J. Dumangin Fils Le Vintage 1er Cru Champagne 2004 ~ Champagne, France

95/100 James Suckling
93/100 Wine Enthusiast
91/100 Wine Spectator

91/100 - Champagne Guide Tyson Stelzer, Champagne Expert and Author of The Champagne Guide.

Decanter Magazine ~ Top 50 Wines of the Year

James Suckling "Outstanding buy with a whopping nine years en tirage, this has a super contained set of complex aromas - toasty yeast notes, grilled almonds and red berries all packed in close and tight. The palate revolves around a core of concentrated lemon drop flavor, and acidity is a leading element, holding the finish well. Superfine and super fresh for the age. Drink now."

Wine Spectator  "Fresh and lithe, this open-knit Champagne is lightly chalky in texture, with notes of white raspberry, piecrust, pickled ginger, and lemon zest."

Tyson Stelzer "bouquet is defined by lemon, with hints of honey and a note of orange. The palate adds butterscotch and ripe peach fruit, leading off clean and then quickly becoming savoury and secondary. The acid balance is commendable, keeping a short finish from becoming broad..."

Wine Enthusiast  "Ripe yet crisp, this is a fine reflection of the excellent 2004 vintage in Champagne. Ready to drink now, but it will certainly age."

Matthew Jukes "When I had the chance to taste Gilles Dumangin's new 2004 vintage, which I tipped off to by an eminent friend, I had high expectations. This is a large, but very good harvest in Champagne, but many wines lack drive and definition. Gilles has clearly endeavoured to make a memorable wine in 2004 because his version is nothing short of spectacular. The Dumangins have spent 350 years perfecting their craft in Champagne and there can’t have been many better wines made here, over three and a half centuries, than this one".

Julian Hitner, WineAlign ~ "Possessing marvellous delicacy and harmony, the 2004 Dumangin J. Fils will offer suitable satisfaction over the next six years or more.....Extremely graceful, stylish champagne."

Bob Campbell Wine Reviews (NZ) - "Rich, creamy wine with an impressive ethereal lightness. Wonderfully pure. Chalk, toast and hazelnut. Lovely acidity - not hard, accessible but gives backbone"

The New Zealand Herald (NZ) - From a vintage bursting with flavour this is drinking well now but will continue to develop. Its is a light, bright and fruity, a classic... by John Hawkesby Seen on the tables at Gordon Ramsay's restaurants and is Paul McCartney's favourite Fizz, its that good!

This is the best buy quality Vintage Champagne in Singapore, outstanding value!

J. Dumangin Fils are a small family-run Champagne House based in the village of Chigny-les-Roses south of Reims. Dumangin have a long history overflowing with fantastic winemakers, some with names borrowed from Greek legend. The first family member to turn his hands to winemaking was Firmin Dumangin, born in 1650. Hippolyte Dumangin, born 1851, was the first to market champagne under the Dumangin brand. Achille Dumangin named a variety after himself around 1909. Jacky Dumangin achieved fame for a Premier Cru Champagne which won an impressive number awards during his 30 years at the helm. The current head of House Dumangin is Gilles. He is the 5th generation of the family to produce champagne.

The Dumangin family’s tireless efforts to produce the best possible Champagne from their own grapes was recognised by the prestigious French wine guide, the Guide Hachette des Vins, in 2008. The bible of the French wine industry awarded the Dumangin Grand Réserve a Coup de Cœur. The Coup de Coeur (judges' favourite) is the Guide Hachette’s highest possible recommendation.

Champagne is the most iconic sparkling wine in the world, produced in the region of Champagne in France. Synonymous with celebration, champagne is typically produced from a few specific varieties of grapes: pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier. With effervescent flavors of citrus, almond, and apple, champagne comes in varying levels of sweetness and has a moderate amount of alcohol. The most treasured Champagnes age for a minimum of 3 years.

The Champagne region is located 140 kilometres from Paris, France. While the vines in this region have been producing wine since the Roman era, it is only in the past couple of hundred years that winemakers began producing Champagne using méthode champenoise - the complex method that produces the style of Champagne the world knows and loves today. Another important component of the production of champagne is the chalk and limestone soils which dominate the Champagne region. Vines grown in these conditions result in wines that are high in acidity - a key component to making good sparkling wine. Champagne's northerly location - about as north as grapes can ripen - also allow for higher acidity and lower alcohol levels which are also very important for producing quality sparkling wine.