The 2009 vintage
The 2009 vintage in Champagne is remembered as generous and sunny. A cold, dry winter and a wet spring that replenished water reserves was followed by by ideal weather with some mildew pressure and the occasional local hailstorm. August delivered warm, luminous days and cool nights, setting the stage for an early September harvest of healthy, ripe grapes. The fruit was abundant, rich in sugar yet preserved by acidity thanks to those cooler nights, and the overall balance was highly favorable to winemaking.
Stylistically, 2009 produced wines that are open, plush, and fruit-driven, marked by ripe orchard and stone fruit notes framed by a supple structure. They lack the strictness and chiselled lines of the cooler 2008s, instead offering a more flamboyant, seductive expression. While comparisons are often made with 2003 due to the warm summer, the 2009s are fresher, more complete, and in many cases more elegant. Many houses declared the vintage, and in regions like the Côte des Bar, some observers even rate the 2009 higher than the celebrated 2008.
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Tasting Notes
The tasting took place at Restaurant de Matos in Lucerne, hosted by Champagne enthusiast Dominic Betschart (Greenhat Events). The thoughtfully curated lineup featured prestige cuvées from both Grandes Maisons and top Growers and the 2009 vintage showed its best side, offering a generous palate allied to impressive freshness.
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Aperitif
2009 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection, 91 Points
50/36/14 PN/CH/MN, 5g, DG 2023. Late release. A discreet nose with faint brioche notes that appear more clearly on the palate. Light and airy, but with a hollow mid-palate and rather slim body. Fresh and reductive, aromas more convincing than the palate.
Flight 1 – Blanc de Blancs
2009 Agrapart Minéral Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, 93 Points
100% CH, 5g, DG 2015. Boscop apple, a touch of smoke and gentle oxidative nuance. Precise, chalky, and finely chiseled.
2009 Hugues Godmé Brut Les Alouettes Saint Bets, 93 Points
100% CH, 0g, DG 2018. Discreet nose of bruised apples, almonds, earthy spice. Firm, gastronomic style with real mid-palate density. Not sour or thin, but serious.
2009 Pierre Péters Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons, 92 Points
100% CH, 5g, DG 2015. More oxidative than its peers. The oak leaves a marked imprint, with earthy tones dominating the fruit. A little austere for the vineyard and too oxidative for my liking.
2009 Jacques Lassaigne Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Millésimé, 96 Points
100% CH, 0g, DG 2018. Explosive, individual, and utterly unlike the others. Gunflint, struck match, Puligny-meets-Champagne or shall we say Coche-Dury with bubbles. Singular and brilliant.
Flight 2 – Pinot led Cuvées
2009 Marie-Noëlle Ledru Brut Millésimé, 96 Points
85/15 PN/CH, 5g, DG 2019. Rich, dense, oxidative. Deep and spicy, with wood and complexity in abundance. Profound depth. (Grab these bottles while you can, the last Ledru vintage was 2016.)
2009 Marguet Brut Millésimé ,91 Points
50/50 PN/CH, 0g, DG 2015. Severe, taut, and citrus-led. Ultra-precise but rather ungiving. Fine, but not generous. 91–92p.
2009 Louis Roederer Vintage Brut, 90 Points
60/40 PN/CH, 9g, DG 2017. Flat and a little generic by comparison. Discreet nose, soft mousse, but aromatically mute. Outclassed in this company.
2009 Bérêche et Fils Le Cran Ludes, 95 Points
50/50 PN/CH, 3g, DG 2017. Intense, spicy, bruised apple and oxidative complexity. Ample, powerful, and table-worthy. A benchmark of vinous Champagne.
Dominik Betschart leading through the tasting
Flight 3 – Grandes Maisons Prestige Cuvées
2009 Dom Pérignon, 96 Points
58/42 CH/PN, 4g, DG 2016. On another level aromatically. A seductive brioche-driven nose, combining buttery opulence with reductive energy. Mysterious, sexy, and irresistibly Dom. 96+
2009 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, 95 Points
80/20 PN/CH, 8g, DG 2020. Riper and spicier than Dom, but less seductive. Aromas of forest floor, yuzu, and oak spice. Generous, structured, and powerful. A Pinot lovers offering.
2009 Krug Clos du Mesnil, 96 Points
100% CH, 5g, DG 2023. Restrained and slow to unfurl. Citrus oils, tangerine, orange peel. Whispering length and finesse, but not as expressive as in great vintages or just yet. Upside from here. 96-97p.
2009 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut, 96 Points
60/40 PN/CH, 8g, DG 2017. Not such a Cristal fan myself, but this one showed well. Quiet nose, then the palate reveals layers of apple, lemon, marzipan, and caramel. Complex, structured, real depth albeit less flamboyant than Dom. 96+
Flight 4 – Rosé
2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé, 93 Points
56/44 PN/CH, 13% red, 4g, DG 2016. Classic DP brioche nose with red fruits layered in. Raspberry, faint phenolics on finish. Very good, but the premium over the blanc feels steep as so often with rosé Champagne.
2009 Jacquesson & Fils Dizy Terres Rouges Rosé, 90 Points
80/20 PN/CH, 8g, DG 2020. Darker in hue. Rich, ripe, oxidative, with a Sherry-like streak. Rustic and divisive.
2009 David Leclapart L’Alchimiste Extra-Brut, 89 Points
100% PN, 0g. Earthy, biodynamic funk dominates. Lacks polish (may be a little more sulfur could have helped). More interesting than delicious.
2009 Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé, 93 Points
85/15 CH/PN (BdB with red wine), 4g, DG 2021. Aromatically close to DP with brioche and popcorn. Forward, sexy, but not as multi-layered.
Restaurant de Matos convinced with excellent cuisine
Encores
2009 Prophete Yann Brut Nature, 90 Points
100% CH, 0g, DG 2024. Light, precise, but too lean and aromatically subdued. A solid but simple BdB.
2009 Jestin Vintage Brut Nature, 89 Points
50/25/25 PN/CH/MN, 0g, DG 2020. Oxidative, frothy mousse, bubble bath texture. Severe and purist, almost too ascetic.
2020 Amaury Beaufort Brut Nature, 95 Points
100% PN, 0g, DG 2023. A burst of yellow apple, spice, cinnamon. Exuberant, fruit-driven, lots of aroma yet structured and fresh. Succulent and striking. A discovery! 95+p.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
August 2025