Lanson Gold Label Brut Vintage 2009 Champagne, France 75cl

Lanson is one of the oldest Champagne houses, tracing its roots to 1760, and is known above all for a single stylistic choice: it does not put its wines through malolactic fermentation. That decision keeps a bright, taut freshness at the core of everything it makes, and the result is a house style prized by those who like their Champagne lean and refreshing.

Gold Label is Lanson’s vintage Champagne, made only in years judged worthy and here drawn from the 2009 harvest. Only the best fruit goes into it. It blends Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, roughly evenly, and is given long ageing on the lees to add grace and depth to that trademark freshness. The single year gives it a stamp of place and time a non-vintage cannot.

The 2009 was a ripe, sunny Champagne vintage, and that warmth shows as a fuller, more generous side sitting alongside Lanson’s characteristic tension. It gave wines of real appeal, approachable yet capable of ageing.

The wine is crisp and dry, full of citrus and white orchard fruit with hints of toast and pastry, all built around a tangy, mineral texture. There is a saline, quenching quality to it, and it finishes long, fresh and precise.

This is a vintage Champagne with the freshness to flatter food and the structure to reward a little patience in the cellar. It is a genuine occasion bottle. There is no need to decant; simply pour it cold and let it warm a touch in the glass. Open it for a celebration, or serve it with oysters, seafood and delicate starters.