Ayala Brut 1998: Quite an expressive nose, showing a little meaty, organic character. Rather advanced, with faint background oxidation here too. Appealing but surprisingly forward. Fine structure though, good firm acidity. A good, full, rounded mouthfeel. Needs to integrate. In addition, this bottle may not be typical. 15.5/20

Blin Brut 2000: A fair depth of colour here, mid-golden hue. A very organic, minerally earthy nose, with some pebbly white fruits, but also a dirty, possibly sulphur-related note in the background. Very firm, upright palate, plenty of lemony sharpness, and quite fresh on the palate despite the nose. Lean, minerally finish. 15/20

Bollinger Grande Année 1997: A mid-gold hue. Very different on the nose compared with my memory of my last tasting, as this displays a lot of buttery caramel and toffee character; does this reflect date of disgorgement? More sweet, creamy caramel character on the palate which is full and rounded and nicely textured, with just moderate acidity. Clearly a good wine for the vintage though. 16+/20

Alexandre Bonnet Brut 1999: A paler wine than those which have preceded it. It has a rather floral, light, slightly toffee-nuanced nose. Good presence on the palate though, fairly crisp, with a little seam of richness. Overall, however, it seems rather simple and one-dimensional. For current drinking. 14.5/20

Canard-Duchêne Brut 1999: Rather a creamy, yeasty nose here. On entry this flatters with a rather full, appealing, floral character. But this then disappears, leaving a hollow midpalate full of, well, nothingness. Its all downhill from there. This is light and inconsequential. Avoid. 13.5/20

Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires Brut 1995: An appealing, lemon-gold hue. Very open and expressive nose, showing honeycomb swirled with a mineral bite. Quite aggressive style at present, with very bright acidity and a firm mousse, but there is plenty of appeal here, and certainly there is potential. Definitely one for the cellar, and should improve over the next 5-8 years. 17+/20

Deutz Brut 1998: A rather seductive nose, just a little bready, a little yeasty still, with nutty nuances in the background. Quite stylish on the palate, full and creamy texture and yet reserved, not at all blowsy. Elegant (a compliment from me, I don't use this as a euphemistic criticism), balanced, very approachable. Good for short-term drinking. 16/20

Drappier Exception 2000: An interesting, mineral nose, quite chalky, certainly very expressive, with some appealing floral fruit, but more than anything else this is a wine of minerals. Some appeal on the palate, although rather intense acidity at present. Full, characterful, nut and mineral melange. Marred by a short, rather bitter finish. Decent though. 15.5/20

Dumangin Brut 1999: Remarkably closed nose. There's barely a hint that there is even a  wine in the glass. Soft, accessible palate, which starts with some perfumed fruit, with a chalky edge, and then reveals an intense acid structure. This has some potential but I find it difficult to judge in its present state. 15/20

Duval Leroy Brut 1996: Clean, fairly stylish nose, fairly expressive, showing a little nutty character. Elegant, minerally, lemon-thyme palate. Fresh, reserved, balanced, with soft acidity. There is good quality here although its clearly a little muted at present, but it stands up well to the sea of other vintages here. I suspect this will come good in the cellar. 16+/20

Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: There is a faint caramel note on the nose here, behind some rather subtle stone fruit character. But it is quite muted; put simply, this is really rather closed at present. An elegant presence on the palate, followed by a wall of firm acidity, which dominates the soft, creamy, bready, slightly nutty mouthfeel. There is good potential for the cellar here. 16+/20

Alfred Gratien Brut 1997: A very characterful set of aromas here, with a melange of smoky, cordite, gunpowder mineral character on one side, and lemon and thyme on the other. Full, stylish palate, very expressive, with plenty of flint and cordite on entry, which develops into a full, creamy midpalate. Soft acidity. It rounds off with a mix of marzipan and citrus. This is one of the better wines here, and should do well in the cellar. 17+/20

Henriot Brut 1998: A big, full, clearly Pinot-dominated, rather cheesy nose. This is a style many wouldn't like, but it offers a certain appeal to me. Soft, warm, welcoming palate. Approachable, with a soft mousse. Like the nose, it shows lots of cheesy-biscuit-apple character, perhaps surprisingly as this is not a hugely Pinot dominated cuvée as far as I am aware. For short-term drinking only. 16/20

Jacquart Brut Mosaïque 1998: Obvious sulphur on the nose here, otherwise this is fairly closed. Light, rather foamy palate, with a rather perfumed edge, slightly confected also. Rather light; this wine just doesn't seem to connect with the palate. Soft, soapy finish. Low acidity. One to avoid. 12.5/20

Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1996: A lovely nose here, quite perfumed, with subtle, honey-nut-caramel fruit. This is very stylish. The palate clearly shows great potential, first greeting me with a wall of acidity, but behind this there are early nuanced of complexity, of honeycomb richness. Good length on the finish, too. This just needs time to settle and integrate. Should be left in the cellar for four years minimum, but should drink well for long after that. 17+/20

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1996: Expressive, rather surprising nose, demonstrating some peachy stone fruit that is atypical for Lanson. Again, does this represent recent disgorgement? The texture is rounding out a little, but overall it is still terribly tight, with very firm acidity. Lovely fresh mousse though. This needs years. 16.5+/20

Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs 2000: An elegant nose here, quite bready, with a cashew nut character mixed in. Lovely finesse on the palate, which is reserved and rather delicate, balanced and very approachable. Very temperate acidity, and a soft, integrated mousse. Good now, but I suspect it will have more interest in 2-3 years. 16+/20

Laurent-Perrier Brut 1997: A really dirty nose here, swamped by sulphurous aromas. A little chalky, earthy too. Despite this it has some appeal on the palate, as it has a crisp, citrus fruit acidity, and a rounded mousse. What a shame about the heavy-handed use of sulphur. Without it, this would almost certainly be drinkable. 13/20

Mailly Grand Cru 1998: A really restrained, closed nose here. Big, full, expressive, rather nutty in character. Full, soft palate, very nicely integrated, and a decent mousse. Showing a little more obviously on the palate than on the nose, but still really very restrained. There may be potential here, but this just isn't showing well today. 15+/20

Serge Mathieu Brut 2000: Quite a nice colour here, and an appealing Pinot-dominated nose, full of cheese, apples and biscuits. There is a rather mineral edge to it, and perhaps a trace of sulphur too? Full, very gentle mousse, soft and welcoming, but again there is evidence of a little residual sulphur here. Rather low acidity, perhaps even rather unfocused. But it has some appeal. For current drinking, if you can see past the sulphur. 15.5/20

Moët & Chandon Brut 1999: Very chalky, dusty nose, with very clean, reserved lemon fruit alongside. Again here we have a pervasive note of sulphur, which cuts right through the palate, which is also rather bland. There is no warmth or finesse here. This is very simple stuff indeed. For short-term drinking, if you have to. 14/20

Bruno Paillard Brut Assemblage 1996: An aroma of honey nut here, a little reminiscent of oiled oak. This is quite expressive. Lovely palate; fine, slightly honeyed, slightly bready flavour, and a nice structure beneath. The mousse is just a little too foamy, but there is firm acidity and good lemony fruit, and I think this will settle down with further bottle age. Nice peppery finish. This has potential. 16.5+/20

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1998: Rather closed at first, but this opened as I chatted with David Large of Dreyfus Ashby. With time it shows a perfumed mineral character, not entirely appealing, but not atypical for adolescent vintage PJ. Soft, nicely structured, rather open knit at present, with a gentle mousse. I'm sure this will show significant improvement with further bottle age. Needs time, probably 3-4 years at least. 16+/20

Piper Heidsieck Brut 1996: This has a lovely nose, very firm, infused with minerals, but with a little nut and marzipan character in the background. The palate is rich in stone fruit with citrus fruit on the side, full and ripe and creamy. A fine mousse, although there is also a thick seam of acidity running through it all. Very good style here with lots of potential. This needs 4-5 years at least to show its best. 16.5+/20

Pol Roger Brut 1998: There is evident finesse here, with nuances of nutty, honeyed, oiled oak all presented in a gentle fashion. There is fine structure on the palate, with correct acidity and a gentle, creamy mousse. It still displays rather simple primary flavours. Has a perfumed character. Just too youthful at present - this will come good with time in the cellar, 3-4 years at least. 16.5+/20

Louis Roederer Brut 1999: This is rather reserved, although despite that it does present a hint of style. Rather mute on the palate as well, with a soft mousse and some subtle background notes of minerality and citrus fruit. Smoky, rather backward and withdrawn. I suspect this will be very good with time, but is difficult to judge at present. 16+/20

Ruinart R de Ruinart Brut 1998: A smoky, honeyed nose; otherwise, there is little to find here. The palate has a lovely, fresh, precise and balanced disposition, with good, firm acidity and a subtle mousse. This is a pervasive, complete style which touches every corner of the palate. Very good impact, and a very good wine. Good potential for the cellar. 16.5+/20

Veuve Clicquot Brut 1999: A soft marzipan nose here, richly perfumed, obviously a young, perhaps recently disgorged wine. Rather straightforward in style on the palate, a touch sherbetty too. It shows some unintegrated, rather fierce alcohol, which is very disconcerting, and some very unusual characteristics. Very awkward. I'm not sure if this will ever come good. 13/20