Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2018

This finely detailed Champagne teases the palate with pinprick-sized bubbles and lightly mouthwatering acidity, a harmonious frame for flavors of patisserie pear and cherry fruit, pickled ginger, almond biscotti and spun honey. This is subtle at first but expands beautifully on the palate, and the long, minerally finish echoes smoke and oyster shell notes. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged February 2024. Drink now through 2040.

The 2018 La Grande Dame is just as impressive as it was last year. The focus on northern and northeastern sites in Verzy and Verzenay yields a Grande Dame that impresses with notable tension and cut. Lemon peel, white flowers, chalk, mint and slate race across the palate. There's gorgeous mineral-drenched drive here. Impeccable.

A lovely perfume of subtle cooked apples, heather, jasmine and flint follows through to a medium body with a dense palate of fruit. Hints of pears and lychees with some honey and a touch of marzipan. A blend of 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay. Drink or hold.