Champagne of the Week

The richness and ripeness of the vintage leaps out of the glass. You can even smell the sunshine. Smoky too. On the palate, there is no heaviness. Instead, the creamy-ish texture is laced with vigour, energy and freshness. Apart from the smoky notes, suggestion of quince, ripe apples, nectarines, and …

Joyau de France,  or “Jewel of France”, was launched with the spectacular 1961 vintage by Réne Boizel, father of present head of Champagne Boizel Evelyne Roques-Boizel. This prestige cuvée is only produced in exceptional years and is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Mid-gold, the bubbles arevery fine. Full-bodied …

This one of my favourite non-vintage Champagnes. The mastery of the blending by Didier Mariotti is truly impressive. So too the quality, and complexity, of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reserve wines, all Grand Cru: Verzenay, Bouzy and Aÿ from the Montagne de Reims, and Avize and Cramant from the …

This non-vintage is not to be confused as a Premier Cru. That doesn’t matter because the wine is very good. Aged on its lees for 36 months before being disgorged in March 2017, the bottle spent at least another five more months in the cellar of Champagne Bruno Paillard before …

The medium-sweet and sweet categories of Champagne are dwindling because of the modern preference for drier wines. Just as we should be colour-blind in our dealings with fellow human beings, we should identify quality in wine by its overall balance rather than whether it is dry or less dry. This …

Salmon pink. Red cherries and grapefruit. A fresh, almost racy, aperitif style. A little, and very agreeable, grip of tannins on the finish. Dry and medium-plus-ish bodied. Based in Reims, Champagne Taittinger is still family-managed and family owned, not listed on any stock exchanges.

This exceptional Champagne is from several select parcels of an organic vineyard. The blend is 30 % Pinot Noir, 30 % Pinot Meunier, and 40 % Chardonnay. Apart from being organic, it is also certifiedvegan. In the words of Cellarmaster LaurentFedou, ‘the development of P181 is part of Canard-Duchene’s global …

Vintage champagne from Champagne Lanson wear the gold label. This is particularly appropriate for 2005 as it was a hot, sunny, ripe, rich vintage. Comprising about half and half pinot noir and chardonnay – exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards – Gold Label Lanson have to also spend a minimum five …

This Philipponnat flagship is comprised of 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 5% Pinot Meunier and a reflection of the terroir of Mareui-sur-Aÿ where the house is based. It is aged 3 years on lees, twice as long as the legal requirement. The extended time of spent yeast and wine …

This is the sparkling wine Steven Spurrier and his wife, Bella, founded on her family farm in Dorset, about 180 km south-west of London. Planted to the three Champagne varieties, namely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, the first harvest was 2011 and released in 2014. This pure Chardonnay, grown …