Castelnau Brut Blanc de Blancs 2003

Cellar master tasting notes:

What with the frost in April and the summer heat wave, the 2003 vintage went down in our history.

This blend had so much personality that it needed to be kept quietly in our cellars until it matured and calmed down. Today it offers such surprising aromatic lift and freshness on the palate that we have been royally rewarded for our patience.

The colour is a beautiful pale gold. First impressions on the nose include faint tobacco, spice and even a touch of mint. Then comes a hint of crystallised orange, deepening to a creamier, toastier style. In the mouth, the extraordinary, lemon-zesty freshness combines with richer notes of creamy, caramelised exotic fruits leading to a faintly toasty yet truly elegant finish.

The vast majority of the Chardonnays used for this blend comes from the Montagne de Reims giving great generosity of flavour; the freshness is contributed by those from Chouilly and le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and the character by those from Nogent l’Abbesse and Bassuet.

Food pairings:

The lovely freshness with its spicy notes, baked fruits and creamy, lemony notes has enough character to allow some risks: for example, with a sea bass cooked en papillote with Thai style lemongrass and ginger or a lobster salad with citrus fruit, fennel and green apple in the dressing.

www.castelnau.co.uk