Arlaux Brut 1996: Lots of appeal on the nose here, rather mineral and well defined, with a little nutty richness. This latter point comes through on the palate, which has a lovely style, bright flavours and a soft but punchy depth. Mealy and mature, but still very fresh. Gentle and attractive, mellowing nicely, for drinking now and soon. 17.5+/20

Ayala Blanc de Blancs 2000: Now owned by Bollinger, we should expect bigger and better things from Ayala (although the wines were often good, anyway). This has a richness on the nose, a honeyed and slightly mealy character. A nice depth of fruit on the palate, rather plumply styled, with firm acids although overall it perhaps lacks definition. A gentle mousse, good fruit too, and overall a nice style. 15.5+/20

Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 1998: A lovely character here, mealy and honeyed, a touch oaty, and overall a very enticing style. Great freshness on the palate, lovely sharp and vigorous mousse, with a very good depth of flavour, and a herby and lemony character. Very well defined, nicely developed since last year, and really fine potential. Good style. 17.5+/20

Bollinger Grande Année 1999: Last year this seemed very closed and I scored quite conservatively. This year it has more perfume, with aromas of flower petals, rose water, and a trace of toffee-caramel richness. A lovely palate, surprisingly light and elegant in view of that evolving maturity on the nose. Still a little plump at present, youthful, although with a soft and clean character at the finish. Overall and excellent style with fine potential. A much more positive opinion from me this time. 17.5-18+/20

Canard-Duchêne Brut 2002: An intensely sulphurous nose here, but it doesn't come through on the palate, and in fact there is some appealing depth here. It has a well polished white fruit character, with some flesh, and good acids underneath. I usually find myself fairly critical of the Canard-Duchêne wines, but this has decent potential. If the sulphur integrates, which it should, this could be a success! 15.5+/20

Comte Audoin de Dampierre Cuvée Family Réserve Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2002: This is 100% Chardonnay (perhaps obviously) sourced from four villages rated as grand cru. It has an attractive nose, fresh, with just a little sulphur showing. The palate shows a soft, gentle, creamy nature with a good depth of well defined fruit. There is a little nutty element, firm acids, and has a rather soft, foaming, youthful mousse. Very primary apple flavour, with a little minerality. This is firmly attractive and potentially very good. 16.5+/20

Deutz Brut 2000: A nicely defined and evolving nose here, firm and with aromas of polished oak. Very vigorous on the palate, the firm acid structure carrying a bright, lemony, steely character, but on top a softly rounded texture. Quite gentle despite these descriptors, well composed, and with very good potential indeed. A success. 16.5+/20

Dumangin Brut 2000: There are some sweet, crystalline fruits on the nose here, with just a little sulphur. A lovely palate, a little creamy, with a caressing mousse in the midpalate. Attractive, flattering rather than overly serious, rounded and gentle. This will make pleasant drinking in the near future. 15.5+/20

Duval-Leroy Fleur de Champagne Blanc de Chardonnay 1999: A pretty nose, and an attractively styled wine, with a very well framed composition. Firm, stylish, upright, with a good balance of components. Lots of appealing white fruits typical of a blanc de blancs style, backed by good firm acidity. There are some really appealing elements to the wine. 17+/20

Pierre Gimonnet Fleuron Premier Cru Brut 2002: Soft white fruits on the nose here, with aromas of toffee and white flowers, with a dried character to the fruit. A delicious structure is evident on the palate, firm but integrated, fleshy with good acids just behind the texture. A lovely nutty edge to the fruit promises much. Plenty of potential here. 16.5+/20

Pierre Gimonnet Extra Brut Oenophile Premier Cru 1999: All Chardonnay of course, as all of Pierre Gimonnet's wine are, this receives no dosage to raise the sugar content. It has a light and floral nose. It is very dry, showing a touch of flesh early on in the palate. A very clean character, attractive, although I find it a touch hollow in the midpalate which is where a higher dosage would have had some effect. I am not a great fan of the style although I think in certain circumstances it can work very well. 16.5+/20

Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: This has an unusual character on the nose, showing some paradoxical sweet yet lemony fruit, with a faint toffee character. I find it quite difficult to describe. Direct and lemony fruit on the palate, a little richness, beautifully framed, well structured, with a lovely composition within. Really good potential here, certainly on the up, although it needs more time to further come together. 17+/20

Alfred Gratien Brut 1998: A soft, creamy, caramel-tinged nose, with notes of white flowers. Rather seductively styled on the palate, with a well integrated palate, with a tropical style to the fruit. Smoky, chalky-minerally, with plenty of depth here. Nice acidity. Quite vinous in character. Very good potential, although approachable now. 16.5+/20

Charles Heidsieck Brut 2000: There is a little honey and nut on the nose here, behind a fresh layer of white fruits. Lovely style on the palate, rounded with depth and definition. Lovely array of flavours, with brioche and nut oil character, and white tropical fruits. Stylishly composed, balanced, and full of potential, although it is very approachable now. 17.5+/20

Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires Brut 1995: A lightly honeyed nose, with slightly high-toned aromas of polished wood, nutty complexity and mature, dried white fruits. A lovely palate follows, showing fresh character and a mature, elegant seam of richness. A lovely, clean and clearly defined style. A very vinous, appealing, wine which has developed nicely over recent years. Nudging excellence. 17.5+/20

