-pink colored, it shimmies out of the glass with youthful scents of cranberries and wild strawberries, opening out to hints of brioche, candle wax, lavender, and wet slate. The palate is wonderfully elegant and whispery, delivering minuscule, pinprick bubbles and a crisp backbone to match the bright, intense red berry flavors, finishing long and perfumed. This stunning new iteration sits between the standard Cristal release (minimum 6 years on lees) and the Vinothèque release in terms of aging prior to release. This 2008 was disgorged in March 2022. The "Late Release" edition of the already remarkable 2008 Cristal Rosé adeptly adds that extra layer of texture, complexity, and finesse, taking it to the absolute pinnacle of what it can be. Bravo!

The 2008 Cristal Late Release is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay with 8 grams per liter of dosage. 19% malolactic was performed and 20% of the base wines were vinified in French oak. It opens with a real WOW! Grapefruit, limes, honeycomb, and coriander seed scents jump from the glass, followed by suggestions of honeycomb, almond croissant, and crushed rocks. The palate is amazingly intense with shimmery citrus fruit and spicy layers framed by exquisitely fine bubbles and a crisp line of acidity, finishing very long and zesty. This stunning new iteration sits between the standard Cristal release (minimum 6 years on lees) and the Vinothèque release in terms of aging prior to release. This 2008 was disgorged in March 2022. The "Late Release" edition of the already remarkable 2008 Cristal adeptly adds that extra layer of texture, complexity, and finesse, taking it to the absolute pinnacle of what it can be. Bravo!