Only made in the very best of vintages by winemaker Guillaume Roffiaen, the primary aromas are dominated by the signature style of the Cuvée Spéciale, with citrus fruit freshness and floral hints as its calling card. In the mouth there is immense freshness from the Chardonnay backbone, bringing apricot and delicate peach notes. The cris, fruity attack delivers a thirst-quenching sensation, with mineral notes stimulating the taste buds. The mid-palate is perfectly balanced, with the silky Meunier paving the way for a surprising aromatic finale of great depth and complexity, from the well-structured Pinot Noir.

PEHU SIMONET Face Nord Extra brut Grand Cru, Champagne

The blend is 100% Chardonnay from various years (20 to 25% of which are reserve wines from the 2 previous years). A large majority of Premiers Crus from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims vineyards for aromatic refinement, supplemented by Sézannais wines known to provide maturity. Finally, several wines from the north of the Vesle valley give a light, fresh touch.

Charles Heidsieck was one of the very first Champagne Houses to demonstrate its passion for Chardonnay by producing a Blanc de Blancs in its 1949 vintage. There is also evidence that the Maison had produced some mono-crus from the Côte des Blancs as early as1906... Through this cuvée, relaunched in 2018, two of the House’s areas of expertise come together: the production of great white wines and the art of blending a large selection of wines from different years and terroirs. The considerable challenge is to make opposites coexist: the tautness and the freshness of young chardonnays on the one hand, and the silky “Charles” character on the other. The Blanc de Blancs is the result of a very selective blend of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, Cote de Sezanne and Montgueux. The cuvée base 2016 is composed of 10 crus of Chardonnay, the most sought-after grapes in the region. For this cuvée, only the juice from the first press are used and, the wines benefit from a slow and long maturation of 3 to 4 years, far beyond the norms of the region. From the bottle to glass, this champagne is a pale, crystalline gold colour with glints of the Chardonnay varietal. On the nose the aromas of mature Chardonnay can be recognised initially: white peach, candied citrus with hints of lime, fresh hazelnut and honeysuckle, giving way to subtle hints of tangerine and lemon citrus. On the palate freshness an tautness mark this as almost unconventionally suave for a blanc de blanc, so often characterised as being sharp rather than creamy. The harmonious finish offers a surprising minerality and a slight salinity.

Larmandier-Bernier Latitude Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut NV is produced using 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay grapes. The vineyards are on the Southern side of Vertus. In the cellar, Larmandier uses mostly large format casks and less and less steel tanks. These are vineyards on roughly the same 'Latitude' and the name also hints at the breadth of texture that the wines from these sites (having more clay in the soil) tend to offer up. In the cellar Larmandier uses mostly large format casks (almost all the wood now comes from Stockinger in Austria) and less and less steel tanks. The alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place without inoculation, and there is no fining or filtration. Bottle maturation takes place in the underground cellars over a period of more than two years, and each bottle is disgorged manually, six months before being released, and dosed at low, Extra Brut levels. Pure and mineral, the most recent bottling offers cut-diamond precision, citrusy, chalky energy and a succulent, textured core. In short, it is a classic 'Larmandier' wine that is all class. Dosage is 3-4 grams per litre

Cuvée 4·5 is a unique blend from Maison Mumm that brings together Chardonnay (40%) & Pinot Noir (60%), all coming from Grand Cru vineyards. Mineral & lively, Verzenay’s Pinot Noir brings to the wine generous & fruity aromas, while Pinot Noir from South-facing vineyards Aÿ & Bouzy add strength & vinosity to the blend. Chardonnay from Cramant offers delicate & tangy citrus notes, well-balanced by the incisive & sharp Chardonnay from Avize. Pressed & vinified separately, those five Grand Cru are then blended while adding reserve wines (20%). The expedition liqueur, produced exclusively from the same Grand Cru, is the final touch of this Cuvée. Aged in cellars for 4 years and made from five Grand Cru, the name of the wine stems from those characteristics: Cuvée 4·5.