2002 Carbon Cuvee Bugatti EB01 , Champagne Carbon

Horsepower in Haute Couture.

This is not subtle Champagne, at least not at first glance. Wrapped in Champagne Carbon’s signature carbon fibre bottle and created as the house’s Bugatti collaboration, it arrives with all the theatre of a collector’s object. But the wine itself is beautifully serious, a 2002 vintage blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, aged for at least 15 years on lees, which gives it the kind of depth and slow-building complexity that only time can deliver.

The nose feels broad, layered and fully evolved, opening with butter, caramel, toasted nuts and forest honey before unfolding into pastry, coffee, nougat, ripe orchard fruit and that gently autumnal note of undergrowth and mushroom that mature Champagne can wear so well. On the palate, it is creamy, biscuity, and wonderfully ample, with roasted almond pastry, soft caramel, and a rich, velvety texture, yet there is still enough tension and mineral cut beneath to keep it from ever feeling heavy. This is luxury with structure, all richness, glide and detail, but still bright enough to hold its shape.

For when: the bottle needs to stop conversation before the first glass is even poured.
Pairs with: scallop ceviche, turbot, butter-poached fish, lobster, or a dish elegant enough to match the drama.

The extended lees ageing and modest Brut dosage of 7g/L help explain the wine’s combination of creamy breadth and precision. The result is a mature vintage Champagne that feels gloriously evolved, full of toasted, honeyed complexity, but still alive with chalky energy and poise.