A tight, structured vintage Champagne with cherry, spice and some dried strawberry. Hints of biscuits, too. It’s medium-bodied with a tight, structured palate and a long,flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

Pol Roger's just-released 2013 Brut Vintage is a beautifully chiseled, incisive wine that will appeal immensely to purists. Unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus zest, white flowers, crushed chalk and hints of fresh sourdoughs, it's medium to full-bodied, racy and precise, with a nicely concentrated and tightly wound core, tangy acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. After the rich, muscular 2012 vintage, the 2013 represents quite a contrast; I'm not sure we'll see its stylistic like again for some time, so readers with classically inclined palates will want to stock up—advice I'll be following myself.