Perrier-Jouët : Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2012

So subtle and rather sublime on the nose with delicate cooked apple, lemon curd, chalk and stone. Cashews, too. Medium to full body. Creamy texture and a long, racy finish. Everything is really in balance and long here. Joyous and sophisticated. Drink or hold.

Bright, pale green-yellow, silver reflections, very fine, persistent mousse. Mineral nuances, a fine touch of vineyard peach, a hint of almond and citrus zest, white flowers in the background, a very multi-layered bouquet. Complex, powerful, full-bodied white stone fruit, lively acid core, velvety texture on the palate, fine fruit sweetness, with salty-peppery aspects on the finish, shows length and development, certain ageing potential.

The 2012 Champagne Belle Epoque Blanc De Blancs Brut is a bright yellow color and offers up aromas of lemon drop, salty wet rock, floral perfume, crystallized ginger, and pristine green apple. Medium-bodied, it’s very elegantly textured, with a pinpoint mousse, a linear feel, and nice balance as well as a rounded mid-palate and a long finish. This wine has a refinement and a polish that takes the edge over the 2014 for my taste. A fresh style, it’s approachable now but will continue to drink well over the coming two decades. Drink 2024-2044. 6 grams per liter dosage.

The wine opens on a fairly fresh palette, with a lovely lemony note. A touch of reduction, finely toasty, with hints of hazelnut. The wine appears quite pure and deep in its aromas. It remains a bit restrained, but finesse is present. The palate is elongated, with a well-managed structure; the power is diffuse and the wine reveals itself.

In the soft style that is the hallmark of Belle Epoque, this Champagne is very accessible and beautifully textured. It is a fine wine, balanced and poised between fruit and yeasty maturity. Drink now.