Champagne De Venoge’s Louis XV Brut 2015 is the house’s prestige vintage cuvée, produced only in exceptional years and sourced from 100% Grand Cru vineyards. The blend is an even split of varieties and sites: 50% Chardonnay from Le Mesnil and 50% Pinot Noir from Bouzy and Verzenay. James Suckling notes additional technical choices that shape the style, including “No malolactic,” a May 2024 disgorgement, and a “6g/L dosage,” all pointing to a firmly Brut, freshness-driven profile despite the warmth of the year.

This is also a strongly reviewed Champagne. Suckling awards it 96 points—an excellent score—and calls it “fascinating already,” highlighting both immediate appeal and reserve. His tasting note leads with “aromas of tangerines with clementines and cookie dough, as well as hints of flint and orange blossom,” suggesting ripe citrus layered with pastry and a light mineral edge. On the palate, he describes it as “full-bodied with density and complexity and lots of character,” then emphasizes the wine’s structure: “Rich at the beginning and then tight, very reserved and fresh in the finish.” That progression—breadth up front followed by restraint—fits the Louis XV brief as a long-aged, Grand Cru-centered Champagne built for detail and longevity.

Suckling is particularly impressed by how it handles the conditions of the year, calling out its “impressive focus and form for the hot 2015 vintage.” He also praises the close, concluding that it delivers an “excellent ending,” and that “it closes down at the end and gives so much,” a useful cue for drinkers deciding whether to open now or cellar. His guidance is clear: “Drink or hold.”