2008 Larmandier-Bernier Extra Brut Vieille Vignes du Levant Grand Cru

The 2008 Vieilles Vignes du Levant Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut has a golden-yellow color and opens with a pure, fresh, very deep and concentrated bouquet that reveals more matured fruit aromas than the 2009. There are stony notes on the nose, even dried fruit expressions. The mineral flavors seem to have filled up with iron in the 2008. With lots of brioche flavors on the palate, this is a very elegant and rather lean, purely mineral and linear vintage and a more challenging compared to the generous 2009. I find the 2008 a bit harsher in the tightly woven finish at the moment, but it is very salty and complex and definitely needs some big fish to soften its edges. Some stone-dried fruit flavors in the aftertaste.