2008 Wine

jamessuckling.com, 98 points: The best Dom since 2002. A vintage with very restrained, powerful style that has been released non-sequentially after the 2009. This has a lighter stamp of highly curated, autolytic, toasty aromas than many recent...

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...

Wine Enthusiast, 96 points: While still young, this Champagne has all the makings of greatness. Produced from grand cru vineyards, it already balances ripe white fruits with a firm structure that will age well. It's relatively dry and has plenty of...

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...

jamessuckling.com, 98 points: The best Dom since 2002. A vintage with very restrained, powerful style that has been released non-sequentially after the 2009. This has a lighter stamp of highly curated, autolytic, toasty aromas than many recent...

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...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Since 2008 the old Brut de Brut, a Brut Nature Gran Reserva , has been renamed to reflect its origin. The 2008 Serral del Vell is named after the place (paraje) where the grapes are grown that make up the blend of 52%...

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...

Burghound, 91 points: Mild wood mixes with the spicy red currant, rose petal and earth aromas that slide gracefully into the very rich and full-bodied flavors that are tautly muscular and possess impressive volume while culminating in a...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: This wine was first produced in 1983, and production remains unbroken because no vintage was ever skipped. The 2008 Cabernet Alzero is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with 20% Merlot. These are the first grapes...

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, 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...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: (WA 92 - 93 points) Exuberantly sweetly-fruited, the Billaud 2008 Chablis Vaudesir is redolent of and brims with purple plum, pineapple, quince and peach, hauntingly wreathed in gentian and violet perfume. Liquid perfume...

Wine Spectator, 90 points: Juicy, with kirsch, raspberry and linzer torte notes that pump along nicely, with velvety tannins and a spice box? and black tea?loaded finish. Delicious. Drink now through 2015. 700 cases made. –JM