This is a rich and creamy Champagne with a lively mousse, giving it a forward fruit character. Slowly the depth and concentration of the wine come through, with a white fruit flavor and hints of grapefruit and toasty yeast, which all promising good aging.

Very elegant, this is all in the details, offering precise and silky texture, mouthwatering acidity and a smoky, mineral undertow that enriches flavors of patisserie pear, crystallized honey, kumquat and toasted almond. Offers a clean, citrus-tinged finish. Drink now through 2027.

As with the corresponding (and varietally identical) rose, Clicquot's 2004 Brut La Grande Dame is vivacious and buoyant, with lemon and grapefruit set in entertaining counterpoint to almond paste and vanilla-tinged, tart-edged baked apple. Saline oyster liquor adds another, savory dimension in a lingering finish, while hints of chamomile and jasmine serve for aromatic allure. This delightful bottling might well achieve genuine profundity over the next two or three years.