2008 Lanson Gold Label Vintage Brut Champagne Champagne

2008 Lanson Gold Label Vintage Brut Champagne

95 WE

Featured Review

From a great vintage, this wine both reflects the year and also shows the producer's trademark crisp style that keeps the wine's natural acidity. That approach lends itself to aging and this wine, now 11 years old, is still intensely fresh. It only just shows signs of maturity and toast. That means it will age further, probably at its peak from 2022. Wine Enthusiast

Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

This has seen more than six years of ageing in the cellar and has attractive concentration and nicely played complexity. The nose is as fresh as you'd expect from Lanson with all yellow grapefruit and lemon but some pastry too. The palate, meanwhile, has a refreshing sweep of acid-driven, lemon fruit and is super pure, fresh and long. A great-value wine here. Drink now till 2015.

James Suckling | 94 JS

Notes of oyster shell, graphite and spice are a fresh and aromatic entry for this vibrant Champagne, layered with firm, focusing acidity and flavors of poached apricot, black cherry, lemon curd and slivered almond. Offers a lovely, creamy texture and a juicy quality to the mineral-laced finish. Disgorged February 2016. Drink now through 2033. 500 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2008 Lanson “Gold Label” Brut Millésime is composed of a blend of roughly fifty percent each of chardonnay and pinot noir. It was disgorged in February of 2016, after seven years aging on its fine lees. Today, the wine is really starting to drink with generosity, soaring from the glass in a refined blend of peach, apple, wheat toast, hazelnut, a beautiful base of soil tones and a nice touch of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and zesty, with a lovely core, fine soil undertow, very elegant mousse, a lovely spine of acidity and a long, complex and very classy finish. At twelve years of age, this wine is wide open and hitting on all cylinders, but still has decades of life ahead of it. (Drink between 2021-2060)

John Gilman | 93+ JG

In all probability the finest rendition of this cuvée since 1996, Lanson's 2008 Brut Vintage Gold Label is an impressive wine in the making, unwinding in the glass with aromas of white flowers, lemon oil, orange rind, apple and freshly baked sourdough. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, racy and incisive, with a concentrated but tight-knit profile that exemplifies the house's non-malo style, concluding with a long and penetrating finish. It's a terrific value in the world of seriously age-worthy Champagne.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

Sustaining purity and freshness as it ages past the decade mark, this has lovely depths of golden apple and a silky weave of chalk and lemon. There’s a crisp, quinine-like bitterness to the wine’s minerality, with chalk dust adding another layer of complexity. (Disgorged 2/16) .

Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Type of Wine	Champagne : Nothing like a refreshing, vivacious glass of fine Champagne during a hot summer afternoon. Typically combining Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, each Champagne house has a distinct style. Whether you want to sample a single varietal (such as the 100% Chardonnay blanc de blancs) or a tasteful blend, no region can compete with Champagne.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world. For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide. France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity. France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.
Region	Champagne : The sharp, biting acidity, cutting through the richness; the explosive force that shatters the bubbles as they rise to the surface; the intense flavor and compelling, lively mouthfeel; these are all hallmarks of a good Champagne. Most wines are made from a combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, but there are pure-Chardonnay variants and ones that blend only Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. As a result, most wines come with a feeling of familiarity, if not nostalgia. Each Champagne house has its own unique style, so different bottles of Champagne may not resemble each other outside of the core varietal strengths. The soil composition of the subregion is characterized by belemnite and chalk, which lets it absorb heat during the daytime and release it at night. This terroir helps create the feeling of airy, playful lightness of fine sparkling wine. These wines were originally marketed towards royalty, and you can feel a hint of that elusive blue-blood elegance and confidence while drinking one. A good Champagne carries you away like a hurricane carries small debris, and you can feel the powerful life force in each bubble even. The characteristic Champagne "pop" has become a staple at parties and celebrations around the globe - when you hear it, good times are right around the corner.