The 2004 vintage doesn't have a stunning reputation but I was very taken with these wines on the whole. They are firmly composed, bright but substantial rather than pretty. I think this could be a good vintage to be adding to the cellar.

André Jacquart Grand Cru Le Mesnil 2004: Appealing little notes of honey, caramel, smoky peat and sweet, plump, yellow fruits. The palate is fine and fascinating, full of sweet but dried fruits, with firm acids underneath. Lovely flesh, a good mousse, fresh, flavoursome and full of sweet and smoky character. Good finish too. This is very good. 17+/20

Deutz Brut 2004: This has a fresh and minerally nose, warm and ripe, with slightly toasty, roast meat elements when warmed in the glass a little. Firm, with huge midpalate acidity. Aromatic, chalky, minerally, with pear and stone fruit and a candied element to the finish. Remarkably steely and acid-bound to the finish, with lots of structure. A very good wine. 17-17.5+/20

Duval-Leroy Authentis Clos des Bouveries 2004: A rather reticent but smoky nose here, fruit with a steely-citrus edge. It starts off very softly on the palate, broad and a little sherbetty in the middle, with a good acid core and nice mousse. Firm, well composed, and a lot of structure here. I think this should be pretty good given time - another success for this vintage. 16.5-17+/20

Pierre Gimonnet Gastronome Blanc de Blancs 2004: Ethereal, floral in style, notes of acacia and a little nut, this certainly has plenty of character. The palate is very feminine, starting off quite soft and pillowy, but then revealing a sharp mousse in the background and a good acid backbone. Rounded and very harmonious. This should be very good given time. 17-17.5+/20

Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne de Cramant Grand Cru 2004: This vintage cuvée has just 2 g/l sugar. Tasted twice. The nose is bright, vibrant and minerally, with perfumed and peppery herbs, and a little yellow plum. As with the other Larmandier-Bernier wines this has a stony, perfumed, floral, chalky character. The palate is well composed, stylish but firm with good acids and a youthful substance and increasingly dry finish. This needs time for sure. 17-17.5+/20

Nicolas Feuillatte Brut 2004: A slightly herby, reticent nose. The palate is clean, reserved, slightly lean and stony. Crisply styled, sappy midpalate, and a gentle texture. Good acids and a fairly firm mousse. This could be good with a little time. 15.5-16+/20

Pity the poor 2003s. Apparently some great wines were made, Champagne guru Tom Stevenson having given particular praise to Bollinger and their special 2003 by Bollinger cuvée, Moët (which I didn't enjoy when I tasted it here) and others. These three wines were heavily marked by sulphur; this is perhaps a necessity in order to control microbiological activity in the wines. My first thought was that this would be because of higher residual sugar in a ripe year, but of course this isn't so; the sweetness of a Champagne is largely controlled by the dosage, and what figures I have seen for 2003 show no major difference in residual sugar after this process. Rather it is probably the lower pH of the wines, which have less naturally occurring acid, which was probably the concern. This could be corrected to some extent by adding wine with good natural acidity at dosage, but the volume is really too small to make a huge difference, or indeed by acidification which is, unusually for France, legal in Champagne. The problem is that, legal or not, few French winemakers have any real experience of doing this, and only those who have spent time in Australia where it is a regular process would be very familiar with it. So, sulphur it is then.

H. Blin Brut 2003: This nose is marked by sulphur, with a rather green and chalky character beneath. Otherwise I don't find it very expressive. The palate is full and flashy, with a soft and diffuse texture. There is some nice acidity at the core but nothing like the freshness and zip to be found in the 2004 vintage. A gentle mousse. It seems a little hollow and it lacks vigour on the palate, with a hard finish. 13.5/20

Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2003: Again sulphur, over candied fruit aromas. Full, fleshy, with a gentle mousse and a low level of acidity. It seems rather flat on the palate, with a little white fruit struggling to provide a touch of brightness. Overall, rather coarsely composed. 14-14.5/20

Roederer Brut 2003: Expressive, but very sulphurous; this reeks of mothballs and spent matches, and unusually a note of pine needles. The palate is interesting, surprisingly fresh despite the nose, with lively and plump yellow plum fruit, yellow pepper, mint and herbs. No significant sulphur at this point so I suspect with time this wine will be alright, although it's difficult to predict where it is going stylistically. 15.5-16+/20

A very good year indeed, and perhaps surprising that there weren't more wines on show; I suspect they will come through the system with a little more time. These were three very good wines.

