Jacquesson Avize Champ Cain 2005 (1.5L)

97 Points, Tyson Stelzer, Decanter: "The terroir of Avize is so all-consuming that you can literally smell the tidal wave of surging salt minerality coming. It’s a salty sea breeze, a steamy whiff of bath salts that heralds an intricately crystalline structure. There are few 2005 Champagnes that will live as long as this. Jacquesson has conjured one of the finest. (Drink between 2025-2035)"

96 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: "Very attractive fresh yeasty bread dough notes. Really impressive freshness on this long aged Blanc de Blanc, with chalky lemon and lime essence, some amazing finesse and aromatic purity here. The palate has a wealth of layering, texturally superior. It has impressive build and depth, and acidity sits under richly flavorsome lemon and peach fruit. Long, fine and focused with contained power. Drink now or for five or more years." 02/15

95+ Points, Stephan Reinhardt, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Very discreet but mineral and complex on the fresh and chalky nose opens the 2005 Brut Grand Cru Avize Champ Caïn. This is a very elegant, highly complex and very salty Grand Cru made from a south-facing 1.35 hectare single vineyard Chardonnay, which was planted in 1962 on pure limestone with almost no top soil. The millésime 2005 is a highly complex and refreshing, firmly structured and tension-filled wine of great finesse and elegance. It's all this: pure terroir, pure chalk and pure Jacquesson, but most of all -- extremely stimulating. However, don't waste its talents because I suppose the future of this outstanding Champagne is far ahead from now." 03/16