1971 Salon le Mesnil

Disgorged 3 weeks ago without dosage – Didier Depond felt there was no need for make-up on this older wine, which had its own internal richness from long lees ageing. Mid gold. Aroma like the 1988 but even more complex: woody, ginger, dried grasses, chamomile. Stunning wine. Very little fizz left but impeccable balance between all those complex yeast-derived bready flavours and intense zesty vitality on the palate. Just gorgeous and absolutely remarkable poise at the age of 45. My drinking date starts from the time this bottle was disgorged, not from the time bottles disgorged much earlier might have been broached. (JH)