Comte Audoin de Dampierre Sommelier Réserve 2002: Lean and lemony fruit on the nose here, attractive, hinting at maturity, with a little bread and honey at the edge. Stylish and stony, the palate is harmonious, with crisp acidity, a gentle mousse and good definition. This still has some developing to do, but certainly has lots of potential. 16.5+/20

Joseph Perrier Cuvée Josephine 2002: This was served extremely cold and required some warming up to reveal some honeyed yellow fruits. Full and attractive, broad, quite soft and a little fat. It lacks good focus, although there is a bitter streak through the middle which does a little. Somewhat withdrawn, certainly youthful, and a little difficult to judge served this way. 16-17+?/20

Philipponnat Réserve 2002: Served very cold. An interesting nose when it opens up, with perfumed lemon thyme and a layer of rich, freshly baked lemon tart. Nice, crisp and steely at the beginning, with a fuller, rounded midpalate. Harmonious, defined and vigorous, with notes of nuts and lemon cream. Really very attractive style. 16.5+/20

Perhaps unsurprisingly there were no wines from 2001 on show, this having been a dismal vintage, and so onto 2000 now. There were more wines here from this vintage than any other, although it is not the greatest of recent vintages, being overshadowed by 2002 and perhaps even 1999. Nevertheless I likes many of these wines, perhaps being influenced by the early signs of maturity that can be found here.

Ayala Perle d'Ayala 2000: An expressive nose of cream and almonds - this is enticing! Fresh palate, but with notes of bitter almond mixed with a dry, honey-like character. A lovely harmonious texture, crisply cut off by a sharp finish. Textured, elegant, composed and yet still showing structure, grip and certainly potential. Very good indeed. 17+/20

Beaumont des Crayères Fleur de Prestige 2000: Open, expressive, with baked lemon and cashew nut. Really appealing style on the palate, with minerally character alongside notes of honeyed bread. The palate is easy going, rather flattering, with a gentle mousse and fine, fresh acids. Nicely composed and well balanced. Very good. 16.5+/20

Bollinger Grande Année 2000: Stony and mineral on the nose, and it is showing a trace of fading sulphur too. The palate is quite fleshy, open, flavoursome and accessible which is a little surprising. The fruit profile is slightly exotic, with nice stone fruit elements, and a little thyme and lemon cream. A full and bright mousse, and a nice seam of lemony acid at the core. Good style, drinking soon. 17-17.5+/20

Drappier Grande Sendrée 2000: Good, stony, gently nutty, but firm and certainly attractive. Really beautifully styled on the palate, with lots of harmoniously composed flavours, almonds and more. Appealing and bright, with a freshly done finish. This is really good - Drappier is a really under-rated house I think. 17+/20

Dumangin Brut 2000: A rather steely character here, lemons rubbed on stone. The palate has a gentle start, quite fleshy and rich, yet well defined. Then it shows some rather confected lemon-sherbet fruit. The substance is broad, a little pillowy, and overall a little too giving for my liking, but it certainly has some good qualities. 15.5+/20

Pierre Gimonnet Extra Brut Oenophile Premier Cru 2000: Fresh and lively on the nose, with plenty of character, and leafy-lemony fruit. A good firm palate, somewhat lean, with a firm acidity but a fine floral character. Pretty clearly a non-dosé style, fresh and stylish, but in this case with surprising depth. 16.5-17+/20

Charles Heidsieck Brut 2000: The nose here is delightful; although subtle, there are elements of nuts, especially almonds, swirled in cream here. the palate is broad, rather nutty, with a fresh citrus slant to it. It has a fine, palpable fruit texture. Elegantly interwoven flavours swim in a lovely vinous texture; this is stylish, still evolving, and should be fine. 17.5+/20

Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2000: A pungent, minerally nose here with just a little nutty element at the side. On the whole, though, it is stony, tight and withdrawn. The palate, surprisingly then, is rather broad, certainly rich in flavour, with pungent minerals like those on the nose. Layers of flavour, with smoky fruit over sun-baked stones. All the same this does seem tightly wound and will doubtless give more after some time in the cellar. 17.5-18+/20

Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2000: This is gorgeously expressive, with honey-roasted cashew nuts, peach and citrus fruits on the nose, followed by beeswax and lanolin. What character! The palate is also lovely, elegant yet evocative, stylish and fresh, crisp and well defined. A good nutty finish kept in check by fresh acidity. This is lovely, and will surely get better. 17.5+/20

Piper-Heidsieck Brut 2000: A very chalky, smoky, rock-dust nose. The palate has style, showing a firm minerality, a gentle mousse and a nice, persistent acidity. Appealing composition, but a touch hard in the centre. This needs to soften up a little, but there is surely some good potential here. 16.5+/20

René Geoffroy Premier Cru 2000: The nose here carries aromas of polished wood, beeswax and honey. There is a fresh structure to the palate, with a fine mousse sitting over a rather hard backbone of acidity. Very deeply mineral, stony, with not so much fruit to match. There finish is firm and shows some acidity. Not so much finesse here, but there is some potential. 15.5+/20

Vranken Demoiselle Parisienne 2000: Very much a stone and mineral nose, but otherwise the dominant characteristic here is sulphur. There is an attractive palate, with citrus and thyme, presented in a flashy, rounded, polished and rather moreish style. Soft, accessible, nicely defined, and ready for drinking now. Good. 16+/20

Six very good wines here, but when looking at the likes of Pol Roger, Gosset, Laurent Perrier, Bruno Paillard and the newly revitalised Mumm perhaps this shouldn't be so surprising. There are clearly some good buys to be had in this vintage.

Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: A fine nose, fine, with notes of almonds with a lightly roasted edge, and baked oat biscuit with a little honey tinge. This has great style. The palate is full, showing some evolution, with more nutty character like that on the nose. This is a big, bold and yet elegantly defined wine built around a crisp acid core. Excellent wine. 17.5/20

Joseph Perrier 1999: Honey and biscuit on the nose here, baked apples, and a slight and attractive hint of oxidation to it I think. Full and elegant on the palate, with nicely evolving flavour although not so forward as the nose. A gentle, integrated style, a good mousse, overall an appealing and delicious wine which is showing some fine development. 17+/20

Laurent Perrier Brut 1999: A lovely open style on the nose here, minerally, stony, but fresh and certainly better than the 1997 which usually reeked of nothing but sulphur. Fine palate, lovely golden fruit, very gentle and harmonious, with a little almond and cream. Freshly stylish and supple, accessible and yet elegant, and some fine substance to. Really impressive wine from Laurent -Perrier here - well done! 18/20

Mumm 1999: This has a rather chalky nose, notes of stone and paper, and perhaps also a little sulphur. The palate is fresh and appealing though, with crisp, mint-tinged lemon fruit. It is well defined, has nice acidity and a gentle mousse. Chalky, fresh, clean and grippy. This is another step up in quality from previous vintages for Mumm I think. 16.5-17+/20

Bruno Paillard Brut Assemblage 1999: A firm and well defined character, with sweet honey-tinged fruit over a stony backdrop. There is a little evolving maturity. Very soft and open on the palate, with a nice gentle style and lots of firm structure underneath. Good grip and acids too, and an over nutty flavour. Defined, harmonious, but rich. This might benefit from more time, but in any case it is very good. 18+/20

Pol Roger Brut 1999: This certainly shows a different character to last year when I suspect it hadn't long been disgorged. Now it has stony fruit on the nose, a very firm style, slightly nutty, elegant but tight and youthful. A lovely palate, creamy and elegantly composed, gently full, broad, stylish and yet fresh and defined. Lots of substance here. really very promising style now which should give plenty of pleasure in the future. A higher score. 18+/20

Another good year; both the Arlaux and Pol Roger, the former tasted here although the latter has moved onto the 1999 vintage, have given pleasure at home.

