The winter was wet and cold, summer record-breaking hot – and rain in August saved the vintage. The usual 60/40% pinot noir chardonnay split, 25% fermented in oak, disgorged in November 2022, the dosage 7g/l. A contrast of freshness and richness, the fruit concentrated and complex. Eternal life.

From vineyards that are run organically, this iconic Champagne's latest iteration is as beautiful as ever. Textured, with a mineral undertow, the wine is just beginning to soften and show a balanced maturity.

Light-ish straw with a faint tint indicating red grapes, the bouquet shows some mushroom, also of pinot noir/meunier, and there's also celery, parsnip notes, while the palate is full, rich and powerful with concentration and depth. Clearly more intensity and concentration than the Collection wines tasted with it. There is very crisp mouth-feel with a final dryness that reverberates for a long time, the dryness thanks to some phenolic grip, which more than counters any sweetness from the dosage. It's very dry, with a seriously chalky finish, and shows this vintage's no-malolactic style. A wine of tremendous finesse, line and length. It's still tight and has yet to develop any toastiness, and will blossom with some time in the cellar. A triumph from a difficult year. Drink: 2023-2035.

I have tasted the 2015 Cristal three times so far - once as part of an extensive vertical I will be reporting on shortly, and then later in my office. Those tastings paint a portrait of a complex Champagne that is still finding its center. Tasted at the maison, the 2015 is rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous textural intensity and also a good bit of energy to back it up. Citrus confit, spice, ginger, chalk and dried flowers abound in a Champagne endowed with tremendous aromatic presence in a style that offers notable richness, but lighter than vintages such as 2012. There is a bit of the savoriness that is such a signature of the year, but it is nicely integrated in the wine’s fabric.