A rich hue, already showing some fine lemon-golden tones. Not the richness of age, more likely the density of considerable concentration. And there is a moderate sized bead also indicative of the wine's youth. The nose is hugely expressive, with a really surprising minerally character, showing lots of chalky, powdery, talcy nuances as an edge to the very primary aromas of sweet-apple, pithy-citrus fruit and thyme. It has a stony firmness, but whereas many wines with this sort of character come across as rather withdrawn, emaciated even, the open character here suggests richness and generosity instead. Indeed, this is found to be true on the palate, which starts off with an immediately apparent balance of creamy texture, with a full and almost sherbetty depth of primary, minerally fruit, set against a firm acidity. It is perhaps the most rounded, stony-creamy, richly textured young Grande Année I have ever tasted. Through the midpalate this character evolves, the mousse of the wine bringing an extra textural quality here, defining and yet somehow expanding the wine within the mouth. It lifts as we go, until finding in the finish of the wine a crescendo of sherbetty minerals, texture and acidity, fading into a clean, lingering finish. This is plainly very youthful at present, but all the components are here, in concentrated abundance. This is very convincing stuff, and will be a must for all Bollinger fans.
