2002 Lanson: don’t judge this spectacular champers by its label

A layered chardonnay that proves the importance of keeping an open mind

2002 Lanson, Noble Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, France

I always endeavour to taste wine with an open mind. “Taste the wine, not the label” is advice I give to every young member of the wine trade I meet, having been told it myself 32 years ago when I started working in this fascinating business. It has served me well. I find gems all over the place and they often have dreary labels or come from unlikely wineries.

Of course, I have to taste thousands of bottles to find wines worthy of comment, but that’s the job and I love the challenge. If you have lazily relied simply on labels alone to guide you, you will undoubtedly have a narrow palate and even narrower chances of success.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

2002 Lanson, Noble Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, France

Here is a wine that proves one should keep an open mind and also not rely on labels for instruction. The 2002 Noble Blanc de Blancs is available in two labels – the old one and my featured new one, so label-slaves would be confounded in their habits. Those out of love with Lanson (I was in this camp) will fall head over heels in a moment, too.

This is a spectacular chardonnay, shaped by its brilliant vintage, 17 years of age and its amazing, rich, layered palate. This is a tour de force from the home of the “Black Label” and Champagne fiends. Whether you were previously a Lanson fan or not, you must track it down – its performance will shock you.

2002 Lanson, Noble Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, France. £117.00, Hedonism.co.uk; £119.95, reduced to £99.95, TheFinestBubble.com

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

This article was originally published in MoneyWeek

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us