Blanleuil Grande Champagne VSOP (10 year old) 40%
Tasted: Sept 2011
Quite a high toned nose and slightly spirity too, although it is pleasantly edgy with hints of oily, dried fruit and earth. It does develop some sweet orange and late oak.
The palate is soft, light bodied and elegant with plenty of wood up front followed by some light dried fruit and a perfumed burst on the middle. Good length with hints of tropical fruit, minerals and a slight earthiness in the finish.
Blanleuil Grande Champagne XO (20 year old) 40%
Tasted: Sept 2011
A dense and earthy nose with some lovely perfumed citrus along with mature honeyed dried fruit. With time some old spicy wood notes appear and the honeyed aromas run riot!
Soft and dense but somewhat lumpen on the palate. It’s a tad homogonous and simple to be honest but there is no faulting the density of dried fruit. The oak really bites hard on the middle and with the piquant alcohol it has a very dry and bitter finish. That lovely honey that was on the nose has gone completely awol and thus fails to balance the bitterness.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 