Lanson Clos Lanson 2009 (1.5L)

98 DE / 98 JA / 96 WE / 95 WI / 94 WA / 94 JD / 18 JR

A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year from the 1ha-walled Chardonnay vineyard in the centre of Reims. A gorgeous toasted buttery nose filled with hazelnuts, lemon rind, orange skin and acaia - all subtly combined but giving complexity and nuance. Instantly salivating on the palate, unctuous yet so delicate in terms of power and heaviness. Generous with a velvet sensation to the bubbles and a slightly chalky finish. Bright and lifted - a joyous combination of citrus - lemon and orange acidity, honeysuckle flowers and stone fruits, balanced by a touch of bitterness and a hint of salty minerality. Such complexity and overall enjoyment to be found here - utterly charming and confident at the same time. The flavours totally envelop the mouth yet the overall expression is finessed and elegant. Drink now (in a wine glass) to savour the fresh zestiness or cellar for decades. A limited production of 7,000 bottles. Aged 12 years on the lees. Disgorged May 2022. 3g/l dosage. The cooler 2008 vintage will be released after this. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Clos Lanson is unusual for making a vintage every year because this 1ha pure Chardonnay plot is in a warm, early-ripening location. Even visually it looks wonderfully bright, greengage/pale silver in colour, with a silky texture and fresh aromatics of apricot blossom and citrus zest. On the palate, you get quince, apricot pit, stone fruits, citrus, white truffle and honeysuckle, just gorgeous layers with grip, tension, and a natural richness that allows them to keep dosage on the low side. Full of generosity and finesse, this will easily last at least another decade. As it opens, walnut, frangipane and flaky pastry notes appear, and it grips on. First time on the Place for this wine. Tasted twice. Winemaker Hervé Dantan. 3g/l dosage, disgorged May 2022, so this will benefit from another year in bottle. They are releasing the 2009 before the cooler 2008 vintage. Vinified in Agonne-forest barrels (the only Lanson cuvée to do so), no new oak, 12 years ageing in cellars. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

From a walled vineyard in the city of Reims, this Blanc de Blancs is made in limited quantities. Twelve years aging on the lees has softened the dryness of the Champagne and produced a marvelously toasty, fruity wine. Acidity contrasts with the nutty quality of the wine. The Champagne is at its peak. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

Clos de Lanson 2009 Blanc de Blancs comes from Lanson’s Clos located in Reims. Barrel fermented and aged 12 years on lees, with an additional 6 months of bottle age before release. This Clos de Lanson is made to an Extra Brut style with three gram per liter dosage. Elegantly sculpted and precise, it is redolent of ripe stone fruit, preserved lemons, marzipan, croissant, and vanilla bean. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture, the palate offers a pure expression of ripe citrus fused with chalky acidity, and a finish that is long, fresh and just a little toasty. - Sarah Mayo, Wine Independent

The 2009 Brut Blanc de Blancs Clos Lanson is showing beautifully, mingling aromas of pear, green apple and citrus oil with hints of fresh pastry, sourdough and nutmeg. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's deep and incisive, with lovely tension and chalky back-end grip, concluding with a long and penetrating finish. 2009 marks the third vintage of biodynamic farming for this small, one-hectare vineyard.-William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

From the Clos in the city of Reims, the 2009 Champagne Blanc De Blancs Clos Lanson Brut is the only Lanson wine fermented in barrels. It pours a bright yellow hue and is forward with ripe aromas of Meyer lemon oil, brioche, ripe pear, and delicate notes of hazelnut. Full-bodied, it’s rounded and ripe through the palate, with a pillowy mousse and a broader nature in contrast to the 2008, which will be released this year. The 2009 is much more open-knit, with a more primary and generous nature, and takes on a pithier texture and riper feel. Although it’s ready to enjoy now, this should have a solid couple of decades ahead of it. Drink it over the next 20 or so years. Consumers will notice a very slight evolution in the label's appearance.-Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck

Pale straw. Really intense nose and a most unusual mix of the high acidity of youth with a very mature nose (2009 was of course very ripe). Very interesting wine with more than a hint of white burgundy, even a vague suggestion of Corton-Charlemagne. Really rather delicious! A great wine at the table, I should imagine. Very distinctive. And really exciting on the finish. Really spreads across the palate.-Jancis Robinson