One of the finest of all French Champagne houses and in top form in recent years with their vintage releases. Vintage Pol combines elegance and finesse with depth and complexity of flavour.

The house of Besserat de Bellefon was founded in 1843 near Ay in Champagne, and is now based in Epernay. The hallmark of the house is the lower than normal pressure that the wine is kept at under cork. This lower than normal pressure does not reduce the effervescence, but softens it, allowing the wine to partner better with food. Aspect: Deep, intense yellow Bouquet: Citrus, confits, honey, sweet spice, panettone, praline Palate: Generous freshness, opulence, purity, natural, exceptional Assemblage : Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier.

Veuve Clicquot has been producing fine quality Champagne since it was founded in 1772. In 1810, Madame Clicquot broke new ground by creating the first vintage Champagne, made of grapes from one single harvest. Veuve's non vintage is consistently rated in the top handful of NV Champagnes and delivers a powerful bubbly with a rich mouthfeel. The Ponsardin vintage is elegant with generous freshness and the Pinot Noir lends body to a very lively wine. On the palate there's layers of floral and fruity complexity that flows into a remarkably long and powerful finish.

The Rose Champagne has fruity aromas of wild red berries, followed by floral notes, and the sugary and spicy fragrance of zest; and the aromas of dried fruit and cocoa result from the wines vinifying in oak tuns. Rich and full-bodied, Brut Rosé exalts the maturity of the fruit. A sparkling wine with an initial impression of freshness, it opens smoothly with almost exotic notes, combined with the pure minerality of the Chardonnay grapes. 'A characteristic Roederer rosé: the concentration, fruitiness, and compactness of the Cumières Pinot Noir grapes are transcended by the elegance, purity, and freshness of the finest Chardonnay grapes cultivated on the Côte des Blancs.' - Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master.

'THIS is another of the French and famous brands that deliver crystal-clear, finely-honed aperitif styles. The vintage pinkie delivers a whole set of characters that serious Champagne lovers fully appreciate including aldehyde, flint and anise spice. - Herald Sun, Melbourne, 12 Feb 2013

The Brut Vintage displays a bright yellow-gold colour enhanced by a continuous thread of lingering bubbles. The nose, instantly elegant, exudes delicate scents of citrus fruit (tangerine) announcing a beautiful freshness. Later it reveals an outstanding aromatic complexity with hints of peaches, apricots and almonds. The palate first reveals a very creamy and full-bodied texture. The immediate impression of freshness gives way to an unctuous and well-balanced structure offering aromas of fresh biscuits and ripe fruit (apricots). This is a rich champagne of strong character, with vinosity, keeping nevertheless all its elegance and delicacy, it is the very soul of Pol Roger.

Indisputably one of the great Rose Champagnes produced.

EGLY-OURIET Les Vignes de Vrigny Premier Cru, Champagne

Pure and mineral, this, like all the recent bottlings, offers superb texture and stone-fruited depth without sacrificing the cut-diamond precision and citrusy, chalky energy that is a given from this area. In short, this is classic Champagne Larmandier - 100% delicious and all class. Latitude is 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay from vineyards on the southern side of Vertus. These vineyards are on roughly the same latitude, hence the name, which also hints at the breadth of texture that the wines from these sites tend to offer. Pure and mineral, this offers texture and stone-fruited depth without sacrificing the cut-diamond precision and citrusy, chalky energy that is a given at this address. Extremely versatile at the table, both of the entry cuvées can work with a wide range of dishes from fish, terrines, any chicken dish particularly lemon chicken and most cheeses (except blue or really strong washed rind).