($175) Multidimensional nose offers baked apple, orange oil, acacia honey, white chocolate, toffee and earthy low tones. Expansive, superconcentrated and powerful but not aggressive, with wonderfully sweet flavors of orange, flowers and honey supported by strong underlying structure. An amazingly solid Champagne with the stuffing for extended development in bottle.

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Magnum. 61% PN, 39% Chardonnay. 3% oak fermentation. A green hint. Tangy and very vibrant and nervy and vivacious. Very tight and firm and tightly laced like a corset. More depth and extract than in the '99 – very nerveux. About as much astringence as the 1999, still. Very firm. Very fine and tight and angular. This should make spectacular old bones – if it’s allowed to.

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It is, of course, insane to drink this wine this early. I quake at the thought of how much Cristal is going to be stolen from the cradle at nightclubs and fashionable restaurants in the rich parts of the world. I was almost ashamed when I—for professional reasons, of course—popped the cork. The entire register is certainly here already, but everything is so incredibly shy and subordinate to the high acidity. Buy all you can find and leave it forgotten for the time being in some dark corner of the basement. Having said that, certain bottles are already deliciously honeyed. Decanting is recommended at least up until 2004.

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A paradox. This has weight yet a sensation of weightlessness thanks to its seamless texture and harmony. Still firm and forceful yet elegant, offering citrus, pastry, biscuit and hazelnut notes enmeshed in the creamy texture. Great structure for aging. 29,000 cases made.

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Always great.