Palmer & Co Grands Terroirs Champagne 2015

The 2015 Grands Terroirs opens with a floral note of acacia blossom and ripe yellow fruits, a generous nod to the very dry, warm, sunny growing season – from bud break to harvest it was the hottest vintage since records began, surpassing even 2003 and 1976. On the palate Chardonnay takes the driving seat in the blend, with the freshness and impact of Trépail fruit giving a bright, citrus salinity, plus a note of bitterness. It boasts good intensity and an exotic dried fruit element, a hint of spiced pineapple, as it opens in the glass, but it needs a little more time to develop fully. Dosage: 7g/L. Disgorged: November 2021. 50% Chardonnay from Trépail and Villers-Marmery; 38% Pinot Noir from Mailly and Verzenay; 12% Meunier from Ludes, Chigny-les-Rosé and Rilly-la-Montagne. Drinking window: 2023-2032. Score – 92. (Giles Fallowfield, decanter.com, July 3, 2022)