La Grande Dame 2004 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

Subtle gold presages latent power, alchemy at work. Here we meet La Grande Dame at her most elegant, the wine’s architecture sturdy yet delicately ornate with almond and soft patisserie behind the citric and red berried fruit. Sixteen years on, the evolution is modest, even if the primary fruit has softened a little; the citric notes are less strident and the red fruits are now, albeit reluctantly, ceding to a subtle, gently savoury texture. Beautifully woven, it brings to mind a silky canopy stitched from the finest cloth, trademark power deftly integrated and etching a mysteriously delicate finish.