in the cellar : Bottle matured on lees and/or cork.
MCC wines evolve over time and become rich, sensual, sophisticated, intensely interesting and quite different to what they were in their youth.
Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) Sparkling Wine (Champagne etc.) is the one drink that you can serve throughout a meal, starting as an apéritif, all the way to dessert - and beyond - by using different styles, different vintages, different dégorgement dates.
Older vintages that have matured longer on the lees and / or cork, are individuals in their own right - each bottle a character, with something out of the ordinary to say for itself.
Some of the descriptions that may come to mind when tasting them are: honey, truffles, crème brulée, roasted nuts, nougat - and many more from your own unique, personal store or 'memory bank' of associated smells and taste sensations.
The corks too tell a story, changing shape and size over time - clues for the adventurous wine sleuth discovering each conversation pièce-de-résistance.