Veuve Clicquot, Ponsardin Trilennium Reserved Brut

Last bottle. Burnished copper/gold. Bubbles were good at first but short lived - just a fine mousse thereafter. Still some nice yeasty notes initially on the nose, but the palate was more bruised apple and cider like. Still a nice enough drink, but definitely not as good as last one 6 years ago.

My first time with this rare bird. Deep and aged. Felt quite old but broad and satisfying.

From a bottle purchased when first available. Light golden color, nice steady bubbles. Not much nose, what there was would be typical of champagne (fruit, hint of yeast, etc). Lightly maderized fruit. Bright entry giving way to orange peel. Not at all unpleasant and much better than I expected considering age.

Wasn't sure if this wine would still be surviving....how wrong I was. Colour not dulled at all by oxidation. Fine mousse of bubbles, fading a bit with time. Gorgeous complex yeasty nose, yeast and sour apple on the palate, multi textured and very long finish still. Stunning mature champagne. One of the best wines I've had this year. One bottle left...

DG 08/1997 Distinct ‘old champagne’ scent: initial damp cellar with old books, resin, copper and iron; later, ripe nectarines, dragonfruit, ripe yellow plums (greengage), extremely ripe lemons and limes, mandarins and kumquats, a lot of incense (musky notes), violet, Chanel N°5 (highly perfumed in general), a smokiness with firewood, walnuts, pecan nuts and pine nuts, sablé cookies, caramel-like finish; Comté cheese with a lot of spices, such as clove and white pepper, a Sherry-like, oxidative touch on the palate. Incredible …

New Year's Day, 2018 - Pokai Parera (Ekatahuna, New Zealand) : Absolutely spectacular champagne! Intense structure, a classic fruit profile that feels as fresh as a daisy, and a level of complexity and class that mark this a a great bottle, allow this bottle to make a fabulous impression at the dinner table. at 29 years of age, this is showing no signs of entering decline, only the multi-layered complexities of bottle age. Incredibly layered and nuanced finish.

Quite mature. Falls apart after around 15 minutes in the glass

Apricot, caramel, nutty, oxidative note ok nose. On palate more citrus and apricot. Fair concentration though.

Golden colour with tiny amber hints. A developed and rather fruity nose with yellow and red apples including some caramelized apples, brioche, some orange zest, and hazelnuts as well as other nutty notes, and just a tiny hint of sherry. Medium+ body with yellow and red apples, some citrus notes and just a little dried fruit, good acidity with some mineral, spice notes, and a fruity aftertaste. Fully developed, but will not come across as "tired" if you like mature …

Could wait a couple of more years but drinking well tonight

Jules' Birthday (Corkbuzz, East Village, NYC) : Orangy gold. Nose has a little bit of funk, mushroom; hazelnuts, orange zest; sandalwood -- a bit of incense. Palate is a little dense, brooding, shroomy; woody, a bit dried out; not much fruit here. Good length though, probably the best part of this Champagne. Medium acidity. Still quite an aggressive mousse. Drink up. (From Paul M.)

No detailed notes. My wife found this "too old" for her tastes. On the other hand, I quite enjoyed it. A doughy, bread impression on the palate, along with some wood that evokes a fine cognac. Less sweetness than I normally associate with the Veuve house.

Bud's 68th (Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand) : Classic Veuve Cliquot. Fresh as a daisy. Very fine bead. Gorgeous proportion and balance. This wine is a point - as it has no doubt been for much of its life. An exceptional bottle.

Fresh bread, roasted nuts & caramel notes. Still fresh on the palate. Long and elegant. Really nice.

Light gold colour showing only a hint of maturity. Tiny, vibrant bubbles providing a vigorous mousse on the palate. Quite rich nose with some light brioche notes. Very cleansing palate with some lovely hints of orange marmalade on the finish. Really very nice.

Robert Parker 100-point dinner (Bellavino, Thousand Oaks, CA) : Bread/toast. Citrus. Acidity on the finish. Nose better.