Wednesday, August 15th, marked the inaugural, private masterclass at the newly designed David Gardener Snr tasting room at Nickolls & Perks HQ, and what an evening it was.
A small group of friends and fellow imbibers joined together to revisit and analyse the lauded 2008 Champagne vintage in the form of Prestige Cuvées. The 2008 Champagne vintage is widely regarded as exceptional, often hailed as one of the region’s finest vintages, but should it be regarded as the greatest ever?
The Growing Season
The 2008 Champagne growing season was quite remarkable, marked by a series of challenging yet ultimately beneficial weather conditions:
It began with a cold winter and a cool, wet spring, which delayed the budding of the vines, raising concerns for vignerons across the region regarding the threat of frost. However, this delay was ultimately beneficial, contributing to a longer growing season.
The summer was initially damp, leading to worries regarding mildew, which posed significant challenges for many; however, the weather improved significantly in August, bringing ample sunshine and warmth. This allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, exactly what the winegrowers needed. September continued with favourable conditions, featuring sunny days and cool nights. This combination helped the grapes retain their natural acidity while achieving optimal ripeness.
The harvest began in early September under perfect conditions, ensuring that all varietals were picked at their peak. These conditions resulted in grapes with a perfect balance of ripeness and acidity.
My Tasting Notes
Pair One
Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs
Reductive smoke Comtes nose, flinty, mineral, followed by citrus and white fruits entwined in a buttery hazelnut aroma. Brown sugar too. The nose is strict and serious compared to 07, 06, etc but is undeniably Comtes. The palate offers so much energy with the 2008 piercing acidity prominent. There is a medium + texture on the midpalate but it’s the tension in this wine that is the most impressive. Like a coiled spring. Flavours on the palate include caramelised white fruit, apricot and tangerine and toasted brioche. The finish is so long, with a chalky minerality and powerful extract. This wine is young, but it’s a superstar in the making.
96/100
Pleasant nose, with aromas of citrus, white peach, yellow pear and a vanilla cream coming through. There is also a subtle reductive smoke. Very calm and composed. The palate is vibrant, medium in texture, with flavours matching the nose with a touch of bacon smoke. The finish is long with a savoury minerality persisting. This is a very well made and balanced wine that will appeal to anyone.
93/100
Pair Two
The nose is quite closed initially, but after a little coaxing aromas of lemon, apricot cream, white pepper and cinnamon biscuit come through. There is that classic DP gun flint, but it is very subtle. The second pour is better, bringing out a little more gun flint, white grapefruit and a tropical fruit cream. The palate is giving much more than the nose at this stage and is layered and very together. Very well balanced, with an impressive energy at its core. The finish is very long with an orange peel flavour persisting. Similarly to the Comtes this wine is still very young, but with a few more years in bottle we have a hell of a wine on our hands.
95/100
The nose is superb, with apple tarte tatin and toffee apple coming through followed by buttered croissant, all underpinned by orchard fruit. Precise, calm and composed. The palate, like the nose, is
composed, detailed and elegant, with orchard fruits and citrus flavours leading the way. Stylistically there is more breadth here than the DP which is comparatively linear. I have been fortunate to taste this wine multiple times and it has blown me away. While this bottle is an effortlessly balanced and technically difficult to critique, it’s just lacking the wow factor that has been there previously. I suspect a few more years in bottle will do this wine the world of good.
95/100
Pair Three
Philipponnat, Clos des Gloisses
Oxidative in style, with a concentrated red fruit profile on the nose; red currant, black currant, followed by a mint, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and dried fruits. A hint of cocoa too from the oak barrel fermentation. Complex and expressive. The palate like the nose is super complex, with layers creamy tangerine fruit, earth, anise and curry powder spice. The energy and power in this wine is outstanding yet despite this power there is harmony. The finish is extremely long with a vigorous extract. This is a great wine, with its power and complexity compelling. It’s drinking well now but has a very long life ahead of it.
97/100
Pol Roger, Cuvee Sir Winston
Unfortunately this bottle was faulty.
N/A
Pair Four
Classic Bollinger nose, oxidative in style, with autumnal fruit coming through, think fallen fruit, like bruised apple, followed by caramac, toffee apple, tree bark, brioche, orange peel and sage. And then red and black fruits. The palate is fresh, with flavours matching aromas. Textured fallen fruit. This wine is very expressive with bags of energy and is well balanced. The finish is very long with an impressive extract on the back. This wine actually reminds me of a baby Clos des Goisses. This is drinking wonderfully now. Delicious.
95/100
Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame
The nose is expressive with yellow pear and apple coming through, followed apricot, almond, lemon curd and then toast. A clean and vibrant nose. The palate is fresh, medium + in texture and the mousse very fine. Flavours of almond, red apple and spice come through. There is an impressive energy initially, but then the tension loosens and is lacking overall compared to the other wines. This is clearly a very good wine, but it has been overshadowed by the other wines on show.
92/100
Pair 5
Krug, Grande Cuvee 164eme Edition – 2008 Base
The noise is sensational. Classic oxidative style, but so clean at the same time. Fallen fruit, red apple marzipan, hazelnut, nutmeg, curry powder, tobacco. So complex, so delineated. The palate is super fresh but very relaxed, confident even, with all of the aromas matching flavours with an added sweet, autolytic character coming through on the finish. This is a classy wine that is effortlessly balance. Superb.
96/100
The nose is vibrant with saline laden citrus fruits prominent, into baked apple, anise, stem ginger, dried fruits and toasted brioche. The palate displays the hallmark 2008 power and precision. Medium + in texture but linear in its style. The tension is quite something, it’s like a coiled spring waiting to pop. The finish is so, so long with a powerful saline extract. Vinous. This is undoubtedly the most youthful of all of the 2008’s we have tasted and it’s a little edgy at the moment, however it’s potential may lead it to eclipse the lot…
95+/100
The nose is expressive, bold even, with concentrated aromas of apricot, orange, strawberry, red cherry, sweet spice, mint and balsamic. There is an floral and earthy note too, all underpinned by a subtle autolysis. The palate is fresh with a textured red fruit profile. Strawberry and then blood orange. You really feel the Pinot Noir in this wine. Superb intensity. This wine displays elegance and finesse offset by impressive power. It’s wonderfully balanced. Excellent.
96/100
Conclusion
On their release, practically all of the 2008 Prestige Cuvees were praised for their electric acidity, masses of complexity, and unrivalled ageing potential. Champagne expert Tom Stevenson described the 2008 Champagne vintage as “The King for Now,” with many chefs de caves praising the 2008 vintage for being “the 1996 done right.” High praise indeed. 2008 was regarded as a vintage that has everything, and with its consistent high quality throughout styles and villages, unparalleled.
Today, it is true that many of these wines are a little closed and reserved, some more than others, with the vintages hallmark electric acidity at the fore. However, I am under no illusions regarding the quality of this vintage. One friend explained that “In the years to come, I have no doubt that the best 2008’s will be stars and great vinous experiences.” I cannot agree more.
The 2008 vintage is undoubtedly ‘great’. Is it the greatest ever? Only time will tell. My advice to you would be to hold all of your 2008 prestige cuvées (except Bollinger RD which is delicious now!) for 5 years +, you will not regret it.
Best Regards,
Callum Gardener