CRITIC REVIEWS
Tom Hewson
The 2012 La Grande Dame has started to relax a little post-disgorgement, with some malted bread, honey and toasty complexity building over what is still an impressively precise release for such a Pinot Noir-heavy blend, more focused on delicate red fruits than the broader orange/yellow of the 2015. Sweet red apple, nut oil and lemon marmalade flavours ride a persistent snap of citrussy acidity, the texture softening now but still promising a drawn-out and rewarding unwinding of flavour for those that can wait. 90% Pinot Noir from Äy, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy, 10% Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Dosage 6 g/L.
Simon Field MW
A generous golden colour betrays the dominance of Pinot Noir in the blend; this theme thereafter maintained by aromatics of fig, wild strawberries and Mirabelle plums; behind that, jasmine, red apples and a distant whiff of woodsmoke. Engaging already, in other words. One’s impressions are confirmed and amplified on the palate, with the aspiration voiced by both chef de caves Dominique and Didier, to allow the ‘cooler’ Pinot Noir sites full rein. This is eloquently evidenced by a subtle and deftly textured structure, the primary fruit notes of nectarine and citrus peel underscored by a richer, still somewhat reticent, core, darker and more savoury of intent and oh, so subtle at the moment. I have every confidence that this characteristic will come into its own over the longer term and mark the 2012 as one of the more successful outings for this outstanding cuvée.