We met on a beautiful summer evening, a fitting backdrop for a Champagne tasting. Food pairing was Kentucky style chicken with french fries, providing adequate richness for the fresh 2008 vintage. 2008 is hailed as one of the great Champagne vintages, celebrated for its exceptional quality and potential for long aging. This vintage is among the other recent standout years like 1996, 2002, and 2012, each with its unique characteristics. Here, we delve into the growing season, expert opinions, and the stylistic attributes of the wines from this remarkable year.
The Growing Season
The 2008 growing season in Champagne was marked by a series of favorable weather conditions that contributed to the exceptional quality of the grapes. The winter was mild, and spring saw sufficient rainfall, ensuring the soils were adequately hydrated. Summer brought moderate temperatures and plenty of sunshine, which allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and steadily. One of the critical aspects of the 2008 growing season was the cool nights during the ripening period, which preserved the grapes acidity and freshness. Harvesting was mid-September under ideal conditions. The grapes were healthy, with high natural acidity and excellent phenolic ripeness, setting the stage for a vintage of remarkable balance and longevity.
The 2008 Style
Overall, the 2008 vintage is characterized by its balance of ripe fruit flavors, vibrant acidity, and pronounced minerality. These wines possess a crystalline purity and a sense of finesse that is both thrilling and timeless. The potential for aging is immense, with many experts predicting that the best wines will continue to evolve and improve over the next several decades.
Essi Avellan, MW and famous Champagne expert says: “2008 stands out for its exceptional balance and purity. The wines possess a crystalline quality and are structured for long-term aging, reminiscent of the legendary 1996 vintage but with greater consistency across the board.” And Peter Liem, a further famous Champagne expert: “Champagne from 2008 is characterized by its vibrant acidity and minerality. The vintage offers an extraordinary sense of finesse and detail, a true testament to the terroir and meticulous vineyard management.” From today’s and other tastings we have attended to, we can confirm that the 2008 are more similar to 1996 rather than 2002 and 2012 which are a bit more lush. So if you have 2008 bottles in your cellar, it does not harm to give them more time. You will see in the tasting notes below that some wines, at age 16 still feel young.
The Tasting
The wines were served blind in flights of three.
Flight 1
Feuillatte Palmes d’Or 2008, 92 Points
Beautiful nose with brioche, minerality, and some white fruit. Quite expressive and harmonious. On the palate, a bit less broad with fine brioche, butter, some yellow fruit, and minerality, but not as layered and complex. Generous dosage. Rather good than great. Group rank: 5/14.
Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne 2008, 97 Points
Wow, interesting note here, lots of minerality and minty elements. In the glass, it opens up more and more, very generous and toasty with some yellow fruit. Fine and round. Great showing, everybody loved this champagne. Group rank: 1/14.
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2008, 92 Points
Discreet nose with some herbs, jasmine tea, spice, and citrus. On the palate a bit more open with some white and yellow fruits and minerality. But not as elegant and fine as the other flights. Group rank: 10/14.
Flight 2
Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée 2008, 95 Points
Expressive nose with yellow fruit, brioche, and some herbs. On the palate slightly oxidative, with autolysis notes, toasty notes, and dried fruit. Very layered, precise, round, and harmonious. When revealed, many were surprised that there is only 20% Pinot. Group rank: 10/14.
Dom Pérignon 2008, 94+ Points
Initially a bit muted. Toasty nose with citrus and yellow fruit. On the palate also a bit closed, only hinting at its potential. Precise and lean palate. Fine, but not a great showing for Dom 2008, which we have seen much more showy in the past, around 96-97/100. Maybe not the best bottle. Still, popular with the participants. Group rank: 5/14.
Piper-Heidsieck Rare 2008, 98 Points
Fine toasty nose, full throttle. On the palate superb with toasty notes, yellow fruit, fine brioche, and butter. Expressive, round, harmonious, and very fresh. Another top showing of this champagne, which is, for me, a typical example of the successful house style. My personal favorite. Group rank: 2/14.
Flight 3
Benoît Lahaye Millésime Extra Brut 2008, 93 Points
Medium expressive nose, a bit green, with some red fruit as well. On the palate lots of minerality, pronounced apple, and some oxidative notes. Masculine, dense, with low dosage. This was easy to spot as a Grower style. Group rank: 10/14.
Louis Roederer Cristal 2008, 94+ Points
A bit undefined on the nose, not overly expressive. On the palate a little more toasty notes, some nice yellow fruit mixed with red berries and minerality. Very delineated and gentle on the palate, almost sinewy even, maybe a bit unambitious? Time will tell. Group rank: 5/14.
Gosset Celebris 2008, 92 Points
A bit muted on the nose, needed some coaxing. On the palate better, with a lovely yellow fruit core, toasty notes, lots of minerality, some fine brioche notes, and slightly nutty. Still feels a bit strict. Group rank: 10/14.
Flight 4
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2008, 95 Points
Superbly expressive nose with dark berries, herbs, minerality, and slight oxidative notes. Good and inviting. On the palate dark berries, minerality, and lightly oxidative. Fine bubbles, still piercing acidity, but round and harmonious. Felt really young, one that needs more time. Group rank: 4/14.
Bollinger Grande Année 2008, 95 Poins
Mineral, herbal, and a bit toasty on the nose, medium expressive. On the palate, much better, with very fine red berries, yellow fruit, floral notes, lots of minerality, and some nutty notes. Very fine bubbles, quite round and harmonious. Generous dosage, layered palate. Tastes a bit Krug-like. Quite good and less oxidative than expected. Group rank: 5/14.
Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2008, 96 Points
Beautifully expressive nose with nutty, brioche, mineral, herbal, and red and yellow fruit. On the palate, lots of red fruit, herbs, minerality, nutty, and brioche notes. Rich, but precise and well-rounded. Quite harmonious and superbly complete. Clearly a Pinot-led Champagne. Group rank: 3/14.
Flight 5
Raumland Chardonnay Reserve 2014, 94 Points
This was a pirate bottle from a well-respected German producer with lots of time on lees. Fine brioche notes, herbs, minerality, finely layered, expressive. Good. On the palate a wall of minerality, herbs, nutty elements, red and yellow fruit. Fine bubbles, but very creamy. Very good. Group rank: 5/14.
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle #25 2008, 93 Points
Nose rather muted, with some herbs, citrus, and lime. On the palate fine brioche and nutty notes, some fruit underneath but not that deep. Quite elegant and fine but overall very closed still. Definitely an offering that needs time. I would not open this and concentrate on the 22, 23, and 24 editions, which are much more expressive today. Group rank: 14/14.
| Group Rank | Wine |
| 1. | Taittinger Comtes de Champagne |
| 2. | Piper-Heidsieck Rare |
| 3. | Pol Roger Winston Churchill |
| 4. | Philipponnat Clos des Goisses |
| 5. | Dom Perignon Louis Roederer Cristal Bollinger Grande Année Raumland Chardonnay Reserve (Germany) Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or |
| 10. | Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée Benoît Lahaye Millesime Extra brut Gosset Celebris Veuve Cliquot La Grnde Dame |
| 14. | Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle #25 |
Author: Andy Schnyder
June 2024