Victoire Golden Eagle Extra Brut Champagne 2005

A fully mature, but powerful champagne with lots of caramelized pear, candied orange peel and spice aromas. This is quite an extreme style that won’t appeal to those looking for freshness, but we find it appealing. Quite a crisp acidity and still lively mousse on the palate. Lots of candied ginger at the properly dry finish. Limited production. Drink now. Score – 92. (Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com, Aug. 7, 2023)