1995 was a challenging year in the Champagne region, therefore this Grand Cru Jeroboam is a rare vintage produced with scrupulous care and showing great subtlety.It's a wine for special occasions, ideal with a meal. Brisk and fresh at first leading to a sense of great subtlety and body and culminating in a creamy, fleshy texture.

Dom Pérignon is the most famous Champagne in the world, and for good reason. The bouquet sparkles with delicate fresh violets in a setting of white peaches. The soft delicate flavours continue while the senses are tickled by the most delicate of fine bubbles. Though this is such a fine delicate wine, the complexity is astounding, along with its length. Stunning.

In the words of no less than James Halliday, "Krug is the greatest wine of Champagne". At the House of Krug every Vintage is crafted to be different. Every Krug Vintage reveals the expression of a particular year with its distinct character: it is the music of the year as captured by Krug. It is a blend of expressive wines from a single year enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. The result a manifestation of time, place and feeling that verily leaps from bottle to flute.

In some ways, this is the emblematic wine of the domaine. It was Michel Bettane, the influential French critic, who encouraged Francis Egly to bottle this single vineyard wine separately, with the first release being from the 1989 vintage. This latest offering was bottled after the 2016 base had spent close to one year in cask before being blended with 50% reserve wines from the 2015 vintage. All the vinification and aging for both vintages was in barrel. The fruit comes from old Pinot Noir vines in a single terroir known as Les Crayères. The vines here were planted in 1946, so are now 75 years old (vines of this age are extremely rare in Champagne). Here the soil is barely 30cm deep, then it’s chalk, hundreds of metres down—hence the name of the site (craie is French for ‘chalk’, crayères references chalk quarries which likely once existed here). Les Crayères is situated mid-slope with a full south-facing exposure, not far from the estate’s cellars. The old vines are deeply rooted, giving the wine a classic, mineral energy that weaves its way through the powerful, layered Pinot Noir fruit. The deep concentration is a product of the ripeness and low yields that both the site and its ancient vines naturally deliver. The 2016 base is both a tribute to the greatest sites of Ambonnay and to the Egly-Ouriet domaine. Houses that emphasise blending may consider a 100% old-vine Ambonnay like this to be too intense; Egly gives it to you full throttle! This release is a wine of profound depth yet also great finesse. It’s still early days for the nose (if you open it now, give it time) while the palate is already stunning; a chiselled, mineral mouth bomb. The dosage is only two grams per litre and it’s invisible. An expression of a singular terroir, this is, of course, a unique wine that is, as always, built for food and for aging.

Expect flesh and concentrated ripeness yet also chiselled structure and intense, saline minerality.

Château Palmer is considered one of the worlds first 'Super Seconds' (although actually classified as a third growth), a term relating to the top echelon of producers that fall outside of the ancient 1st Growth classification. Margaux's Château Palmer was named after a British general who fought under Wellington. It has been stated by quite a few wine critics that this could possibly be the finest Château Palmer ever produced. An amazing claim considering how phenomenal the 2005 was and is yet to be. Masses of concentrated aromas and flavours that will keep your senses entertained for hours on end. A truly remarkable achievement that will repay the patient cellarer over the next 30 years.

This cuvée has become synonymous with the kind of extreme quality that can today be expected from Champagne’s finest estates. The current release is based on the 2020 vintage and was disgorged in February 2024. Like its predecessors, this release comprises 65% fruit from the base vintage, with the balance from the two previous years. The blend is split between 35% Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims (specifically Ludes, Trépail and Ormes), 35% Chardonnay from sites across Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne and 30% Meunier from Mareuil-le-Port in Vallée de la Marne. Ludes and Trépail provide the tension, offsetting the depth and texture of the Marne fruit and reserve wines. The average vine age is 40 years. The hard-harvested fruit ferments naturally in barrel before aging in barrel and tank. After bottling, the wine spends 36 months sur lattes in the Bérêche cellar, and finally, disgorgement by hand (!) with just under 6 g/L dosage. This is the kind of fastidious attention to detail you would expect from the finest prestige cuvées, and it shines through in the quality of the wine. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) is spot-on when he writes: “Although most readers probably associate Bérêche with some of their higher-end bottlings, the Brut Réserve is a real rock star.” The style is taut and focused; the wine’s natural density and texture are superbly balanced by crystalline acidity and smoky mineral resonance. Simply, it’s one of the most compelling introductions to elite grower Champagne on the market.

The 2013 Champagne Larmandier Bernier Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant is a true gem from the renowned Larmandier-Bernier winery in the Champagne region of France. This limited edition vintage was disgorged in 2019 and is presented in a grand 1500ml bottle, making it a showstopper on any table. On the nose, delicate floral notes of white blossoms and honeysuckle mingle with hints of fresh citrus and crisp green apples, creating a beautifully balanced aroma. On the palate, this champagne delights with a lively effervescence and a creamy texture, leading to a complex and elegant finish. The colour is a pale golden hue, illuminated with flashes of vibrant bubbles. This champagne is a true expression of the terroir, showcasing the unique qualities of the Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant vineyard. Enjoy now or cellar for a special occasion.