Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old NV

There’s lovely precision to this wine. It’s bright and citrussy, but there’s also some pear and peach richness, a touch of red cherry, a hint of cream and subtle toast. All blends together with lovely finesse. It’s tight and fruit focused, but it also has some savoury maturity in the background. I love the contrasts here, with high acidity and linearity, complemented by the notes of maturity. Really gastronomic and structural, this is quite serious and austere and is quite a contrast to the richness regular Veuve NV, although the family resemblance is there from the reserve wines, which feature quite prominently in the NV.