J.B Héry — Millésime 2002 Brut Nature 2002

Millésime 2002 Brut Nature 2002

J.B Héry | Blanc de Blancs | 2002 Vintage

In the glass today: J.B Héry - Millésime 2002 - Brut Nature – an exciting find from my last shopping trip. Just recently added to the cellar, but today was the perfect time to open it.

The facts about this bottle: Vintage: 2002 – a legendary vintage in Champagne Grape varieties: 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir Cru sites: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant & Le Mesnil-sur-Oger – so the finest Côte des Blancs sites Soil: Chalk – provides that typical, slightly salty minerality Aging: Maturation in traditional crayères Dosage: 0 g/l – so Brut Nature Alcohol: 12.5%

And how was it? Right up front: This time I used the good old Gabriel glass - standard version. No experiments, just a glass I know well and really like. And it was a perfect match!

The champagne itself shows wonderfully mature aromatics after all these years – candied citrus fruits, some ripe apple, nutty notes and that fine brioche that simply belongs to an aged vintage. Plus there's that typical chalk note that the Grand Cru sites bring – present, but not too dominant.

A real example of how exciting aged vintage champagnes can be – especially when they come completely without dosage. Nothing gets in the way here, the vintage and terroir character speak for themselves.

For direct comparison, I had a much younger bottle from J.B Héry about 2 weeks ago with the "Signature - Blanc de Blancs" – that was also great, but the difference in depth is very clear.

Do you know J.B Héry or have you had a 2002 in your glass? And what's your approach: prefer them freshly disgorged or do you also let bottles really age?

Tasting Notes

After years of aging, this Blanc de Blancs-dominated champagne shows candied citrus fruits, ripe apple, nutty notes and fine brioche. The typical chalk minerality of the Grand Cru sites is present but elegantly integrated.

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