Has 2004 taken pole position in the prestige cuvée stakes against one-time favourite 2002? Abigail Bennington reports. The 2002 versus 2004 vintage of champagnes has perhaps been one of the most contentious battles of two great years in the last couple of decades. The former vintage was widely regarded as ‘near perfect’ while the latter produced both quantity and quality. Looking back on both years, meteorologically, they were polls apart. For some time, it’s been the perceived wisdom that conditions in 2002, a cold winter, healthy flowering in June and sunny, dry conditions until September made for a practically ‘perfect’ year. 2004 saw a mild winter with scattered storms. A warm and sunny spring into summer led to one of the largest harvests of high-quality fruit, particularly Pinot Noir. But a recent Bordeaux Index tasting, 20 years on, revealed a different version of events. With 25 wines from 2004 on show from some of the biggest names in the business the excitement about the quality in the glass was palpable. Like the old fable of the tortoise versus the hare, could it be that the 2002 hare has been pipped at the post by the slow burner of 2004? A question that deserved a response from Charles Philipponnatt, President and CEO of Champagne Philipponnat. He said: “2002 is, of course, a great vintage… it’s always been my feeling that’s drawn from experience that many times in the long run, it’s the purest and somewhat lightest vintages (2004) that last longer and that age. In the more homogeneous, in the finer way.” Bolstered The prestige cuvée tasting line up at Bordeaux
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Fine Wine
