2008 Wine from France

Decanter, 97 points: A blend of 65% Pinot Noir consisting of Premier and Grand Crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallee de la Marne and 35% Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs. Significantly, this has nine years ageing on its lees...

jamessuckling.com, 94 points: The nose features a beautiful play between grilled almonds, praline, ginger, toasted bread and then vibrant rose petals, dried citrus and strawberries. The medium-bodied palate is quite vertical at first, but then comes a...

jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: (98+ points) The 2008 Champagne Rare Rosé is straight-up sensational. Only the second time they’ve produced this cuvée, it offers a deep, full-bodied, powerful yet chiseled and laser-focused style carrying loads of wild...

Wine Spectator, 96 points: There’s power to this graceful Champagne, with the vivid acidity swathed in a fine, creamy mousse and flavors of toasted brioche, kumquat, pastry cream, candied ginger and poached plum that dance across the palate...

Vinous, 90 points: The 2008 Pensées de Lafleur has a well-defined, smoke and truffle-tinged bouquet that is pretty and elegant, a wine that has clearly opened up in the last couple of years. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain...

Vinous, 91 points: Bright ruby. Sappy and tightly focused raspberry and cherry aromas are complemented by notes of cinnamon and allspice. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, which offers sexy red berry preserve and floral flavors, with a...

Decanter, 98 points: Departing chef de cave Richard Geoffroy quite rightly calls 2008 ‘the miracle year'. Perfect ripening allowed the longest ever harvest, with four weeks available to select when, where and what to pick. The result is a...

Vinous, 98 points: The 2008 Clos des Goisses is just as impressive today as it has always been. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2008 exists in three dimensions, with remarkable textural depth and vertical intensity to burn. Clos des Goisses...

Decanter, 97 points: A classic, slow-maturing year picked into October. It's a pale, pristine hue - a beautifully assembled mix of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, Verzenay and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, combining...

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, 89 points: Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. The Le Petit Lion 2008 has a well-defined clean crisp attractive bouquet with blackberry raspberry and a faint tang of marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied with a...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: Tasted with Baptiste Guinaudeau, the 2008 Lafleur is a wine for which I have a lot of time, and as it approaches a decade old, it is beginning to loosen up a little. There is plenty of fruit on the nose—more than I have...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: One of the most beautiful wines of the vintage the dark ruby/purple-colored La Lagune exhibits sweet cassis camphor truffle and white chocolate notes presented in a dense medium to full-bodied silky textured personality...