Arlaux Brut 1998: This has a lovely character on the nose, which is evolving and interesting. There is elegant but rich tropical fruit with a lemon twist, and a nutty element coming in behind. The palate is impressive, defined and linear, but also creamy and harmonious. There is great fruit texture, fine acidity and perfect balance. A delicious wine which is very approachable now. 18+/20

Alfred Gratien Brut 1998: Evolved nuts and nettles on the nose here, with a stony edge. It starts off with a lovely texture, although with some confect fruit character. It is certainly expressive though. The mousse is gentle, the acidity slightly coarse, but there are some good points here. Not so harmonious as some, but good. 16+/20

Henriot Brut 1998: A slightly unusual nose here, with elements of egg and asparagus. Is a touch of reduction? I didn't notice this when I tasted it only a month or so ago. Nevertheless the palate is fine; fresh and fine, well defined, very linear, crisp and elegant. Full, vinous, impressive. Despite those slightly unexpected elements on the nose this is clearly very good indeed. 17.5+/20

Lanson Gold Label Brut 1998: An interesting nose, lean and lemony, minerally and a touch detached I think. The palate is attractive, harmonious and yet firm, sappy with fine vinosity. There is a good grip to this wine, and a very tangible fruit texture. Lots of good substance here. A firm wine from Lanson although not the hard acidity they often show in their youth. Good potential. 17+/20

Mumm Cuvée R Lalou 1998: This has a fine and evolved nose, with gentle but expressive fruit character, with notes of ripe cantaloupe melon, smoke and coffee. An impressive start to the palate, showing fine definition; rich, rounded and grippy, with a gritty smoke underneath a fine mousse and very linear, defining acidity. Stylish, and very impressive for Mumm. The renaissance is real, it seems. 18+/20

Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 1998: A lovely harmony on the nose here, toasted almonds and even a hint of chocolate-tinged praline. A fine and harmonious palate, just a little light oxidation to it I think, with flavours of apples on toast, sprinkled with fresh herbs. It seems to be bone dry, although it fills out the midpalate very nicely, with a firm and grippy bite through to the finish. This is a delight. 17.5-18+/20

Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill 1998: Very cold when served, so allowed to warm. It opens up to reveal polished wood and nut oil aromas. The palate is a harmonious, nut-infused affair, with honey-tinged dried fruits. Impressive, but still youthful, rather reserved, a little diffuse and lacking in direction today. Nevertheless there is potential here. 18-18.5+/20

Tarlant Brut Prestige 1998: A very vinous, harmonious, gentle style here. Very soft on entry, sleek and with a subtle mousse. Nice, slightly minerally acid backbone, and overall a good and refined style. Soft and attractive. Perhaps not the firm vigour of some other wines, but very nice nevertheless. 16+/20

A good vintage, very similar in quality to 1998 I believe.

Jacquesson Brut 1997: A crisp and fresh nose, very tight and reserved at first, but then opening out to reveal a beautiful, elegant, harmonious, nut-tinged style. The palate is similarly styled, but still rather tight and minerally. Good style here, with a lot of potential, but this needs more time in bottle for my palate. Fine stuff though. 18+/20

Perhaps the last truly stunning vintage; there are very few wines from this year still on the shelves, except for perhaps a few special cuvées, such as this wine from Duval-Leroy.

Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne 1996: This is 79% Chardonnay and 21% Pinot Noir from Grand Cru vineyards. About 7% was fermented in oak, and the wine disgorged in 2008. The sugar is 4.5 g/l. The nose has a vinous, minerally-peppery nose, harmonious, with elements of polished wood. The palate has the firm acidity of this excellent vintage, but with co-existent finesse and elegance. Underneath lies the latent power of the vintage. Very long finish, too. Excellent potential. 18+/20