The 2012 La Grande Dame has started to relax a little post-disgorgement, with some malted bread, honey and toasty complexity building over what is still an impressively precise release for such a Pinot Noir-heavy blend, more focused on delicate red fruits than the broader orange/yellow of the 2015. Sweet red apple, nut oil and lemon marmalade flavours ride a persistent snap of citrussy acidity, the texture softening now but still promising a drawn-out and rewarding unwinding of flavour for those that can wait. 90% Pinot Noir from Äy, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy, 10% Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Dosage 6 g/L.

With a slight preponderance of Pinot Noir in the blend, this wine is rich and impressive. It is still young, with a crisp edge that makes the fruit shine. Apple and citrus flavors are integrated into a mineral vein. Drink from 2022. ROGER VOSS

Fine and graceful, this dances across the palate with its bright, well-defined freshness and detailed flavors of Mandarin orange, toast point, crème de cassis and minerally oyster shell. Subtle in its intensity, with all the pieces seamlessly knit into an elegant whole. Disgorged September 2019. Drink now through 2030.

The 2012 La Grande Dame is a pretty wine, but it is starting to show the first signs of aromatic development. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something readers should keep in mind when deciding when to open this. I would not push my luck on aging. Dried pear, ginger, crushed flowers and spice fill out the layers nicely in a gentle, open-knit Champagne to drink over the next 5-10 years. Disgorged: February, 2021. -- Antonio Galloni