Henriot Brut 1996: A very mature character here, smoky and mealy fruit intertwined. Good style, quite rich on the palate, although well composed with very lovely acidity underneath. Lots of structure, gentle substance, overall very good and certainly approachable now. 16.5/20

Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1997: Quite a developed nose here, showing aromas of dried white fruits, with a rich, honeyed, mealy, polished wood character. A lovely and gentle palate, stylish, soft but with good acidity, bright yet honeyed fruit. Well composed, attractive, although the fruit isn't perfectly framed. Still exceedingly good though. 16.5+/20

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1998: A very lean character here, minerally and stony in style. The palate is very typical of Lanson, showing a huge core of acidity cutting through all characteristics of the palate. Underneath, however, there is substance. A nicely rounded mousse. This is quite reticent and unapproachable now, but should be very good indeed with time. 16.5+/20

Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne de Cramant Grand Cru 2003: This has a very big and smoky nose, showing aromas reminiscent of polished oak, with white fruit, and an undeniable volatile, acetic component. A characterful palate ensues, carrying flavours of roasted white fruit with a creamy-caramel edge and plenty of midpalate foam, although it hollows out here. Notes of raspberry and strawberry fruit here, just not the substance. Certainly interesting and perhaps reflective of the vintage. It may come good if that acetic element is a passing phase, as I hope it is. 14+?/20

Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2000: A little sulphur still, one year on since I last tasted this. A very interesting palate, lean with very firm acids, although with a very attractive pure white fruit character very typical of a blanc de blancs at this stage. There is some softness in the midpalate. Overall I think this has a very good style in a firm, structured fashion. Needs a little time in he cellar to soften, I think. 16.5+/20

Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2000: Still some sulphur on the nose here, one year on. The palate has a more appealing style than last year though, although it still has a very soft, honeyed, rounded style, and even a rather yeasty character. Rather plump, and lacking a good frame or structure for the fleshy fruit. Rather sweet finish. Quite a high dosage here? Whatever the reason, it's not really my style. 13.5+/20

Mumm Cordon Rouge 1998: Fresh and smoky, lemony fruit here, overall the aromas suggest an appealing and perhaps rather direct style. In fact the palate starts off quite gently, with a soft, enveloping, pillowy texture, although on top of this there is a lively mousse and decent acidity. Easy, approachable, but with interesting character. A good effort from Mumm. 16+/20

Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d'Or Brut 1997: Rather a subdued character on the nose, with a lean palate showing a floral and citrus character. Very bright, with plenty of acidity, and more fruit richness towards the finish. A good creamy mousse and overall an appealing if rather gentle style. Could improve with further cellar time I think. 16+/20

Bruno Paillard Brut Assemblage 1996: A very mature, open, expressive nose here. Lovely, maturing style, although still showing plenty of good structure. Stylish, minerally, elegant, complete. A nicely rounded weight on the palate. Overall very classically composed and very appealing now. This is one of those wines that gets better every time I taste it, as my slowly increasing score reveals. 17.5+/20

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1998: Tasting opportunity number five for this vintage! A good nose here, aromatic, fresh and smoky. A firmly composed palate, showing a gentle texture and plenty of acidity. Nice, rounded presence on the palate, elegant and minerally though, leading through to an interesting chalky, smoky finish. Very good potential 16.5+/20

Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1999: A bright, crystalline, leafy nose. Nicely structured, rather upright and firm, lots of good acidity, and a firm mousse to match. Good fruit purity, rather crystalline like the nose, with a tight composition. Good potential, approachable now, but will surely improve. 16.5+/20

Piper-Heidsieck Brut 2000: An interesting nose here, reminiscent of a smoky, chargrilled character, counterbalanced by sharp white fruits. A fine character on the palate, which is full of creamy, honeyed and polished fruit. Mealy, with lots of style and an excellent underpinning backbone of firm acidity. This has excellent potential. 17.5+/20

Pol Roger Brut 1999: This is very youthful, with some residual sweet toffee and mallow aromas with just a faint trace of sulphur. Very softly composed palate, although it shows a good depth and substance in the middle. A nice frame, with sweet and smoky fruit, and good character on the finish. When this wine integrates it will be very good. 17+/20

Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill 1998: A reserved nose, a touch honeyed and mealy, but a little reticent really. A fine palate, rich yet stylish, with a big and impressive, rounded character with more mealy-nuttiness like that on the nose. This is still very youthful but shows elegance combined with brooding potential. Currently one for the cellar, not drinking, and in time I think this will be excellent. 17.5-18+/20

René Geoffroy Tête de Cuvée Premier Cru 1999: Vinified in wood. An interesting nose showing aromas of apple skins and steely minerals, with a pretty, floral element. This has a rounded substance on the palate which I wasn't quite expecting from the nose, although it has a well defined character. It is attractive overall, although it has a somewhat lean and bright style. Good. 14.5+/20

Taittinger Brut 2002: A sulphurous nose. Lovely structure on the palate, very well defined but with some elegance, with softness of fruit, overall a composition that defines Taittinger's gentle, creamy style. There is good substance underneath it all, though. A very attractive style. It desperately needs time. 16.5+/20

Veuve Clicquot Brut 2002: Again, this vintage still showing some sulphur. Soft, seemingly rather sweet, with a creamy toffee character on the nose. A fat, rounded mousse, with some nice midpalate grip, this is showing comparably to other 2002s, and seems to give more pleasure than some other recent vintages of Veuve Clicquot. Good, although there are better wines here. 15.5+/20