Bottled as non-vintage but in reality composed entirely of the epic 2006 vintage, Fallet-Dart’s single-vineyard Les Hauts Clos du Mont is a flat-out stunning new addition to our direct-import stable, and arguably the savviest collectible Champagne buy we’ve brought on board in a long time. Located in the far-flung village of Drachy in the western Marne Valley, the site itself has been under vine for a millennium, first cultivated by the local monks (who always knew best, of course). Again, it’s 2006 vintage, bottled in 2007 (as indicated on the label), so we’re talking 17 or so years on the lees. The nose leads with super concentrated citrus and austere minerality, but it quickly opens up in enormous fashion with head-spinning complexity. Dense apple, pear, and white cherry framed by tons of deep, toasty autolytic character – biscuits, peach pie, and apricot cobbler – followed by exotic notes of candied jasmine and lychee. The palate defies logic between its highly evolved vinosity and flat-out mind-blowing freshness, given the age and sur lie duration. Perfect, bracing acidity and ultra-fine, elegant mousse segue into an emergent, mid-palate richness that offers up flavors of baked apple pie, choux pastry, elderflower liqueur, more white cherry, and wet river stones. I’ve had three vintages of this wine now from my own personal collection (2004, 2005, and now 2006), and this one takes an already astounding profile to the next level. If you’re a fan of Bollinger’s RD, set that one aside and buy three bottles of this for the same price – you won’t be disappointed.
96 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Champagne Buyer (Jun 2025)
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